Ottawa Senators: 3 players who must improve

The Ottawa Senators are coming off a tire fire of a season and are trying to set things back on track.

Saying that the Ottawa Senators 2017-18 season was bad is an understatement. They finished second last in the league with 67 points and a 28-43-11 record. Their winning percentage was .409, their worst since 1995-96.

Their owner and general manager came under fire, with fans paying for a billboard that read “#MelnykOut”, team captain Erik Karlsson and his wife had to deal with drama with a teammate, and the future of this franchise hangs in the balance.

The Senators desperately want to put all their past grievances behind them and start fresh this October. If that is to happen, they will need these three players to contribute.

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3. Craig Anderson

After one of the best seasons of his career in 2016-17, Craig Anderson had a rough return. He played 58 games but had a .898 save percentage and a 3.32 goals against average. He’s determined to not let the off-ice distractions affect him next season and to be focused on bringing success back to Ottawa.

"“My only comment on that is that I’m too old for drama and I don’t want anything to do with drama. Hopefully, we’ve resolved all that. Ottawa. I’ve been there for eight years now, and that’s my home. I’ve got no interest in going anywhere else as long as we can clean up what was going on this summer.”"

When the Senators made it to the playoffs two seasons ago, it was on the back of Anderson. They need him to regain his form if they want a chance at the playoffs.

2. Thomas Chabot

With Erik Karlsson’s future in Ottawa not certain, the Sens will need a new player to step into the role of the number one defenseman. Even though he’s only 21 years old, Thomas Chabot is showing promise. Last season, he played on a pairing with Karlsson himself which elevated his game and gave him an opportunity to learn from the best in the business. In 63 games, he recorded 9 goals and 16 assists. He averaged over 17 minutes a night as a rookie and finished fifth among rookie defensemen in scoring.

Those numbers are great, but with Karlsson likely out the door, he has to continue to build on his game if he is to take over the #1 spot.

1. Pierre Dorion

The Ottawa Senators are in shambles and the owner is getting impatient. General Manager Pierre Dorion needs to do something and do something quick. The Senators don’t have the money or the future that Erik Karlsson is looking for so they need to trade him while his value is at its peak.

This is going to be the trade that determines the future of this franchise so Dorion cannot afford to mess this up. Look at what Colorado got for Matt Duchene (ironically that trade involved the Sens). They got a first, second, and third-round pick, and Samuel Girard, a promising defensive rookie. For a franchise player like Karlsson, the Sens better get the sun and the moon in return.

According to Cap Friendly, the Senators have nine UFAs expiring at the end of this season. Dorion has got his work cut out for him if he is to set this franchise back on track.