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Five Preliminary Takeaways from Ottawa's 2021 Season |
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With the Ottawa Senators season coming to a close on Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, tonight marks a good opportunity to look back on the season that was. There were ups, there were downs, and there was a little bit of everything in between. Through it all, though, there was a thread of optimism about the future. Here are my Top 5 takeaways from Ottawa’s 2021 campaign – in no particular order:
1) Connor Brown Represents One of the Best Value Deals in the League
With the Senators integrating so many young players this season, Connor Brown’s importance as a solid, consistent, contributing veteran can’t be overstated. His fit in the middle-six for this team is nearly perfect, as evidenced by the fact that he hit the 20-goal mark in this shortened season. Whenever DJ Smith sent Brown over the boards, he and everyone watching knew what they were going to get.
The three-year contract - worth an average of $3.6-million per season - that Brown signed after last year is a great bargain for this Ottawa squad. The idea that we’ll hopefully have the chance to see him continue to build chemistry with Shane Pinto and Tim Stützle to start next season is just icing on the cake.
2) Tim Stützle Was Worth the Hype
Tim Stützle may not have been the best rookie for Ottawa this season, but he was almost certainly the most entertaining. For a teenager to come into the league and do what he did on a near-nightly basis is nothing short of amazing. While the underlying numbers and play-driving performance weren’t always there, the willingness to be creative, try things with the puck, and keep fans engaged in the action always was. Perhaps the best part about Stützle’s season for the organization is the fact that he legitimately looked like a player taking baby steps forward with each passing game; those underlying numbers will come.
3) The Crease Conundrum
The signing of Matt Murray was supposed to answer any questions the Senators had about their goaltending situation, but it turned out to do the exact opposite. Murray wasn’t very good in his first season with the Senators, which makes the long-term commitment to him something of a concern. Complicating things further is the legitimately spectacular play delivered by Filip Gustavsson to close the season. Would anyone be upset to see Gustavsson get a run of games as the number-one guy to start next season? I doubt it. But that would mean leaving your $6-million goalie on the bench.
4) Artem Zub Was Quietly the MVP
Heading into the year, there was never really any doubt about whether the Senators would have the forward talent capable of at least keeping up with opponents. There was doubt about the state of the blue line, though.
After Thomas Chabot, the blue line was basically full of question marks. Had it not been for the emergence of Artem Zub, things could have gone in an even worse direction. He was a complete and total revelation for this hockey club, consistently handing in quality minutes and play-driving prowess.
The Zub signing is arguably the best bit of pro scouting that Pierre Dorion has executed during his time as General Manager, and it’s set this team up for success moving forward. DJ Smith can now confidently ice a minimum of two competent pairings without having to do too many lineup gymnastics.
5) DJ Smith Evolved
The Senators looked completely useless to start this season, as they were held back by “veteran” bodies that did the exact opposite of contribute. Once DJ Smith started trusting young players – like Erik Brannstrom, Victor Mete, and Drake Batherson, among others – with consistent assignments and ice time, the results for this hockey team improved immensely. Every coach is going to make mistakes at this level; the real difference between the good ones and the bad ones is that the good ones learn from those mistakes. Smith certainly showed the capacity to do that as this season moved along.
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Enjoy the game today.
As always, thanks for reading.
Ottawa Senators Blogger • 
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