Best Former Sens - And Now The Goalies

Defence was a bit tougher than I thought toward the bottom of that list. Guys like Shaw and MacIver are on par with guys like Pitlick, Laukkanen, Kravchuk and so on. I stand by the picks, though, and use their status as original Sens to propel them into the top six.

So we finally reach the goalies. First, I'll go over the parameters one last time for those that didn't start at the beginning of this series. We're putting together a roster of FORMER Sens that played at least 50 games in Ottawa. Current players are exempt, as are guys that didn't dress for enough games in town. For the goalies, I'll also list out all the eligible players so that we can get some discussion going before heading to camp this weekend.

Eligible netminders:
Damian Rhodes
Martin Gerber
Don Beaupre
Patrick Lalime
Ray Emery
Ron Tugnutt
Craig Billington
Peter Sidorkiewicz


Here are my top two:

1. Ray Emery: (134 games, 71W, 40L, 14OTL, 8SO, 2.71 GAA, .907 SV)

I'm going to be honest with you, I went back and forth on whether or not this guy was the number one. At the end of the day, though, he was strong enough to backstop us into the Finals, further than any other goalie in Ottawa modern day history. His detractors will say that everyone just rode Alfie's coattails but regardless of that opinion, Emery didn't cave. In my opinion, we let this one get away. Ray Emery was one of the cockiest SOBs to dress for us in 15 years and we let it get away. What does it take to be a goalie in a hockey market that has a history of shoddy goaltending, where the media and fans will criticize everything from your practices to your driving to your pre-game posse? It takes a player with incredible swagger and confidence. Instead of just trying to nurture his talent and absorb his arrogance into something creative, we basically cast him as different and a distraction. The team that went to the Finals wasn't nearly as good as the teams that faced Toronto and lost four times, but our goalie made the saves he was expected to make. Mark my words - we will regret the broken relationship we had with Emery. I am fully aware that it is a two-way street and he didn't do nearly enough to keep his job coming back from injury. But our organization didn't help the matter and Murray has gone as far as to say that Paddock let these guys slide into such terrible habits that we still haven't recovered. I hope Pascal has that swagger, too, because Emery has been the only goalie in Ottawa that can handle the heat of the playoffs in Hockey Country.

2. Patrick Lalime (283 games, 146W, 100L, 30T, 30SO, 2.32 GAA, .913 SV)

Here's what is funny about this one. When I started this exercise, I was sure as shat that Tugger would be my guy in the number two spot. In fact, I'm still a bit torn over it. Here's why - on one hand, we have to prepare in case Emery has a meltdown and we need to turn to our backup in the playoffs. I love Tugger as a poised goalie that was with us in those early playoff years. But the more I thought about it, Tugger didn't win a single playoff series with us. Patty-cakes, on the other hand, was an extremely reliable goalie both in the regular season and in the playoffs. Sure, he lost to Toronto a few times, but it is hard to argue with his numbers: 41 playoff games, 21-20, 1.77 GAA, .926 SV. How many goalies have such superior numbers in the post-season as that? Now, I'll be the first to jump on this and say that he padded some stats against the Islanders a few times and couldn't win when it mattered. But even in the Toronto debacles, it was really only that one Joe Nieuwendyk game that stunk (and yes, it was a game seven). Lalime was the victim of backstopping a team that couldn't score for its life in the playoffs. Rarely was he the cause of those failures, but he certainly did take the blame. So the reason that he makes it on this list ahead of Tugger is because if Emery runs a senior citizen off the road and calls him an old bag of bones, we can turn to our longest serving goalie in history and ask him to recreate that magic that led to 3 straight shutouts in the Philly series of 2002. I'll take that chance over Tugger's 0 playoff series wins any day.

Honourable Mention:
You guessed it - Ron Tugnutt. 72-51-25 was his W-L-T line with the Sens, including a 2.32 GAA and .908 save percentage. Tugger was epic in that 1996-97 season when we lost in seven games to the Sabres. Remember that goal that trickled off his glove in Buffalo to clinch the series for the Slugs? Agghhhhhhhhhh! I was upset when he was shipped out with Laukkanen for Tom Barrasso in 2000, though I guess it was inevitable since Tugger hadn't won a playoff series and T-Bar was still shining his two Cup rings with the Penguins. Still, Tugger was the voice of reason for us back then and I never felt like he cost us games.

The only other shout out I'll give is to Damian Rhodes. I don't think he's worth his uniform, but outside of Emery and Lalime, he is the ONLY Sens goalie to win a playoff series. FYI, during our streak of 11 straight seasons in the playoffs, we won a whopping 8 series. 4 to Emery, 3 to Lalime, and 1 to Rhodes.

Okay, let's hear it from the Don Beaupre fans! Or Billington? Gerbage? Seriously, the only challenge here is whether Lalime makes it ahead of Tugger and I think the playoff history justifies Patty. Thoughts?

And one more for the road:

Best Former Sens - All Skaters

Okay, before the goalies are released tomorrow, here's a look at the starting lines in our Best Former Sens series. Remember, former modern day Sens with 50 games in Ottawa.

1st line: McEachern-Yashin-Hossa
2nd line: Arvedson-White-Havlat
3rd line: Prospal-Smolinski-Dackell
4th line: Cunneyworth-Kudelski-Peluso

1st pairing: Chara-Redden
2nd pairing: Duchesne-Meszaros
3rd pairing: MacIver-Shaw

Those lines kinda lack depth, but that fourth line would be interesting to play. You might get an elbow in the corner from Cunney, a sniper shot from the slot from Kudelski, or a punch in the teeth from Peluso. Talent-wise, Prospal would probably bump up to the second line with White and Havlat and that would be a pretty decent group for secondary scoring. Arvedson/Smoke/Dackell would be a fierce checking line like Pahlsson/Moen/Niedermeyer were against us in the Finals. That defence is rock solid, too.

Goalies are out first thing Wednesday morning.

Best Former Sens - Defence

Wow, can you believe that training camp opens this weekend? The longest offseason in 12 years will soon be at an end and I really hope that the good vibe surrounding this team in March/April can find its way back this month. I'm not going to say that I look forward to moving past the Heatley saga because to be honest, the excitement of the trade request is what got us through this summer! Imagine how long this would have been if we hadn't had anything to talk about between April and now? Thanks, Dany, for keeping us busy!

Back to our roster of former Sens. We've gone through the forward ranks and put together a decent group of 12 along with a nice taxi squad. We're now at the blue line and these ones are pretty cut and dry, as far as I'm concerned. The only place where it gets blurry is when you get into that 6th spot and you have to decide between recent Sens on good teams, or original Sens on bad teams. Who has what it takes to round out our top six that can eat up some minutes but won't be upset at not getting all the accolades?

Defencemen

1. Zdeno Chara: (299 games, 51g, 95a, 146pts, 554 PIM, 2001-2006, 0.4883 pts per game)

Plain as day, Zee is the one that got away. At this point in time, there isn't a single person out there that doesn't realize we signed the wrong $6.5M defenceman when he and Redden were up for contract together. It isn't that Redden was bad (spoiler alert - he's on this list), but you just don't let a 6'9" player that can skate, hit, shoot, and lead get away. I am one of the few people that misses pieces of John Muckler, but this one was just plain stupid. It doesn't even take hindsight, really. Wade Reddens are born and bred all across Canada - average size, decent skater, good vision. Awesome, thanks. When you have a player with Chara's physical attributes, you know that he is a once in a lifetime player. And spare me the 'he wanted to be a captain' BS. Had we called him first with the $6.5M offer, this team would be in a much different place right now. After joining us as an add-on to the Spezza/Yashin trade, we taught him to skate and he's now busy winning Eastern Conferences and Norris Trophies. One knock on him, though - is he a captain that can win when it counts? So far, no.



2. Wade Redden: (838 games, 101g, 309a, 410pts, 576 PIM, 1996-2008, 0.4893 pts per game)

I'm tempted to pull my punches on this one because Redden did so much more for us than we're going to give him credit. This was a guy that lost his mother during the playoffs one year against Tampa and came back with a goal and assist in his first game back. While we all hate talking about community involvement, few were better at providing opportunities throughout the city than Wade. And he was no slouch on the ice, once upon a time. Just because he left us in terrible condition on a contract that he no longer warranted, don't let it diguise the fact that he was often seen as one of the best passers in the league. To see where he is today is an absolute shame, to be honest, because he was our perfect powerplay QB. There are so many theories to explain is epic fall from grace, but it just seems that the game moved on and his legs haven't kept up. If we're talking about a top pairing of former Sens, though, Redden is an absolute must on this team.

3. Steve Duchesne: (140 games, 31g, 52a, 83pts, 80 PIM, 1995-1997, 0.5929 pts per game)

The first of two players on this list with some of the most clutch goals in Sens history, Du-Du-Du-Duchesne was the real deal for us. We had him for some of his decent years and even though he was a journeyman, he really left his mark on this franchise. True, he never found the magic that pushed him to an 82 point season in Quebec, he still earned his keep in Kanata. In addition to putting up solid numbers in his two seasons, he scored what was without a doubt, the greatest goal in Senators history up to that point (don't worry, I remember the goals since then...). This video not only serves as a shout out to Duchesne, but I think it really acts as a great primer for training camp opening this weekend. This is one of those 'where were you when' moments in Sens history. For this clutch goal and his strong career, Duchense cracks our top four on the blue line.



4. Andrej Meszaros: (246 games, 26g, 84a, 110pts, 213 PIM, 2005-2008, 0.4472 pts per game)

Some might argue that Meszy didn't do enough in his short time here to earn this spot, but I think that is just bitterness speaking. Plus, we did alright with that trade, didn't we? Considering we basically landed Campoli, Kuba, and Picard for him, win goes to Ottawa. And the fact remains that he was an above average player for us. Part of it is from playing with a better version of Wade Redden and part of it is from being a talent. He never missed a game with us and didn't really have any overwhelming weaknesses in his game. He followed the money and might have a decent time with guys like Hedman and Ohlund now, though I still think he and his agents made a mistake asking for too much too soon. Solid player that might not get the chance to fully develop in a weak organization.

5. Norm MacIver: (161 games, 24g, 73a, 97pts, 120 PIM, 1992-1995, 0.6025 pts per game)

The best of our early blueliners, MacIver was a no-brainer to make this roster. An undrafted college grad, this dude was our leading scorer in our first year. Whether that is a knock on how bad the forwards were or a testament to how good MacIver was is for your own debate at the pub. What can't be argued is that he put up 63 points that season and was a beacon of excitement in a statistically tough inaugural season. A quick FYI, he also scored the last ever goal for the Winnipeg Jets. The 63 points in Ottawa in 92-93 was his best offensive season. He was an assistant in the Bruins organization for a couple of seasons and is now an amateur scout with the Blackhawks. Here's a non-MacIver video, but still fun to check out the hairstyles that technically occurred in the 90s! Civic Centre rocked and that anthem singer looked familiar...



6. Brad Shaw: (149 games, 11g, 53a, 64pts, 93 PIM, 1992-1995, 0.4295 pts per game)

Okay, so Shaw wasn't a great point producer in his three seasons with us. What he does bring, though, is great leadership and coaching. He can be the mentor to Meszaros out there and advise him to take a long-term contract offer with the Sens. But seriously, he's another original Sens player that trucked through the difficult seasons when the fans really couldn't care less about winning or losing. He was a co-captain for us in 93-94 with Mark Lamb and Gord Dineen and has gone on to some decent coaching stints since, including a brief stay with the Isles as interim coach in 2006. He was never a mainstay in the NHL, often dipping to the minors, but he still managed a pair of strong years with us. His spot on this roster is also helped by his time with 67s and our love affair will all things Brian Kilrea has been around. Sadly, a google search for Brad Shaw comes up with more hits for Sex and the City character Carrie Bradshaw now than the one we're looking for. Stay with this - Brad Shaw shares the last name of Sarah Jessica Parkers character. She is married to Matthew Broderick, who we will fondly remember for his role as Ferris Bueller. In that movie, Cameron Frye is often wearing a Gordie Howe jersey (weird, because they're in Chicago). Gordie Howe had a hockey family, including his son Marty that played with the Hartford Whalers and their minor league affiliate in Binghamton. Marty's teammate during those years was none other than the number six guy on this list, Brad Shaw. BAM! Who needs Kevin Bacon?

Honourable Mentions:
There are some solid guys on this list that deserve to be mentioned.
Joe Corvo and Tom Preissing were stastically better than Shaw, but neither guy wanted to stay with the team. Preissing informed Muckler during the playoffs that he wanted out, Corvo asked numerous times for a trade before being sent to Carolina. Their names are mentioned because they could skate and because they were a part of our Cup Finalist team. Joe Corvo's goal in Game Two was one of the best moment in Sens history as it gave us our first ever 2-0 series lead and really propelled us to domination in that series.

I also think Curtis Leschyshyn was a great asset for us. Statistically, he was truly awful, but he came with a Cup ring and was a major mentor to the team's young defencemen. During some of those tough playoff losses, he was one of the ones with Alfie that had to stand in front of the microphones and speak for our shortcomings. He was a great leader for us when people were still unsure if Alfie was up to the task (obviously, we know he can handle those duties now).

Two guys that don't make the HM list are Shane Hnidy and Karel Rachunek, simply because I've said more swear words at these two guys than just about any other Senators player. Thanks for all the turnovers, guys.

That's it for the defencemen. There are at least a dozen other good players out there and I'd love to hear from you on who is unjustly left off this list.

Goalies will be up midweek.

Heatley invited to Sens camp!

Much to the surprise of Dany Heatley and his handlers, #15 must start thinking about packing his bags for Ottawa. BM told Garrioch in the Ottawa Sun today that they've sent out their standard camp mail, including the offer to Dany to help with his travel arrangements from Kelowna to Ottawa.

Murray adds that, as usual, there is nothing new to report on trade negotiations. He's still talking to the same two teams and they're still offering the same inadequate returns. Booboo does add, though, that Murray is demanding Thornton, while Doug Wilson has neither offered him nor Marleau. He also suggests that the Rags are the second team.

“Basically, what I’ve said (to other teams) is just tell me what you’re willing to do, I’ll talk to you and we’ll go from there and we’ll make a decision one way or another. But, I can’t say I’m overly optimistic now.”

Question - does the Euge, who is publicly upset and rattled by the whole saga, call Murray and just say, "get this mook out of here before camp, regardless of the return." Or does he not make any calls to the office and let Murray bring in the Heat to play through the season, distractions and all? I already know where some of you stand on this, with most people starting to think that he'll be a Senator this Fall. But if you were holding out hope of a last minute trade, this is a bit deflating for you. I'm still on the fence. A small part of me thinks that Murray just takes the garbage that Doug Wilson is offering, which is probably Cheechoo, Vlasic, and a prospect. Another part of me knows how stubborn Murray is and thinks that to prove his point, he'll just let Dany rot in town all season, knowing that there is enough character in this room to overcome the distractions.

Also, if you didn't catch it earlier, Alfie had some choice words which the Sun quickly took to mean, 'nobody wants him here'. Good on Alfie to not just give the normal 'we'll welcome him back with open arms' garbage that Fisher still lays on the table. These players should be offended by this and should expect a nice steak dinner and a commitment to leave it outside the rink.

And finally, unrelated to the Sens, a quiet move from Toronto tonight as they've reacquired their 2nd round pick from 2010. I guess one way to get Kessel out of Boston is to just give him a nice $4.6M offer sheet, since the Leafs now have their first three picks again. The Bruins are over the cap as it stands today without Kessel, which especially stinks since they're paying $2.2M in the buyouts of Glen Murray, Patrick Eaves, and Peter Schaefer. Maybe Burkie can find some offence after all! I can't wait to look back on the comments that he made about Kevin Lowe when the Oilers took Penner away on an offer sheet. You can accuse Burke of a lot of things, and being a hypocrite is definitely one of them! Putting the cart before the horse here, no question, but the table is certainly set here.

Reminder (sorry, just found the updated numbers for 2009-10 and edited this):
Amount Compensation Due
$994,433 or below - None
Over $994,433 to $1,506,716 -Third-round choice
Over $1,506,716 to $3,013,434 - Second-round choice
Over $3,013,434 to $4,520,150 - First-round and third-round choice
Over $4,520,150 to $6,026,867 - First-round, second-round and third-round choice
Over $6,026,867 to $7,533,584 - Two first-round choices, one second- and one third-round choice
Over $7,533,584 - Four first-round choices

Best Former Sens - Left Wingers

We're back for the third of five installments, putting together a roster of former Sens. If you didn't catch the centres and right wingers (they're below this), the rule is that this is only modern day Sens (sorry, Frank Finnigan) and they must have played 50 games (sorry, Peter Bondra). The basis is looking at points per game with Ottawa and then bringing in some subjective opinions to iron out a well-rounded team, ie. Mike Peluso cracking the roster as the 4th line right winger.

One thing that plagued this team in the late 90s and early 2000s is that we never had a top flight left winger. When we had Alfie, Hossa, and Havlat, we tried to move Boots to the second line left side, but he didn't adapt. Instead, we were like a canoe that was tipping to the right or going in circles. Okay, terrible analogy, but we were easy to shut down because you just had to put your strong defenceman on that side to slow us down. While Heatley was a right winger when he arrived here, he has managed to move to the left side when the Pizza Line plays together so we kinda sorta have it figured out...until he gets traded.

Left Wing

1. Shawn McEachern: (454 games, 142g, 162a, 304pts, 244PIM, 1996-2002, 0.6696 pts per game)

Without question, Gecks was our top left winger for his tenure in Ottawa. Acquired for Trent McLeary and a third round pick before the 96-97 season, he was one of our better trade acquisitions of the 90s. He also settled in nicely on the left side of Yashin and Dackell on the MOO line (Ministry of Offence). McEachern is 8th in all-time scoring with the Sens and second best scoring left winger we've ever had (#15 is first). McEachern's best years were in Ottawa, no question, as he twice put up 30-goal seasons. Was he a legitimate top line left winger? That's hard to say because we were just so stacked on the right side and Gecks wasn't really superstar status. But he was a hard worker, a Stanley Cup winner, and an all-around solid player. I also bought his stick at the Sensations Equipment Sale a long time ago and still use it today. Allegedly, my shot isn't quite as good as his, since he's long since retired yet his stick is still in one piece. McEachern was picked up by the Bruins, played with both the big club and in Providence, and was eventually waived into retirement, but at least was able to do it in his hometown.

2. Magnus Arvedson: (393 games, 92g, 118a, 210pts, 229PIM, 1997-2003, 0.5344 pts per game

I was never much of an Arvedson fan. Part of it was because I didn't like his last name infringing too closely to Alfie's, and part of it was because he was the perfect characterization of what was wrong with our franchise during our playoff failures. Here's a guy that was solid enough to play in the top six during his tenure in Ottawa but would need to get a freaking map to learn where the corners of the rink were. Think about this - 92 goals in 393 games in the regular season, 3 goals in 52 playoff games. Here was a player that could play a solid brand of two-way hockey in the regular season but had no response for the playoffs when grinding and emotion takes over. It wasn't all bad with Arvie - in 1999, he finished as runner-up for the Selke trophy to Jere Lehtinen. But sadly, I'll always remember him most when he was punched in the nose by Tie Domi.


3. Vaclav Prospal: (213 games, 34g, 77a, 111pts, 114PIM, 1997-2001, 0.5211 pts per game)

Vinny didn't necessarily put up great numbers in Ottawa and is best remembered for saving his best years for his post-Ottawa career. He arrived from Philly fresh from a broken leg (courtesy of Lance Pitlick) and never really took off with the Sens. He was sent to Florida in 2000-01 for conditional draft picks, which were then traded right back to Florida for Mike Sillinger. I'll be honest, I didn't know Sillie played for the Sens, dressing for 13 games at the end of the season before signing with Columbus in the off-season. Back to Prospal - looking at his career numbers now, he's a legit top six left winger. In Ottawa, he was either an underachiever or underdeveloped because we never had the 80 point player he later became. Nevertheless, he was good enough to crack this roster.

4. Randy Cunneyworth: (276 games, 36g, 59a, 95pts, 360PIM, 1994-1998, 0.3442 pts per game

There are some guys in the honourable mention list that might be better scorers than Cunney, but we're building an all-around team here, not just the highest scorers. Cunney is our captain on this former Sens team and is going to be a critical piece of that fourth line with Kudelski and Peluso (what a hodge podge line!). A former Ottawa 67s star, he came as a free agent and was handed the C. While he never ripped the twine with us, he was our stabilizing force when we went from laughing stock to powerhouse (regular season powerhouse...). Think about how bad we were when he arrived here and how good we were by the time he left. Obviously, most of that had to do with this young Swedish kid named Alfie, a system-oriented coach, years of top draft picks developing, etc. But don't underestimate the importance of having a strong captain during those years. There will come a time when this guy is a head coach in the NHL. Seriously, who wouldn't want this guy in their organization? Perfect candidate when people finally realize that Lindy Ruff isn't that good of a coach in Buffalo and gets let go next summer.


Honourable Mention:
- Sly Turgeon was hard to leave off the list. If we were looking for all scorers, he probably would have received the contract over Cunney, but too many years of tucking in his sweatshirt and slyling his hair cost him dearly. He was our first line winger in our inaugural season and was certainly fun to watch out there.
- Peter Schaefer is a player that I just didn't care for. For years, people would say 'he's the best boards player in the league'. What the hell do you mean, boards player? It isn't like he owned the corners, he'd just skate there and pin the puck on the boards so that neither team could score a goal. That's awesome, except for when 45 seconds go by and your entire shift in the offensive zone hasn't come close to producing a scoring chance. If this guy was worth a look, he would have a job right now. Muckler signed him for 4 years (!!!) and Murray was somehow able to peddle him off for Donovan and, more importantly, a salary dump. Yikes.
- Patrick Eaves gets an HM just for being a hard working kid and getting lumped in with the Corvo trade. Eaves is not a top six player, and we're probably better off with Foligno as he has better hands, but he should do fine in Detroit.

There are boatloads of other left wingers but these are my top four for our roster. Thoughts?

Best Former Sens - Right Wing

Alright, second installment of the best former Sens roster. Today, we're looking at the right wingers. There was a time where we were simply too strong on the right side and while we couldn't afford him anyway, Marty Havlat had a rough time either playing on the third line behind Alfie and Hossa or trying to move to the left side, which he said he hated. The first two guys in the list today are pretty obvious and perennial All-Stars, while the second two are a clear indication of just how young this franchise really is. Without further ado, your former Right Wing Sens that cracked our roster.

Right Wing

1. Marian Hossa: (467 games, 188g, 202a, 390pts, 243PIM, 1997-2004, 0.8351pts per game)
Any argument here? I remember the day quite well when we shipped Hossa out of town. Muckler was in Toronto along with Hossa and his agent, allegedly working in the hotel lobby in the morning before arbitration. Rejoice! We've agreed on a contract, 3 years, $18M, Hossa is staying! Domage, you've been Mucklered out to Atlanta for this great Canadian superstar, a prairie boy that wants to play in the spotlight and doesn't care about money. (crickets). Hossa's agent kinda led him out of town and learned the hard way that you don't muck around with the Mucks. No problem for Hossa, he's only been in the Finals the last two years (don't ask how it went) and is settling in for a lifetime contract on a solid Chicago team. While in Ottawa, he was plagued as a regular season star, though I guess we say that about every single Senator for the last 13 years, save Alfie in the Finals run. Hossa had the best breakout speed of anyone I've seen and was strong, to boot. I never liked, though, his poor passing abilities. I know he's a goal scorer, but even in the Finals last year, he'd gain the blue line and not really know where to look to find a teammate. Regardless, his time in Ottawa was solid and I can say with confidence that more than half of the Sens fans out there now wish Muckler had never made that trade five years ago.

2. Martin Havlat: (298 games, 105g, 130a, 235pts, 166PIM, 2000-2006, 0.7886pts per game)
Havlat was like Marian Gaborik Lite. Amazing talent and a complete and utter inability to play a full season, though he hung on for a while last year in Chicago. If he wasn't suspended for kicking a groin or a cross check to the face, he was putting up a four-spot against the Buffalo Slugs. That's how I remember him - either kicking someone or scoring sickening goals. Master of the dipsy doodle, Havlat never really seemed to get his wings in Ottawa, either because he played behind two better right wingers or because Jacques didn't appreciate the poor backchecking. By the end of Havlat's time in Ottawa, when Muckler said he'd trade him away before he'd lose him as a UFA like he did Chara, half of Ottawa didn't even mind to see him go. The guy was made of papier maché out there and honestly must have nothing left in his shoulders. It would be great to see him light it up in Minnesota this year. He's 80 point potential if he can get in a rhythm and play 80 games. But for his time in Ottawa, while a superb talent, he was too injured too often. Good luck this year, Boots!

3. Andreas Dackell: (401 games, 65g, 115a, 180pts, 104PIM, 1996-2001, 0.4489pts per game)
I'll always remember Dackell for being...hold on, I probably won't remember him at all! AD was like our early version of Chris Kelly, except even more boring. I think the reason he put in so many games in Ottawa is that his 'style' of play was what Jacques Martin dreamed of. Slightly above average speed, European hands, and a complete focus on neutral zone play. If you're trying to think of something great that Dackell did, you'd better put on a fresh pot of coffee. Seriously, though, he was a decent player, performed his duties without complaining, and earned a living. Okay, I found one highlight that is worth watching just to see the welt on the poor guy's head. If you're trying to track him down, he's been with Brynas in the Swedish Elite League for the past five years. Does he have Bob Goodenow's head on a dartboard since the lockout essentially put an end to his services here? Or was it more the chance to move home and keep playing hockey in your native tongue?



4. Mike Peluso: (81 games, 15g, 10a, 25pts, 318pts, 1992-1993, 0.3086 points per game)
I was so excited to put this guy in the list! How bad are we at right wing when our fourth best one is a goon that played one season? In a year where Ottawa was just thrilled to have an NHL team, we had some pretty sweet cult heroes: Marshy, Sly Turgeon, Cunneyworth, and best of all, Mike Peluso. Seriously, how great was it to have a grizzled captain, an iconic curly-haired defenceman, some French dude named Sly, and one of the toughest guys in the league? Peluso was traded after the one year for a package of Billington, Mallette, and some other stuff and went on to win a Cup with the Devils. One of my favourite stats, aside from the 318 penalty minutes in Ottawa, are his playoff stats with St. Louis in 1996-97, which reads 5 games, 25 PIM. Good on Dennis Vial to try and earn the hearts of Sens fans in taking over fighting duties. He was no Denis Lambert, but he did his best to make us forget Peluso. Question - Peluso c. 1993 versus McGrattan c. 2006. Who wins?




Honourable mention to Andre Roy for being a tough little guy and for getting shipped out of town under awful pretenses. Thanks for kicking off what has been never ending rumours about this team's social habits. Roy is, though, a grinder that keeps finding a way to stay in the league and for that, he deserves a ton of credit. Apologies to Andrew McBain for not making the list outside of this one line telling you that he didn't make the list.

Later - the left wingers.