He is still good enough, but are they?

Just a few days after his Ottawa Senators were eliminated from the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Captain Daniel Alfredsson was faced with a decision. His latest chance at hockey’s ultimate goal being recently removed, the questions regarding his future were imminent. Would he come back for another kick at the can? At 10 goals and 26 points in the regular season, and another 4 and 10 in the playoffs, he is still physically able. His teammates will undoubtedly encourage him to stay considering the way the team performed despite roster injuries this season, as his leadership abilities were clearly evident. But ultimately it is management, not his teammates, who can make his decision for him.

You don’t even have to leave the province to find a comparison to Alfredsson’s position. Transition from the nation’s capital to the provincial capital where another sport is currently the centre of attention. This past winter the Toronto Blue Jays filled the city with excitement when they went out and literally bought themselves a contender. It was for the most part, on the request of a single player, albeit one who had plenty of weight within the organization.

Jose Bautista wanted to play baseball in Toronto. He had become the Jays hero as one of the best hitters in MLB. But at the same time he wanted to win a championship, something that the squad as it was would be unlikely to provide him. So Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulous went out and acquired a cast of elite baseball players. The team was instantly transformed into a contender – on paper at least. Early season struggles aside, Bautista now has a cast around him, which many analysts have stated are capable of winning a World Series. Even though the moves aren’t providing immediate results, management showed a commitment to winning.

It would be far from out of line for Daniel Alfredsson to make the same request of the Ottawa Senators. Obviously the lack of a salary cap in baseball makes these two situations very differently. There will be plenty of difficulty in putting together any sort of All Star team for GM Bryan Murray as many different factors will be against him. First and foremost the NHL Salary Cap will be reset to $64.3 Million (USD). Furthermore, this year’s free agent group is not particularly deep or elite.

But while the salary cap reduction will certainly affect some, it is not as significant for the Ottawa Senators. This is because their current payroll is around 53 Million (USD), which is one of the lowest in the NHL. The expiring contracts of Alfredsson, Sergei Gonchar, Guillaime Latendresse, and some depth pieces who are RFAs give them over $22 million in cap space next year, with 19 players under contract. While some of that money must go to Alfie if he comes back, it still leaves plenty of room for the Sens to be active in free agency.

On top of this, while the current free agent pool does not include many notable names, it soon could. This is due to amnesty buyouts, which could potentially add many more intriguing names to the discussion. As LastWordOnSports has already reported, Daniel Briere looks like he will be bought out by the Flyers. Although more premature at this point, Brad Richards could also be available. On top of that, who knows which other names could suddenly become available as teams looks to reshuffle their rosters in order to make it under the cap.

Back to the Bautista comparison. There is one major difference; the current Senator’s roster is a lot closer to Stanley Cup contention than Jays were to the World Series. They have a goaltender in Craig Anderson who, when he is at his best and healthy, can be amongst the best in the league. They also have a solid defensive game around him, led by one of the best defencemen in the game in Erik Karlsson.

But it is upfront that the Senators have their true problem, and the position they should look to improve first to truly make themselves a contender. Missing Jason Spezza, Karlsson and a supporting cast of other characters significantly affected the team’s goalscoring. A couple of forward additions are still required for this team to truly step up the next level.

First off, with Spezza back in the fold the team no longer needs a top line centre. Kyle Turris filled the role admirably this past season, but his current talents are most suited for the second line. That turns attention to the wings, most of all on the left side. With Guillaume Latendresse departing, the team desperately needs a top-six left winger. Not that the oft-injured Frenchman ever really filled that role.

The options in terms of free agents are limited. Pascal Dupuis could potentially be available, but it is unlikely. That said, if the Penguins cannot fit him into their roster he would be exceptional on the Senators right side. Michael Ryder and Brad Boyes could also be potential targets for Ottawa. The right side is a bit deeper with Alfredsson (if he’s back) and Jakob Silfverberg, but no Senators fan would be opposed to the signing of a player like David Clarkson to shore up the position. Of course, trading is also always an option for a team with no lack of assets.

At the end of the day, if Alfredsson is serious about returning he should give it some time. At this point, leaving Ottawa for another team would be a major mistake, even if he is pursuing a cup. For me, it doesn’t appear that he will make that move. Obviously family and personal condition come first, and will play a major part in his ultimate decision. He should also play close attention to who GM Bryan Murray plans on acquiring this summer, which could really make the decision a simple one either way.

The Senators are not that far away, and they owe it to their Captain to speed up that process. He has given so much to the organization, it is time to give back.

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