On Sunday, the Ottawa Senators drafted forwards Chris Leblanc and Quentin Shore in the sixth round of the NHL draft, marking their final two selections in a crop of seven prospects. What are the odds that either plays even a minute with Ottawa’s NHL lineup? Slim, as is the case with any sixth-rounder, but a precedent is there. Brooks Laich and Martin Prusek both had short Sens stints, Mark Stone has already been entrusted with spot playoff duty – and Chris Neil and Daniel Alfredsson are franchise cornerstones, despite limited draft hype.
Last week, Alfredsson informed the Swedish media that he intended to return to Ottawa for at least one more NHL season, and at least one more kick at the proverbial Stanley Cup can. General manager Bryan Murray is working out the parameters of a new contract with the captain, who’s currently an unrestricted free agent.
With the official start of free agency looming on July 5 (and the minuscule potential that Alfredsson bolts to another team), here’s a countdown of the top 11 moments of his Senators career – with the possibility for more in the very near future.
11. Mocking Mats
January 8, 2004, vs. Toronto
Friendly rivals for the entirety of their NHL careers, Mats Sundin’s Leafs squads generally got the best of Alfredsson’s Sens in the early 2000s. This subtle jab at Toronto’s suspended captain is a fun complement to Alfredsson’s manifold on-ice heroics.
10. Christening the Shootout
October 5, 2005, vs. Toronto
For all the consternation Ed Belfour caused the Senators during his time in Toronto’s crease, Alfredsson gained a measure of redemption after the 2004-05 lockout, scoring the first-ever shootout goal in the NHL’s highly anticipated return.
9. Down Goes Darcy
May 10, 2002, vs. Toronto
Was it boarding? Probably. Still, hockey’s a game of human decisions, errors and actions – and few actions are more decisive than this combination of physical play and clutch scoring in the dying minutes of a playoff game.
8. All-Star Homecoming
January 29, 2012, NHL All-Star Game
On the surface, Alfredsson’s never done so little work for such a rousing ovation, but Ottawa’s All-Star applause was the result of years of service and momentous plays. The hometown recognition makes up for the lack of defence on this particular goal.
7. Milestone Marker
December 30, 2012, vs. Calgary
“It doesn’t get any better. It doesn’t get any better!” Denis Potvin, scorer of 310 NHL goals himself, provides a fitting summation of Alfredsson’s 400th. The overtime goal was fitting in itself, coming 1:11 into a Senators’ power play, in Ottawa’s 11th sellout of the year – and, of course, giving Alfredsson 11 on the season.
6. One Thousand Points
October 22, 2010, vs. Buffalo
Anecdotally, it appears there’s no team Alfredsson abused during his career quite like Buffalo. The captain was the 78th player in league history to reach the 1000-point plateau, capping off a hat trick with an empty netter to suppress the Sabres.
5. Seven-Point Game
January 25, 2008, vs. Tampa Bay
Alfredsson’s full scoring prowess was on display in the best of his 1178 regular season games. He tallied a hat trick within 25 minutes, showing off his devastating shot with a screened wrister, a blast from the point and a quick breakaway snipe. Add in four assists and you have the makings of a historic night.
4. Team on His Back
June 6, 2007, vs. Anaheim
More accurately, it was 6’4, 220-lb Ryan Getzlaf on Alfredsson’s back as he bore down the ice shorthanded – but then again, it was #11 who carried Ottawa all throughout the 2006-07 playoffs, and especially against Anaheim, playing like a Conn Smythe candidate while his teammates faded.
3. Last-Minute Equalizer
May 19, 2013, vs. Pittsburgh
Failing to score for over 59 minutes in the biggest game of the season, then sauntering down the ice and converting a beautiful passing play is essentially the definition of pesky. Even at 40 years old, Alfredsson is the face of the franchise for a reason.
2. Tre Kronor Crowned
February 26, 2006, Winter Olympics
He didn’t find the net in the final, but Alfredsson led Sweden with 10 points at the 2006 Olympics, good for third overall in the tournament. His performance as alternate captain helped capture gold for Sweden, their second Olympic hockey title in 12 years.
1. Conference Clincher
May 19, 2007, vs. Buffalo
The ability to corral a neutral-zone pass, accelerate up ice from a gliding start, navigate through three enemy sticks and unleash a pinpoint wrist shot with so little space would make this a remarkable goal under any circumstances. Of course, the time was anything but ordinary – and though it’s absolutely a cliché, neither is the captain.
