The Ottawa Roster (part 1 of 3)

So we all know that Dany Heatley has not been moved.

Senators GM Bryan Murray has come out and said that he will now proceed and plan for the coming season with Heatley in the line up. And what I aim to do with this post is look at what the team should look like (IMO) with Heatley staying. Bear in mind this is the CURRENT roster - minus any crazy trades or salary dumps and all that jazz. We'll start with the first line.

Line 1: Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson

Heatley pots the goals, Spezza sets them up and Alfie works his butt off all over the ice. It's a tried and tested formula and there's no reason to tinker with it.

Now some of you may be upset that Heatley gets to stay on the first line...well, he just HAS to rebound form-wise this year. The Olympic squad is at stake and if he is serious about being traded, he will want to impress the pro scouts and GMs from around the league. And have no doubt that Clouston will demote him if he doesn't show up to play.

Line 2: Foligno-Fisher-Kovalev

Nick Foligno is in a contract year and really needs to show management if he wants to be a top 6 or bottom 6 forward. He is definitely a hard worker, but can he put up the points? The key will be how he clicks with Alex Kovalev - and I like the possibilities here.

Fisher down the middle has the size and grit on this line and can go to the net. Kovalev certainly possesses amazing puck control and scoring capability when on his game. Foligno's tenacity on the forecheck really rounds out a solid line.

Line 3: Ruutu-Kelly-Shannon

Chris Kelly is probably the most underrated Senator in the squad - he has decent size and plays a solid defensive game. He won't wow you with amazing goals or crazy dekes, but that's not his role on the team. Shannon certainly showed he can work hard and if he can improve on his 20 points from last season, he's on the right track. And don't let Ruutu's gob fool you - that's not the only skill he has. There were flashes of brilliance last season (a certain backhanded goal comes to mind) and at his pricetag hopefully we can expect more.

Line 4: Neil-Winchester-Donovan

I'm not sure I've ever seen a guy work as hard on the ice as Shean Donovan. He is devoid of almost all finishing skills, but he just never stops! Neil was somewhat of a disappointment last year but no one can fault his heart and his determination. He's also one player on the team willing to shoulder the physical load. And Winchester locked down the 4th line centre job last year with a high faceoff percentage (when you're second on the team only to Antoine Vermette, you're doing pretty well) and tight defensive play.

Spare player: Schubert

Schubie has again drawn the short straw as swingman. He really has some potential but I don't know if he's going to get a fair shot on this team. Hopefully he gets a few games under his belt this year - if for nothing else then to improve his trade value.

Part 2 is coming up soon - I'll be looking at the defense and goalies.