Season Review:

The Senators finally made it past the conference finals to the Stanley Cup championship and it only took them almost 20 years of trying. The Sens did a lot of things right this season. They had one of the most feared scoring lines in the game (CASH line -- Spezza, Heatley, and Alfredsson), they had one of the top defensive pairs in the game (Volchenkov and Phillips), and their sophomore goalie established himself as a bonafide starter (Emery). Unfortunately, they lost in the Cup Finals to Anaheim.

Offseason Needs:
One thing the Sens must do is improve their 2nd scoring line. Anaheim was able to shut down Spezza and Heatley, which caused the Sens offense to sputter. Going after a good 2nd line center and winger is crucial for the Sens. I expected Mike Comrie to be a good fit, but he hasn't done as well as expected, so he won't be back. Trading away backup goalie Martin Gerber's contract could help free up room to sign a guy like Slava Kozlov, Marco Sturm, or even Robert Lang. Perhaps Alexei Yashin might like a homecoming if the price is right? He could thrive in a place where he isn't expected to be the team leader and star.

Next Season Outlook:
The Sens look to be strong no matter what they do. They have no key UFAs to lose this year, so anyone they can sign will be a good addition to the team. Expect them to compete for the President's Trophy and the Cup if they can improve that 2nd line scoring. A healthy Wade Redden will continue to improve and hopefully Spezza won't get injured during the year.