Top 10 questions

1. Did the Senators choke against the Penguins?

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: No. Squandering a three-goal lead on home ice in an elimination game is indefensible. So from that standpoint, Ottawa's Game 6 loss belongs in the same category as other failures in franchise history. (Paging Ricard Persson and Jeff Friesen). But in the big picture, the Senators season ended exactly how many of us pictured it would. At the start of the series, I predicted the Penguins would win this series in six games. They are the defending Cup champions and realistically, they are the better team. But to take it one step further, back in September, most experts picked the Senators to finish somewhere between 5th - 10th in the Eastern Conference. The 2009-10 Ottawa Senators met their external expectation level - so it's hard to say that their loss to Pittsburgh was a total choke job and their season was a failure.

2. Should Ottawa re-sign Anton Volchenkov?

Ottawa's most notable unrestricted free agent is Anton Volchenkov, whose ability to block shots and play a shutdown role might make him one of the most sought-after commodities on the open market. Volchenkov's importance to this team is undeniable; he is the only player in the NHL with 1,000 blocked shots since the lockout. But this should be a buyer beware situation for Bryan Murray if Volchenkov and his agent Jay Grossman are looking for a five-year deal. Defencemen like Volchenkov tend to age quicker because of the style they play. Think of a guy like Jay McKee, who was a free agent at the age of 29 and had the reputation of being one of the best shutdown, shot-blocking defencemen in the game. St. Louis signed him to a four-year, $16 million contract in the summer of 2006, but injuries plagued his time with the club. His fourth and final year was ultimately bought out by the Blues and he signed this past off-season with the Penguins. Volchenkov is now 28 years old and right into that point in his career where injuries could catch up to him. How effective will a 33-year-old Volchenkov be five years from now? Will he be worth $4.5 million? That's a legitimate question that needs to be asked.

3. Should the Senators keep Andy Sutton and Matt Cullen? NHL jerseys


If the A-Train leaves town via free agency, there is a lot of speculation that the club should just re-sign Andy Sutton, who plays the same style. A lot of Sens fans view Sutton as a Diet Volchenkov. At a reduced price, Sutton can provide a similar shot-blocking and nasty presence in front of the Ottawa net. If the Volchenkov camp makes it clear that they are going to test the unrestricted waters on July 1st, Murray might be more interested in bringing back Sutton. But fans should also remember that Sutton is 35 years old and if Filip Kuba was healthy in the playoffs, how big of a factor would Sutton have been? The club also has Matt Carkner, Chris Campoli, Brian Lee and rookies Jared Cowen and Patrick Weircoch who all think they can play in Ottawa's top six. Maybe the best move for Murray is to wait and see how his defence shakes out during training camp and if help is needed, pick up an experienced guy near the deadline - like he did with Sutton this year. As for Cullen, he was arguably the best mid-season pick-up of a forward this team has ever seen. The versatile forward was a factor on most nights and ended up tied for the club lead in playoff scoring. Cullen's performance with Ottawa probably will make him an attractive free agent and it wouldn't shock me if the 33-year-old wanted to close out his career playing close to his home in Minnesota. But all things being equal, the Senators would be well-served to have Cullen back in the fold next season.

4. Is it time to trade Jason Spezza?

Judging by the way some of the Ottawa crowd booed Spezza in Game 4 of the Pittsburgh series, this is apparently a legitimate question - even though I don't agree with it at all. Spezza's turnover at the opposition blue line that led to a Sidney Crosby goal in Game 4 was the breaking point for many fans. But Spezza is a number one centre in this league. Entering this season, only eight active players in the NHL had played 300 games and averaged at least a point a game. And guess what? Spezza was one of them. These types of offensively-gifted players just don't grow on trees. And when he was 100 per cent healthy this season, Spezza collected 38 points in his final 30 games (18 goals, 20 assists). His overall game is vastly improved from where it was two or three years ago. Yes, he still turns the puck over. I'm not blind to that. But if Ottawa trades Spezza this summer, they will spend years trying to find another bona fide, point-producing centreman. Give Spezza a break Ottawa fans; he doesn't pull a Thornton-style disappearing act in the playoffs. Spezza has played 46 career playoff games and produced 46 points. A point-a-game guy in the regular season. A point-a-game guy in the playoffs. What more do you want from him?

5. Is Pascal Leclaire now the #1 goalie?

Two weeks ago, this would have been a strange question. Brian Elliott carried the ball for most of the second-half of the season and was clearly entrenched as the team's number one netminder when the Pittsburgh series started. But after faltering in Game 4, Leclaire took over and looked extremely sharp for Ottawa. Given his significant salary in 2010-11 ($4.8 million), the betting here says Leclaire gets the inside track on re-claiming his starter's jobs in training camp. Injuries were a big reason why he never got on track this past season, but Leclaire's professionalism and practice habits went a long way with his teammates. As for Elliott, his post-season struggles should not overshadow his progression as a young netminder. He has proven he can play in the NHL, with a record 20 games over .500 in his career. Robin Lehner also wants to factor into this equation, but I think this will be the Leclaire and Elliott show again next season.

6. How would you rate Cory Clouston's first season behind the bench?

Some of Clouston's playoff decisions are coming under scrutiny in Ottawa. Did he wait too long to go to Pascal Leclaire? Why was the fourth line on the ice for the OT goal in Game 6? Why did he not put Mike Fisher on Sidney Crosby more consistently in Games 3 & 4 on home ice? However, Clouston answered the question of whether or not he could have success over the course of a long season. He turned the Senators around from where they were a year ago. He provided structure and discipline behind the bench - something that was seriously lacking here 18 months ago. So from that standpoint, his first full season in Ottawa should be deemed a success. Now the pressure will be on Clouston to deliver a post-season victory next season. But Clouston has proven he belongs behind an NHL bench, which is something we weren't sure about a year ago.

7. Did Bryan Murray deserve that contract extension?

Just before the Olympic break, the Senators gave GM Bryan Murray a one-year contract extension because his deal was set to expire at the end of this season. After losing out to Pittsburgh in the first round, there does not seem to be an overwhelming sentiment from the fan base to fire the general manager. Murray's moves for Cullen and Sutton worked much better than his similar acquistion of Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore two years ago. The emergence of Erik Karlsson as a top-four defenceman proved that Murray and his scouting staff have a knack for finding gems. The Ottawa GM had a gun to his head on the Dany Heatley trade and the jury remains out on the Pascal Leclaire deal - especially since he also acquired goalie prospect Robin Lehner in that deal. But much like Clouston, the pressure will be on Murray to deliver a post-season win next year. The expectations this year were just to make the playoffs. Next year, this team has to take another step forward.

8. Has Jonathan Cheechoo played his last game in Ottawa?

Murray was forced to take Jonathan Cheechoo in the Dany Heatley trade last September and unfortunately, the Senators found out just how much the former 50-goal scorer's skills have diminished. When the club sent him down to Binghamton in February, it was a clear sign that his $3.5 million salary doesn't fit with this team. While owner Eugene Melnyk has been forced to pay for a lot of dead contracts in the past two years (Emery, Paddock, Hartsburg), he will likely have no problem buying out the final year of Cheechoo's deal in June and giving Murray a little more flexibility with the cap.

9. Has Peter Regin emerged as a legitimate top-six forward?

Perhaps no player was more impressive in the first round than Peter Regin, who scored three goals and did not look out of place on the first line. Regin is the smoothest skater on the team and he has a keen hockey sense. In two years from now, I expect Regin to be a consistent 25-goal scorer in this league and a guy who can play in all situations. But don't just pencil him in next year as a top-six forward. Remember how strong of a push Nick Foligno had at the end of last season and we all thought the same thing. Foligno and Regin are young players and it will take them time to develop into top-six forwards. Plus, the return of a healthy Michalek and Kovalev will likely cut into their playing time.

10. Will Kovalev and Michalek be effective after knee surgeries?

Both players are headed under the knife this week and the team says they will both be ready for training camp in September. Knee injuries are always serious, but even more so in this case because of Kovalev's age (he will be 38 next season) and Michalek's history (this is his fourth knee surgery). We should have a good idea by the middle of September if these players are back in top shape. These are two players expect to be in Ottawa's top-six next season and their presence was certainly missed in the playoffs against Pittsburgh.