ScottM Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Right now, I think it's pretty clear that Daniel Alfredsson is the greatest player in Senators history. I know some will disagree with me, but in my mind, Erik Karlsson has worked his way up to second place on the list. Assuming he can continue to play at his current level for a while and can have an extended career in which he can consistently perform, I think he could take over the top spot, but what would it take? I think Karlsson already has the edge when looking at best individual seasons since he has the two Norris Trophies. He's very much in the conversation for the best at his position, while Alfredsson, as good as he was, never quite made it there. Alfredsson, on the other hand has a big head start on the longevity side, of course. He remained an effective player throughout his career, and considering that he retired at 41, there's a high bar. Both, of course, have served as captains of the team. Barring something unforeseen, I think Karlsson remains captain of the Senators as long as he's with the team, so he could certainly end up matching Alfie in term, but Alfredsson has set a high bar there as well. Under his captaincy, the Senators advanced to the conference finals in 2003 and to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007. I think Karlsson and his leadership deserve credit for leading the team to the playoffs last season, as I don't think the team would have been close without his leadership, but once they got there, the performance wasn't as good. Alfredsson, of course, was a forward, and Karlsson a defenseman, but they have something in common in that they're both two-way players. As I've said before, I think Karlsson gets a bad rap on his defensive play, but it has to be acknowledged that he does make mistakes at times. That's true of any player, but I think Alfie was probably a bit less mistake-prone. Now, Karlsson is young (at 24), and could still clean up his game. When he plays at his best, there's pretty much no one better. The problem is, he seems to get a bit careless at times. I think he needs to become more consistent. So, what does Karlsson have to do to be the greatest Senator ever? 1) Last for a while longer. Because of the peak performance he's already displayed, he probably doesn't have to quite make it to 42, but I don't think retiring at 30 would cut it. 2) Build some playoff success. A couple of conference finals runs would be nice, and of course, winning a Cup would be enough to win that point. But first round exits won't cut it. 3) Just be more consistent. The talent is there, but Karlsson doesn't always seem to make the most of it. Alfie, on the other hand, was a consistent performer and nearly always seemed to be on his game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Greatest Senator ever, eh? The mighty Yashin laughs at both Alfredsson and Karlsson. All joking aside, I am thinking tenure, but more importantly, that Stanley Cup. I suppose with a consistent career, some Finals appearances AND the tenure, Karlsson could do it that way...but if he leads the team and helps deliver a Stanley Cup, even before his tenure comes close to Alfredsson's, I think that gives him the title of Mr. Senator, lock, stock, barrel. Karlsson can continue to work on one thing at a time....he already has established himself as an individual elite player on the team, whether forward or D-man, now he needs to keep taking his team to the playoffs and ultimately win that Cup. And if he can do all that, and even RETIRE as a Senator, even if his tenure is equal to or just a bit shy of Alfredsson's, the fact that Karlsson went as a lifelong Sen while Alfie bolted for the Wings may prove to be the difference in fan's hearts on any close comparisons for the title of Ottawa's Favorite Son. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyerrod Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I think if Karlsson can continue his current play he will surpass Alfredsson. Alfie was the lifeblood of that team for a long time but I do believe that Karlsson will be the Sens future. His TOI alone will eclipse Alfie with probably about 2/3's of the games played. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 I really think the Cup would be the biggest thing. How the Sens didn't win a couple of Cups in the 2000's is a puzzle to me. There were some questionable management decisions, yes, but the talent on the ice should have been enough. I'm not sure how fair it is, but that will always hang over Alfredsson. The thing is, Karlsson would probably find himself facing the same question without a title. There are a lot of key players on this team that are 26 or younger. Theoretically, this core could be together for a long time, and if that happens, it would be a bit of a debacle if they can't hoist the Cup. It will be a lot clearer if there's no asterisk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 I really think the Cup would be the biggest thing. How the Sens didn't win a couple of Cups in the 2000's is a puzzle to me. There were some questionable management decisions, yes, but the talent on the ice should have been enough. I'm not sure how fair it is, but that will always hang over Alfredsson. The thing is, Karlsson would probably find himself facing the same question without a title. There are a lot of key players on this team that are 26 or younger. Theoretically, this core could be together for a long time, and if that happens, it would be a bit of a debacle if they can't hoist the Cup. It will be a lot clearer if there's no asterisk. Ironically, it seems the biggest stumbling block to Senator advancement and/or winning during that span was usually the Toronto Maple Leafs.And when Alfie and co weren't facing them, they ran into teams at their peak like the Sabres, Devils, and then the Ducks on the one Finals they did make it to. In more recent seasons (and closer what you can call the Karlsson Era), the nemesis seems to be either the Penguins, Rangers, or Canadiens...ALL of which ice consistently good teams year in, year out...Montreal looking very much like that part the last couple seasons. So that is the challenge Karlsson and his group will be facing going forward: the strong, stable cored teams in the East such as Montreal, the Rangers, maybe throw in the Caps and maybe soon, the Red Wings and Lightning could be consistent thorns in Ottawa's collective sides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted December 4, 2015 Author Share Posted December 4, 2015 Ironically, it seems the biggest stumbling block to Senator advancement and/or winning during that span was usually the Toronto Maple Leafs.And when Alfie and co weren't facing them, they ran into teams at their peak like the Sabres, Devils, and then the Ducks on the one Finals they did make it to. In more recent seasons (and closer what you can call the Karlsson Era), the nemesis seems to be either the Penguins, Rangers, or Canadiens...ALL of which ice consistently good teams year in, year out...Montreal looking very much like that part the last couple seasons. So that is the challenge Karlsson and his group will be facing going forward: the strong, stable cored teams in the East such as Montreal, the Rangers, maybe throw in the Caps and maybe soon, the Red Wings and Lightning could be consistent thorns in Ottawa's collective sides. You're absolutely right about the Leafs thing. However, I'm not personally ready to call who I think the "nemesis" for this squad will be, because I think they're still developing. I predicted before last season that we'd miss the playoffs. A lot of youngsters stepping up following Karlsson's leadership and a surprise goalie defied the odds though. I will admit that the Habs series in the playoffs was quite frustrating, though. I'd like to see the guys take another step forward this year. At least one series win would be nice. If they can pull that off, I think that's the sign that they're ready for prime time. After that, let's see who gives the stiffest playoff challenge and see if our current captain can lead them past that challenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JagerMeister Posted December 4, 2015 Share Posted December 4, 2015 Karlssons career as a 24 year old eclipses Daniel Alfredsson at 24 by a significant margin. Karlssons peak already eclipses Daniel's. All he needs is more playoff opportunities and a somewhat lengthy career with decent performances. But he needs to surpass Yashin first and foremost before we discuss transcending the likes of Alfie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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