The current Ottawa Senators, the second franchise to bear the Senators name, began play in the 1992-93 NHL season. The original Senators existed from 1883 to 1954 and competed in the NHL from 1917 to 1934, winning the Stanley Cup multiple times.
The original Senators were relocated to Missouri in 1934 due to financial difficulties, leaving Ottawa without a team for decades. However, thanks to the efforts of real estate developer Bruce Firestone, the NHL awarded a new franchise to Ottawa in 1990, and the team began play in 1992.
Although the team took several years to become competitive, it eventually featured some of the league's top talent, leading to numerous deep playoff runs and providing Senators fans with many exciting moments. But who are the players who can be considered the 10 best in Senators' history?
1) Swedish leader Daniel Alfredsson
The choice for the top player in Senators history is an easy one. Swedish native Daniel Alfredsson was selected with the 133rd overall pick in the 1994 NHL Draft and would be given the captaincy in 1999. To this day, he holds multiple franchise records including goals (426), assists (682), and points (1,108). Upon his retirement, he would soon become the first player of the current Senators to have his jersey number hung from the rafters at Canadian Tire Centre.
2) Fan favorite Jason Spezza
Selected by the Senators with the 2nd overall pick in the 2001 NHL Draft, Spezza became a fan favorite in Ottawa and succeeded Alfredsson as team captain after Alfredsson’s departure in 2013. Throughout his time with the Senators, Spezza was one of the most consistently productive forwards, setting a franchise record for assists in a single season with 71 during the 2005-06 season.
3) Blue line leader Erik Karlsson
The top defenseman in Senators history, Karlsson dazzled fans during his time in Ottawa, including four seasons as team captain. He won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenseman twice with the Senators and set a franchise playoff record for most assists and points by a defenseman in 2017, leading the team to within one game of the Stanley Cup Final.
Although his tenure ended with a trade to the San Jose Sharks in 2018, he remains highly regarded by Senators fans.
4) Russian phenom Alexei Yashin
The face of the franchise for several seasons after being selected with the 2nd overall pick in the 1992 NHL Draft, Yashin enjoyed a successful tenure with Ottawa, including two All-Star appearances and serving as team captain. However, his time with the team ended badly when he sat out the entire 1999-2000 season due to a contract dispute and was eventually traded to the New York Islanders.
5) Offensive sniper Dany Heatley
Seeking a change of scenery, Atlanta Thrashers forward Dany Heatley requested a trade to move past the memories of the fatal car accident that claimed teammate Dan Snyder’s life in 2003. He was traded to Ottawa in exchange for Marian Hossa, where he quickly became the team’s top goal-scoring threat, posting back-to-back 50-goal seasons in his first two years with the Senators.
6) Slovakian scorer Marian Hossa
Selected with the 12th overall pick in the 1997 NHL Draft, Hossa spent the early years of his NHL career with the Senators and quickly established himself as one of the league’s top scoring threats. He surpassed the 30-goal mark in each of his last four seasons with the team and helped lead them to within one game of the 2003 Stanley Cup Final.
His tenure with the Senators ended before the 2005-06 season when he was traded to the Thrashers in exchange for Heatley.
7) American-born goaltender Craig Anderson
Traded to the Senators barely a season after leading the Colorado Avalanche to the playoffs, Anderson became the starting goaltender that Ottawa desperately needed. He would go on to play 10 years with the team, racking up 202 wins and becoming the franchise leader in playoff wins and games played as a goalie.
He also earned the Bill Masterton Trophy as the “player who best exemplifies qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication” in 2017.
8) “Marvin the Martian” goaltender Patrick Lalime
Forever known by the popular Looney Toon on his mask artwork, Lalime played five seasons with the Senators and amassed a total record of 146-110-30.
9) Current captain Brady Tkachuk
Selected with the 4th overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, Brady Tkachuk quickly earned the Ottawa captaincy due to his leadership skills and relentless tenacity on the ice, qualities that make him one of the game’s top power forwards today. In just six seasons with the team, he has accumulated 440 points, and at just 24 years old, his best hockey is still ahead of him.
10) Defensive stalwart Wade Redden
One of the anchors of the Senators' blue line during their success in the late 90s, Redden played 11 seasons with Ottawa, accumulating 410 points in 838 regular-season games. He also served as an assistant captain.
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