Daniel Alfredsson tops four-player list of greatest Senators ever

The Hockey Writers has taken a deep look at the modern history of the Ottawa Senators, with writer Ben Fraser singling out four players as the greatest to wear the uniform since the club’s 1992 relaunch. His all-time core consists of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Craig Anderson and Erik Karlsson, while long-time defenceman Chris Phillips is described as just shy of that inner circle.

Alfredsson at No. 1 as the face of the franchise

Fraser puts Alfredsson clearly at the top of the list. The former captain is cited as the Senators’ all-time leader in goals, assists and points, with 1,157 points, and he wore the “C” from 1999 through 2013. That stretch lines up with the longest run of regular-season and playoff success in team history, including the 2007 Stanley Cup Final appearance.

The article highlights Alfredsson’s offensive peak, notably a 103-point season in 2005–06, and his production in the playoffs, where he recorded 100 points in 121 games. A Calder Trophy winner in 1995–96, he is portrayed as one of the most dependable forwards of the 2000s rather than a trophy collector. His number was raised to the rafters in December 2016, cementing his place as the defining figure of the Senators era.

Spezza, Anderson and Karlsson round out the core

At centre, Fraser selects Jason Spezza, the second-overall pick in 2001, and frames him as the best playmaker the franchise has had. Spezza is noted as one of only two Senators to average more than a point per game over his time in Ottawa, piling up 251 goals and 436 assists in 686 games, totals that rank second in club history for both goals and helpers. His 71 assists in 2005–06 remain a team record, and his 94-point season in 2007–08 is cited as the closest any Senator has come to the 100-point mark since Dany Heatley. Fraser also points to Spezza’s role on the high-scoring “Pizza Line” with Alfredsson and Heatley, and to the tougher period after he replaced Alfredsson as captain in 2013 before being traded to the Dallas Stars in the summer of 2014.

In goal, Craig Anderson is described as the clear choice as the best netminder in franchise history. Acquired in a mid-season trade in 2010–11, he quickly brought stability to a position that had been in flux. Anderson holds the Senators records for wins and games played by a goaltender and sits second in shutouts. In the playoffs he ranks among the club’s leaders in every major category, including a share of the franchise mark for victories with 21. Fraser emphasizes Anderson’s 2016–17 season, when he backstopped Ottawa to the Eastern Conference Final while his wife Nicole was battling cancer, a run that included an emotional 2–0 shutout in Edmonton on Oct. 30, 2016.

Erik Karlsson completes Fraser’s group and is portrayed as the prototype of the modern offensive defenceman. Drafted 15th overall in 2008, he is the Senators’ all-time leader in points by a blueliner with 518 and ranks third in franchise scoring overall. The feature notes his two Norris Trophy wins and two runner-up finishes, along with an 82-point campaign in 2015–16 that stands as the single-season benchmark for an Ottawa defenceman. Despite a serious Achilles tendon injury in 2012 and a turbulent ending that saw him traded to the San Jose Sharks in 2018 after serving as captain from 2014 to 2018, Karlsson is labelled the best defenceman the club has ever had.

Phillips just outside the all-time top tier

Phillips, the first-overall pick in 1996, is the primary notable omission. Fraser portrays him as the quintessential stay-at-home defenceman who became a fixture over 18 seasons and set the franchise record for games played at 1,179. His No. 4 has been retired, placing him alongside Alfredsson among the few modern Senators to receive that honour. The piece mentions that Phillips drew Calder consideration as a 19-year-old and later picked up Norris Trophy votes in 2007 and 2010, while also scoring a memorable goal against Martin Brodeur to force Game 7 of the 2003 Eastern Conference Final. Even if he does not crack Fraser’s top four, Phillips is presented as an essential figure in the story of the Ottawa Senators.