Alfredsson is going to wait until August or September to see if he wants to play another season in Detroit or retire. Alfie showed he still had some game left with 49 points in 68 games last year, but wants to see how his back feels before making a decision. Should he decide to return, he is a good option to draft deep; his age has taken the best out of him, but he will still likely see top-six time should he opt to play.
Alfredsson bid a sad farewell to Ottawa in the offseason, where he spent all 17 years of his career. However, he felt Detroit provided a better chance for the elusive Cup he's been fruitlessly searching for. He still seems to have gas in the tank, with 26 points in 47 games in 2012-13, and may find a nice home next to Stephen Weiss on the Wings' second line. His 80-point seasons may be behind him, but he should be good for a solid 50-point campaign.
Ottawa’s captain had a brilliant season in 2011-12, which was something of a miracle considering he underwent offseason back surgery to take pressure off a nerve which had been bothering him for two to three years. Not many could have foreseen the 39-year old scoring 27 goals and adding 32 assists in 75 games, but that’s exactly what he did last season. The injection of youth into Ottawa’s lineup seemed to invigorate the 16-year veteran and it certainly seemed like he was having the most fun he’s had in years. After Ottawa was bounced in seven games to the New York Rangers in the first round of the 2012 playoffs, many wondered if Alfie would return for another season or hang up the skates for good. After a couple months to decide whether his body could handle the grind of another offseason of training, the Sens' captain decided he would indeed return for a 17th season. He'll likely line up on the second line with Kyle Turris as his center. The pair had great chemistry last year and that should continue this season. Look for Alfredsson to hit at least 20 goals and 30 assists, if not more.
Alfreddson was hobbled by a lower back injury for most of the 2010-11 season, which drastically affected his ability to skate with any kind of power. After trying to play through the injury, he decided to shut his season down in early February after scoring only 14 goals and 17 assists in 54 games. Alfredsson underwent successful back surgery in the offseason and looks to be fully recovered heading into training camp. While he's now in the twilight years of his career, Ottawa's captain can still put up points when healthy and will get a lot of time on Ottawa's first power play unit. Alfredsson should net close to 25 goals and 35 assists this year if he's able to remain healthy, something that has been much tougher for him to do these past couple of years.
Alfredsson had a season to forget in 2010-11 which ended up with him having the lowest point total (14G, 17A) of his career. He only played 54 games as he shut down his season in early February due to a chronic back problem that was affecting his skating. Alfredsson had surgery in June and is expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp in September. Entering the twilight years of his fantastic career, "Alfie" will look to instill some of his work ethic and leadership in many of the young players that will be breaking in with the Senators this season and next. He's still a top-6 forward, and should put up decent numbers in 2011-12 if he remains healthy. A realistic total of 20 goals and 40 assists is not out of the realm of possibility for the NHL's longest serving captain.
Alfie should see his offensive numbers improve significantly under coach Cory Clouston's system. Alfredsson should be good for at least 30 goals and 55 assists with an excellent plus/minus rating. Keep in mind that he also plays on Ottawa's number 1 penalty-killing unit so a nice batch of shorthanded goals isn't out of the question. Alfie will also be looking to get his 1,000th point this year, as he's only 79 points away from the milestone.
At 35 years of age, the Senators captain continued to put up fantastic numbers last year, even though he was riddled with injuries, including what should have been a season-ending MCL strain. Alfredsson notched 40 goals and 49 assists in 70 games, including seven shorthanded tallies. Should he remain healthy for most of the season, Alfie should record at least 85 points, with at least 30 of those being goals. He continues to improve with age and is one of the best two-way players in the game. Alfie should be high on your list of wingers come draft day.
The Senators captain should have another strong year in 2007-08. Alfredsson will likely spend most of his even-strength time on Ottawa's second line but he will line up with Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley on Ottawa's first power play unit. Alfredsson should achieve 30+ goals, 50+ assists, and a strong plus-minus rating this year.
Expect more of the same this year, as Alfredsson will have plenty of opportunities to play with Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley on the power play, which is where this famous line did most of their damage. In even strength situations, Alfredsson will play on the second line in order to spread out Ottawa’s offense. He is one of the elite wingers in the NHL and should be near the top of most poolies’ must-have lists.
Since his second year in the league ('96), the Sens' captain has scored at least 70 points a season in every year that he's played at least 68 games. Moreover, he's averaged 32 goals and just over 76 points per season in the last three years. Look for Alfie to hit 80 points again, and possibly 90 points if he plays on a line with both Heatley and 22-year old budding star Jason Spezza.
