The Ottawa Senators 2007-08 season started out with high aspirations, going 15-2, but then they spent the next several months embroiled in controversy and .500 hockey. They fell to bottom half of the conference, all the way to seventh place and nearly missed the postseason. Not that it mattered because the Sens went down without much of a fight against the young and hungry Penguins, getting ousted as quickly as possible.

Some deals were made by new GM Bryan Murray to add toughness and prevent the manhandling they suffered at the hands of the Ducks in last season’s final. The first significant move was to trade speedy winger, Peter Schaefer for cheaper and tougher winger Sean Donovan of the Bruins. This move was viewed by many in the Ottawa area as a great deal for the team.

A mid-February trade was praised by fans and radio personalities alike, with the Sens sending a despondent Joe Corvo and youngster Patrick Eaves to Carolina for a Stanley Cup winning sniper in Cory Stillman and another winner in tough guy and defensive stalwart Mike Commodore. The final deal for the club was to send a sixth rounder to the Blackhawks for another Cup winner and tough guy in Martin Lapointe.

None of the those moves or late season call-ups of defenseman Brian Lee, Nick Foligno or Cody Bass assisted in making a successful postseason run. This was a dysfunctional group unable to bring it all together. Here is a brief rating of each player's performance this disappointing season.

Report Card

Goalies:

Ray Emery – F

Emery was the catalyst for almost every problem; his antics were well covered by local and national media. He said he is not to blame, but one can only wonder if his big contract, rewarded for backstopping the team to the finals last season, went straight to his head.

Martin Gerber – C

Gerber came out of the gate like a man on a mission, having a superb save percentage throughout the first couple of months. After Emery came back from injury, it appeared that the good goalie switch was turned off inside of Gerber’s head and he played as though he had lost all confidence. When Murray took over as coach, he made a point of going with Gerber and he was rewarded with one of the only quality performance in the post season.

Defense:

Chris Phillips – B

Like all Sens, Phillips started well and showed a solid effort. He is a solid building block of the franchise or more appropriately, the foundation.

Wade Redden – D

Redden was his usual classy self, even though he was ridden day in day out by the press and fans. He turned down two known requests to waive his no-trade and played on the perimeter and with no sense of urgency. Let's hope this good guy bounces back in whatever roll he plays on his new team next year.

Anton Volchenkov – B-

Shot blocker extraordinaire and consistent performer, but like most players, Anton was seemingly lost on a downward spiral as the season progressed.

Andrej Meszaros – C

Started off the season with frequent giveaways and defensive gaffs. Showed signs of his potential at points but was inconsistent. He is a RFA next July 1st and if he requests too much money, look for the youngster to be moved.

Luke Richardson – B

Did all that was asked and expected of the veteran.

Christophe Schubert – C-

Likes to go for the big hit and has the big shot, but gets caught too often and can’t seem to hit the net when most needed. It was because of Schubert’s power play expertise that fans saw why Joe Corvo was more than "Mr. Uh-Oh."

Brian Lee – C+

Played well when called up. Lee still needs to work on his own end and more importantly, his strength, as the Pens frequently pushed him out of their way, particularly George Laraque.

Mike Commodore – D

Didn’t seem able to play within the Sens system in the regular season and was often out of position with bad decisions. He played better in the playoffs, but likely too little too late to stick with the squad as a UFA.

Forwards:

Daniel Alfredsson – A-

The Captain was ‘the man’ this season. He did it all and down the stretch, he was injured. Prior to that, he seemed to be playing on the perimeter, perhaps there was a lesser injury.

Jason Spezza – B+

Played well most of the year and was injured in the playoffs. Even had a fight with Andrei Markov to try and motivate the troops in an important clash against the Habs. He is a star.

Dany Heatley – B

Played like the star he is for most of the year, but disappeared down the stretch and was completely invisible in the postseason.

Mike Fisher – C

While is a super nice guy, he really stunk it up this season. He had long stretches where he didn't score a point and had little impact in any game. His raise starts next year and will likely be a bigger focus of criticism from irate fans and overanxious radio hosts.

Antoine Vermette – B-

There were rumblings in the pre-season and in the early goings that Vermette wanted to be a top six forward and be rewarded with more ice time. He played fairly well most of the year, with a few offensive outbursts, especially on the run into the playoffs. But, like most of the Sens, was almost invisible as soon as the postseason began. Vermette was the best penalty killing forward and this bodes well for his future in the league. With the defensive backbone and his offense on the rise, he will be a two-way force in the league.

Nick Foligno – C+

Typical rookie year with ups and downs coping with the speed and strength of the NHL game. Young Nick was one player on the Sens that actually showed up in the postseason. He is a keeper and a top six forward with power.

Dean McAmmond – D

McAmmond was never the same player after the Downie hit in the pre-season. The year prior, he was important on the penalty kill and in critical defensive situations. This year, he was seldom used in that role and appeared to have lost a step.

Cory Stillman – B+

After a short adjustment period, Stillman was comfortable and created some scoring chances. If he re-signs with the club, his roll should increase and be a great influence in the room.

Chris Neil – D

He has loads of energy and attitude, but takes too many stupid and ill-timed penalties. He needs to become a smarter player without the puck and a better player with it.

Martin Lapointe – C-

All one can say about Lapointe is that he tried hard and attempted to rile the troops, but he had little in the offensive tank and his cries fell on deaf ears. Why Bryan Murray played him on the power play in the playoffs is unknown.

Cody Bass – C+

Did all he needed to do to become a permanent fixture for the Sens. His defensive zone coverage made him a trusted player, and as a rookie, if only he had better hands.

Bryan McGrattan – D

Played a little and was part of some team issues. He fought and then got injured from the battles.

Shean Donovan – C-

Played a good all around game in the postseason, but showed little to warrant the trade that brought him to Ottawa for most of the year.

Randy Robitaille – C-

Played on the perimeter most of the time and was often found in the dog house. He may have to stay in Russia next year.

Well there it is. It was a Senators season to forget. Perhaps there will be more consistency next season and fewer distractions.