Home
Publications
It's an interesting question IMO. There are several players on the Sens who are either entering their second year which could mean sophomore slump or it could mean they take it to the next level. There's an interesting rookie and there's a 'veteran' at 21 years old.
Who's the most likely in your opinion to break out and have a big year?
For me, I'll go with the new shiny toy in Alex Chiasson. Why? Because of the well documented battle he had with a bout of the flu that saw him go from 206 pounds to 185. He tried playing through it for a while, but the result of it was a 3 point stretch in 21 games. Take out that stretch and he was looking at a very strong rookie campaign of 22 points in 35 games (he had 25 points in his first 56 games last year).
He also missed a ton of chances and had to deal with it as a rookie - which we all know is hard to do. Mike Heika says this:
So, can Ottawa expect a similar pace as he put up to start last season? A .62 PPG pace which would have him nestled comfortably in the 50 point range? Or is this season going to be another learning season for Chiasson?
Whatever the outcome, I think it's clear Chiasson had some solid success as a rookie - and some huge hurdles to overcome - which leads me to pick him as a guy who could come into Ottawa and have a breakout season.
Who's the most likely in your opinion to break out and have a big year?
For me, I'll go with the new shiny toy in Alex Chiasson. Why? Because of the well documented battle he had with a bout of the flu that saw him go from 206 pounds to 185. He tried playing through it for a while, but the result of it was a 3 point stretch in 21 games. Take out that stretch and he was looking at a very strong rookie campaign of 22 points in 35 games (he had 25 points in his first 56 games last year).
He also missed a ton of chances and had to deal with it as a rookie - which we all know is hard to do. Mike Heika says this:
=I've contended that he's starting to learn to deal with the pressure of being a goal-scorer. It weighs on you mentally. Mix in the sickness and weight loss, and he's had a tough couple of months. I do see him getting more scoring opportunities, so he could be working his way out of the slump."]
So, can Ottawa expect a similar pace as he put up to start last season? A .62 PPG pace which would have him nestled comfortably in the 50 point range? Or is this season going to be another learning season for Chiasson?
Whatever the outcome, I think it's clear Chiasson had some solid success as a rookie - and some huge hurdles to overcome - which leads me to pick him as a guy who could come into Ottawa and have a breakout season.
