After a stretch of incredibly tough games against some of the league's elite teams (Washington X3, Colummus X2, Pittsburgh, Edmonton, St. Louis) as well as a pair of games against rival Toronto, the Senators weathered the storm incredibly well. They carry a record of 6-3-2 into the month's final game against the Panthers on Tuesday. I think on Dec 31, looking ahead at the difficult schedule as well as the large gaps in games, they would have taken that record in a heartbeat.
While they still have a lot of work to do, they have put themselves in a commanding position for a playoff spot, barring a meltdown which they haven't really displayed yet this season. They have had some down times (going 0-3-1 between Christmas and Jan 7th for example), but those stretches have been few and far between.
While they cannot yet be considered a Stanley Cup contender, going a couple of rounds deep in the playoffs would have to be considered a success, and who knows what might happen when a hot streak at the right time can take you places.
GOALTENDING DILEMMA
Craig Anderson should be rejoining the team after the break, and by all reports it should be permanent, barring a setback in his wife Nicholle's cancer treatment. While it will take him a couple of weeks to get game-ready, he will be fresh when he returns and that should bode well for the stretch run.
Andrew Hammond was taken off IR before the All-Star break and will back up Mike Condon until Anderson returns. With possibly 6 games before Anderson's likely return on Feb 14th, and no back to backs in that stretch means that barring injury to Condon, Hammond won't likely see action and is probably ticketed for Binghamton when Anderson is ready.
Condon is a free agent heading into the summer, and has certainly garnered enough attention to command a mid-term deal somewhere in a goalie-starved league. The Senators will have to decide if they want to keep Condon, and what that means for the other two goalies, not to mention Matt O'Connor. Condon has played above the level of any expectations given the situation he was thrust into, but would you put him as a true starting goalie in the league? His run is similar, though not quite as spectacular, as Hammonds was two seasons ago. Hammond, as expected, fell back to earth hard and hasn't been able to come close to recapturing the magic of 2015. You could argue that he hasn't been given the opportunity, but he hasn't done much to earn it either. Condon's underlying stats have been average (2.43 GAA, .918 SP) but his record with Ottawa is 14-7-5.
If Condon doesn't fit into the Senators' future beyond this season, should they try to sell high and deal him before the trade deadline? It would be a gamble that Anderson is back and will be at full health with a full tank and leave Hammond as the backup, the way the season was supposed to start.
And finally, if Condon continues to play as he has for the next half dozen games, does Anderson immediately assume the starter's role when he is game ready? Condon has saved the Senators' season, has been a workhorse in a tough situation and might deserve the respect to be allowed to continue the run he is on with the occasional start by Anderson to give him some well deserved rest. I don't think a platoon situation is the answer, but having two capable goalies fresh will be a good problem to have.
There are a lot of questions to be answered in goal, including whether or not any of the Senators prospects are actually legitimate (Matt O'Connor, Chris Driedger, Marcus Hogberg). If they feel Condon has a role in the future (he is 9 years Anderson's junior) should they sign him and expose Anderson, knowing that Vegas is not likely to take a goalie that will be 36 by the time the expansion draft and they would be able to have both of them next season, with a solid 1-2 punch in goal that they haven't had in a few years.