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The Ottawa Senators were dead in the water last season. They fired their coach Paul MacLean, someone who won the Jack Adams Award just two seasons prior, in December. They came into the season with huge aspirations after the trade for Bobby Ryan in the offseason. They were falling further and further out of the playoff race, despite the fact there was still four months left in the season. It was looking like a lost season, which made losing franchise players Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza hurt even more.
Andrew Hammond saved their season. The Senators started the season 4-1, but they were 15-14-7 by the end of the calendar year. At that point, they were looking up to all of the division outside of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres. They were falling back, and some were wondering if they should sell at the deadline. They had a very good goalie tandem in Robin Lehner and Craig Andersen, so nobody wondered about that position. Who knew that a change in net would actually save their season.
Hammond started his first game of the season on February 18 against the Montreal Canadiens. He beat the division leaders 4-2. Then, he beat the Florida Panthers, who were fighting to stay in playoff contention. He then went on a five-game Western Conference road trip, in which he won four out of five games against four eventual playoff teams. He was insane. He wasn’t even supposed to make it out of the minors, but an injury gave him his chance.
Of course you know how it ends. He drags them to the playoffs on his back. He gets to the postseason, and he can’t play up to snuff. Andersen comes in and plays out of his mind. Sens still give Hammond an extension and trade away Lehner. Now, he is fighting to be the starter again.
Here is the thing, Hammond has never been dominant anywhere he has been. According to his Elite Prospects page, last year’s 1.79 goals against average was the best he’s had anywhere. That includes in college, where great players put up insane stats. In fact, at Bowling Green Hammond’s best season was 2012-13, when he had a .917 save percentage and a 2.47 GAA. There is no way he can continue his stellar play when he’s never done it before.
And yes, he could have worked out kinks somewhere that made him better. That happens to players who are developing. The problem is, the Sens didn’t even think he could do this. He had an .898 save percentage in the AHL. He was on his way out as the starter for the minor league team before becoming the “Hamburglar.”
Hammond is a 27-year-old goalie who had one of the most fun seasons to watch in recent memory. He took a team on his back, with no expectations, and carried them to an unlikely playoff berth. He put the hype train in full blast, and he lived up to it for that run. The train is off the tracks now. His talent level isn’t high enough for him to continue this ascent into greatness. Hammond’s run saved the Senators’ season, but his eventual fall may ruin their future.
Nick Villano is the NHL feature writer for RantSports. He also adds to the site’s NBA, MLB and NFL content. You can follow him on Twitter or add him to your Google circle.
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