Minus the injured Chris Phillips and Clarke MacArthur, the Senators leadership core took a serious blow this season.
The addition of Dion Phaneuf filled that void.
From the day he arrived in the nation’s capital, it was easy to see why the Toronto Maple Leafs made Phaneuf their captain.
Already, he holds the strongest presence in the Ottawa room. His work ethic, on and off the ice, is unquestioned. He is a professional in the truest sense of the word.
He is a man other men should follow.
Senators general manager Pierre Dorion got an even greater appreciation for Phaneuf at the team’s exit meetings.