New Additions: D Jordan Spence (from LAK), D Lassi Thompson (1yr x $775k), F Olle Lycksell (1yr x $775k), F Lars Eller (1yr x $1.25M), F Arthur Kaliyev (1yr x $775k)

Subtractions: F Adam Gaudette (to SJS), D Travis Hamonic (to DET), F Matthew Highmore (to NYI), G Anton Forsberg (to LAK)

Retentions/Extensions: D Tyler Kleven (2yr x $1.6M AAV), F Fabian Zetterlund (3yr x $4.275M AAV), F Claude Giroux (1yr x $2M), G Leevi Merilainen (1yr x $1.05M), F Nick Cousins (1yr x $825k), F 

In 2017, the Ottawa Senators got as close as you can get without making the Stanley Cup Finals. They took the eventual champion Pittsburgh Penguins to seven games, and lost in overtime. Although the end result was disappointing, the run itself was a huge win for the organization. The immediate future seemed bright, as captain Erik Karlsson was in the middle of his prime and looked ready to lead this team to another deep playoff run. The next season the team missed the playoffs, and in September of 2018, the team traded their superstar defenceman to the San Jose Sharks, entering a rebuild.

Now when star players are traded to contending teams for a package that includes the team’s first round pick, that pick is usually nothing better than a late lottery to late first round pick. However, the 2020 first round pick that came back in the Erik Karlsson trade from San Jose, turned into the 3rd overall selection, and a future star. The Senators took German forward Tim Stutzle with the pick, and with their own pick, took defenceman Jake Sanderson with the 5th pick in the same draft. The 2020 draft class was big for Ottawa, as they were able to nail both of their top five picks, and get a future star on offense, and defense.

Fast forward to June 2024, Stutzle and Sanderson have solidified themselves as some of the best young players at their positions. Along with captain, and 2018 4th overall pick Brady Tkachuk, the three of them formed one of the best young trios in the league. However, the team missed the playoffs for the seventh year in a row, and had not played in the postseason since their Conference Finals run in 2017. Ottawa averaged over 3 goals per game (3.05), and was showing promise as an offense, but the weakness of this team was in their own end, as they allowed the 7th most goals in the league (3.43 per game). Their tandem in net of Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg both shared a .890 SV%. With a rare Vezina calibre goalie on the trade block, the team made the move to bring in Linus Ullmark from Boston, hoping to have found some stability in net.

Ullmark was just what the Sens were looking for, as the 31 year old posted a 25-14-3 record, with a .910 SV%, 2.70 GAA, and 4 shutouts. He was limited to 44 games due to injury, but Anton Forsberg and Leevi Merilainen came to play when he could not. Forsberg had a solid backup goalie season, and chose to go to the Los Angeles Kings in free agency. This leaves the backup role wide open for Merilainen, a 23 year old goalie who was excellent in 12 games last season, with an 8-3-1 record, a .925 SV%, 1.99 GAA and 3 shutouts, blanking the opposition once every four games. Largely thanks to the stable goalie situation, the team made the playoffs for the first time this decade.

In the playoffs, the team faced off against their Province rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. After three games, the team found themselves in a 3-0 hole. But the team believed in themselves, winning game four at home, and then stealing game five on the road, to bring the series back to the nation’s capital. Game six was a closely contested affair, and both teams were playing super solid, just trying not to make the mistake that would lose them the game. Ultimately, Toronto took the lead with less than six minutes to go, and Max Pacioretty’s 3-2 goal would prove to be the winner. Much like the game seven loss in 2017, it stung, but the way the team fought made the fans proud. This time around, the team is younger than the Erik Karlsson era team was, and has a very bright future ahead.

Not everyone on the team is young, which is not a bad thing, you need a solid group of veterans to compete in this league. Claude Giroux and David Perron are the two veteran leaders of this group, both aged 37, and both occupy roles in the top six. While they are both capable scorers and point producers, their combined 2648 games of experience (including playoffs), is what makes them invaluable. Other forward vets include Nick Cousins and newly signed Lars Eller. Combined with the slew of young forwards this group has, such as Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens, Fabian Zetterlund, Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig, the Senators have a deep group with a little bit of everything.

On defense, Sanderson has emerged as the team’s number one, posting a career high 11 goals and 57 points in 80 games last season. I feel like those numbers are what we can begin to expect from him, and he has potential to become a 70+ point D man. Thomas Chabot once showed that potential, but is more of a 40-50 point player, now entering his ninth year in the league. The rest of the corps is made up of Nick Jensen and Artem Zub, who have a fair bit of experience, and Tyler Kleven and Jordan Spence, who are both under 25.

It is impossible to think of this version of the Ottawa Senators without thinking of Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle. They are the heart and soul of the team, and both of them are excellent at both putting goals on the board, as well as partaking in on ice shenanigans and getting under the other team’s skin, especially the one with the last name Tkachuk. Stutzle is a little more finesse, and Brady is a little more fierce, but the two of them have really turned around this franchise and are a joy to watch.

I am always a little hesitant about taking a team to make the playoffs again when they were out of them for so long. Was last year a fluke? Or is this what we can expect to see from the Sens moving forward. Ottawa will try their best this season to prove the latter, and establish themselves as a legit team. With stars on offense and defense, and a former Vezina winning goalie in net, I lean towards giving them credit of being a team that at the very least, makes the playoffs. I hope there are more ‘Battle of Ontario’s’ in the near future, as that series was one of the most compelling of the first round, and who does not like a good rivalry? Toronto fans look away, because there’s another team Ontario looking to compete, and take you down in the process.