Ottawa Senators aim for another playoff appearance despite major moves this offseason
The Ottawa Senators won their season opener 3-2 against divisional rival Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night in Toronto, giving fans relief after a chaotic off-season.
New Sens captain Thomas Chabot was named the first star of the game, recording a goal and an assist.
The team went through a dramatic few months ahead of the new season.
Sens GM Steve Staios traded former captain Brady Tkachuk to Florida for the 2026 ninth and 25th picks, a 2027 second-rounder and a conditional 2029 first round pick. The ninth-overall pick was then traded to San Jose for promising young forward William Eklund.
Ottawa fans are watching the impact of the roster changes.
“Staios was pretty clear after he traded Tkachuk when he said the team won’t take a step back, and I believe him,” said Coming In Hot co-host and journalist Cody Gaudreault.
Eklund registered 58 and 53 points over the last two seasons with San Jose. In 2021, Eklund presented a strong case to be drafted first overall, eventually falling to seventh to the Sharks. The Senators hope to capitalize on his high-end potential.
“Of course, with all the new players like (Carter) Yakemchuk, Eklund and (Andre) Burakovsky, there are always question marks and an adjustment period, which is why I think a lot of other reporters outside of Ottawa are predicting the Sens to miss the playoffs, but I think they’ll make it this year,” said Gaudreault.
The Senators’ biggest issue last year was their goaltending. According to MoneyPuck, the Senators finished with the fewest expected goals against but ranked 16th in goals against. With no real change in net, fans remain skeptical.
“If injuries or bad goaltending aren’t as big a problem as they were last year, this team can be scary,” said Gaudreault.
Keaghan Ruiter, a student at Carleton University, has high hopes for the team.
“I expect the Senators to make the playoffs for a third straight season, but I think goaltending will be one of the biggest factors. Linus Ullmark needs to build off his strong finish to last season and be consistent throughout the year,” said Ruiter.
“Ottawa has the offensive talent to compete, but they’ll need strong goaltending to take the next step and make a deeper playoff run,” said Ruiter.
The Senators announced 11-year veteran Chabot as team captain days before the season opener.
Gaudreault was pleased with the team’s choice.
“It’s also nice to see the Sens with a francophone captain,” said Gaudreault. “I don’t think it’s why he gets the C, but it’s for sure a bonus. Ever since the new owners came in, they’ve been trying to reach a wider francophone audience, and Chabot and (Claude) Giroux are favourites within the community.”
The tall, smooth skating defenseman has gone through it all with the team, making his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season, the year the Senators made the conference final, to then a seven-season playoffs drought, and now, back to back playoffs.
Ruiter also likes Chabot as the team’s leader.
“Chabot has been with Ottawa for 10 years, so he knows the team, the city and what it’s taken to get here. I also like moving on from Tkachuk and giving the team a fresh start with Chabot leading this next chapter,” said Ruiter.
The Senators’ next game is Monday against another divisional rival, the Boston Bruins. Their home opener is against the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 8.
