The air in Ottawa feels different this September. The usual pre-season optimism, often tinged with a healthy dose of hope and prayer, has been replaced by something more substantial: expectation. After an eight-year drought, the Ottawa Senators are no longer the league’s plucky upstarts just happy to be invited to the dance. They are a playoff team. And as players report for medicals this week ahead of Thursday’s first on-ice sessions, the message from the top down is unequivocal: last year was the appetizer, and now it’s time for the main course.
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The 2024-25 campaign was a success by any reasonable measure. A 45-30-7 record, good for 97 points and the first wild-card spot in the East, broke the seal on the rebuild. A hard-fought, physical first-round loss to the rival Toronto Maple Leafs provided invaluable, if painful, experience for a young core tasting postseason hockey for the first time. But that was last year. This year, the bar is set significantly higher.
No More Moral Victories
“We have bigger goals,” Captain Brady Tkachuk stated plainly to the media. “The mindset from day one of training camp is a Stanley Cup mindset.”
That sentiment is the new organizational mantra. The days of celebrating moral victories are over. General Manager Steve Staios demonstrated his “true belief” in this core group with a quiet offseason, making targeted additions rather than wholesale changes. The core—Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, Drake Batherson, Ridly Greig, and Shane Pinto—is intact, a year older, and now battle-hardened by the crucible of playoff hockey.
The challenge for Head Coach Travis Green and his staff is to channel that experience into tangible improvement. To evolve from a good team into a great one, the Senators must find a way to bolster their 5-on-5 scoring, which was often a struggle last season. That offensive improvement cannot come at the expense of the stingy defensive structure that became their identity and ultimately punched their playoff ticket.
While talk of a Stanley Cup in September is standard fare for most clubs, the belief in Ottawa seems more grounded. One bold prediction from an outside observer even tabbed the Senators as a dark horse to win the Atlantic Division, reasoning that their ascending young talent is on a better trajectory than the aging or plateauing cores in places like Toronto and Tampa Bay. Whether that proves prophetic or wildly optimistic remains to be seen, but it speaks to the changing perception of a team that has finally arrived.
The Blue Line Equation: Opportunity Knocks on the Right Side
While much of the roster is set in stone, the biggest questions entering camp reside on the blue line, specifically on the right side. The status of veteran defenceman Nick Jensen looms large over the proceedings. After undergoing major hip surgery in the offseason, the steady defender is not expected to be ready for the start of the season. While reports suggest he is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation, his absence creates a significant void and, concurrently, a massive opportunity.
Stepping into that potential opening is 2024 first-round pick Carter Yakemchuk. The big, mobile defenceman is the prospect fans are most eager to see. Management has made it clear the door is open, stating that Yakemchuk can make the team with an “exceptional camp.” Staios wants genuine competition, and if the rookie proves he can help the team win now, a spot will be made for him. However, there’s also a compelling argument for him to follow the Tyler Kleven development path and spend a year honing his craft as a top-pairing defenceman in the AHL with Belleville. Yakemchuk’s performance over the next three weeks will be one of the most compelling storylines of the preseason.
The club’s most significant offseason move was the acquisition of Jordan Spence from the Los Angeles Kings. The 24-year-old right-shot defenceman is an elite puck-mover, a skill set the Senators have been looking to add to their back end. He brings a dynamic offensive element that should complement the defensive prowess of the existing group. The tantalizing possibility is a top-four pairing with Jake Sanderson, creating a modern, mobile duo that can control the puck and drive play from their own end. Where Spence slots into the lineup—and how quickly he builds chemistry with his new partner—will be a key focus for Coach Green.
Forging the Forward Lines: Top-Six Chemistry and Bottom-Six Grit
Up front, the top of the lineup is potent, but the exact combinations are still a work in progress. The most pressing question is who will earn the coveted spot on the right wing alongside superstar centre Tim Stutzle and Captain Tkachuk. Veteran Claude Giroux filled that role admirably for much of last season, providing savvy and skill. However, the team may look for a different long-term fit.
One intriguing candidate is Fabian Zetterlund. Acquired at last year’s trade deadline, Zetterlund struggled to find his footing offensively but was rewarded with a three-year contract extension in the summer. A deeper dive into his analytics reveals a promising, albeit small, sample size when playing with Stutzle and Tkachuk, where the trio controlled play effectively. If he can turn that underlying process into production, he could solidify a top-six role. Drake Batherson remains another option, though Green has shown a preference for keeping him paired with centre Dylan Cozens to create a balanced one-two punch down the middle.
Further down the lineup, the identity of the fourth line has been solidified with the free-agent signing of Lars Eller. The veteran centre, a Stanley Cup champion with the Washington Capitals, was brought in to replace the departed Adam Gaudette. Eller provides a reliable, defensively responsible presence at a crucial position, and he’s expected to be a key penalty killer and a source of veteran leadership in the dressing room. His arrival gives the Senators the kind of depth and experience down the middle that is essential for any team with serious postseason aspirations.
The Ullmark Era Begins in Earnest
Perhaps the most stable position on the roster is in goal. There is no controversy, no competition—this is Linus Ullmark’s net. Fresh off signing a massive four-year, $33 million ($8.25 million AAV) contract extension, the Swede is the undisputed number one. After a stellar first season in Ottawa where he posted a .909 save percentage and carried the team for long stretches, Ullmark is expected to handle the bulk of the workload again.
The storyline in the crease, then, shifts to the backup role. With Anton Forsberg departing, the job now belongs to 22-year-old Leevi Merilainen. The young Finn was spectacular in a 12-game stint last season when Ullmark was sidelined with an injury, posting an impressive 8-3-1 record with a sparkling .925 save percentage. That performance gave management the confidence to hand him the full-time backup duties. While Mads Sogaard is also on a one-way contract, he is expected to be the primary starter in Belleville, giving the organization enviable depth at the position.
As the Senators step onto the ice this week, they do so with a clear identity and a shared purpose. The questions are no longer about the direction of the franchise, but about the fine-tuning of a contender. This is no longer a rebuild. This is a team built to win now. The journey to prove it begins at training camp, ahead of the season opener against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 9. The puck drops soon, and for the first time in a long time, Ottawa expects to be playing meaningful hockey well into the spring.
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