The Atlantic Division in the National Hockey League is loaded with talented teams, and the Ottawa Senators finished in seventh place with just 73 points in 2021-22. The Senators had young skillful players up and down the lineup, but a lack of experience was costly. This past off-season, General Manager Pierre Dorion began the process of adding pieces to bring the Senators closer to a postseason berth. Dorion has been at the helm since 2016 with one playoff appearance. There was a sense of urgency with the club that made for a busy summer.
Dorion wanted to solidify the team’s core and signed several homegrown players to extensions. Captain Brady Tkachuk signed last October for seven years and $57.5 million right after winger Drake Batherson signed a six-year, $29.85 million deal in September of 2021. In July, the Sens re-signed leading goal scorer Josh Norris to an eight-year, $63.6 million contract. Top defenseman Thomas Chabot is also in the midst of an eight-year deal. And just this past month, Tim Stutzle, their 3rd overall pick from 2020, also signed an eight-year, $66.8 million contract.
The Senators were not done adding to the club, though. In July, Alex DeBrincat was acquired from Chicago for three draft picks. The 24-year-old is coming off a 41-goal season for the Blackhawks and gives the 26th-ranked team in goals scored a much-needed offensive threat. July was a busy month as Dorion signed hometown boy Claude Giroux to a three-year deal giving Ottawa a veteran center to help guide their young talent. Veteran goaltender Cam Talbot was added from Minnesota to replace Matt Murray.
Now the Senators have a chance to contend for a playoff berth, their first since reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2017 with a more different nucleus of players. The newest addition of the Ottawa Senators is young, skilled, and exciting. And it all starts with a top-six forward group that will compete with some of the best forward groups in the East.
Tkachuk-Stutzle-Batherson combined for 69 goals last season, while the projected second line of DeBrincat-Norris-Giroux had 97 goals between them. Offensively, the Senators will have much more firepower this season and should have much more balance in the goal-scoring department. Even more impressive is that all six forwards are signed long-term except DeBrincat. The former second-round pick is in the last year of his contract, which pays him $6.4 million annually. The Michigan native will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season if a deal is not reached. DeBrincat is sure to get a substantial raise.
The fans of the Ottawa Senators are hopeful that the team can improve on their 73-point total from last year. The division is stacked with favorites Toronto, Tampa Bay, Florida, and Boston, but Ottawa may gain some ground this season with a group of former high draft picks ready to show they can be one of the top teams in the East. Thursday night begins a new era for Ottawa as they open against another young, up-and-coming divisional opponent in the Buffalo Sabres. Time for the Senators to get back to the postseason.
