Sanderson’s return to follow bodes effectively for Senators’ season opener

OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators have a lot to show this season that it’s exhausting to know the place to start. 

They wish to present that consecutive playoff appearances within the final two springs have been no fluke. 

They imagine they cannot solely make the playoffs but additionally win a sequence for the primary time since 2017.

To do this, they’ll have to show they’re a minimum of nearly as good a staff as they have been when Brady Tkachuk was captain, inspiring together with his emotional play when he wasn’t settling private scores. 

As Thomas Chabot pretty danced right into a media convention room this week with the ‘C’ on the chest of his Senators jersey, he wore a smile as massive as a Kanata car parking zone. That well-known grin is certain to be examined over the course of an 84-game season that lastly begins for Ottawa on Saturday. 

There has by no means been a preamble fairly like this within the historical past of the Senators. 

At a time when the NHL shrank the pre-season and added two further regular-season video games, the Senators discovered themselves sprinting via this mini-training camp, solely to search out that whereas the remainder of the league obtained to play actual video games, the Sens needed to sit across the higher a part of every week ready to begin. 

It’s like doing a Formula 1 qualifying lap, solely to search out that the official begin has been delayed by a number of days. 

What else might the Senators do however stage a type of second coaching camp? On Monday, Travis Green and his teaching workers ran a expertise follow first after which a full hour of normal follow. Tuesday started with a exercise for defencemen, adopted by one other follow, with a number of move and battle drills. 

On Wednesday, they skated once more, adopted by a full time without work Thursday. On Friday, preparations renewed for Ottawa’s first recreation of the season — in Toronto on Saturday in opposition to a Maple Leafs staff enjoying its third regular-season recreation. 

Consider it a combined blessing. While it’s hardly ultimate to be bereft of recreation motion for a number of days earlier than launching right into a three-games-in-four-nights highway journey, a minimum of the Senators have been ready to make use of this week to heal some wounds. 

The Senators’ high defenceman, Jake Sanderson, had not been in a position to follow with the staff earlier than Friday, which means he might need risked aggravating no matter has been ailing him if there had been video games this week. Sanderson needs to be good to go in Toronto. 

The time additionally helps Sanderson’s companion, Artem Zub, nonetheless recovering from a knee harm suffered final spring within the playoffs. Zub had a setback in camp and has but to take part in a staff follow, whereas Sanderson had been roughly a full participant till an ailment late in pre-season restricted him. Zub is skating on his personal. 

Newly acquired winger Andre Burakovsky has additionally been recovering from a success by Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj in Saturday’s recreation with the Montreal Canadiens. He skated in a non-contact jersey Friday. 

Beyond these early hiccups, what can followers anticipate from the 2026-27 Ottawa Senators?

The consultants don’t appear to know. I’ve seen websites the place not one in every of a band of hockey writers picked Ottawa to make the playoffs, owing to the energy of the Eastern Conference and, particularly, the Atlantic Division. 

Other analysts have them in. 

Once once more, the Sens look like a little bit of a knowledge darling, as analytics websites level to Ottawa’s robust underlying numbers final season, the place poor goaltending held them again till Linus Ullmark’s late-season turnaround. 

From the division of wildest Senators predictions, we convey you one of many 32 daring predictions from Sportsnet’s Frank Seravalli: The Sens not solely make the playoffs however knock off Florida in Round 1. There’s an aspiration to get followers right here dreaming. 

General supervisor Steve Staios feels the membership is firmly in its competition window, regardless of shedding captain Tkachuk to these pesky Panthers. The sort of defensive model of play established underneath third-year head coach Travis Green ought to stand up to the lack of Tkachuk and his bravado. Ottawa’s 12-5-5 document with out Tkachuk final season needs to be encouraging, particularly with two new forwards to assist fill the void — Burakovsky and William Eklund.  

With all this in thoughts, listed below are three key elements for the Sens to be a top-eight staff and a reliable menace within the East. 

1. Goaltending, in fact

By his personal admission, Linus Ullmark suffered via a troublesome time in 2025-26, taking a psychological well being go away for a couple of month after struggling an nervousness assault throughout a recreation in opposition to the Leafs in late December. Swedish coach and mentor Maciej Szwoch was introduced in to assist information Ullmark and stays on the Senators workers as co-ordinator of goaltending scouting and growth. 

Ullmark, 33, a part of a standout goalie tandem in Boston with Jeremy Swayman, had by no means posted a save share beneath .900 till final season in Ottawa, when he completed at .891. (Note that save percentages general hit a 30-year low). If Ullmark stays wholesome and is the rock he was down the stretch and within the playoffs, the Senators shall be positive. He has by no means appeared in as many as 50 video games in a season, which suggests new backup Samuel Ersson will play an essential position, too. If he can’t do the job, the Sens might need to search out another person. Prospect Leevi Merilainen, coming off a troublesome pre-season and a difficult 2025-26 in Ottawa and Belleville, was misplaced on waivers to Vancouver.

2. Can they rating sufficient?

On barstools and enviornment seats, many surprise the place the objectives will come from for the Senators. They don’t have a pure aim scorer, though forwards like centre Tim Stutzle and winger Drake Batherson have the arms to be constantly productive. Both are able to enhancing on their 34 and 33 objectives, respectively, from final season. After that, it drops off to Dylan Cozens at 28.

If the Senators proceed to be a troublesome opponent and get respectable goaltending, they gained’t must attempt to outscore groups. They can win video games 2-1 or 3-2. Ottawa’s ahead traces are deep, although not prolific. Cozens, Shane Pinto, Claude Giroux, Warren Foegele, Fabian Zetterlund, Eklund, Burakovsky, Michael Amadio and Ridly Greig (suspended for the primary two video games) ought to rating sufficient as a gaggle to get by. From the again finish, Sanderson was fifth in staff scoring with 14 objectives and 54 factors. There’s extra upside there as effectively.  

3. Here’s to your well being

The Senators must imagine their coaching camp accidents are an early blip and never an omen for the season. Any prolonged lack of their high defence pairing can be troublesome, so let’s take the coach and GM at their phrase after they say that Sanderson shall be positive and that Zub is coming alongside and needs to be again within the lineup quickly. The Sens have depth on D, with Chabot and Jordan Spence rounding out the highest 4. Tyler Kleven, their bodily presence, is coming off a superb playoff sequence. At ahead, the staff might probably take up the short-term lack of anybody outdoors of Stutzle and Batherson. Missing Ullmark for any time period could possibly be disastrous. 

And so, the place are the Sens in 2026-27 as they put together to begin their marketing campaign in opposition to the revamped Leafs?

It can be fascinating to take the heartbeat and temperature of each Senators fan within the area and past. 

My sense is that they’re a bit of nervous however hopeful, and bloody decided to point out the remainder of the league that their staff can thrive with out a captain who finally didn’t wish to be right here.