Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, left, shoots over New Jersey Devils goalie Georgi Romanov's net during second period action exhibition NHL game action at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Sunday, September 28, 2025. Senators' Tim Stutzle, behind, looks on. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

OTTAWA — After years of rebuilding the Ottawa Senators finally took a major step forward last season, advancing to the post-season for the first time in seven years.

Now the challenge shifts from proving they belong in the playoffs to showing they can be a contender in the Eastern Conference.

Last season Ottawa (45-30-7) finished fourth in the Atlantic Division to earn a first-round matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs. While they eventually lost the best-of-seven series in six games, the lessons from the experience proved invaluable.

For much of Ottawa’s young core, last spring was their first taste of playoff hockey, and it didn’t take long to realize the intensity was on a completely different level than the regular season.

And they want more of it.

"I just got addicted to that feeling," said captain Brady Tkachuk. "It’s not just about getting back and experiencing that but experiencing more and experiencing what’s to come."

While Ottawa’s core of Tkachuk, 26, Tim Stutzle, 23, Drake Batherson, 27, Shane Pinto, 24, Jake Sanderson, 23, and Thomas Chabot, 28, may still be considered young, the captain warns that youth can sometimes create the perception that mistakes are excusable.

“That’s just not the standard that we hold ourselves to anymore,” said Tkachuk. “We look to ourselves and to each other as a team that does it the right way and plays how we need to play every single night."

The Senators will have to be at their best to make progress in a tough Atlantic Division that includes two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida, playoff contenders Toronto and Tampa Bay, another team on the rise in Montreal and a Boston squad looking to return to prominence after a disappointing season.

General manager Steve Staios showed his faith in the group by making few additions during the off-season.

Ottawa acquired defenceman Jordan Spence from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for the No. 67-overall pick in the 2025 draft and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 draft. The club also signed veteran centre Lars Eller to a one-year, US$1.25 million contract and recently added left-winger Kurtis MacDermid, who will add some physicality to Ottawa’s lineup, in a trade with New Jersey.

The Senators will also have the advantage of starting the season with forwards Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund, who were acquired at last year’s trade deadline.

The Senators have solid depth up front with veterans Claude Giroux, David Perron, Michael Amadio and Nick Cousins.

After suffering an upper body injury in late September, it remains to be seen whether Batherson will be ready to start the season.

Ottawa’s blue line should also be an area of strength, anchored by Jake Sanderson, Artem Zub, Chabot and Nick Jensen. Jensen underwent hip surgery this past summer and was unsure if he would be ready to start the season but played in the Senators final pre-season game.

Jensen said the timing of the surgery allowed him to use the summer to recover and train, which wasn’t that far off from his regular routine. The only difference was ensuring he included time to focus on his rehab.

"Going through all that and not really missing much time is important to me mentally,” Jensen said. “So, I’m kind of hitting the ground running here instead of trying to join the game at midseason and get into midseason shape."

Staios and head coach Travis Green, who will be starting his second season behind Ottawa’s bench, will have some decisions on defence, including its third pairing and how many defencemen to carry.

Last season, Tyler Kleven and Nikolas Matinpalo closed out the year as the third pairing, but Kleven’s pre-season injury on Sept. 21 leaves his status for opening night in doubt. The Senators must also weigh Spence’s role, while rookie Carter Yakemchuk’s strong camp could push Staios and Green into tough decisions about his future.

Green helped the Senators establish a better defensive structure last season. Ottawa allowed 49 fewer goals than in 2023-24 and while overall team play had an impact the play of Linus Ullmark was instrumental. The 32-year-old posted a 25-14-3 record with a 2.72 GAA and. 910 save percentage in his first season with Ottawa.

BACKUP SHUFFLE

The Senators chose to let goalie Anton Forsberg explore free agency and signed Leevi Merilainen to a one-year contract extension this past June.

Last year Merilainen, 23, appeared in 12 regular season games for Ottawa and posted an 8-3-1 record with a 1.99 GAA and .925 save percentage.

It’s a fairly small sample size and, considering Ullmark has never played more than 49 games in a season, it could be a bit of a gamble.

STRONGER AT EVEN STRENGTH

The Senators will be looking to improve their even-strength scoring after scoring 139 goals last season at 5-on-5. Only Nashville (130) scored fewer.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2025.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2025