Coach: DJ Smith (season four) Last season: 33-42-7, seventh in Atlantic Division. did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs 3 KEYS

  1. Top-six chemistry By bringing in Claude Giroux, 34, and Alex DeBrincat, 24, the Senators revamped one-third of their top six. General manager Pierre Dorion said the initial plan is to play the newcomers with third baseman Tim Stutzle, 20. It looks promising, especially given the different characteristics of each member. Giroux is the seasoned veteran who will be both teacher and colleague after being acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on March 19 and signed to a three-year, $19.5 million contract on July 13. DeBrincat, acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 7, is a goaltender averaging 32 goals per season through his first five NHL starts. and Ottawa showed their confidence in Stutzle by signing him to an eight-year, $66.8 million contract on September 7. The three will have every opportunity to develop chemistry during training camp.
  2. Help for Chabot Thomas Chabot is entering the prime of his career. the 25-year-old has 188 points (42 goals, 146 assists) in 313 NHL games, all with the Senators, and has proven to be a defender. But it needs help on the back end. Chabot led Ottawa defensemen in scoring with 38 points (seven goals, 31 assists) in 59 games last season. The next highest point producer on the blue line was Artem Zub, who had 22 points (six goals, 16 assists) despite playing 81 games. Whether it comes from Zub, veterans Travis Hamonic or Nikita Zaitsev or rookie Jake Sanderson, the Senators need more point production from defensemen not named Thomas Chabot.
  3. Net profits The Senators have allowed 691 goals over the past three seasons. only the Detroit Red Wings (743), New Jersey Devils (715), Montreal Canadiens (702) and Buffalo Sabers (698) have given up more in that span. Over the past two seasons, Ottawa has used six goaltenders: Anton Forsberg (54 games), Matt Murray (47), Filip Gustavsson (27), Markus Hogberg (14), Joey Daccord (eight) and Mands Sjögaard (two). By acquiring veteran Cam Talbot in a trade with the Minnesota Wild for Gustavsson on July 12, the Senators may finally have the stability in net they’ve been looking for. The 35-year-old was 32-12-4 with a 2.76 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and three shutouts in 49 games (48 starts) with the Wild last season. After Ottawa opened the 2020-21 season 1-8-1 and started last season 3-9-1, Talbot’s composure and leadership could contribute to a better start this time around. Video: Ottawa Senators offseason ROSTER UPGRADE Making the cut The biggest roster battles in camp will come on defense. Although Chabot, Zub and Hamonic are all in, there will be plenty of opportunities for younger players to start the NHL season. Ottawa has a promising group of prospects ready to make the jump in rookies Sanderson, 20, Jacob Bernard-Docker, 22, and Lassi Thomson, 21. It will be interesting to see if any, if all three, earn roster spots as rookies. The most interesting addition Giroud, who has 923 points (294 goals, 629 assists) in 1,018 NHL games, spends his offseasons in Ottawa, so he’s always had a soft spot for the area. Still, he wanted to see the Senators improve in the offseason, and after adding DeBrincat and Talbot, he had his answer. Giroux’s value can extend to the ice as well. it can show other future free agents that Ottawa could be a desirable destination. The biggest possible surprise A change of scenery could be just what forward Mathieu Joseph needed. The 25-year-old played his first 221 NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a limited role on the latter division’s forward team, with 70 points (37 goals, 33 assists). But after being traded to Ottawa along with a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft for forward Nicholas Paul on March 20, Joseph had 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 11 games with the Senators. A sign of things to come? Ready to overcome Shane Pinto missed most of the 2021-22 season after shoulder surgery in November and was limited to five games (one assist) with Ottawa. But the 21-year-old center is healthy and expected to have a regular rotation among the Senators bottom six and possible playing time with the second unit. The raw ability is there: He was a finalist for the 2021 Hobey Baker Award as the top player in NCAA Division I hockey after he had 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) in 28 games with North Dakota two seasons ago. Fantasy bedroom Joseph, LW/RW (undrafted average in fantasy) — He averaged nearly a point a game and was plus-8 in 11 games for the Senators last season after being acquired in a trade with the Lightning. The top six is ​​loaded after the offseason additions of prized forwards DeBrincat and Giroux, but Joseph, who signed a four-year, $11.8 million contract with the Senators on July 28, could be a fantastic deep sleeper with exposure to at least one high-upside. young forward in Alex Formedon and/or rookie Pinto. — Pete Jensen ANTICIPATED LINEUP Brady Tkachuk — Josh Norris — Drake Batherson Alex DeBrincat — Tim Stutzle — Claude Giroux Alex Formenton — Shane Pinto — Mathieu Joseph Parker Kelly — Dylan Gabrel — Austin Watson Thomas Chabot –Travis Hamonic Erik Branstrom — Artem Zub Jake Sanderson — Nikita Zaitsev Cam Talbot Anton Forsberg