The Ottawa Senators turned a lot of heads with a trip to the Eastern Conference final last season. They snuck into the playoffs as a nondescript lower seed, but then couldn’t stop winning after that. Nobody believed they’d make a serious run at the Stanley Cup – not even their own fans. Even as the Senators played into Game 7 of the first round and advanced to the second and third rounds, they still had trouble selling out their own arena for playoff games.
The question is whether or not this team was a fluke or whether they’re actually built to compete again. After a relatively quiet offseason, the Senators are hoping they can build on last year’s playoff run with an even better finish in 2017-18.
How They Finished Last Season
Ottawa finished with the second-best record in the Atlantic division a year ago with 98 points. The Senators took three of four games from the Boston Bruins in the opening round via overtime wins and then won twice more in the extra frame against the New York Rangers in the second round to reach the conference finals. Ottawa pushed the eventual Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins to the limit before losing the series in seven games.
What Changed In The Offseason
The Senators remained fairly quiet throughout the offseason with the exception of the addition of Nate Thompson. All signs point towards continued efforts to build from within as key young players such as Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Cody Ceci continue to take on more responsibility. There have been rumblings out of Ottawa that the Senators are among the frontrunners to trade for Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche. With Derrick Brassard still recovering from shoulder surgery it will be interesting to see whether Ottawa adds to its roster before the season. If they don’t make a move, there is a good chance that Pageau will start the season as the team’s second-line centre. It’s also worth keeping an eye on young defensemen Thomas Chabot, who has a legitimate chance to make the club out of training camp.
Most Valuable Fantasy Hockey Asset
Erik Karlsson has been one of the best fantasy defencemen for some time now and that isn’t likely to change this season. Karlsson, who had foot surgery in June, is on pace to be ready for the opening night of the season. Karlsson registered 17 goals and 71 points in 77 games last season. Nobody will be surprised if he tops the 70-point mark again in 2017-18.
Rising Star
Keep an eye on Thomas Chabot of the Senators as a player that should move into the spotlight. By all accounts, he’s been rumored to be in a potential trade for Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche, so clearly it’s not just the Senators that think highly of him.
Chabot is a first-round pick from the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He is coming off a season where he earned the Emile Bouchard Trophy as the QMJHL’s top defenseman last season. He was a key cog in the Saint John Sea Dogs trip to the Memorial Cup. He had 45 points in 45 regular season games, which is impressive for a blueliner, and then he added 23 more points in 18 playoff games. Once again, it’s worth highlighting that he’s a blueliner. On a team that already has Erik Karlsson, that is really good news.
Regular Season Win Total Outlook
Ottawa’s NHL futures regular season win total is set at 40, which is four fewer than they recorded last season. The Senators didn’t suffer any major losses in the offseason but they didn’t do much to improve their roster either. Ultimately, Ottawa’s success will depend on the continued development of key young players as well as another strong season from core players such as Karlsson, Kyle Turris, Mike Hoffman and goaltender Craig Anderson. The Senators have enough talent to reach the playoffs. However, it won’t be easy for them to reach 98 points again in an improved Atlantic division. The more likely scenario is that the team takes a small step back during the regular season but still manages to squeeze in to a playoff spot as a Wild Card team. Ottawa has the potential to be very good, just don’t bank on them reaching the 40-win mark for the second year in a row.
Pick: Under 40 Wins
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