The Ottawa Senators made some big moves this summer. Will it be enough to change their fortunes for the upcoming season?
2021-2022 Season Performance
Regular Season
The Senators struggled for the entirety of the 21/22 season. Slow of the line, they never recovered. The biggest culprit was their inability to control play at 5v5 as they compiled a hefty deficit in xGF%. Their goaltending was okay and their finishing was mediocre.
Looking Ahead to 2022-2023
Offseason Moves
The Senators started their offseason with a bang, acquiring Alex DeBrincat from the Blackhawks in a draft day trade. DeBrincat brings legitimate star power to Ottawa, and at age 24, is just entering his prime. The Sens weren’t done with the trade market, as they also shipped Connor Brown to Washington and re-vamped their goaltending duo by trading Matt Murray to Toronto and flipping Filiip Gustavsson to Minnesota for Cam Talbot.
The Senators made another splash in free agency, adding Claude Giroux on a 3 year deal. While he’s past his peak, Giroux can still play and his veteran presence should complement Ottawa’s young core. The Sens also locked up Josh Norris and Tim Stuzle to 8 year extensions.
According to CapFriendly, the Senators have about $7M in cap space remaining with 20 players on the NHL roster. It leaves enough room that we could see Ottawa make another move this offseason, but with training camp now just a couple of weeks away, it seems unlikely.
22/23 Roster
Despite the offseason fireworks, the Senators roster profile is underwhelming. They made some strides up front, adding star power in DeBrincat and Giroux but their forward group simply isn’t deep enough to contend. Their defense corps also looks rather suspect and newly acquired Cam Talbot will likely be put to the test.
Atlantic Division Landscape
The top of the Atlantic Division is crowded with talented teams that don’t look like they’re about to slow down. Add in a Red Wings team that looks ready to take a big step and a Canadiens squad that will have trouble repeating last year’s debacle and the Senators path to the postseason looks like an uphill battle this season.
Long Term Outlook
It’s not all bad news for the Senators. Their forward group has a few strong skaters and there are more young forwards with potential to grow their impact. The defense needs more work, with a lack of elite talent holding the group back.
Want to check out more projections for the 22/23 season? Sign up for an annual membership to get access to all 22/23 team and player projection plots and peruse the full set of free agent player cards. Plots will be updated through the offseason as the 22/23 rosters take shape and updated to track progress through the season.
Historical player data from Natural Stat Trick. Contract data from CapFriendly.
