Offseason Review: Contract drama highlights the Ottawa Senators’ offseason
It’s been a strange ride for the Ottawa Senators over the past few years (as it always seems to be with Eugene Melnyk steering the ship), but things are starting to look up.
After coming one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2017, the Sens collapsed and ultimately opted to move on from their entire roster. Major names like Erik Karlsson and Mark Stone were dealt away, the team tanked for a few years and the reward has been a strong young core that might soon be ready to go on another run.
Are we going to see this young Sens team take a step forward and compete for a playoff spot in 2021-22?
What happened in 2021?
The Sens were the punching bag of the All-Canadian Division for a good chunk of 2021.
They won their first game of the season, taking down the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 5-3, but then proceeded to go on a nine-game losing streak. Through the first month of play, Ottawa had an absolutely putrid 3-12-1 record and fans of Canadian teams were asking whether it was time for them to get relegated.
But, on Feb. 15, things changed. The Sens pulled off a miraculous comeback against the Leafs, storming back from 5-1 down late in the second period to win 6-5 in overtime.
Starting with that win, Ottawa posted a 20-16-4 record the rest of the way and became a formidable opponent. They wound up going 23-28-5 all told, finishing above the Vancouver Canucks and only four points behind the Calgary Flames, a pair of teams with playoff aspirations at the beginning of the season.
If there was more runway, the Sens reasonably could have challenged the Habs for the final playoff spot in Canada.
What did they do in the off-season?
Notable Additions: Zach Sanford, Nick Holden, Michael Del Zotto, Pontus Aberg, Scott Sabourin.
Notable Subtractions: Logan Brown, Evgenii Dadonov, Ryan Dzingel, Derek Stepan, Artem Anisimov, Joey Daccord, Marcus Hogberg.
Naturally, since it’s the Sens, their positive finish to the season led into an offseason that featured drama, despite the fact it was supposed to be a quiet summer.
Ottawa didn’t do much to change their roster this off-season, ultimately opting to just create room for the bevy of young talent they’ve accumulated over the past few years.
They made a pair of trades, sending Evgenii Dadonov to Vegas in exchange for defenseman Nick Holden and they moved former top draft pick Logan Brown to St. Louis for another young forward in Zach Sanford. The team also inked veteran defender Michael Del Zotto in free agency to add some more depth to the blueline.
The Sens’ most notable offseason moves involved the deals their restricted free agents have signed (and, well, haven’t signed).
Drake Batherson earned a six-year contract after a breakout season in which he scored 17 goals and 34 points while Artem Zub was handed a two-year bridge deal after his first season in the NHL. And then there’s former No. 4 overall pick, @Brady Tkachuk, who still doesn’t have a new contract after his entry-level deal expired at the end of the season.
Ottawa has apparently offered Tkachuk an eight-year deal worth $8,000,000 annually, but word is that the disconnect between the two sides comes down to the team’s refusal to add bonus money to the contract. As I said, it can’t be a Senators off-season without this kind of drama.
What to expect in 2021-22?
Ottawa will move back to the Atlantic Division this year, a stronger division than the group of Canadian teams they faced in 2021. Facing the likes of the Lightning, Panthers, Bruins, and Leafs on a regular basis will be a challenge, but Ottawa doesn’t appear to be a basement dweller like they were the last time they went through the Atlantic circuit.
The reason for optimism around the Sens, of course, comes from how they finished last season. As I mentioned, they were a respectable opponent after that first month of play and they were on track to pass teams like Calgary and Montreal in the standings if the schedule was longer than 56 games.
Key to Ottawa’s season will be the internal progression of the team’s young talent.
You know what to expect from names like Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk (uh, assuming they can work out a contract), but a breakout showing from 2020 top draft pick Tim Stutzle would really move the needle. Other names to watch who could make a difference for the Sens in 2021-22 are Shane Pinto, Alex Formenton, and Jacob Bernard-Docker.
One bold prediction…
The Senators finish with more points in the standings than the Montreal Canadiens, who reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.
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