The Ottawa Senators need a shakeup
Many expected the Ottawa Senators to finally take the next step and become a playoff contender.
However, that has not been the case this season.
Following a 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night, the Senators have lost five straight games and seven of their last nine contests. Trying to string together wins has not been one of the team’s strengths this year. With quality players like Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris and Thomas Chabot, along with the Sens’ big offseason acquisition in goaltender Linus Ullmark, anything less than a Wild Card spot will be a disappointment.
Currently, with an 8-11-1 record, they are seventh in the Atlantic Division, one point out of last place, and trailing the Boston Bruins by six points for the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
On Monday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk discuss why it is now time for Ottawa to shake things up.
Tyler Yaremchuk: This core has gotten coaching changes, front office changes. At some point, do you not start looking at the players and think that this isn’t the group that’s going to get it done?
Frank Seravalli: I think you have to ask that question at this point in time. Consider some of the reporting that was out there today. The New York Rangers are open and willing to make changes…So, what does that mean about the Ottawa Senators, who have been, for the last number of years, one of the least successful teams? At some point, you begin to smash your head against the wall when you try to break through, doing the same thing over and over again. That’s not to say all hope is lost, or this team can’t figure it out … but when you have sequences like the Canucks had with them the other night, almost toying with them at times, it certainly, to me, raises an eyebrow.
I think you have to be willing to shake things up and make a bigger splash. I was told over the weekend that, among the conversations that the Sens have been in…one of the names that popped up to the surface has been Josh Norris. He’s got a number of years left on his deal…If you’re gonna start to make changes, you gotta begin to attack some of the core that’s been for a long time that hasn’t had some success. Norris would be one of those guys that jumps to the top of the page.
You can watch the full segment and entire episode here…