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Senators Analysis: 5 Things We Learned from the Preseason

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Jake Sanderson looks primed for a massive season (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press via AP)

The Senators wrapped up their preseason last night with a 4-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens. Shane Pinto led the way with a hat-trick and an assist, Michael Amadio had a goal and an assist, and Linus Ullmark stopped 23 shots in the win. With that, the Senators finished up with a 5-1-1 preseason record. Not too shabby. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though, as just last season the Sens went 6-2 in the preseason. Let’s face it, wins and losses don’t matter a whole lot until the real season kicks off. For the Senators, that’ll be this Thursday. Hallelujah! Nonetheless, a lot was learned about this Senators in those seven games. Let’s dive into it.



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Sanderson is Primed for a Big Season

Sanderson is fresh off a fantastic second season. That, of course, came after a great first season. What does he have in store for year three? Well, he’s bigger and stronger than ever for one. He looks even more confident with the puck. The Senators also said goodbye to Jakob Chychrun in the offseason, so there’s a chance for even more of an offensive opportunity for Sanderson this season. Sanderson will play in all situations this year, likely eating up 25 minutes a night. He made a concerted effort in year two to become a better goal scoring option. In year three, expect his offensive game to improve even more. On the defensive side,  better goaltending and a true commitment to team defense will just make things easier for Sanderson, whose effort in his own zone is never in question. There’s a chance he’ll end up as the team’s best player this season.

Yakemchuk Gives the Senators an Elite Prospect

The Senators prospect pool has become quite weak over the last few years. It remains on the weaker side, but Carter Yakemchuk has earned the right to be called an elite prospect. Draft status play into the equation, but even more than that, Yakemchuk just had an incredible preseason. Seven points in four games, an unbelievable overtime winner, and a quiet confidence throughout his preseason action. Regardless of what the Senators decide to do with Yakemchuk, he’ll be a player Senators fans should follow quite closely all season long. If he ends up back in the WHL, do yourself a favour and scoop up some World Junior tickets (taking place in Ottawa this January), as Yakemchuk should undoubtedly be a member of Team Canada.

Defensive Depth is Questionable

The Senators top four seems solid: Sanderson, Chabot, Zub, and Jensen. Beyond that, their defensive group is a bit worrisome. Travis Hamonic struggled last season. Jacob Bernard-Docker does not inspire a ton of confidence. Tyler Kleven had a mediocre preseason. Yakemchuk might not stick around at the NHL level as a 19 year old fresh off being drafted. The Senators, like every team, will have their depth tested one way or another this season. Any injuries to their top four could make for a challenging stretch of games for the Senators this year.

Forward Depth Looks Promising

At the start of the preseason, many expected Angus Crookshank and Stephen Halliday to compete for roster spots. They ended up back in the minors relatively early. It was a few other forwards that managed to remain in the fight. Zack Ostapchuk showed plenty of promise. Adam Gaudette scored five points in his five games. Jan Jenik was noticeable during his preseason action. What makes this so promising is that these guys are all competing for fourth line spots. Even with potential injuries, the Senators should be fairly confident in who they call up. Adding veterans like Perron, Cousins, and Amadio to the mix gives the Senators a deeper forward group than we’ve seen in the last few seasons.

Linus Ullmark Addition was Massive

Okay, this is a captain obvious type of headline, but it really can’t be overstated how bad the Senators goaltending was last season. During his two and half preseason games, Ullmark was fantastic. He posted a .930 SV% and brought to the ice such a calming presence. How many bad goals did Senators goalies give up last season? How many times did the Senators look like the better team, only to have their goalie give up a deflating goal? And on the other side, how many times did the Senators win a game primarily because of their goalie? Ullmark can swing things so heavily in the Senators favour this season with his level of goaltending. Very few teams added a player as impactful as Ullmark via trade of free agency this offseason. He really may be the key to the Senators finally returning to the playoffs, all the while earning himself a nice new contract. 

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