Forecasting the Rest of the Ottawa Senators Season

Good news folks, Ottawa Senators hockey is only days away from returning. Now it’s time for me to try to break down each of their remaining 26 games, period by period, to figure out where the Sens will end up in the standings. Okay, I’m not doing all that, but let’s dive into the rest of the season, breaking down what’s ahead for the Sens as they try to make the playoffs.

READ MORE: 3 Reasons to Believe the Ottawa Senators Will Make the Playoffs

Trade Incoming

I do believe that Steve Staios will try to bolster the Senators roster from the stretch run. The NHL trade deadline is just over two weeks away. The Sens will play five games before then, so it’s not as if they will be out of it even with a bad stretch. That means they will have a legitimate chance at the playoffs for the first time since 2017. That marks the longest drought in franchise history. Staios opted to go veteran heavy in the off-season, bringing in several players that had playoff experience. Basically, he was trying to have this team end up in the playoffs right away.

There’s no need for Staios to stop now. Of course, that doesn’t mean going big fish hunting- the Senators don’t have the picks or prospects for that anyway. Looking at their draft picks over the next few years, they could certainly part with a third round pick or lower for some immediate help. A few days ago I looked into some forwards that Staios could look to trade for in the upcoming weeks. With Norris, Pinto, Cousins, and Gregor all battling injuries, and with the Senators sitting 21st in goals per game, adding some depth up front makes the most sense.

Healthy Roster Down the Stretch

It’s impossible to predict the health of the Ottawa Senators. What we do know, is how much staying healthy means to them. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the 82 games that Stützle, Norris, and Pinto had played together. It took them parts of five seasons to make it up to that many games on the ice together, but the Senators are a dominant team when they’ve all played. Wouldn’t you know it, the very next game saw Norris leave with an injury, and two games later it was Pinto leaving hurt.

On top of that, Linus Ullmark and Artem Zub have both missed long stretches with injuries. In that sense, this two week break for most of the Senators has been great. It’s an opportunity to get healthy, with the next step after that being to stay healthy- easier said than done. The reality is the Ottawa Senators are a playoff team when they are fully, or even mostly healthy. If Staios can add some depth up front, to go along with this roster not falling apart with injuries, Senators fans would enjoy playoff hockey for the first time in eight years.

Tkachuk Leading the Way

Brady Tkachuk has watched his brother Matthew enjoy playoff hockey for three straight years. Matthew has played a total of 56 playoff games in that time. That includes two trips to the finals, and of course last year’s game seven Stanley Cup victory. As much as Brady has enjoyed being a fan of his brothers, he’s had enough watching the playoffs from the stands. It’s not as if Brady has ever lacked intensity, but there have always been times when he amps it up a notch or two.

Perhaps the most memorable games came a couple of seasons ago. The Sens and the Detroit Red Wings were still in the playoff mix. In back-to-back games, the Senators won 6-2 and 6-1, which led to the Red Wings becoming sellers at the deadline. Brady was a monster, scoring in both games and physically dominating the Red Wings. He’s played that same way for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off. In the first two games he scored two goals on eight shots, while registering 14 hits and a fight. Him and his brother have been the talk of the hockey world. While Brady left last night’s game early, that seemed to be precautionary. Everyone has been left thinking the same thing- Brady Tkachuk is made for playoff hockey. Well, if that’s the case, then Brady Tkachuk needs to be the one to lead this team to the playoffs. With Travis Green helping him understand the importance of the defensive side of the ice, he’s ready to do so.