2018-19 Season Primer: Ottawa Senators

With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the Ottawa Senators.

Last Season: 28-43-11 record (67 points), seventh in the Atlantic Division (missed the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $8.7MM per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Mikkel Boedker (trade with San Jose), D Dylan DeMelo (trade with San Jose), F Chris Tierney (trade with San Jose)

Key Departures: F Alex Burrows (retirement), D Fredrik Claesson (free agency, NY Rangers), F Mike Hoffman (trade with San Jose – later flipped to Florida), D Erik Karlsson (trade with San Jose)

[Related: Senators Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: D Thomas Chabot – For the last couple of years, Chabot has been viewed as Ottawa’s top defenseman of the future.  He had a very strong junior career and became a regular for the Sens last season where there were some expected ups and downs.

However, with their recent moves (particularly the Karlsson trade earlier this month, the Dion Phaneuf trade last season, and losing Marc Methot in expansion), the 21-year-old isn’t going to have the luxury of being eased into things anymore.  In fact, given their depth on the left side which primarily features role players, there’s a very good chance that he’ll be on their top pairing to start the season.

How will he fare going from a role where he was somewhat sheltered to likely facing top competition on a near-nightly basis?  If he struggles, things could get ugly quickly with there being no real in-house option to take that role.  However, it has the potential to be good for his development in the long haul while also positioning himself for a nice second contract.  If he spends the next two years in that role, the Senators will be in tough arguing that he should accept a bridge contract.

Key Storyline: In a nutshell, who’s next?  The team has been up front that they are in a rebuild and their trade of Karlsson for a package primarily highlighted by future assets only hammered that fact home.  No one expects this to be the final move of that process, however.

Ottawa has a pair of high-end pending unrestricted free agents up front in winger Mark Stone and center Matt Duchene.  Although the Sens would like to keep them around, it will be difficult for them to do so with their budgetary restraints while it’s also tough to see both players willingly choose to stay in a rebuilding situation when they can wait a few months and pick their next team.

At some point, one (if not both) of them will be moved and it’s basically a question of when it’s going to happen.  It’s unlikely that Ottawa will want to take any sizable contracts back which could make a trade more likely as the season progresses where the acquiring team is taking on less money.  With owner Eugene Melnyk admitting that significant roster turnover is on the horizon, as soon as one goes, the question will simply be who’s next?

Overall Outlook: Last year was painful for the Sens.  Their move to add Duchene didn’t work and they found themselves near the basement in the Atlantic.  2018-19 projects to be no exception although this time around, Ottawa won’t have their first-round pick at their disposal as it now belongs to Colorado.  That’s going to be painful come the draft lottery in April so their hopes of adding to their future core will have to come from the trades of Stone and/or Duchene at some point during the year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.