Despite moments of frustration, the 2024-25 season has been promising for the Ottawa Senators, who are one point shy of a wild-card berth with three games in hand on the Boston Bruins, who are two points ahead. It finally seems that, after eight seasons, the rebuild is over.
However, the work is not over. The Senators have shown some worrying trends that are threatening to derail their progress. Before their two-game win streak, they were giving up golden chances, struggling to score, and failing to provide adequate defensive coverage. It came to a head against the Buffalo Sabres at home on Jan. 9. The game got off to a bad start, with Jack Quinn scoring two easy goals off giveaways by Thomas Chabot in the first period. Goals from Dylan Cozens and Ryan McLeod in the second period sealed the Sabres win, and when the final buzzer sounded, the hometown crowd booed the Senators off the ice.
One reason for the team’s struggles is their lack of depth. Injuries are never easy, but this season, the Senators have discovered just how thin their pipeline is. If Ottawa wants to be in the playoffs in April, they must address that weakness with a trade.
Injuries Reveal a Shocking Lack of Depth
The Senators have been especially unlucky with injuries. They lost goaltender Linus Ullmark at the worst possible time, going down following a six-game win streak on Dec. 22 and listed as week-to-week, although some reports suggest he could be back sooner.
Since then, the Senators have been without Michael Amadio, who also went down on Dec. 22, while Noah Gregor left the game against the Sabres with a lower-body injury. Jacob Bernard-Docker sustained an ankle injury in practice on Jan. 7, joining Travis Hamonic on the injured reserve after he injured his ankle on Jan. 5, while David Perron hasn’t played since the end of November. It’s no wonder the Senators are struggling on defence; most of their defensive-minded players have been out for several games.
The bigger issue is that the Senators haven’t found enough players in their system to replace them. After losing Ullmark and Amadio, Ottawa has called up nine players from Belleville, and only Zach Ostapchuk and Zach MacEwen have been reliable bottom-six forwards. That’s hardly surprising. Ostapchuk has already played 28 games this season with a 2.2 average goals-against per 60 minutes (GA/60) at even strength, ranked sixth among all Senators. Meanwhile, MacEwen is a veteran of 236 NHL games and knows how to be a grinder with limited minutes.
However, the rest of the skaters called up rank in the bottom half in GA/60 on the team. Matthew Highmore and Nikolas Matinpalo lead the group with an average just below 3.0 GA/60, but Cole Reinhardt and Jan Jenik have been negative-sum players with GA/60 averages of 4.3 and 8.0, respectively, while bringing a combined 1.2 goals-for per 60 minutes (GF/60). Now, Reinhardt is injured, too, forcing the Senators to look even further down the depth chart.
Senators Have Few Options Remaining in Belleville
The Senators need to find better options for their bottom six and third defensive pairing outside of the American Hockey League (AHL). Veterans Garrett Pilon, Hayden Hodgson, Filip Roos, and Jeremy Davies could be relied on in a pinch, but only Roos has played in the NHL in the past calendar year, and in four games with the Chicago Blackhawks, he had a 5.1 GA/60. Pilon and Davies are producing offensively in the AHL, and the Senators are struggling to score from their bottom six, but neither one is strong defensively. That’s why Reinhardt and Jenik were called up.
It’s worth mentioning that all four veterans have a combined 54 games of NHL experience. That’s not a lot more than the rookies they have available in Belleville. To address scoring needs, the Senators could turn to Stephen Halliday, who has eight goals and 23 points, but he is also a minus-15 over 31 games, and it’s getting lower each week. Angus Crookshank has 13 goals and 17 points, but he’s taken a step back this season, and at 25 years old, it’s unlikely he’s good enough to be an NHL player.
The best player remaining is likely Wyatt Bongiovanni, who’s dealt with some injuries this season but returned to be one of Belleville’s better producers, scoring 12 goals in 21 games. He’s a hard worker and plays a responsible two-way game, but he’s been a minus player throughout his AHL career.
Xavier Bourgault has better AHL numbers, but he hasn’t scored much in his first season with the Senators organization. Donovan Sebrango is also an acceptable option, but he’s been called up a couple of times already and hasn’t played in the NHL yet. Beyond them, no one has shown that they’re ready for the NHL. General manager Steve Staois said he wants to see the team’s internal depth perform, and while we’ve seen some strong performances, none have shown enough to be a viable long-term solution.
Senators’ Possible Trade Targets
The Senators need to turn to the trade market. Although it’s not the richest pool, there are a few names Staois should target to shore up the blue line. Defence is the priority. According to TSN’s Trade Board, Montreal Canadien David Savard is one of the best defencemen available, given his long career as a reliable right-shot shutdown blueliner. However, whether he’ll land in Ottawa is a different story.
The Canadiens are looking for a decent return for him, and the Senators just don’t have the picks or prospects to get into a bidding war. Ottawa has room to add his $3.5 million cap hit thanks to some injured reserve relief, but they’ll be tight up against the ceiling when players start to return. He’d be a great addition, but it’s unlikely to happen.
Related: 5 Goaltenders the Senators Should Have as Trade Targets
Bowen Byram may be a better option. He’s not the player he was projected to be when he was drafted fourth overall in 2019, but he’s emerged as a solid defensive player on a weak Sabres team. Although Buffalo ranks fourth in the Eastern Conference in goals allowed, he has a 3.0 GA/60 while averaging 2.9 goals-for-per-60 minutes (GF/60). His $3.85 million cap hit isn’t cheap for a bottom-pairing defenceman, but he will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and the Sabres could be convinced to retain salary or take on a contract. He also plays on the right side, although he’s a left-handed shot.
For a cheaper defender, the Senators could look to the New York Rangers, who might become sellers at the deadline after their surprising collapse this season. They have already sold off former top prospect Kaapo Kakko for a draft pick. Now, the 24-year-old defender Zac Jones may be on the move. Jones is earning $0.8125 million until the end of this season and shoots left. He’s on the smaller side at 5-foot-11, but he’s a solid shot-blocker and has a measly 1.8 GA/60 over 24 games this season. Ottawa could find a place for someone like him on their blue line.
Upfront, Ottawa could target Blackhawks centre Ryan Donato. He’s been one of their best forwards this season, but given the state of the team, he’ll likely be on the move soon. He has a reasonable cap hit at $2 million, can play centre or right wing, and sits third on the team in points despite averaging less than 15 minutes a night. He has a mildly concerning 3.2 GA/60, but the Blackhawks have allowed the fourth-most goals in the NHL, so that can be overlooked. Trent Frederic is another option and fits well with the Tkachuk-led nastiness, but the Bruins might not want to part with their young power forward so soon, especially for a divisional rival.
In the end, the Senators can’t afford to sit back and see if any of their young players will emerge as NHL regulars. That time has passed – it’s what the seven-year rebuild was for. The core is in place and performing well while their top prospects are developing. Now is the time to start looking for veteran support to bolster their depth for a playoff push.
