This is a pivotal week for the Ottawa Senators. They face a condensed schedule of three road games in four nights before the NHL pauses operations for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. With the team currently chasing a wild-card spot, these six available points are critical to keeping their playoff hopes alive before the league-wide break. Here are the key storylines and upcoming schedule for the week of Feb. 2-9, 2026.
The “Playoffs or Bust” Pressure
The Senators are entering this week in a precarious position. Despite elite production from their top stars, inconsistent results have left them trailing the wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference. The narrative around the team is that they must win the majority of this week’s games to justify being “buyers” at the trade deadline. General manager Steve Staios has reportedly remained committed to winning this season, but a poor showing this week could force a re-evaluation during the Olympic break.
Linus Ullmark’s Return to the Crease
Goaltending remains the team’s “Achilles’ heel.” A major development is the return of starter Linus Ullmark, who had been away on a personal leave of absence. He recently returned to the lineup in the 4-1 win against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. The Senators desperately need him to stabilize a team save percentage that ranks near the bottom of the league.
Trade Deadline Aggression? (The Weegar Rumor)
Despite the standings gap, rumors indicate Ottawa is looking to buy rather than sell. Reports suggest the Senators are “big game hunting” for a top-six forward and a top-four defenseman. There is speculation linking Ottawa to Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar (an Ottawa native) and forward Blake Coleman. Acquiring Weegar would be a massive swing to fix the defensive top-four, but he possesses a full no-movement clause.
The Olympic Send-Off
Following Thursday’s game vs. the Philadelphia Flyers, six Senators will head to Italy to represent their countries at the 2026 Winter Olympics. This week serves as a final send-off for:
- Brady Tkachuk (USA)
- Jake Sanderson (USA)
- Tim Stützle (Germany)
- Nikolas Matinpalo (Finland)
- Lars Eller (Denmark)
- Mads Søgaard (Denmark)
Injury Updates
Veteran David Perron is out for five to seven weeks following surgery for a sports hernia, a blow to the team’s depth scoring.
Thomas Chabot left Saturday’s game against the Devils with an apparent wrist injury. His status for this week is questionable.
Senators Schedule Feb. 2 – 9
| Date | Time (ET) | Opponent | Location | Context |
| Mon, Feb. 2 | 7:00 PM | Pittsburgh Penguins | PPG Paints Arena | A battle against a veteran rival. |
| Tue, Feb. 3 | 7:00 PM | Carolina Hurricanes | Lenovo Center | A difficult back-to-back against one of the league’s top teams. |
| Thu, Feb. 5 | 7:00 PM | Philadelphia Flyers | Xfinity Mobile Arena | The final game before the Olympic break. |
| Feb. 6 – 9 | N/A | Olympic Break | N/A | No Games. The NHL season pauses until Feb. 25. |
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