With all the noise surrounding the Ottawa Senators in the past few weeks, it’s almost difficult to picture that the team already has 10 games under their belt this season. Similarly to off-ice events, they’ve had their fair share of downs, as their 4-6-0 record to start the campaign would suggest. But amid the distractions, there have been good performers on the team. In this short piece, we’ll be looking at some players who’ve been bright spots for the team in the first 10 games of the season.
The Two-Headed Monster
The Senators have had some unfortunate injuries on their back end to start the season off, with the absences of Artem Zub, Thomas Chabot, and Erik Brannstrom becoming more and more noticeable. As a result, head coach DJ Smith has put a lot of responsibility on Jakob Chychrun and Jake Sanderson to fill in the void. Although the Senators are having some trouble on defense, they’re both performing and holding the fort the best they can.
Chychrun currently has four goals and nine points this season and continues to prove to be a good acquisition by former general manager Pierre Dorion. But beyond these offensive statistics, he brings a level of calmness and stability to the Senators defense. He generates offensive chances and is often at the right place, at the right time. The left-shot defenseman also plays an important role on the special teams, currently filling roles on the team’s second power-play unit and penalty-killing units.
On most other teams, Chyrchun would be playing on the top pairing and special teams units. But when it comes to being the best defenseman for the Senators, Sanderson is already making a case. The 21-year-old already has three goals and nine points this season but has impressed in other aspects of his game. His skating, split-second decision-making, and vision of the game are making him seem like a veteran defenseman despite only playing his sophomore season in the NHL. For these reasons, the 21-year-old has earned his spots on the top power play and penalty-killing units.
The Bounce Back Candidate
At the 2022 Trade Deadline, Dorion sent Nick Paul away to the Tampa Bay Lightning in return for Mathieu Joseph and a fourth-round draft pick. After amassing four goals and 12 points in only 11 games to finish off the 2021-22 season, he was signed to a four-year, $11.8 million contract and seen as an important middle-six forward for the team going forward.
However, his 2022-23 season was likely one he’d like to forget. He only put up three goals and 15 points in 56 games, with his season being shortened due to injuries and even a healthy scratch. Since then, Joseph has been involved in many cap dump rumors leading up to the season.
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But Joseph’s start to this campaign is making for a great story so far. Not only does he have three goals and eight points so far, but he’s playing with a lot of confidence, grit, and energy for a Senators team that needs it with their dreaded month of November coming up. He’s also seeing some time on the second power-play and penalty-killing units, which is not something many expected before the season. It’s true that the team’s injuries have factored in, but he certainly deserves to play in these situations.
O Captain! My Captain!
Before the start of the season, it was expected of Brady Tkachuk to lead on and off the ice as the captain and as an elite player for the Senators. But what we’re seeing is a leader bringing his game to a whole new level.
Tkachuk leads his team with eight goals to start the season. He’s scoring more goals than expected early on, but his strong offensive performance is expected, given his 35-goal, 83-point performance last season. Even if he doesn’t find himself on the scoresheet, it seems like he’ll always find a way to make an impact, even when the Senators are down. His 34 penalty minutes indicate that he plays with a lot of intensity and grit for the team, and it’s showing on the ice.
He’s been a part of some key plays for the Senators already. Whether it be his two straight multi-goal games at the start of the season or when he almost sparked a comeback in the game against the Buffalo Sabres, he’s often been in the spotlight. So despite the record not being ideal for his team, Tkachuk has more often than not shown up big when it mattered. His hard work and dedication can go a long way as the team looks to dig themselves out of the hole they’re in to start the season.
Honorable Mentions
Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux are both having good offensive seasons, as expected of them once again. But another name atop the Senators scoring list is Vladimir Tarasenko. It was expected that the 31-year-old would help the team’s scoring, but he’s playing at a point-per-game rate right now with three goals and seven assists. The bet he took by signing a one-year, $5 million contract with the Senators is looking like it could pay off for him, whether that be with the Senators or not.
While it’s nice to look at the positives, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the team is playing below expectations so far. On paper, they’ve likely had the best roster since their last playoff appearance in 2017. Yet, they sit last in their conference, tied with the team that eliminated them in their very last playoffs. Injuries have factored in so far, but if they don’t find a way to win games on the ice, it may make it even more difficult to avoid distraction off the ice.
