The deadline to submit the season-opening roster has come and gone, and the Ottawa Senators have settled on a 23-man roster that may have surprised some. With moves like waiving Adam Gaudette and Jan Jenik, while also sending defenseman Carter Yakemchuk to the Western Hockey League (WHL), there were certainly a few surprises.
Senators’ Opening Night Forward Group
There isn’t much to talk about with the top-nine group. The first line will be a repeat of last season with Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and Claude Giroux leading the way. This is a great line with a strong mix of speed, talent, physicality, and more. Giroux’s age led to a step back in production last season, but he doesn’t need to be scoring a point per game to be valuable on that line.
As for the second line, or what is projected to be that at least, there were a few more question marks, but that was more about health than players making the roster. Josh Norris looks healthy and has played well in his preseason time, and Drake Batherson will join him on the wing. David Perron, who was just signed by the Senators in the offseason, struggled with a minor injury through preseason, but should be on the other wing on the second line.
Shane Pinto, Ridly Greig, and Michael Amadio all impressed in preseason in very different ways. Pinto, who scored a hat-trick against the Montreal Canadiens, will center the line, while Amadio, who played a great defensive game and showed some good offensive impacts, will play on his wing, and of course, Greig was stirring the pot all preseason and will find himself on the other wing.
There were no guaranteed spots on the fourth line heading into this season, but four more forwards remain with the team and will be the fourth line and 13th forward.
Zack MacEwen was signed by Pierre Dorion as a physical presence, but this preseason, he did show some flashes of smart plays and that he could contribute. That is something that didn’t last for the whole season last year, but he did have a good preseason this season and could work out.
Adam Gaudette, who recently cleared waivers, will remain with the team. He had a strong preseason as well, and when the news broke about him being placed on waivers, many were shocked as he looked like he deserved a spot on the team. Waiving Gaudette was more of a chess move by Steve Staios, as he can be sent up and down from the American Hockey League without needing to pass waivers again for 30 days.
Related: James Reimer, Zach Aston-Reese Among 5 Players Claimed on Waivers
Noah Gregor’s speed is a big part of what led to him signing in Ottawa and making the team. His versatile play allows him to jump up and down the lineup, and while he isn’t necessarily a specialist on either side of the puck, he is a good depth option despite not showing his best in preseason.
The final member of the forward group is Nick Cousins, who, like Gregor, isn’t excellent offensively or defensively, but he is a great all-around asset and can be a pesky player whom many hate to play against. He had shown in preseason that he will battle every shift, and help wear down the opposition, but can still add a scoring touch when needed.
| LW | C | RW |
| Brady Tkachuk | Tim Stutzle | Claude Giroux |
| David Perron | Josh Norris | Drake Batherson |
| Ridly Greig | Shane Pinto | Michael Amadio |
| Noah Gregor | Adam Gaudette | Nick Cousins |
| Zack MacEwen |
After seeing Pinto miss half of last season, Norris missing most of it, and the additions of Perron, Amadio, Cousins, Gaudette, and Gregor, the forward group looks significantly better than on the opening night of 2023-24.
Senators Defense Looks Much More Stable
When it comes to the defense group, there was a lot less available in terms of open spots this season.
The top-four group, which consists of Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, Nick Jensen, and Artem Zub, was a lock. Nobody was going to take over one of their roles, and it was just the third-pair that was up for grabs.
Even then, on the third pair, the left-side defenseman was Tyler Kleven’s spot to lose. While he didn’t look excellent in preseason, and will need to catch up to speed, there weren’t many left-shot options to challenge for his spot. If Kleven wants to be impactful, he will need to play better defensively and more physically.
As for the right side, Carter Yakemchuk made the conversation interesting but was ultimately sent back to the WHL.
Related: Senators Send Carter Yakemchuk To WHL After Impressive Preseason
Sticking around is Travis Hamonic and Jacob Bernard-Docker, who will likely rotate in and out of the lineup as the third-pair defenseman.
| LD | RD |
| Jake Sanderson | Nick Jensen |
| Thomas Chabot | Artem Zub |
| Tyler Kleven | Travis Hamonic |
| Jacob Bernard-Docker |
Not many surprises here outside of Yakemchuk’s preseason run at a spot.
A Few Surprising Moves
As mentioned with Yakemchuk, the Senators made a few surprising cuts for the final roster.
On the forward group, both Jan Jenik and Zack Ostapchuk were impressive in preseason and did everything in their power to earn a spot, but the coaching and management group ultimately went with Gaudette and MacEwen.
In the crease, it isn’t much of a surprise to see Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg taking the crease, but Mads Sogaard arguably played better than Forsberg, but with Sogaard being waiver-exempt, it was a fair move to send him down to Belleville.
The roster is set, and now we just await the puck drop for the 2024-25 regular season as the Senators look to hunt down a playoff spot.
