Welcome to the Ottawa Senators Roundtable at The Hockey Writers, where five staff writers who cover the Senators get together and answer a few questions about the team. In this edition, we talk about signing Vladimir Tarasenko, how the goaltending will shape out, the Sens’ German superstar, and plenty more.
Having four writers joining me is what made this possible, so a thank you goes out to Connor Hrabchak, Dayton Reimer, Paul Quinney, and Raphael Caron.
We’re hoping this kicks off a new series, so if you have any questions or topics you want to see the roundtable answer, leave them in the comments.
Slotting Tarasenko into the Senators’ Lineup
After signing Tarasenko, head coach DJ Smith and his staff will have to figure out where they want him to play. Where do you think he will fit in, and who will be his linemates?
Hrabchak: Tarasenko is a bona fide top-six winger, and with how the top six is currently shaped, I believe the best way to deploy him would be on the top line alongside Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle. That gives you an incredibly balanced line with an elite power forward, elite playmaker, and an elite sniper. They have the ability to be a dynamic scoring line.
Quinney: Ottawa’s shiny new toy, Tarasenko, will start out the 2023-24 season on the first line with Tkachuk and Stutzle. That will be one of the league’s most potent lines with the potential to pot 95 goals between them next season. Tarasekno on the first line means Claude Giroux will find himself on the second line playing with Josh Norris and Dominik Kubalik.
Reimer: I think Tarasenko fits best on the second line, essentially replacing where Alex DeBrincat was. That allows Giroux to remain as the veteran on the top line, which worked quite well last season alongside Tkachuk and Stutzle.
Billington: The top line with Stutzle and Tkachuk is the best place for him. The balance of three elite styles will mesh very well together, and while everybody on that line hit 35+ goals last season, adding a pure sniper to that line could be extremely beneficial to all three of them.
Caron: The beauty with the Sens’ top-six or even maybe top-nine group is that most of the players are interchangeable, so it’s difficult to say where he’ll slot in. I believe he can fit anywhere on the top-three lines and that head coach DJ Smith will shuffle the lines a lot in the first few weeks to find chemistry. Tarasenko is able to create scoring chances himself as well, but it wouldn’t hurt to have him on a line with a player that can get him the puck. One thing I will say is that I could see him starting on the power play.
The consensus was that the first line seems to be the best place for him. However, the idea of playing him on the second line keeps the elite top line from last season together. While most agree that Tkachuk and Stutzle would be the best linemates, we’ll have to wait until he hits the ice to know for sure, especially when changes can be made.
Success Hinges on Goaltending
The Senators have had big issues with their goaltending in recent seasons. Anton Forsberg had some good stretches, but after suffering two MCL injuries, the team needed to address the crease. After signing Joonas Korpisalo, will he and Forsberg play well enough and stay healthy enough to carry the team to the playoffs?
Reimer: It’s difficult to predict whether a player will stay healthy or not, but I’m optimistic that if Korpisalo and Forsberg split starts, they can avoid going down for a long period of time.
Caron: I believe that signing Korpisalo was a good move by general manager Pierre Dorion. He just had a strong season with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Los Angeles Kings, and he brings a lot of stability in net. I like this because, throughout the season, chances are that one of – or both – Korpisalo and Forsberg is hot. And if for some reason, either of them gets injured or the tandem doesn’t work out, they’ll have the option to bring in Mads Sogaard to maybe grow into the role of an NHL goalie.”
Billington: Korpisalo has had an interesting career path. He has had some very good seasons and some very poor ones. Coming off a year with a great save percentage with the Blue Jackets and Kings, I have a lot of confidence in him. As for Forsberg, coming back from two blown knees is not going to be easy, and he may not be the same goalie he was before. If both can stay healthy and split starts, along with the occasional appearance from Sogaard, I think they will be fine and have a team save percentage around .910. With that level of goaltending and the team’s elite firepower, I think the Senators will be good enough for a playoff push.
Quinney: Signing Korpisalo to a four-year deal was a big risk for the Senators, given that he’s never been a bona fide starting goalie and has a history of inconsistency throughout his career. Judging by his career statistics, he’s just an average goaltender, and if he doesn’t gel in Ottawa, he’ll be difficult to fob off on another team. Forsberg has his own health problems, so don’t be surprised if Sogaard sees lots of action this season.
Hrabchak: I think the signing is a good one for the next two years. After that, there is a lot of risk from years 3-5, especially when we are talking about goaltenders heading into their 30s. They needed a goalie and got a bona fide starter, which serves them well for the short term, but there is a lot of risk down the line.
The confidence in goaltending is higher than it was before, there is no doubt about that. Korpisalo hasn’t proven to be consistent but has shown he is capable of putting together a good season. Regardless of his contract, he is a positive addition to the lineup. The Senators’ playoff chances are dependent on goaltending this season, so the stakes are high for this tandem.
Senators’ Prospects To Be Excited About
The Senators have traded so many picks over the past few drafts that their pool is pretty shallow, but there are still some players to be excited about. Which player in the Sens’ system are you most excited to see crack the NHL lineup, whether it’s this season or down the road?
Billington: Tyler Boucher. He has had a rough time staying healthy and getting consistent production so far in his development path, but this will be a big season for him. He plays a hard-nosed, physical game that will complement the Senators very well. While 10th overall looks like a reach at this point, there is little doubt that he will be an NHL player if he can stay healthy. His energetic and compassionate play is so much fun to watch. I will throw in Angus Crookshank as a very close second.
Quinney: It goes without saying that Sogaard generates the most excitement among Ottawa fans. Yet, 6-foot-3, 220-pound Egor Sokolov is another skater for whom the fanbase on the Rideau River has high expectations.
Caron: I’d definitely say Ridly Greig is the prospect I’m the most excited to see crack the roster. We saw a glimpse of him last season when he suited up for 20 games, and I liked what I saw. He brought a lot of energy to the team when needed and was present in every play. If the Sens can deploy and develop him properly, he could become a very valuable player in years to come.
Related: Senators’ 3 Best Contracts for the 2023-24 Season
Reimer: I’d love to see what Crookshank and Roby Jarventie can do in the NHL. They’ve continued to show progress in the AHL ahead of some other more prominent prospects. I also think Zack Ostapchuk will be a great NHLer, but I don’t think he has the offensive upside of the other two, and he’s a little further away in his development.
Hrabchak: Ostapchuk of the Winnipeg Ice. He was a force for them all season and through the WHL playoffs, and I think he has the tools to become an effective middle-six forward at the NHL level. He’s 6-foot-3, 205 pounds at 20 years old, so if his skill can catch up to his frame, he could be a steal as the 39th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
There is a lot of diversity on this list. While the prospect pool may not be what it once was, there are still plenty of names to be excited about, whether they project to be top-six players or provide depth at the bottom of the lineup. There’s a lot to look forward to with these prospects.
Who Will Win The Sens’ Rocket Richard Trophy?
Stutzle, Tkachuk, Giroux, Norris, Batherson and Tarasenko. These are the team’s most likely top-six forwards who are capable of a 30-goal season. There are only so many goals to go around, so who do you think will lead the team in goals and points this season?
Quinney: Stutzle will score 45 goals this season and rack up 100 points. As a whole, Ottawa’s top six will see the light behind the goal burn bright red 150 times this season.
Reimer: I think the answer is easy – Stutzle. He had a breakout season in 2022-23 and has shown no signs of slowing down. It’s possible he becomes the first Senator to crack 100 points since Dany Heatley in 2006-07.
Hrabchak: Assuming perfect health for each, I think Norris will lead the top six in goals. If he were to play 82 games, he could easily hit 40+ goals, and with a full offseason rehabbing his shoulder, he will be put in every position necessary to score a plethora of goals.
Caron: I believe that Stutzle will follow up on his already impressive 90-point season by once again leading the Senators in goals and points. As a group, I think we’ll see something similar to last season. Two to four players will pot over 20 goals, two of them over 30, and I predict that two players will get over 40, one of them being Stutzle. I think we’re in for a treat when it comes to offense.
Billington: Tkachuk put up a career-high 35 goals last season, and I think he will build on that. With Norris and Tarasenko in the lineup this season, I think Stutzle takes a slight step back in goal-scoring but tops his previous point total. Tkachuk will be in his office in front of the net and with so much offense generated by this team, he will get plenty of rebounds and tip-in goals, not to mention his fantastic shooting abilities.
Stutzle was the general consensus here, and that makes sense. He led the team last season. He’s a superstar who is only getting better. The Senators will be a very exciting team to watch on the attack this season.
Offense from the Defense
The Senators have three defensemen worthy of being their top blueliner. Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, and the team acquired Jakob Chychrun. Which of these three will lead the Senators’ blue line in points this season?
Caron: I think that Chabot and Chychrun will be neck and neck for most points among defensemen on the team, but the leader will be the one Smith prefers on the top power-play unit. Sanderson likely won’t be leading the team in points this season, but I expect him to improve even more in his sophomore year. In the end, I still believe Chabot will have the most points if he is properly deployed and not overworked.
Hrabchak: When it comes to most points, I think Chabot will come out ahead. To me, this comes down to who runs the top power-play unit. I believe Smith will give that task to Chabot, which makes him my choice to finish higher in points than the other two. I’d put Chychrun second, presuming full health, and Sanderson (who I believe will be the best two-way defender of the bunch by season’s end) would be third.
Quinney: Chabot will finish the season with 45 points followed by Sanderson with 40 points, building on a solid first season as a rookie defenseman in 2022-23. Chychrun will notch 35 points. With Korpisalo and Forsberg providing solid goaltending, the confidence of the Ottawa D-corps should soar and unleash much better point production.
Reimer: If he stays healthy, I’m putting my money on Chychrun. In 2020-21, his healthiest season in several years, he put up 41 points and finished second in scoring on a weak Arizona Coyotes team. Paired with a much more skilled group and more defensive support, he might hit 50 this season.
Billington: Health is the biggest factor here. If we are talking about who leads in a full 82-game season, it is Chychrun, but with his injury history and the unlikelihood that he will play a full campaign, I will say Chabot. The longest-tenured Senator has a lot of hard miles on him already, but with the team’s three-headed monster, if he is given a reduced workload compared to prior seasons, he will be in a much better position to succeed and could hit the 60-point mark for the first time in his career.
DJ Smith Returns – Was This the Right Call?
After missing the playoffs for the fourth season in a row, Smith wasn’t a sure-fire bet to return behind the bench. During the summer, it was confirmed that he would be back. Was this the right decision?
Hrabchak: I believe he should start the season with the team, but if they struggle for the first 15-20 games, they should not be reluctant to pull the plug and find a new head coach. There are real expectations for the Senators to improve this season and contend for the playoffs, and a slow first half of the season could put those hopes to bed rather quickly.
Billington: This is the first time Smith has had a team worthy of a playoff spot. Last season was close, and they did improve as expected, but yet again, a horrid November cost them the season. There should be a short leash on Smith, and if the team struggles out of the gate, they should find a replacement. As for the decision to bring him back, I think it was the right call. Time to give him a chance with a well-built roster.
Caron: I’m conflicted on whether it was a good move to keep Smith as the head coach. On one end, he’s done a tremendous job developing the youth on the team and helping them improve. However, we haven’t seen the results we’ve wanted overall, as the Sens have missed the postseason every season he’s been the head coach. In the end, I’m fine with him getting another chance, and I think that his chance comes this season, given that this is the best opening-night roster he’ll have coached since he’s been here.
Quinney: Missing the playoffs for four consecutive years would end most coaching contracts in the NHL. Smith’s defenders will argue that the Senators haven’t had a coaching problem and point to the rebuild as the reason for Ottawa’s results since 2017. Even so, missing the playoffs last season should have raised some eyebrows. After all, the rebuild was supposed to have been finished. Giving Smith another year was a gamble, but he deserved one final chance to prove his mettle with an improved team. If the Sens struggle out the gate, he’ll be gone before American Thanksgiving.
Reimer: I’m confident Smith is safe this season. Dorion has repeatedly claimed he’s his guy, and Smith has said all the right things about changing his style from development to being more competitive. If we get more of the same results, though, then he’s likely gone this offseason, and I would think Dorion joins him.
These are the biggest conversation points among Senators fans this offseason, so this was a great chance to compile a lot of answers into one place. Again, I have to thank these four for joining me. We agreed with each a lot but also found some topics we disagreed on. Hopefully, this will give everyone an opportunity to look at things through a different lens. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.