Senators’ Treatment of Lassi Thomson Hints at Bigger Issues

The Ottawa Senators said goodbye to Lassi Thomson last week, as it was announced that the 25-year-old defender had signed with HC Lugano of Switzerland’s National League (NL). Were this any other player, this would hardly be news. Thomson was on a one-year deal, and his numbers didn’t warrant an extension, especially with Hoyt Stanley and Gabriel Eliasson ready with freshly signed contracts and an itch to fight for a roster spot.

But Thomson isn’t just another minor-leaguer looking for his shot at the NHL; he was the Senators’ top choice in 2019 and expected to be a key piece of the team’s rebuild. After years of struggling to earn a roster spot in Ottawa, he left for Sweden, but returned a year later to give the NHL another try. He was more well-rounded than before, but the experience was practically the same in his second go-around, leading to more frustration and another parting of ways.

Thomson’s departure may not matter in the grand scheme of things, but it has bigger implications, much like the first time. Ottawa’s new management group hasn’t learned from the previous regime’s mistakes in developing their top prospects, and that’s a big problem for a team that is struggling to find players to support their core.

Thomson’s Second Stint a Massive Upgrade

For a player who led his Swedish Hockey League (SHL) team in goals last season, Thomson’s offensive output in 2025-26 was underwhelming. He played in just 11 NHL games across the regular season, all of which came in the last two months, plus one playoff game in place of Artyom Zub, and only put up three assists. In the American Hockey League (AHL), he was more impressive, finishing tied for third on the Belleville Senators with 14 goals and was second among defencemen with 25 points, but his impact still wasn’t enough to get his team into the Calder Cup Playoffs.

But Thomson’s overall game was much better this time around. Offensively, he was better than ever, averaging more points, shots, and on-ice goals for over 60 minutes than he had in his two previous seasons in the NHL. His possession metrics were also markedly better than earlier in his career, with both his Corsi For Percentage and his Fenwick For Percentage, both of which measure how much the Senators controlled the puck while he was on the ice, ranking in the top half of all players to play for Ottawa this season.

Defensively, Thomson also showed improvements. He finished with the fourth-lowest on-ice expected goals against per 60 minutes despite seeing a higher average of shots against than Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot. Granted, most of those shots were not high-danger chances, but it still shows that he was much more involved defensively and preventing the opposing team from controlling the play.

In his one playoff game in which he played just 13 minutes, Thomson was even better. Once the playoffs ended, Thomson still led the Senators in blocked shots and shot attempts, both per 60 minutes, finished second with a 4.61 expected goals for per 60 minutes, and had the fourth-lowest expected goals against per 60 minutes. It may have been a small sample size, but he was much more well-rounded than he was when he was selected in 2019 and was able to outplay several other defenders in Ottawa. That’s a defenceman worth keeping around, even as a veteran and leader in the minors.

Ottawa Didn’t Give Thomson a Chance

With those numbers, the Senators should have given Thomson more opportunities to play in the NHL, especially with Nick Jensen injured to start the season and Sanderson, Chabot, and Tyler Kleven missing significant time throughout the season. Yet Thomson had to wait until March before he played his first game of the season in Ottawa, and by that point, frustration had already set in.

“Obviously, it is kind of frustrating seeing your teammates from Belleville are getting called up, and you’re not getting that chance,” Thomson said in April. “But obviously, you have to try to think about it the other way and try to be positive, rather than worry if (a recall) is going to be coming or if it’s not coming. So, I tried not to get too frustrated. I will say, I just tried to enjoy the hockey. That was the biggest thing for me this year. Just come here and enjoy the hockey. Whatever is going to happen, it’s gonna happen.”

It’s no wonder rumours circulated in January that Thomson was considering returning to Europe. Those comments are almost a mirror image of what Thomson was feeling before he left in 2024. Yet it’s also clear from his exit interview that he wanted to stay. “This is the point you want to be, that’s why you came over here, to play in these games,” he said. “(My comfort level and confidence), it’s a lot better than it was a few years back. I think it’s been growing a lot, and just getting older, it helps a lot.”

“I mean, I got drafted here seven years ago, it was the first thing I got to know in the NHL, and I appreciate it a lot, another chance to come here and play these games. I think it’s awesome.”

However, when the season ended, it didn’t take long for Thomson to jump ship, hinting that either contract negotiations were far from what he was expecting or nonexistent. He was never going to push for a top-four role, but he certainly proved that he could be a bottom-six defenceman in the NHL, or at the very least, fight for a seventh spot while taking on a significant role in Belleville. Yet to not even try his luck at signing with another NHL team shows some bitterness towards the league, as though he doesn’t feel anyone will give him a fair shot.

Compare that to the press release from HC Lugano general manager Janick Steinmann: “Lassi is a defenseman with excellent offensive skills and has played at a high level in recent years. In the 2024/25 season, he was among the best in his position in Sweden. He is very creative, skates well and has an excellent shot. He helps us with his dominance and when playing five against five. He has natural leadership and the best years of his career are still ahead of him.”

Thomson clearly felt more valued by the Swiss league than he did in the NHL, and although professional hockey is a business, it’s not a good look when a skilled depth defenceman gives up on his dream to play in the top hockey league in the world.

Has Ottawa Given Up on Development?

Thomson isn’t the only player who should feel frustrated. Arthur Kaliyev led the AHL with 40 goals this season, seven ahead of the next highest total, and only played two games for the Senators. Xavier Bourgault finished second in Belleville with 57 points in 70 games, the 25th-best total in the league, yet also only played two games in Ottawa. Olle Lycksell, who also signed with HC Lugano, played just seven games with the Senators despite scoring 13 goals and 30 points in 44 AHL games.

Meanwhile, tough guys Hayden Hodgson and Kurtis MacDermid combined for 29 games this season, yet they put up just 44 penalty minutes and one assist. Jensen and Lars Eller, who are both unlikely to re-sign with Ottawa, were utilized regularly, which took spots away from the likes of Philippe Daoust, who had 50 points in Belleville this season, and Carter Yakemchuk, who should have played more than just four NHL games this season.

The Senators’ failure to give their young, promising players an extended look, or their thriving minor-league veterans a fair shot in the NHL, reflects a rejection of development in favour of competitiveness. To be a playoff team, you need to be big, tough, and experienced, as the adage goes, but teams are routinely proving that wrong. Darren Raddysh, Brandon Bussi, Jeffrey Viel, Beck Malenstyn, Mark Jankowski, Sam Malinski, and Ryan Poehling have all put up great numbers in this season’s playoffs, yet they all needed someone to give them a chance.

Bringing back Thomson was always worth the risk, but the Senators’ utilization of him did not reflect their commitment to helping a once-promising player achieve his best. The team wasn’t interested in committing the time and resources to help him be part of their organization long term; they wanted someone who could help them now. Unfortunately, that’s not how hockey works, and if the Senators keep trying to find band-aids to fix bigger problems (like their defensive depth or a fourth-line centre), they’ll never move past the team they are now.

Stats retrieved from Money Puck and Hockey Reference