Tkachuk's absence tested the Senators, revealing surprising depth and solid leadership by committee.
Much to the chagrin of the St. Louis Blues, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk has announced that his return from a thumb injury will take place in his hometown on Friday afternoon.
When Tkachuk went down, the Senators were 1-2-0 and Sens Nation wondered aloud how the team would cope in his absence. Now, 20 games later (11-5-4), not only did the roof not cave in, but it also barely sprang a leak. The Sens are second in the Atlantic, 6-2-2 in their last 10, and just two points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning.
So, it’s time to assess what can be concluded about this year’s Senators, positive and negative, that might not have been known before the injury to Tkachuk and players like Thomas Chabot and Ridly Greig.
- ORGANIZATIONAL DEPTH
The Senators' prospect pipeline has drawn a lot of criticism and not without reason. Having nothing to show from the 2021 draft to date, and no first-round picks in 2022 or 2023, has left the cupboard somewhat bare.
That said, Stephen Halliday has been hard not to notice in his inaugural cup of coffee, and though he will likely go back to Belleville by the end of this road trip, he has done enough to prove that 2022 has yielded at least one legitimate player.
Hayden Hodgson has also shown that he may be more than a farmhand, but rather a fourth line spark plug who is willing to engage physically and step up when needed to fight. He doesn’t inspire fear, but he also does not seem to be afraid, and he can play at the pace of the NHL game. Though Tkachuk’s willingness to drop the gloves is admirable, it’s better to have someone else serve those five-minute majors whenever possible.
Chabot’s absence hasn’t done the power play any favours. That said, Tyler Kleven has shown the ability to backfill his minutes and be effective.
Left side defence depth was exposed, necessitating a trade to bring Dennis Gilbert back to the fold. However, he has yet to play while he rehabs from injury in Belleville and Niklas Matinpalo has shown the ability to play the left side, if needed.
- LEADERSHIP INTACT
Teams can’t survive the loss of a key player without having experience to draw upon. This is where Claude Giroux, David Perron and Lars Eller have shown their worth, as they have throughout their careers.
Giroux has picked up extra minutes and is giving Father Time a run for his money with 16 points in 23 games. Perron may not be the player he was a few years ago, but he hasn’t lost his compete level, and he is on pace for much better production than he had in his abbreviated campaign last year.
Eller may not light the lamp as often as he once did, but his nearly 60 percent success rate in faceoffs certainly gives the Senators a lot of possession to work with.
Giroux (1286), Perron (1197) and Eller (1139) bring a combined experience of 3622 regular season games and two Stanley Cup rings. Will an 82-game schedule catch up to them physically at some point?
Some additional depth at the deadline might be necessary, but so far, so good.
- CORE PLAYERS STEPPING UP
Tim Stützle has begun to figure out how to truly leverage his speed and is constantly trying to affect the outcome of the game. He also seems to have his scoring mojo back with a more shoot-first approach.
Jake Sanderson has taken the next step as the alpha on offence and defence, logging an average ice time of 24:30 per night. Like Stützle, he's being proactive, not just letting the game come to him.
Shane Pinto hit the ground running to start the year as a pending restricted free agent and earned himself a four-year $30 million extension. He's established himself as a complete 200-foot player who makes anyone playing with him better for it.
Stützle will surely represent Germany in Milan in February. Sanderson and Pinto are making their cases to be on the USA roster.
Drake Batherson has also helped to fill Brady’s shoes and has never looked better. His return from a preseason injury coincided with Tkachuk’s departure, and while he won’t play for Canada in February, he makes his $4.975 million annual cap hit look like a league-wide bargain.
Though it would be foolish to suggest that the Senators are better off without Tkachuk in the lineup, it’s nice to know that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
November has, in previous seasons, seen the Senators succumb to injuries and fall out of the race. The fact that they have managed to deliver a 6-3-2 record shows that the Ghosts of Novembers Past appear to have been overcome through depth, leadership and the core taking a step forward.
Instead of starting December trying to undo the damage of Tkachuk’s 20-game absence, the Senators are in a good place with potential that seems limitless.
By Pat Maguire
The Hockey News Ottawa
This article was originally published at The Hockey News Ottawa. Read more:
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