The Senators made some impressive defensive improvements for next season. Now, about that offence...
The Ottawa Senators have done some great things this offseason to improve their 26th-ranked team defence (based on goals against). But do they have enough offence to work themselves into playoff contention and scratch that seven-year playoff itch next spring?
Last season, the Senators were 19th in the league in total goals and didn't have a single player inside the top 40 in NHL points.
Brady Tkachuk scored 37 goals and 74 points to lead the Senators in both categories. But those numbers come at a time in the league when the best of the best are capable of 69 goals (Auston Matthews) and 144 points (Nikita Kucherov).
Is the core capable of creating the required increase in offence, especially when they'll be asked to do more in the defensive department? Here are the ten players expected to carry the offensive load this season, with their point totals last season, and categorized by expectations.
Rising
Brady Tkachuk: 37 goals, 74 points
Witnessing his brother win a Cup last month will fuel Tkachuk's training camp this summer and his performance next season. He'll return to flirting with 85-90 points and be even harder to play against.
Tim Stutzle: 18 goals, 70 points
Stutzle needs to stay on his feet and curb his emotions. He's too hard on himself after missed scoring opportunities and too emotional when he gets hit with a cheap shot. Now 22, with 285 games under his belt, maturity is looming, health has returned, and we bet he'll return to the bigger numbers he had in 2022-23.
Shane Pinto: Nine goals, 27 points (41 games)
With a ton of distractions, Pinto scored at a 54-point pace. What can he do now that he's no longer worried about suspensions and contract extensions? We expect him to move into a full-time top-six position this season. If so, 60-65 points isn't out of the question.
Jake Sanderson: 10 goals, 38 points
A lot will depend on whether Sanderson or Chabot runs the #1 power-play unit. Between injuries and performance, we feel like it'll be Sanderson, which means a surge to at least 50 points.
Status Quo
Drake Batherson: 28 goals, 66 points
It felt like Batherson exploded in the second half of last season, but statistically, he had more points in the first half (35). At 26, Batherson has settled in as a valuable 60-65 point player in the league.
Claude Giroux: 21 goals, 64 points
In his last three seasons, Giroux had 65 points in Philadelphia/Florida, a surge of 79 points in the excitement of his first year in Ottawa, and then back down to 64 last season. Father time is always lurking, but 60 points for at least another year seems reasonable, especially in a contract year.
Josh Norris: 16 goals, 30 points (50 games)
Parlayed over a full 82-game season, Norris only scored at a 49-point pace last season before his latest shoulder injury (and surgery. That means Shane Pinto, who was on pace for 54 points, is already outscoring him. Between injuries and Pinto's emergence, it's hard right now to see Norris doing much more.
Thomas Chabot: 9 goals, 30 points (51 games)
If he stays healthy, Chabot will return to a 54-50 point pace. But he's become a player who reliably gets injured for 20-30 games every season. So a carbon copy of last year wouldn't be a surprise.
David Perron: 17 goals, 47 points
Perron's ice time dipped a little in Detroit last year, but the Sens will lean on him harder than the Wings. That should offset being another year older. So, a projection of 45-50 points seems about right.
Ridly Greig: 13 goals, 26 points
Again, a lot will depend on how Greig is deployed. But there are only so many top-six openings. If he's a bottom-six guy, 25-30 points seems right.
With new players like Michael Amadio and Josh Gregor, the Senators are hoping they'll provide more secondary scoring than their predecessors.
The bottom line is that unless Travis Green tries to turn some of his skill guys into muckers and grinders (he won't), the Senators should be in good shape to increase their scoring. Combined with better goaltending, team defence, and some long-awaited stability in the organization, that should be enough to help them contend for a wild card spot next season.