If the season completely gets away from the Senators, pending UFA Nick Cousins could be a potential trade chip. But Cousins, who was the first star on Wednesday, told The Hockey News this week that he and his family love it here.
Ahead of their important Wednesday night tilt against the Colorado Avalanche, Nick Cousins was fully aware of the Senators’ precarious position.
If the Senators lost to the league-leading Avalanche, their postseason aspirations would be all but dashed.
The 12-year NHL veteran knows that the conversation can quickly turn from discussing what the Senators could add to their lineup to what they could do to retool.
As an impending unrestricted free agent, Cousins represents one of the easiest commodities to move.
His production does not immediately stand out, but Cousins brings a lot to the table.
Cousins’ seven goals and 15 points through 52 games resemble his production from the 2024-25 campaign (6 goals, 15 points). His underlying metrics, however, are impressive.
The Senators have generated 53.54 percent of the shots (CF%), 56.42 percent of the shots on goal (SF%), 59.46 percent of the total goals (GF%), and 54.57 percent of the expected goals (xGF%), according to Natural Stat Trick. Some of that is obviously driven by his team’s staunch five-on-five defending, but HockeyViz’s isolated impact data shows a player with strong defensive acumen.
The fact that Cousins has not been a burden on whatever line he has been placed on speaks volumes about his skill set. His willingness to compete, forecheck hard, and battle along the boards to keep pucks alive and help preserve possession is something every line needs. These abilities allow him to integrate quickly and use his skill set to complement whomever he plays with.
With a salary of $825,000, Cousins is also an inexpensive depth option who has a Stanley Cup on his resume.
His ability to play up and down the lineup offers versatility, and he blends defensive aptitude with grit while oozing the intangibles that endear him to teammates and cause the opposition to loathe him.
He also draws a ton of penalties. Of the 533 players this season who have logged more than 400 minutes of five-on-five ice time, only 12 skaters draw a higher rate of penalties than Cousins.
“He's played up the lineup before in his career,” explained head coach Travis Green. “Give him full credit, he has taken advantage of it, and he's playing extremely well.
“He's a really smart player. He's annoying. Annoying on a daily basis, but he's a fun player to coach. His teammates love him. I don't think people understand how smart a player is. He really understands the game and its small details. He's also brave. That's one area of his game where, if you're going to be good, you're going to be (need to be brave) in tight areas.”
So naturally, it was only fitting that it was Cousins who opened the scoring by sneaking off the bench, cutting in from the right side on a partial break, and slipping a nifty backhander past Mackenzie Blackwood.
Cousins would finish the game with one goal, three shots, and one massive blocked shot on Cale Makar in the third period with the Senators staked to a 3-2 lead.
His performance in the meaningful game is exactly the kind of inspiring performance from a supporting player the Senators will continue to need down the stretch if they are going to claw themselves back into the playoff race.
It was a strong performance from a reliable contributor. With Cousins, you know exactly what kind of effort you are going to get on a daily basis.
“I can honestly say this has probably been the most consistent season of my career,” he explained to The Hockey News after yesterday’s pregame skate. “Consistency been a little bit of an issue for me because on some nights, you don't know where you're gonna play.
“I feel like this year, I have just kind of blocked everything out and played. I feel like most nights I've had lots of energy and lots of juice. I feel good. I feel like my legs are there most nights, and I feel like I'm contributing with whoever I'm playing with.”
If he is worried about his impending free agent status, Cousins was not letting on.
“That stuff will hopefully take care of itself,” he clarified. “Obviously, I'd love to be back. I believe we're really close to being a really great team, and I still think we are a really good team.
“We're not far off from being a Stanley Cup contender, I think, and I have no issue saying that. Our reputation around the league is that we're hard to play against. We don't give teams much. We defend really well. We have all of our core locked up for next year as well, so I think it's just a matter of getting results now. I know there are only 30 games left, and we're almost 10 points out, but I think we're really close to being a really good team when the season's all said and done.”
If the Senators do fall further out of the playoff mix, Cousins expressed a preference to remain in Ottawa.
“I don't want to move,” he stated. “I would love to stay. I love the guys. I love everything about being an Ottawa Senator. This city has been great to me. I feel like ever since I've come here, I've been reenergized in general since coming from Florida.”
That may sound odd after winning a Stanley Cup, but it speaks to this city and what the organization is trying to build here.
“I certainly feel valued here, which is important to me. I have a great role. My wife and kids love living here, so that's important, right? Because they're most important. I love playing here. I love living here. Love everything about being an Ottawa Senator. So, I'd love for that to continue.”
What Cousins would also love is the security and comfort of a multi-year deal.
“One-year deals are tough. It's just tough on the mind and the family. That all plays into it as well. We'll see what happens.”
Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News Ottawa
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