As the Ottawa Senators begin to settle in for a couple of months of beach, cottage and golf time, Sens Nation turns its lonely eyes to next season, wondering how the 2025-26 roster may unfold.
There might be a little more intrigue than last season. For example, how will 37-year-old Claude Giroux be deployed by Head Coach Travis Green? Will Nick Jensen be ready to go after reported hip surgery? If he is, who comes out of the right defense logjam of Jordan Spence, Nik Matinpalo and Carter Yakemchuk, the top prospect in the organization?
With a tip of the cap to TSN, which went through this very exercise last week, what would the Senators' line combinations look like if you simply slotted everyone in based exclusively on how much they’re getting paid?
At left wing, the Senators’ four options are Brady Tkachuk ($8.205M), David Perron ($4.0M), Ridly Greig ($3.25M), and Nick Cousins ($825K).
At center, you have Tim Stützle ($8.35M), Dylan Cozens ($7.1M), Shane Pinto ($3.75M), and Lars Eller ($1.25M).
On the right side, it’s Drake Batherson ($4.975M), Fabian Zetterlund ($4.275M), Michael Amadio ($2.6M), and Giroux ($2M).
On defense, you’d see Jake Sanderson ($8.05M) paired with Artem Zub ($4.6M), Thomas Chabot ($8.0M) with Nick Jensen ($4.05M), and Tyler Kleven ($1.6M) lining up with Spence ($1.5M). Matinpalo just signed a one-way, two-year contract at $875K, but Carter Yakemchuk makes more ($942K) if he makes the team.
In goal, it’s Linus Ullmark ($8.25M) followed by Leevi Merilainen ($1.05M). As an aside, that $7.2 million difference could show up as a massive disparity this season, especially when you factor in that Merilainen's performance last season, albeit in a 12-game sample size, was better than Ullmark's. But time will tell.
For those who like to split hairs, and I know you're out there, Nick Cousins would technically get bumped in this exercise by San Jose's Colin White ($875K), even though he's not here. The Senators are still paying White for three more seasons after buying him out.
Projected Opening Night Lineup by Salary (2025–26)
FORWARDS (Line combinations based only on salary, ranked by position)
- Brady Tkachuk – Tim Stützle – Drake Batherson
- David Perron – Dylan Cozens – Fabian Zetterlund
- Ridly Greig – Shane Pinto – Michael Amadio
- Nick Cousins – Lars Eller – Claude Giroux
DEFENSE
- Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub
- Thomas Chabot – Nick Jensen
- Tyler Kleven – Jordan Spence
GOALTENDERS
- Linus Ullmark
- Leevi Merilainen
It's a long way from perfect. There are some overpayments here and there, and Giroux isn't going to be on the fourth line, despite his $2 million + salary. Naturally, the Sens' actual lineup will be assembled based on chemistry, performance, and Travis Green's hunches.
But if you form the lines based just on salary, as we've done here, and no one stands out like a sore thumb – playing way higher in the lineup than he should – then that's a pretty good sign that the team is doing a solid job in its evaluations of player worth.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News/Ottawa
Image Credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
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