In the Senators' annual quest for a better start to the season, they'll open with at least ten players and an entire coaching staff who weren't part of opening night last year.
After all the changes we've seen this summer, the Ottawa Senators' opening night lineup this fall will look very different from last year's. At least ten players who will suit up this October (and most of the coaching staff) weren't around for the opener last year.
Ottawa's 2023-24 lineup looked like this (players no longer with the team in bold):
Tkachuk-Stutzle-Giroux
Joseph-Greig-Batherson
Kubalik-Chartier-Tarasenko
Kelly-Kastelic-(not enough cap space to dress a 12th forward)
Chabot-Chychrun
Sanderson-Zub
Brannstrom-Hamonic
Korpisalo
Coaches: DJ Smith, Jack Capuano, Davis Payne, Ben Sexton
Thanks to all the changes, trades, signings, and return to health, the Senators' opening night lineup will look dramatically different in October. Barring injuries, the top nine forwards, top four defencemen and starting goalie are carved in stone. And even though some of the names in bold could be beaten out for jobs, it won't be by players who played on last year's opening night roster.
Ottawa's 2024-25 lineup might look like this (players who weren't on the opening night roster last fall in bold):
Tkachuk-Stuzle-Giroux
Perron-Pinto-Batherson
Greig-Norris-Amadio
Gregor-Ostapchuk-MacEwen
Sanderson-Jensen
Chabot-Zub
Kleven-Hamonic
Ullmark
Coaches: Travis Green, Mike Yeo, Nolan Baumgartner, Daniel Alfredsson, Ben Sexton
No NHL team is at its best without two of their top three centres for a huge chunk of the season. Pinto not only has his suspension and contract concerns behind him, but he also seems like a candidate for a breakout season. The Sens say they believe Norris will be ready, too. Adding Pinto and Norris to your top nine while pulling out Kubalik and Chartier is a crazy upgrade.
Other pluses:
- Ullmark takes the net from Korpisalo.
- Jensen rebalances the blue line.
- And the team isn't in cap hell. Even if Norris isn't ready again, the Sens have the space to bring in a replacement to ice a full roster.
In all, that's a lot of changes for a team that started a rebuild six long years ago. But after taking a step back last season, standing pat was not an option.
For fringe Sens fans, skipping an opening night program won't be an option either.