There are a couple of roster spot battles to keep an eye on as training camp opens in Ottawa this week. The Panthers just came within three games of winning their first Stanley Cup.īasically every team in the Atlantic has playoff hopes except the Montreal Canadiens, and the division promises to again be a gauntlet in 2023-24. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning are both good enough to compete for a Stanley Cup, while the reeling Boston Bruins are still going to knock on the door despite a mass exodus this summer. The Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings are in the same boat as the Sens, hoping to advance after years of missing. It goes without saying that the Atlantic Division is the best group of eight teams in the NHL, and will hold the Senators back from a postseason berth. The team is relying on him, and how the 29-year-old fares in his first season in Ottawa will be very telling of the team's playoff chances. But with Joonas Korpisalo signing a five-year, $20 million contract, it should shore up the team's goaltending situation for the next couple of years. And Cam Talbot ended up not being the guy. In net, it was a brutal season for the Sens last year Anton Forsberg went down with an injury that cost him basically the entire second half he only appeared in 28 games. It's still an improved group, and the top three of Chychrun, Sanderson and Chabot should help this team win a few more games. And Thomas Chabot is still a quality offensive defenseman, although he struggled last season. The defense is also much-improved the addition of top-four D-man Jakob Chychrun was a great add, and Jake Sanderson is poised for a breakout campaign in Year 2 after signing a massive eight-year contract extension earlier in September. Those two should help to shore up a fearsome top-six that features a 90-point scorer in Tim Stutzle and a great young leader in Brady Tkachuk, who was also over a point-per-game last season. Although losing Alex DeBrincat hurt, they brought in another sniper in Vladimir Tarasenko up front on the free agent market, as well as Dominik Kubalik in the trade that sent DeBrincat to Michigan. The Senators have basically upgraded at every position ahead of the 2023-24 season. It's a lofty goal, but certainly attainable for this team. If this team can stay healthy (especially Josh Norris), there's a decent chance they could snag a top-three finish in the Atlantic Division. After a 39-35-8 record in 2022-23, the Senators finished with 86 points, six back of the Florida Panthers for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. This team boasts one of the best young cores in the NHL, and they are itching to bring playoff hockey back to Canada's capital. Fast forward seven seasons and the Sens are still looking for that elusive trip back to the postseason.īut there is significant belief throughout the team and city that Ottawa can put it all together and finally return to the dance next April. Instead, it was a heartbreaking Game 7 double overtime goal by Chris Kunitz in the Eastern Conference Final that sent the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Finals, a series they would win. The last time the Ottawa Senators advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Erik Karlsson was still one of the best defensemen in the world and the team came within one goal of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.
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