With the Stanley Cup playoffs underway, hockey fans are well aware no Canadian team has won since 1993. Despite missing the playoffs in 2021, the Ottawa Senators are Canada’s best chance at bringing the cup back to Canada next season.
I know what you’re thinking: What about the Toronto Maple Leafs?
Are the Maple Leafs Canada’s best team right now? Probably. But being a Stanley Cup contender starts with a strong defensive core. When compared to teams like the Carolina Hurricanes, Vegas Golden Knights or Colorado Avalanche, the Maple Leafs fall short.
Unlike Toronto, Ottawa is developing an elite defensive core. In 2021, the Senators’ blueline saw some abysmal players such as Josh Brown, Braydon Coburn, Erik Gudbranson and Mike Reilly. This wasn’t unusual for Ottawa, as the organization has overpaid for the league’s worst defenders in the past. Prime examples are Cody Ceci ($4.3 million) and Dion Phaneuf ($7 million), who were overpaid and overplayed. Since the 2017-18 season, the Senators have allowed a league-worst 1,012 goals against.
The deployment of these players made fans question whether Senators pro-scouts used any metric besides height to draft and sign players, but that appears to be changing. In the past three drafts, Ottawa has taken Jake Sanderson (fifth in 2020), Lassi Thomson (19th in 2019) and Jacob Bernard-Docker (26th in 2018). Include Erik Brännström in the mix, and this becomes a well-rounded group of puck-moving defencemen.
With another top-10 pick in this year’s draft, the Senators could easily add another high-end defenceman. If they don’t, they have the assets to add one via trade or free agency.
Likewise, Artem Zub has become a fan favourite and a solid top-four option who can stabilize any pairing he’s placed on. Both Victor Mete and Nikita Zaitsev were solid this season as well. They should continue to be bottom-pair players who can effectively kill penalties and serve as depth.
While defense is the bedrock of championships, Ottawa’s offensive core also took massive steps forward this year. Josh Norris and Tim Stützle finished top five in rookie scoring. Drake Batherson and Brady Tkachuk continued to grow as dynamic players. Connor Brown and Nick Paul emerged as some of the league’s best utility players—they caused havoc on the penalty kill and will be representing Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship this summer. Alex Formenton didn’t score as much as he did in the American Hockey League, but his elite speed made him a notable force.
With prospects like Shane Pinto and Vitalii Abramov ready to make the jump into the NHL, Ottawa’s forward depth is shaping up to be one of the best in the league.
Lastly, no team can win the cup without good goaltending; that position is Ottawa’s biggest question mark. If Matt Murray can remain healthy and play as well as he did in Pittsburgh, the Senators will be in an excellent position. If he doesn’t pan out, either Joey Daccord or Filip Gustavsson could take his job after their strong performances last season.
The Senators also have three strong goaltending prospects in the pipeline: Kevin Mandolese, Mads Sogaard and Leevi Meriläinen.
The 2021 shortened season gave the league a glimpse of Ottawa’s future. The Senators iced a moderately-competitive roster and were fun to watch, even at this stage of the rebuild. They played with an uptempo style and showed flashes of dominance through speed and tenacity.
Ottawa can’t offer a McDavid-Draisaitl or Matthews-Marner combo. Yet, the Senators showed their potential this season—they will overwhelm teams with wave after wave of different weapons on the ice.
In 2018, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion was interviewed on Sportsnet and notoriously said, “We’re a team.” While comical, his comment reminds us that hockey is a team sport, requiring production from players up and down the roster. Roster depth is Ottawa’s biggest strength, and that’s how cups are won.
Featured image from file.
