The Ottawa Senators have been going through a bit of an identity crisis since the untimely passing of owner Eugene Melnyk in 2022. For the entirety of the 2022-23 season, the Senators were searching for a new owner and organizational face to lead them into a new era of Stanley Cup contention.
Ryan Reynolds and Snoop Dogg were just a couple names thrown around as new potential owners, but it was all a tease, as the team ultimately sold to business magnate Michael Andlauer.
Andlauer has plenty of experience as a hockey executive, as the previous part-owner of the Hamilton Bulldogs in the American Hockey League and a shareholder of the Montreal Canadiens.
With Andlauer officially taking ownership only last month, we can only speculate how he handles the team. It all depends on how heavy-handed his management style will be.
We’ll see if he leaves on-ice decisions to his front-office team, or if he takes it upon himself to make changes. We could see something similar to the hands-on approach of Lou Lamoriello, president of hockey operations and general manager (GM) of the New York Islanders.
Depending on those decisions, Senators GM Pierre Dorion and head coach D.J. Smith, both of whom are heading into this season on expiring deals, could be on thin ice.
However, that shouldn’t mean they’re both in the hot seat. It could be argued both performed admirably in their respective positions last season.
With defence being the team’s Achilles heel throughout last year, Dorion gave up a pair of draft picks to acquire the league’s biggest trade deadline target, defenceman Jakob Chychrun. This season, Chychrun will be able to contribute offensively but more importantly, keep pucks out of the net with his physicality.
After suiting up for Ottawa just 12 times last season, Chychrun will start the year fresh after seven painful seasons with the Arizona Coyotes. He’ll provide a veteran presence in a young but talented D-corps, headlined by 21-year-old Jake Sanderson, who just signed an eight-year $64.4 million extension.
Dorion did well signing Sanderson long-term, as the Senators now have eight core players locked in through the 2026-27 season.
One of those key pieces is goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, who signed a five-year $20 million deal on July 1. Like Chychrun, Korpisalo fills a position of need, as last season’s tandem of Cam Talbot and Anton Forsberg ultimately ended in disaster.
Korpisalo is still a gamble, as he’s never played more than 37 regular season games in any of his nine NHL seasons. Despite the variables, his arrival should represent a significant upgrade, and their regular-season success will rely on his performance.
However, the Senators did have one hiccup during the off-season with winger Alex DeBrincat, who wanted out of Ottawa after just one season. After much media attention, he was dealt to the Detroit Red Wings this summer. Although Dorion did pay a steep price for DeBrincat last off-season, he should be credited for salvaging some value on a proven goal-scorer on an expiring deal.
In an attempt to replace DeBrincat’s former 27-goal presence, Dorion signed 31-year-old Vladimir Tarasenko to a one-year $5 million deal. A former 40 goal-scorer and Stanley Cup champion, the team will rely heavily on Tarasenko as they attempt to end their six-year playoff drought.
Perhaps the most important factor in ending the drought is 21-year-old Tim Stützle, who is coming off a breakout 90-point season in which he established himself among the league’s elite.
Dorion has put in a lot of work for a team that battled valiantly for the last remaining wild card spot in the cut-throat Eastern Conference last season, but came up just short.
Smith will be rolling with the best group he’s ever had since his hiring in 2019.
Despite Dorion avoiding putting postseason expectations on his squad, the expectation in Ottawa should be nothing short of a playoff berth, even in arguably the NHL’s most competitive division.
We won’t have to wait that long for results to start piling up, as the Senators’ season is right around the corner on Oct. 11. Expectations are on the line, and so are people’s jobs. It’s just a matter of who.
Featured photo from file.
