After their seventh straight season with out playoff hockey, the Ottawa Senators are taking steps in the appropriate course. The group taking a step begins with some gamers taking a step ahead as effectively. With gamers like Jake Sanderson, Ridly Greig, and Shane Pinto hoping to make an even bigger influence and enhance their recreation, the Senators may additionally use a bounce-back season from three gamers.
1. Tim Stutzle
It’s arduous to say that Tim Stutzle had a poor season after scoring 70 factors as a 22-year-old middle, particularly with the information after the season ended that he performed with an damage all season. With that being stated, Stutzle has much more to supply than that and had a 90-point season the yr earlier than. There may be loads of cause to imagine that even 90 factors aren’t his ceiling, and if he could be wholesome, rating some extra objectives, and have a greater all-around recreation, the Senators are in a a lot better place.
Stutzle is a dynamic, agile skater with nice offensive abilities together with his playmaking, fingers, and shot. All of these items have been impacted by damage final yr as he had a wrist damage and a lingering shoulder damage. Stutzle is the go-to choice and there received’t be anyone difficult him for the highest middle spot this season. The sky is the restrict for what Stutzle is ready to do, particularly enjoying alongside Brady Tkachuk, who has been getting higher offensively yearly, and both the standard veteran Claude Giroux or Drake Batherson, who’s offensively proficient too.
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The highest line ought to be an offensive weapon once more in 2024-25, however Stutzle has to cleared the path.
2. Josh Norris
After two straight injury-ridden seasons, well being is the important thing to Josh Norris being impactful with the Senators as soon as once more. In his final wholesome season, Norris scored 35 objectives and 55 factors, however even nonetheless that was solely in 66 video games. Norris began the 2023-24 season injured and was nonetheless recovering from shoulder surgical procedure in January of 2023. As soon as he was again within the lineup, he was beginning at a slower tempo after lacking a full offseason of coaching, coaching camp, and preseason. His 30 factors in 50 video games wasn’t on the stage a participant making simply shy of $8 million is anticipated to be at, and in March of 2024, his season ended with one more surgical procedure on his left shoulder.
On the time, Jacques Martin acknowledged that he expects Norris to be prepared for coaching camp and shall be prepared to start out the season. Solely time will inform how his shoulder rehabilitation goes to influence him. If he’s wholesome and may play at a stage near his 35-goal marketing campaign, the Senators shall be in a a lot better place.
Having Norris within the lineup additionally provides to the depth, and with out him, the ahead group is sort of weak they usually don’t have anyone to slot in within the top-six in his absence outdoors of David Perron. Even in that case, if Perron is within the top-six, the bottom-six will get considerably weaker they usually don’t have many choices to enhance with internally.
Norris’ bounce-back season can be a constructive for his stature as a participant, however extra importantly, it might considerably assist the group.
3. Anton Forsberg
After an especially spectacular 46-game exhibiting in 2021-22 the place Anton Forsberg posted a .917 save share (SV%), he has regressed to a .902 and a .890 SV% over the previous two seasons. Anticipating one other season like his first full one in Ottawa isn’t very practical, but when he may land nearer to a .910 SV% in a full-time backup place behind Linus Ullmark, the Senators’ goaltending could possibly be the strongest a part of the lineup.
Forsberg has handled accidents over the previous few seasons, and whereas his play when wholesome hasn’t been nice, neither has the group in entrance of him. The Senators have improved, and so there are much less excuses now, particularly with a lighter workload. Forsberg is getting into the ultimate yr of his contract, and he shall be trying to play a few of his finest hockey to earn one other deal.
All three of those gamers having bounce-back seasons is completely doable. All of them will play an essential position in serving to this group attain the playoffs for the primary time since 2017, and the core is sufficiently old now that it’s on them to take the following step.
