🎙️ Summer Coolers – Ottawa Senators | Grit, Growth, and the Goal-Scoring Gap
The Ottawa Senators, they make the playoffs last season for the first time since 2017. They go out to the Maple Leafs in the opening round. Actually put a scare into the Leafs after going down three games to none. They won the next two before falling in game six. And not a lot in terms of highend players coming into their lineup. They did get defenseman spent in a trade with the LA Kings. They also signed as UFA’s Lars Eller from Washington, Arthur Kalv, who did not receive a qualifying offer from the New York Rangers, and Hunter Shepard, goalender, who comes in from Washington. Remember that guy had the big bushy hair? Looked like the league guitarist from Toto. So those are all additions. terms of players that they signed or resigned, Nicholas Matin Paulo, two years under a million dollars a year and I thought maybe he was going to be a little worth a little bit more than that because he was a surprise player suiting up for Finland during the Four Nations tournament. They also managed to reup Tyler Cleven defenseman for two years at one and a half million plus. Fabian Zetterland stays on left wing and Claude Daru resigns one year $2 million with potential of 2.75 million in bonuses and I think Jurro really wanted to finish his career there likes the direction that the club is going in. They also managed to hold on to Levi Marilan who when Lenus Olmark was hurt last year did a very commendable job in golf for the Senators. He also resigned Nick Cousins and right-wing Heden Hodgson. And quickly, the notable drops for the Senators, backup goalender Anton Forsber signs as a UFA with the Kings. And Adam Goddard, who scored, thought rather impressively, particularly at the start of the season, he signed the UFA by the San Jose Sharks, and defenseman Travis Hamick signs with the Detroit Red Wings. So, as we enter our capital question about the senators, they grew a lot last year. They their changes have been made primarily on the fringes. We saw Jake Sanderson emerge as a top end defenseman. Certainly, the commitment in goal by Lenus Olmark wanting to go to the Senators long term. But an area of concern that I have, no 30 goal scorers last season. Brady Kachuk had 29, Drake Batterson at 26, Tim Stutzler 24 to go along with 55 assists. So you could see the growth here. But if this team is short on goal scoring, where is Steve Stos going to find it if this club is to get into the playoffs for a second straight season? It’s a legitimate concern. I I want to add to that that Travis Green did a great job in his rookie season. Not he’s not a rookie in the NHL, but his first season as coach, head coach of the Ottawa Senators, a marvelous job getting that team into the playoffs. How will it be in year two? Will the message still be the same? Will he still be able to get them to play by committee? Because, as you said, they don’t have those big scorers. So, where are all the goals going to come from? They’re going to have to come, as I just use that term, by committee. So everybody’s going to have to chip in and get a little bit above what they normally do. They certainly play like their captain, don’t they? Another Kachchuck, Brady Kachchuck this time. And he plays that nasty, tough, hard game. And I think that’s starting to define the Ottawa Senators. They play a very hard game. And I was really happy for them that they finally got back into the playoffs. They were the one team that broke the glass ceiling, if you want to call it that, and got from that group down below into the group up above thanks to the the terrible year that some teams had that were in the playoffs the year before, i.e. Rangers. It we’re that’s a good capital question about the Senators. Will they have enough scoring next year? We’ll have to wait and see what Mr. Green. The head coach does
In this Summer Coolers episode of NHL Wraparound, Neil Smith and Vic Morren break down one of the league’s grittiest young clubs: the Ottawa Senators.
After ending their playoff drought with a gutsy first-round battle against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Sens showed resilience—pushing the Leafs to six games after being down 3–0. But questions remain as they head into 2025–26, particularly around one glaring issue: Who’s going to score the goals?
Steve Staios and head coach Travis Green have built a roster defined by toughness and effort—but is that enough to stay in the playoff picture?
🧊 IN THIS EPISODE:
[00:00] Senators return to the playoffs for first time since 2017
[00:45] Offseason additions: Spence, Larsson, Czarnik, Hunter Shepard
[01:30] Key re-signings: Tyler Kleven, Claude Giroux (1-year deal), Levi Merilainen
[02:30] Notable departures: Forsberg, Godette, Hamonic
[03:00] Capital Question: Where’s the scoring? No 30-goal scorers in 2024–25
[03:30] Brady Tkachuk’s impact and leadership style
[04:00] Travis Green’s impressive first year as head coach
[04:30] Can Ottawa take the next step in a tightening Eastern Conference?
🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Ottawa’s identity is becoming clearer: gritty, hard-nosed, physical hockey—just like Brady Tkachuk.
The lack of elite goal scorers is a real concern. Their top 3 scorers (Tkachuk, Batherson, Stützle) fell short of the 30-goal mark.
Travis Green’s leadership and system may be the difference in pushing this team forward—or watching them regress.
With other Eastern Conference teams reloading, Ottawa must rely on team-wide contributions and continued development from key young players to avoid slipping back out of playoff contention.
🎯 FINAL WORD:
The Ottawa Senators finally broke through in 2025—but staying above the playoff line in a tough Atlantic Division is another challenge entirely.
Without a big-name sniper or major offseason splash, this team must double down on identity, chemistry, and coaching. There’s a lot to like—but is it enough?
🔗 RESOURCE LINKS:
🎥 YouTube: NHL Wraparound Channel
🐦 X (Twitter): @NHLWraparound
🎤 Neil Smith: @NYCNeil
📘 Vic Morren: Vic on LinkedIn
📸 Instagram: @NHLWraparound
🎵 TikTok: @NHLWraparound
👍 Facebook: NHL Wraparound on Facebook
🏒 HASHTAGS
#OttawaSenators #NHL #NHLPodcast #BradyTkachuk #TravisGreen #TimStutzle #SensArmy #StanleyCupPlayoffs #HockeyTalk #NHLWraparound #SummerCoolers #EasternConference #NHLFreeAgency #NHL2026 #ClaudeGiroux #SenatorsRebuild #SensHockey