The Ottawa Senators have a few question marks on the wings, and there are some spots to be won and chemistry to be developed. For Fabian Zetterlund, the acquisition and extension should be positive signs that the management team sees him as part of the solution.
Zetterlund by the Numbers
Drafted: 63rd Overall (Third Round) in 2017 by the New Jersey Devils
Position:Â Winger (shoots right)
Height/Weight:Â 5-foot-11, 220 pounds
Age/Birthdate:Â 26 years old (08/25/1999)
Country:Â Sweden
2024-25 Stats:Â 19 goals, 22 assists, 41 points in 84 games
Career Stats:Â 52 goals, 64 assists, 116 points in 247 games
How Zetterlund Got Here
After being drafted by the Devils, Zetterlund started to show some signs of being a very good prospect while playing in the American Hockey League and in his first 50 games in the NHL. His strong start to his career ended up with him being sent to the San Jose Sharks in the Timo Meier trade. His 168 games with the Sharks fared out well.
Fabian Zetterlund, Ottawa Senators (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Being a skilled player on a young, rebuilding team usually ends up with them getting top minutes and offensive zone starts. Zetterlund had a lot of offense running through him, scoring 83 points over that span.
The Sharks were still looking to sell off the valuable assets they had, so trading Zetterlund made sense. At the 2025 Trade Deadline, the Senators traded a second-round pick, Zack Ostapchuk, and Noah Gregor to the Sharks for Zetterlund and other assets.
Through 20 games, Zetterlund was only able to gather five points, and zero points through six playoff games. While some of the onus is always on the player when it comes to production, he was put in a fourth-line role, which did not fit his playstyle at all. The Senators appreciated the skill in a depth role, but to expect him to produce would be unfair.
Related: Senators 2025-26 Player Preview: Tim Stutzle
In the few top-six chances he got, he meshed very well with the team. He gave the club and the fanbase plenty of reason to believe he could do well in a bigger role.
Zetterlund’s Role in 2025-26
That leads into the 2025-26 season. The Senators have a few spots available on the wings, notably in the top six. Outside of Brady Tkachuk being on the top line, nobody is cemented in anywhere. It looks like Zetterlund, alongside Ridly Greig, David Perron, Drake Batherson, and Claude Giroux, will be battling it out for the other three top-six winger spots. While Batherson is ahead of the rest of the group in that regard, his linemates and spot in the lineup aren’t a for-sure thing like Tkachuk, who will likely be glued to Tim Stutzle yet again.
Zetterlund’s skill set should fit into the top-six pretty well. He can shoot the puck well, he is a smart playmaker, he isn’t afraid to block a shot or throw a hit, and he puts in the effort. Zetterlund is such a versatile forward that he should be able to fit with any linemates.
Adding Zetterlund to the top line with Tkachuk and Stutzle could really help balance that line out. He can adapt his game to how they want to play, whether it be banging and crashing in front of the net or going with skilled play.
Realistically, if Zetterlund can fit in well on the top line, or even the second line with the likes of Dylan Cozens and Claude Giroux, a 20-goal, 50-point season is certainly within the realm of possibility. He is locked in at a reasonable price for the next three seasons, so the Senators are going to want to find a way to fit Zetterlund in the lineup in a way that benefits everybody.
