A week into the 2026-27 NHL season, there’s already plenty happening around the Senators orbit - from arena plans in LeBreton to player milestones and a few familiar faces popping up on the schedule.
On the Ottawa side, Bruce Garrioch reported fresh comments from National Capital Commission chief Tobi Nussbaum on where things stand with LeBreton Flats. The big issue right now is decontaminating the site after its industrial past, but Nussbaum said there has been movement behind the scenes. He also repeated Sens CEO Cyril Leeder’s point that the organization wants a design ready to show in early 2027.
“There has actually been a lot of progress made,” Nussbaum said in a virtual availability following the meeting. “It’s admittedly not always obvious to the public."
He also highlighted the NCC’s July agreement with Hydro Ottawa to bring a next-generation low-carbon district energy system to LeBreton Flats. “We’re really excited for that and that’s going to include the energy needs for the major events centre, which has a consequence of reducing carbon emissions by about 90%
The broader development, as the Citizen has previously reported, is expected to include a hotel, restaurants, bars, public spaces and residential housing. Local developers have also suggested the arena could be surrounded by six or seven towers.
There’s also a Flyers connection for Ottawa fans to keep an eye on. The Senators will see Michael Bunting in Philadelphia tomorrow after the former Leafs winger signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal. Philadelphia has had a rough start, and the hope is that Bunting’s energy, physicality and scoring touch can help settle things down while giving some of the Flyers’ younger players more room to fit into the lineup.
Elsewhere in the division, the injury picture is already shifting. The Panthers got better news on Aleksander Barkov, who is expected to go through non-surgical rehab for the next 6-8 weeks, a much better outcome than the original 3-4 month timeline. Montréal, meanwhile, will be without Ivan Demidov for the next 2-4 weeks.
There’s also a different kind of hockey project coming to TV. P.K. Subban and Sarah Nurse are set to headline a CBC/Radio-Canada animated series based on Roy MacGregor’s Screech Owls books, which follow young players pulled into hidden clues, high-tech villains and impossible missions.
And in league-business news, Gary Bettman is publicly complaining about how no-move and no-trade clauses are being used this season. He’s had a comfortable working relationship with the NHLPA under Marty Walsh, but the commissioner’s latest comments have already drawn plenty of player pushback.
On the milestone front, NHL.com’s David Satriano laid out a handful of marks worth watching this season. For Ottawa, Travis Green has already reached his 500th game behind the bench, Claude Giroux is 21 goals away from 400 for his career, and former Senators star Erik Karlsson begins the year 64 points shy of 1,000.
And if you want to stay in the highlight business, there’s already a first-week compilation of the best goals from the 2026-27 NHL season making the rounds.
In Other News...
Senators Suddenly Have A Goalie Problem Fans Feared
Linus Ullmarks status has turned a routine stretch of the schedule into an early test for Ottawas depth in net. The Senators starter exited a recent game and is now day-to-day, leaving the crease to Samuel Ersson, who had already been pressed into action in the win over Boston before getting the next assignment against Detroit.
Erssons work has only sharpened the concern around how long Ottawa can lean on its backups if Ullmark needs more time. Even in a losing effort against the Red Wings, the bigger issue for the Senators is less about one off night than the possibility of having to navigate an extended run without their No. 1 goalie, making his return a key piece of the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Just Sent An Early Message About This Teams New Edge
The Senators showed a different kind of edge Friday night in Detroit, where a routine-looking matchup at Little Caesars Arena quickly turned into a test of backbone. What started with Dylan Larkin going after Ridly Greig set off a chain reaction, and Ottawa did not back away from the moment, even as the game veered far from the usual early-season pace.
Thomas Chabot stepped in for Greig, and the response from both benches kept the tension high as other players joined the fray, including Ben Chiarot and Greig in a separate exchange. By the time the dust settled, the message from Ottawa was hard to miss: this is a team willing to stand up for one another, and opponents are going to notice if they try to push them around. [Read more 🡒]
Sarah Nurse And Emerance Maschmeyer Make A Notable Camp Decision
Sarah Nurse and Emerance Maschmeyer have made a notable choice as Hockey Canada opens its world championship training camp in Quebec City, declining their invitations and shifting their focus toward the Vancouver Goldeneyes. For Ottawa fans following the new landscape around the leagues player pool, the decision stands out because both players remain central names in womens hockey and are tied to a franchise building toward its first season, which begins Dec. 5.
Nurse had initially been included on the Hockey Canada camp list before Alexia Aubin took her place, while several other Goldeneyes players are still set to be part of the national team gathering. The bigger picture, though, is timing: this looks less like a detour than a deliberate move to be available when Vancouvers camp opens Nov. 18, leaving the national team picture and the Goldeneyes early roster plans running on parallel tracks. [Read more 🡒]