Ottawa’s summer has been more about holding the line than making a leap, and that’s not exactly what Steve Staios promised when he said he had no intention of letting the Senators take a step back. A few weeks into the offseason, he has at least prevented a collapse, but the roster still doesn’t look better than the one that was swept out by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round.
The biggest reason for that is impossible to miss: the Brady Tkachuk hole. Ottawa got a strong haul back in the form of four draft picks, including three first-rounders, but the Senators have not replaced what he meant to the lineup.
Tkachuk was the emotional engine, the player opponents hated dealing with, and the tone-setter who made Ottawa harder to play against. That kind of presence does not get patched over easily.
William Eklund is a meaningful addition, and he gives Ottawa something real to work with. He didn’t come cheap, though, and he doesn’t replicate everything Tkachuk brought.
In some ways, Eklund may have the brighter future when age and decline are part of the equation. There’s also an argument that he is the more complete player, with some analytics backing that up, including goals above replacement over the last two seasons.
He’s likely the better defensive player and a more consistent play driver, while Tkachuk leans more on force and battle.
Still, Eklund alone doesn’t solve the problem. The draft picks are useful long term, but they won’t help next season unless Ottawa turns them into NHL help before opening night.
That’s where the cap picture gets in the way. The Senators probably can’t just go out and add another top-six forward, even though that’s exactly what they need - someone who can fill an offensive role, a leadership role, and maybe some special-teams work too.
Too much of what Tkachuk provided is still missing, and replacing it one piece at a time is a tough ask.
That leaves Ottawa in a tricky spot with Drake Batherson as well. He’s eligible for an extension and less than a year from unrestricted free agency, and his offensive production has been excellent.
But with the body of work he’s put together, it’s not hard to imagine him costing $9MM going forward. Whether Ottawa is comfortable paying that for a winger whose game doesn’t always show the finer details away from the puck is a question that still needs an answer.
Even if the Senators are thinking about moving him, they don’t have much leverage after already losing Tkachuk, and another scoring winger out the door would be a major problem - especially after Batherson’s career year.
There is at least one stabilizing move in the mix: Claude Giroux is back. He should help with leadership, steadiness, and depth, which matters a lot for a forward group that could unravel quickly if injuries hit.
Ottawa isn’t overflowing with forward prospects, so the Senators also dipped into the free-agent market for some tweeners who can help in the AHL and step up if needed. Philip Tomasino and Sammy Blais are the likeliest call-up options.
Neither is an impact player at this stage, but both can give Ottawa reasonable NHL minutes at a low cost. Tomasino, in particular, has flashed breakout potential before without ever sustaining it.
So where does that leave the Senators? Not in disaster, but not in a place that screams progress either.
They haven’t taken a major step back, which matters considering they had to move on from their captain earlier than expected. But they also haven’t clearly improved, and that’s the bigger issue.
Ottawa can’t just wait around and hope internal growth carries the day. The club has good young players, but the time to chase a Stanley Cup is now, and this doesn’t look like a team ready for that kind of push.
Some may point to the lineup and salary structure and see a long runway, but this is still Ottawa - and history says star players don’t always stick around long enough to see the whole thing through.
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Bourgault, a 2021 first-round pick by the Edmonton Oilers, also got a brief look in the NHL this season while continuing to turn heads in the AHL. For Ottawa, the contract keeps a promising forward in the fold on manageable terms, but it also leaves the bigger question of how quickly he can turn that momentum into a more permanent role at the top level. [Read more 🡒]