The Ottawa Senators are sitting in the first wild-card spot, but the roster still has a hole the standings can’t hide. At 10-6-1, they’ve scored enough to stay in the mix, yet they’re only 14th in goals and sit 31st in power-play percentage at 12.1%.
The team has cycled through a long list of top-six auditions - Warren Foegele, Andre Burakovsky, Ridly Greig, Nick Cousins and Stephen Halliday among them - and outside of Halliday, none of those looks have really stuck. Even with William Eklund eventually back, the Senators still look short on a true top-six forward.
So if they go shopping, who might make sense?
One obvious name is Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks. He’s been a reliable 20-goal scorer for years, and he’s already up to six goals and 15 points this season.
Boeser has lived in trade rumor territory before, and that chatter figures to pick up again as the season goes on. For Ottawa, he’d slide naturally into the top six and could end up alongside Tim Stützle as Stützle keeps expanding his offensive game.
Vancouver may also be tempted to lean into a full teardown if it wants the best shot at the 1st overall pick, and moving Boeser would fit that plan.
Matvei Michkov is a very different kind of target, but maybe the most intriguing one on the board. The Flyers winger has already made noise by wiping anything related to Philadelphia from his social media, and he’s also 10th in the league in goal scoring.
He’s one of the most dangerous offensive talents in the NHL when he’s given room to work, even if his usage has become a point of tension. Head coach Rick Tocchet hasn’t wanted to play him nearly as much as Michkov would like, and he’s been quietly loud about it.
Philadelphia sits at 4-10-4 and would need a miracle to climb back into the playoff picture. If Ottawa somehow landed Michkov, he’d be part of the future immediately, with the kind of upside that could make him and Stützle a nightmare pairing for years.
Rickard Rakell is the more straightforward veteran option. The Penguins look closer to a breakup than a push, and their season has only reinforced that feeling.
Sidney Crosby isn’t even on a point-per-game pace, while the rest of the core keeps getting older: Evgeni Malkin is 40, Kris Letang is 39, and Erik Karlsson is 36. Rakell, at 33, is the oldest player on this list, but he can still help.
For the Senators, the appeal would be his production and, just as important, what it might cost to get him. He wouldn’t be the splashiest answer, but he could be a practical one.
Then there’s Matthew Knies of the Columbus Blue Jackets, who might fit Ottawa’s style better than almost anyone here. He plays with the kind of edge the Senators seem built around: big frame, heavy hits, puck battles, and real scoring touch.
The move to Columbus hasn’t gone the way many expected, with Knies producing just six points in 14 games, but that looks more like an adjustment than a real decline. He posted 66 points and 58 points over the last two seasons, and he’s on a very manageable deal with year two of six underway at a $7.75 million cap hit.
Knies would fit cleanly into a Travis Green system and could be molded to play with Stützle or with Shane Pinto and Dylan Cozens.
In Other News...
Senators Decision On Ben Hutton Suddenly Looks A Lot More Risky
Ottawas decision to let Ben Hutton walk out of training camp now looks a little more consequential in hindsight. The veteran defenseman came through camp on a professional tryout, giving the Senators a look at a player with plenty of NHL experience and a recent track record that included 55 games last season with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Instead of sticking around in Ottawa, Hutton has moved on and found a new landing spot in the Metropolitan Division. For a Senators blue line that is always trying to balance depth, experience and flexibility, losing a veteran option this early in the season is the kind of move that can linger if injuries or inconsistency start to pile up. [Read more 🡒]
Tim Stutzle Is Becoming The Reason Ottawa Fans Believe Again
The Senators have spent the opening weeks of the season looking like a team that can finally carry its early promise into something more lasting, and Tim Stutzle has been right at the center of it. Ottawas 10-6-1 start is its best since 2016-17, and the alternate captain has been driving a huge share of the offense with nine goals, 13 assists and 22 points while helping fuel nearly 41% of the teams goals.
Stutzles latest impact came in a win over the Buffalo Sabres, where his playmaking helped tilt the game at a key moment and again showed why he has become the forward Ottawa leans on when the pace rises. He has already put his name in the franchise record book this season, and for a fan base that has waited a long time for something steadier to believe in, his rise is starting to feel like more than a hot stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Are Getting A Young Spark At The Perfect Time
Michael Amadio gave Ottawa exactly the kind of late lift it needed in a tight 2-1 win over Buffalo, finishing off a night when the Senators had to grind for every inch. Shane Pinto had already dragged the game back to even in the third period, and Ottawas push after falling behind showed the sort of resilience that can matter in a long season, especially in games where chances are scarce and one clean finish can decide everything.
The result fit into a busy four-game NHL slate that also saw Los Angeles roll San Jose behind Adrian Kempes big night, Florida get a boost from Sandis Vilmanis in a 5-3 win over Chicago, and Seattle edge Calgary in overtime. For Ottawa, though, the focus stays on how a narrow win like this can steady a team and reward the depth pieces who are starting to leave a mark when the margin is thin. [Read more 🡒]