The Ottawa Senators don’t need a miracle. They need a little more finish.
That was the thrust of Craig Button’s read on Ottawa during an appearance on the Jay Onrait show, where he said the Senators have a lot going for them already, but are still missing the kind of scoring touch that can swing tight games.
Button praised Travis Green’s work behind the bench, calling the club “a really well coached team,” and said the Senators generally do things “the right way.” He pointed to last season’s goaltending issues as part of the reason Ottawa slipped behind, before Linus Ullmark returned and, in Button’s words, “he was fantastic.”
Even with that structure in place, Button believes Ottawa could still use more offensive punch.
“So you know we can look at it and go, okay, with Brady Tkachuk, they they might have missed that what I would call that offensive that, that goal scoring pop. And I’m not so sure that they still don’t miss the goal-scoring pop. Eklund comes in, gives them a little bit of a different look.
But I think if Steve Staois can try to find somebody that can give them that goal-scoring pop. Doesn’t have to be a 40-goal scorer.
That would be nice, but it’s going to cost you. Somebody that can come in and, and, and just get you on the right side of the game.
And that might, think about the playoffs last year. Arguably, they gave Carolina as good as hard a series as anybody.”
Button’s point was simple: Ottawa was close enough in that playoff series that one extra goal here or there could have changed the shape of it entirely.
“They couldn’t get on the right side. They get a goal scored.
All of a sudden, they win a game here. They win another game there.
Series could be two-two. So I think that that’s something that would help the Senators.
I think their ceiling’s really good, and they got a lot of good young players. Jake Sanderson is going to be in the Norris Trophy conversation for a lot of years.”
Button also noted that Eklund brings “a little bit of a different look” to the lineup, but his bigger message was that Ottawa’s next step may come from adding one more finisher rather than chasing a headline-grabbing scorer.
In Other News...
Jake Sanderson Status Leaves Senators Blue Line In Doubt Before Leafs
Three days before the season opener, the Senators were already having to shuffle their blue line. Jake Sanderson did not take part in team practice Wednesday and instead skated on his own because of an unspecified injury, a concern for a group that was still trying to settle into its opening-night look. Head coach Travis Green said Sanderson is not ready for practice, and Ottawa will keep evaluating him before the trip.
The uncertainty comes at an inconvenient time with the Leafs waiting in the opener. Ottawa adjusted its defensive pairings at practice to cover for Sandersons absence, and the club is still sorting through its options on the back end. For a team that wants to start cleanly in a division game right out of the gate, losing one of its top defencemen from full practice is not the kind of timing it wanted. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Still Waiting On Crucial Opening Night Answers Vs Toronto
With opening night against Toronto drawing close, the Senators are still sorting through a few important health questions that could shape the first look at their lineup. Jake Sanderson has been skating on his own while recovering from an undisclosed injury, and while he has not been ruled out for the season opener, he may not join full team practice until Friday. For a team trying to settle in before facing the Maple Leafs, that leaves one of its key defensemen in a holding pattern at an awkward time.
The uncertainty does not stop there, either. Veteran forwards Andre Burakovsky and Warren Foegele are also dealing with injuries, with Burakovsky sidelined and Foegele still questionable for the opener. That leaves Ottawa waiting on a few crucial answers as the weekend approaches, and the final shape of the lineup could remain fluid right up until puck drop. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Just Reopened A Frustrating Goalie Development Debate
The Senators latest goalie shuffle has put a familiar organizational debate back in the spotlight. Leevi Merilainen, once viewed as a promising part of Ottawas future after some strong showings in earlier seasons, has been moved off the NHL path for now after a difficult 2025-26 campaign sent him down to the AHL. The decision underscores how quickly the margin can tighten for young goaltenders, especially when the team is sorting out backup duties and trying to balance present stability with long-term upside.
The fallout did not stop there. Ottawa needed another body in the system, so it brought in Jonas Johansson from Tampa Bay to help shore up the crease for its AHL affiliate, a move that speaks to how much depth matters when goalie development gets messy. For the Senators, the bigger question lingers in the background: whether this was simply a necessary roster call or the latest chapter in a frustrating pattern of trying to turn promise into something lasting. [Read more 🡒]