The Ottawa Senators have a winger problem, and it’s not a small one.
With injuries piling up in the forward group, Ottawa is suddenly thin on the wing. William Eklund, Andre Burakovsky and Warren Foegele are all on IR, and the recent loss of Nick Cousins at the hands of Jacob Chyrchrun has only made the short-term picture worse.
Even so, the Senators found a way to survive the latest mess. They coughed up a 2-0 lead against the Colorado Avalanche, then still walked away with a 4-3 overtime win. That kind of comeback can juice a room, but it’s not a blueprint you want to lean on for long.
That’s why the front office has work to do. GM Steve Staios should be looking for help on the wing, but the market comes with a catch: Ottawa needs someone who can help right away, slide into a top-nine role, and maybe stick around as depth once the regulars start coming back.
That profile points toward a player on an expiring contract or a one-year deal. Anything with term attached could drive up the cost, and that’s where the Senators have to be careful.
There is, though, another way to look at it.
If Burakovsky and Foegele are both on expiring deals, there’s a case for Ottawa to chase a bigger name and think beyond just the next few weeks. The idea would be to find a winger who fits not only now, but later too.
The problem is the timing. Ottawa already made its move with Eklund, and while his injury wasn’t his fault, the Senators still have to balance the present with what comes next. A longer-term answer makes sense in theory, but it may be more of an offseason play than a deadline one.
Right now, the market doesn’t offer many top-nine wingers who can be had cheaply. And if names like Bryan Rust or Rickard Rakell were available, the price would likely be too steep for Staios to pay.
So Ottawa may have to wait a little longer and keep grinding until the right winger becomes available at the right price.
In Other News...
Senators Trade Buzz And A Tkachuk Rivalry Fans Can Feel
Nick Cousins took a hard, legal hit from Jakob Chychrun, but the play still landed in that gray area hockey players know well, where the rulebook and the unwritten code do not always agree. With Cousins head down, the collision became the kind of moment that gets noticed around the league, especially when it involves teams with a little edge and a little history.
For Ottawa, the bigger picture is how these moments feed into a possible playoff tone-setting series, especially if the Senators and Panthers end up crossing paths with Brady Tkachuk at the center of it all. There is also plenty of noise around Philadelphia, where a rough season has stirred talk of coaching and roster changes and even trade speculation involving names like Matvei Michkov, Travis Konecny and Rasmus Ristolainen, but for Senators fans the focus is on how quickly this rivalry energy could turn into something much bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Slump Makes This Oilers Return Feel Even Bigger
Connor McDavid knows the spotlight that comes with a trip to Toronto, and he made it clear the game means more than just another stop on the schedule. For a lot of the Oilers, it is a hometown night, a chance to skate in front of family and friends while carrying the kind of early-season confidence that has followed Edmonton under Mike Babcock. The teams stronger start has been built on better habits and a noticeably upbeat energy, two things that can travel well when the building gets loud.
Torontos losing streak only sharpens the contrast, turning this into more than a simple divisional matchup. Edmonton is walking in with momentum and a sense that its structure is starting to take hold, while the Maple Leafs are trying to stop the slide before it deepens. For the Oilers, it is the kind of game that can say a lot about where they are headed, and for McDavid and the rest of the group, the return to Toronto feels like a bigger test than usual. [Read more 🡒]