Tim Stützle’s first five games of the 2026-2027 season have already turned into a statement.
After Ottawa’s meeting with the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, the Senators center closed out that opening stretch with four goals, four assists and eight points. That pushed him past his previous best start through five games, when he put up three goals and four assists for seven points during the 2024-2025 season.
The latest numbers only add to how strong this run has been. Stützle is tied for sixth in the league in points, sits third in goals and ranks ninth with a 26.4% shooting percentage.
What makes the start stand out is the variety in how he’s getting it done. Stützle has already scored at even strength, on the power play and shorthanded.
He also picked up a game-winning goal earlier in the year, with one of his two goals against the Boston Bruins on October 5 serving as the winner. Across the league, only Stützle and Vancouver’s Paul Cotter have scored in all four of those categories so far.
He was at it again against Nashville. Stützle scored on the power play and later set up Drake Batherson’s tying goal with 1:23 left in regulation.
There’s more here than just a hot shooting stretch, though. His face-off work has taken a noticeable step forward. Stützle has won 39 of 67 draws, good for a 58.2% success rate, a number that stands out early in a season when that area has long been a point of emphasis.
Ottawa is also leaning on him heavily. Head coach Travis Green has him logging major minutes, and Stützle is averaging 21:57 of ice time per game, which ranks first among Senators forwards and tied for third on the team overall. Against Nashville, he skated 26:06, his sixth-highest total in 452 NHL games.
It’s still early, but the profile is hard to ignore. Stützle is producing in every situation, handling tough assignments and giving Ottawa far more than just offense.
If this pace keeps up, the numbers point to a career year. Whether that turns into 40 goals or 100 points remains to be seen, but the opening stretch has made one thing clear: he’s already carrying plenty of weight for the Senators.
In Other News...
Senators Lineup Shuffle Puts Pressure On Ottawas Patchwork Defense
A day before facing the New Jersey Devils, the Senators are already tinkering with a lineup that has little room for error. Ottawa recalled defenceman Jorian Donovan from Belleville and put Cam Crotty on the injured list, another sign of how thin the blue line has become as the club tries to stay afloat through injuries and absences. Travis Green also shuffled his forwards, with William Eklund out and Linus Ullmark lined up to start after another strong stretch in net.
The changes leave Ottawa asking more of its depth than it probably planned this early in the season. Donovans arrival gives the staff another option on defence, but the bigger picture is still about patching together a roster that keeps shifting from night to night. Greens top-six adjustments are meant to keep the attack moving, yet the real pressure may be on how well the Senators can survive a game that already feels like a test of their lineup flexibility. [Read more 🡒]
Ottawa Prospect Watch Centers On One Encouraging Early Syracuse Trend
The Syracuse Crunch have stumbled to a 1-3-0 start, but Ottawas prospect picture in central New York is not without a few early signs to track. Their latest game, a 3-2 loss to the Belleville Senators, offered another reminder that the Crunch are still trying to find their footing, even as Jakob Pelletier has begun contributing assists after leading the AHL in scoring last season.
For the Senators, the bigger interest may be the steady return of Dominic James, who is working his way back after a broken hand and is expected to rejoin the lineup soon following a conditioning stint. In goal, Mads Sogaard has been the more encouraging of Syracuses two new netminders so far, giving Ottawa another development storyline worth watching as the AHL season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Injury Trouble Could Change The Trade Market Fast
A strong start to the season has suddenly given the Senators a tougher question to answer, after winger Tim Eklund was lost to injury and Ottawa began sorting through how to replace a top-six forward. The timing matters because this group has been building momentum, and now the pressure shifts to the rest of the lineup to keep the offense moving without one of its key pieces.
Management does not have an easy fix sitting there, and the internal options are already being tested by the demands of the schedule. Andre Burakovsky has only just made his Senators debut after missing four games with an undisclosed preseason injury, which only adds to the sense that Ottawa may have to get creative if it wants to avoid letting a good opening month drift off course. [Read more 🡒]