The Senators are back in a familiar place after 17 games: sitting on 10 wins, just as they did to open the 2016-17 season. This time, they’ve done it with a 10-6-1 record that has them third in the Atlantic after finishing their five-game trip at 2-2-1.
A big reason for that start is Tim Stutzle, who has been driving the offense at a level that’s hard to miss. The alternate captain has nine goals, 13 assists and 22 points as Ottawa gets set to begin a three-game homestand against the Utah Mammoth on Saturday night. He’s also plus-six, and he has had a hand in nearly 41% of the Senators’ 54 goals this season.
Travis Green has moved the 24-year-old around with almost every forward on the roster, and none of it has slowed him down. Stutzle keeps finding ways to tilt the ice, whether he’s creating off the rush or doing the work in his own end first.
The best snapshot of that came in Buffalo, when he helped set up Michael Amadio’s winner with 3:09 left in the third period and the game tied 1-1. Stutzle chipped the puck past Sabres defenceman Rasmus Dahlin in the defensive zone to Fabian Zetterlund, who was already headed up ice. That started an odd-man rush, and Stutzle then got into position for the drop pass from Zetterlund before sliding the puck across the slot to Amadio, who scored into an empty side of the net behind Buffalo goalie Colton Ellis.
“It was a great play by Timmy in the (defensive) zone and then we had an odd-man rush,” Amadio said. “Timmy made it pretty easy on me. I had an open net, so I was fortunate to put it in the back of the net.”
That was only the latest example of Stutzle taking over a game. His nine goals and 21 points in October were the most in a first month in franchise history, topping the previous mark of 18 points shared by Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and Marian Hossa. Heatley and Spezza did it in 2005-06, while Hossa’s total came in 2000-01.
The assist in Buffalo also pushed Stutzle into a tie with former captain Alexei Yashin for fifth on the franchise’s all-time assists list, with 273.
The Senators’ look has changed as well, after captain Brady Tkachuk told the organization he wanted out in the summer and was traded to the Florida Panthers to play with his brother, Matthew.
In Other News...
Senators Get A Big Chance To Halt Their Slide In Buffalo
A trip to KeyBank Center offers Ottawa a clean chance to steady itself after a rough patch, and the timing is useful for a team that still sits at 9-6-1. Buffalo brings a different kind of challenge into the matchup, riding a three-game winning streak and getting solid production from Tage Thompson, Jack Quinn, Zach Benson and Rasmus Dahlin, so the Senators will need a sharper night from their core to keep pace.
Tim Sttzle remains central to Ottawa's push, with Drake Batherson and Shane Pinto also expected to be key pieces as the Senators try to turn recent struggles into something more manageable. In goal, Samuel Ersson is back in the spotlight after his first Ottawa victory, and another strong outing would go a long way toward settling things down for a club looking for traction in a crowded early-season race. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Give Two Depth Names A Big Chance In Buffalo
The Senators will wrap up their five-game road trip in Buffalo with a lineup that looks a lot like the one they used in Anaheim, but there are still a couple of notable changes for a team trying to manage its way through injuries and illness. Samuel Ersson is set to start in goal, while Ottawa continues to lean on its depth pieces as it reaches the final stop of the trip.
Sammy Blais is in line to make his regular-season debut for Ottawa, giving the club another option on the fourth line at a time when it needs bodies to fill out the roster. Carter Yakemchuk is also expected back in the lineup, a chance for the young defenseman to slide in again as the Senators try to finish the trip with a workable mix of experience and fresh legs. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Get An Unexpected Twist In Tonights Sabres Matchup
A little extra pageantry is coming with tonights Sabres-Senators matchup, as the NHLs new Hometown Remix jersey collection is set to enter the picture for the 2026-27 season. The league has rolled out special-edition uniforms for all 32 teams, each one built around franchise history and local culture, and Buffalo is among the clubs getting an updated look that will be part of its season-long rotation.
For Ottawa, it means the game at KeyBank Center carries a little more than the usual divisional feel. The Sabres are planning to wear the new sweaters multiple times this season, and fans who like the design will be able to buy them through Fanatics. Even in a regular-season matchup, it is the kind of detail that can make a November night feel a little more like an event. [Read more 🡒]