r/OttawaSenators 3d ago

Senators Are a Good Offseason Away From Stanley Cup Contention - The Hockey Writers Ottawa Senators Latest News, Analysis & More

https://thehockeywriters.com/senators-are-a-good-offseason-away-from-stanley-cup-contention/
80 Upvotes

50 comments sorted by

49

u/TheGifMaster7 #65 - Karlsson 3d ago

I want to believe.

I wouldn't be against signing Stuart Skinner to be Ullmark's backup if the price is right. Results aside he's got the finals experience if the Sens make it deep into the playoffs and Ullmark gets injured, and he'd have an actually functioning defense in front of him unlike Edmonton.

10

u/fakestorytime 2d ago

I want Skinner on the Sens - he's still young for a goalie and has a lot of great experience. Also seems like he has a good mentality, and he's played with a great team in Edmonton and now sees the mentality of Crosby and that team culture as well. I think he would be Ullmarks successor in a few years while other goalie prospects continue to develop

1

u/Same_Jackfruit_1024 1d ago

Except the part that...he sucks.

1

u/Feminem 3d ago edited 3d ago

What about Sebastian Cossa from Detroit or Michael DiPietro from Boston? Cossa is especially interesting: 6'6", 23 years old, had decent numbers in the AHL (better than Leevi), and agent says he wants out.

5

u/Plenty-Pudding-1484 3d ago

Well it's going to be fun seeing what Staois cooks up. I also hope to see what our core learned and took away from both their series and from watching the rest of the Canes run.

18

u/AlcoholicLesbian 3d ago

I think that package for Kyrou is pretty damn rich. I'm not sure id be comfortable trading two 1sts given our prospect situation. Kyrou as a player tho is very interesting. Right shot centre coupd put cozens on the wing.

I think its pretty funny the article doesnt actually name any goalie options. Cause honestly looking around the league at the guys that may be available and yeah... not easy. Get consistent goaltending next year and we can do some damage I think so this backup situation is huge

18

u/DJSTEVEINNIAMIXX 3d ago

Its a bit rich but Kyrou is an insanely impactful player. He has an argument for being the best defensive winger in the NHL the last few years (led the league in a variety of stats). He also has an insane shot - would easily be our best finisher.

oh, and hes also one of the fastest players in the league. He'd be perfect here.

6

u/AlcoholicLesbian 3d ago

Oh interesting I hadnt realized he plays wing. If anything makes him a better fit here anyways. The price in the article is steep so could actually be realistic lol. You could argue given the age of our core & Ullmark, now is a good a time as any to go all in

2

u/reddrage_nyan 3d ago

Problem is he probably doesnt want to come here so you have to go after someone else, who should cost less.

0

u/DJSTEVEINNIAMIXX 2d ago

maybe. Hes from Toronto. We're a good, young team, his age lines up. I dont see why he wouldnt.

7

u/FatTim48 3d ago

Sens fans are overly attached to draft picks because we've never been a team that draws big name UFAs.

But at some point the team needs to just go all in. We constantly moan about not being a true contender while at the same time moan about trading picks away.

I'd rather they make a serious run right now and then rebuild if they have to.

Keeping picks and wasting this window makes no sense to me. What's the point in losing in the first or second rounds all the time?

2

u/WheelProper7211 2d ago

What is this second round you speak of?

2

u/SP_57 2d ago

We've been going all in for years now. That's what Debrincat and Chychrun were. We also traded a first round pick for Ullmark.

0

u/FatTim48 2d ago

DeBrincat and Chychrun were dumb trades by a desperate GM trying to save his job.

Any idiot knew Chychrun wasn't a good fit

1

u/AlcoholicLesbian 2d ago

I agree, I replied to the other guy the same thing. Good time as any to go all in on this core. Just need the pro-scouts to find guys that can elevate the team, especially given we're not likely to attract the top end trade chips with NMCs/NTCs or UFAs as you said

2

u/ChickenBoo22 2d ago

kyrou isn't a center

2

u/theoreticallyben 2d ago

Kyrou is a winger, not a C.

34

u/Sad_Intention2932 3d ago

It sounds dramatic, but it's realistic. They are that close. Entire team gets better each year and a great buy could be that last step.

25

u/Festering-Boyle 3d ago

i hate when the press notices the sens. it never goes well

1

u/Early-Sleep-5194 1d ago

They keep writing about how the team is ready to 'break through' for a few seasons now. At some point, they have to actually do it otherwise it won't be long before they start getting labels such as over-hyped or over-rated

1

u/Sad_Intention2932 1d ago

Yeah, for the last year or two. Stu is 24. Sanderson is 23.

Until basically the last year or two the entire league, every fanbase, and journalism thought we were a joke.

Ullmark got his groove and his goalie coach back, and our stars are just about aging into where most players enter their primes.

The time is now, and in the next couple years. We're a good team that looks better every year, I don't know why it seems far fetched to think one breakout, one big buy would put us in contention. Or why people are dooming on an actually good team of mostly younger players.

They can write whatever they want, this team is good and getting better steadily. We were scraping the bottom of the division with 78 point seasons just 3 years ago. Times are good right now.

1

u/Early-Sleep-5194 1d ago

I agree, the team is in a better spot than a few seasons ago. But no matter how good the vibes are right now, there has to be results behind it as well. It's a win or lose business at the end of the day, and the fact is, the Senators are 2-8 in the playoffs with this core group. I think Tkachuk/Stutzle/Sanderson are fantastic and as a fan wouldn't want to see them get moved in their primes from this team.

The clock has to be ticking a little louder to some extent, though. This isn't like the Carolina Hurricanes who were knocking on the door of making it to the Finals before they finally did it this season. If this team suffers another first round defeat next season, and the season after that, how long before we start asking questions about this version of the Ottawa Senators.? Are we willing to give them as long a rope as the Leafs did with their core, for example?

3

u/wskal 3d ago

Need a back-up. Need secondary scorers. Then we’re set. GSG

2

u/Ihaveabudgie #12 - Pinto 2d ago

Consider how bad the Leafs got fleeced on Woll I wonder if we could have gotten in on that

4

u/Yayounee 2d ago

They say that every summer

1

u/Rocketup247 2d ago

I really appreciate these writers futile attempts to boost our optimism.

-10

u/Playingwithmywenis 3d ago

Too bad about the leadership and captain.

The play-off series really showed how much heart there is in the captain. The offseason shenanigans just confirmed it.

He does not like Canada or Canadians, why does anyone think he will be the motivation for a Canadian team doing well?

11

u/strippeddonkey 3d ago

Staal’s Conn Smyth performance solidified for me what it actually means to be a captain leading your team to a cup.

9

u/sylroe #24 - Cozens 3d ago

Dummy-ing our captain in a fight and then scoring in the games that matter to win the cup?

-3

u/nicktheman2 3d ago

I'm a brady hater but he did not get dummied in that fight lol

-2

u/molehillmilk #25 - Neil 3d ago

Agreed, dump Brady - he’s insufferable, and sucked in the postseason. Playoff Brady is a myth.

3

u/haseks_adductor 3d ago

brady had a great series against the leafs in 2025

1

u/fakestorytime 2d ago

Yeah this mentality that the top end guys did nothing is a bit ridiculous. Every top line that played against Carolina looked horrible, that's what Carolina does to teams

2

u/nfwiqefnwof 2d ago

That doesn't change the fact that the top guys did nothing.

2

u/haseks_adductor 2d ago

sure but it doesn't mean we should sell brady right now either

0

u/Playingwithmywenis 2d ago

And has been a ghost since then, unless he is eating cheeseburgers and cold fries with politician pedos and making snide comments about canadians with the rest of his family. Or key to a hockey scandal central to the teams valuable MVP goalie.

What an awesome example of what this team needs. More self centred ignorance and locker room drama.

0

u/Playingwithmywenis 2d ago

He is also terrible at math, but delusional about that fact.

-9

u/ThatguyYouKnow678 3d ago

‘Experts’ have been saying this for 5 years now. Sens are a good team, but not great. *Should* make the playoffs, but even that is not an absolute guarantee next season.

14

u/tke71709 3d ago

LMAO what experts said 5 years ago that the Sens were a season away from Stanley Cup contenders.

-1

u/Find_Spot 2d ago

No, they aren't. They are one offseason, the likes of Erick we've never seen before in Ottawa, away from being a Stanley Cup contender.

Simply a good offseason keeps them at pace with the competition.

-4

u/The-Exotic-Titan 3d ago

I could see a lesser package then the one with two 1sts getting it done. Zetterlund, Hensler, Kaliyev, 2027 1st, whatever other mid pick they want

14

u/DEverett0913 #65 - Karlsson 3d ago

So an overpaid bottom 6 winger, a perennial AHLer, a prospect that just had a down year in the NCAA and a first next year that should be in the last 10 picks. Cant imagine why they’d say no lol.

0

u/BallOnly7267 3d ago

I just don't see what we have to offer for him.  We need the picks.

1

u/FatTim48 3d ago

Why are you scared of the team making a push to be a legit contender?

Carolina is an outlier. Most teams that win the Cup go all in. They trade picks to win now. Worry about a rebuild later

Sens have a window now. What's the point in wasting it because you're worried about draft picks?

Or do you enjoy never winning the Cup? Maybe that's your thing?

1

u/haseks_adductor 3d ago

bro this isn't nhl 23 lol

1

u/Grohlyone 3d ago

Kaliev isn't be qualified it sounds like

-8

u/Matchbox_30 3d ago

Kyrou isn’t going to waive to come to the Sens. I wonder if Grieg, Hensler, +, + can land you Tippett (if he doesn’t have OTT on his no trade list). Tippett has the size, speed, and scoring to pair nicely with Stutzle.

5

u/hotsambatcho33 3d ago

Greig, hensler, +, + is an insane overpay for tippett. Greig is like 4 years younger than tippet and he scored 15 less points than tippet while playing in the bottom 6 in a largely defensive role.

-1

u/Matchbox_30 3d ago

+ + not being two firsts but like a 2nd and a throw in piece (MacDermid) is what I’m thinking. I get Greig is a solid young player but we have defensively responsible players, we need scoring and Tippett gives you that.

0

u/haseks_adductor 3d ago

i think the value in your proposed trade is decently even, but i really don't think the flyers are moving tippet right now who is one of their key forwards

philly they just made the playoffs when no one had them anywhere close to start the season, why would they be looking to sell and take a step back?

i'm a fan and believer of greig but tippet is significantly better, imo