Ottawa Senator is getting closer to matching Black Panthers, but not close enough – Hockey Writer – Ottawa Senator

Brady Tkachuk has a front seat and watching his brother Matthew, who is now lifting the Stanley Cup overhead for two consecutive years, is undoubtedly ready to let that fate fall. Ottawa Senators may still be the way distance occurs, but to what extent?

General Manager Steve Staios’ goal this offseason is to strengthen a young group and heat up on the heels of a long-awaited playoff appearance. This can be a challenge because it’s hard to go from a team with home money to a team with legitimate Stanley Cup wishes. This may not be the brightest offseason for Staios, but it is definitely a very solid offseason.

So, in fact, where is the rank of the Atlantic division, can they bring a penny to the defending champions next season?

Actions so far

During the draft and free agent agency, the Senators said goodbye to many regulars of Anton Fosberg, Travis Hamonik and Adam Gauditer. They replaced them by expanding Leevi Merilainen, trading Jordan Spence, signing Lars Eller, and re-signing Tyler Kleven as a multi-year extension. Staios also talked about the recent deadline acquisition of Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund as a key piece next season and beyond.

Craven’s signing was a small payment, but the bridge deal gave Senators a chance to learn more about a player making a lot of progress in the game last season. Zetterlund was a bit overpaid, too, but the Senator placed another player high on his hopes. He struggled as he transitioned to Ottawa, but his offense rose given his past track record.

Related: Senators are smart and can stay quiet on their first day of free agency

Jordan Spence isn’t the most physical defensive player, but a solid two-way guy has the potential to be the top four defenders on the right. He is a Senator with high hopes, but it remains to be seen whether he can play against a ruthless pre-review team like the Panthers.

Currently, the Senators still have more than $4 million in the blocking space, and there is no need to rush to use it. They can take advantage of it in the time they want to, and they can’t adapt to additional players or pay their salaries without sacrificing the draft capital bill until the 2026 trade deadline.

Get the depth of a right-handed defender

In addition to Spence, Staios seems to prioritize the depth to the right of the blue line. He first brought back a year-long league minimum from Sweden, 2019 first-round draft pick Lassi Thomson. He also traded in the draft to pick Logan Hensler out of Wisconsin.

This aspect of the roster has been a weak spot for the organization, and Staios is clearly working to address it. He may also be concerned about Nick Jensen’s health, who is reportedly undergoing hip surgery, so it’s not just about depth. If things continue to go smoothly, it is entirely possible to do a backup work for long-term injuries.

Will these moves push senators to the elite level of the team? Most likely not, but that could change if the current defensive core continues to grow and take a step forward. Only time will prove it.

Veterans’ presence and lineup of flowers

Perhaps Staios might send the biggest message to people within the organization, while the fan base reached a deal with Claude Giroux shortly before the free agency opened. He was able to convince Giroux that it would be easy to get more money elsewhere in the open market, which was like the Florida buy, and that was more money from their free agents.

With Eller also in trouble, the Senators now have three players over 36, two of whom are Stanley Cup champions. This can have a huge positive impact on the room, which can directly translate into better ice games.

The Senators also added some depth to the roster edge in the form of goalkeeper Hunter Shepard and forwards Olle Lycksell and Arthur Kaliyev. Kaliyev provides a lot of room for improvement. He is only 24 years old, signed a low-risk, one-year deal, has a strong shooting percentage and is reliable in defense. He can prove useful depth that can be filled seamlessly in the fourth row.

Did the Senator do enough?

Overall, Senators fans should be excited about the future and happy with the summer Staios so far. The team was able to get some scoring depth on the lineup on the right shore of the defense, retained some important unlimited free agents, and did a solid job keeping their promising young cores insulated.

This is likely enough to reach the playoffs again, but is it enough to eliminate the Panthers from their throne? These moves will certainly help, but none of them are suitable for the main age-influencing power that can change the skin tone of the game.

Senators are likely to be only a few years away from legitimate competitors within the scope of legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, but if their core takes a huge step forward and improves their game, it can speed up the process.

Those who beat the Panthers will need to be ranked number one in their game, and the Senators team will surely exud the “Why not do this?” energy type. Should a bet happen? Probably not. But something crazy happened.