The Ottawa Senators have reached the midpoint of their season, still alive in hopes of ending their lengthy playoff drought. We’ve put together a midseason assessment of everyone’s performance, including the head coach and general manager.
Some guidelines: Each player on this list has played 10 games or more. That will explain why you won’t see names like David Perron or Leevi Merilainen, both of whom would’ve graded very differently. In short, Perron’s personal life and injuries have kept him from playing enough games to be rated, and he hasn’t shown enough in his nine games to be an impact player. Merilainen has six NHL games under his belt, in which he’s played above expectations, but it’s still a small sample size.
Forwards
Michael Amadio
33 games played, 2 goals, 10 points
The Senators acquired Amadio be a steady veteran with playoff experience who can be plugged in as a bottom-six mainstay. Amadio’s start was slow, but it seemed as if he was finding some rhythm with six assists in his last 10 games before getting injured against the Vancouver Canucks last month. Amadio’s been skating lately so his return could be imminent. But more consistency will be needed from him when he feels 100 percent.
Grade: C-
Drake Batherson
42 games played, 14 goals, 37 points
Batherson just got out of a season-worst 10-game goal-less drought against the Pittsburgh Penguins this past weekend. Outside of that, Batherson has drawn rave reviews for his production and for being hard on pucks. The winger is still on pace for career-best numbers despite the setback and can still be relied upon as a scorer and playmaker.
Grade: B+
Nick Cousins
39 games played, 5 goals, 12 points
If the bottom-six winger isn’t going to produce, he at least needs to get under the opponent’s skin. Cousins has done that at times, particularly in recent games. He will likely surpass his 2023-24 season totals if he remains healthy and there won’t be too many complaints if he ends his season as the near-30-point player he tends to be.
Grade: C
Adam Gaudette
41 games played, 13 goals, 18 points
Gaudette’s first-half success has been the equivalent of finding money in your coat pocket. He’s been an unexpected secondary scorer the Senators have trusted with higher placement in the lineup and even power-play time. Unfortunately for Gaudette, he’s run cold lately with a 15-game goal-less drought. Otherwise, he’d have a much better grade.
Grade: C+
Veteran Claude Giroux’s first half of the season has earned him Selke consideration. (Marc DesRosiers / Imagn Images)
Claude Giroux
42 games played, 9 goals, 28 points
Giroux has firmly settled into his role with the Senators as a veteran forward who can be counted on to play with the team’s best players and help them along. In Dom Luszczyszyn’s latest Awards Watch, Giroux has even earned some love for the Selke Trophy based on his Defensive Rating. Senators GM Steve Staios was mum on contract extension talks during his weekend presser, but there’s every reason to consider keeping Giroux around — even if his ceiling might just be of a 20-goal player in the twilight of his career.
Grade: B
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Noah Gregor
35 games played, 4 goals, 6 points
Gregor will have flashes where he works hard and can be a capable fourth-liner with speed. But he needs more production so he can be on the same level as teammates like Cousins or even Amadio. Per Natural Stat Trick, Gregor has the worst Corsi rate among players who’ve played a minimum of 150 minutes at five-on-five this season for the Senators. The forward being injured for the foreseeable future also doesn’t help his case.
Grade: D
Ridly Greig
39 games played, 6 goals, 13 points
The Senators are committing to four more years of Greig after this season. It’s a good bet on the 22-year-old forward who can play up and down the lineup at every position (though he’s more comfortable at wing) while also being relied upon for penalty killing. It’s on Greig to take that next step offensively while being reliable defensively.
Grade: C+
GO DEEPER
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Zack MacEwen
20 games played, 2 goals, 3 points
MacEwen is a big-body power-forward type who can make a home for himself on an energy line for the Senators. You can always count on him to be physical. He especially stood out on the fourth line in the early throes of the season where the Senators cycled around lines above their weight class. If only there was a bottle of whatever energy he had in that Oct. 14 game against Los Angeles in which he scored twice and fought. If MacEwen looked like that player almost every other night, he’d be graded higher. Of course, being up and down between the NHL and AHL doesn’t help him.
Grade: C-
Josh Norris
42 games played, 15 goals, 24 points
Norris is healthy, which is already a big win for the oft-injured centre. At his best, he can score and play well defensively. While he is halfway to a 30-goal season, he needs to continue rounding out his game. His production might still be too modest for his price tag ($7.95 million AAV through 2030). But there could still be more plateaus for the 25-year-old to hit.
Grade: B-
Zack Ostapchuk
28 games played, 3 assists
Ostapchuk is another big body who can fight and provide energy, similar to MacEwen, with the ability to win faceoffs. He just needs more seasoning in the American League before the Senators can firmly count on him as a full-time NHLer. But there’s some upside left untapped as a 21-year-old, even if it might just be as a bottom-six forward.
Grade: C-
GO DEEPER
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Shane Pinto
34 games played, 8 goals, 13 points
Pinto seems to be back, or at least closer, to his regular self. His early-season struggles and time away due to injury slowed his progress. A 15-game stretch without points had some fans starting to get impatient, but Pinto is back to contributing and being a plus at the defensive end with seven goals and 10 points in his last 14 games. If he keeps this pace up, he’ll end the season with a higher grade.
Grade: C+
Cole Reinhardt
12 games played, 1 goal, 1 assist
Reinhardt is among the young AHL stablehands pressed into service because of the injuries that have plagued the Senators. There’s some feistiness and fearlessness to his game, and perhaps being a scrappy player is his way forward. But it remains to be seen if he’ll catch on as an everyday NHLer.
Grade: C-
Tim Stützle has been the Senators’ best player. (Marc DesRosiers / Imagn Images)
Tim Stützle
42 games played, 14 goals, 43 points
Stützle was pushed to be a 200-foot player in the offseason by head coach Travis Green. It’s resulted in Stützle being as effective as he’s ever been at both ends of the ice with strong possession numbers and point totals. At one point, he was trending toward a 100-point season, which has only been accomplished three times in Senators history. If he regains his early-season form, it could still happen. Stützle is deserving of his ‘A’ as the team’s best player.
Grade: A
Brady Tkachuk
42 games played, 18 goals, 38 points
The forward has led by example as a solid top-line, net-front leader for the Senators. Tkachuk looks as if none of the noise that surrounded him throughout the season’s first half, whether it be leadership questions or trade rumours, has deterred him. Not only will he likely have another 20-goal season sooner than later, he’ll suit up for Team USA at next month’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
Grade: A-
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Defencemen
Jacob Bernard-Docker
25 games played, 1 goal, 4 points
Bernard-Docker has looked fine alongside defensive partner Tyler Kleven, lining as up as a third-pairing defender when needed. But while the analytics have leaned in his favour alongside Kleven, he isn’t an everyday NHLer when the defensive corps is healthy, with Green leaning more on Travis Hamonic as his No. 6 defenceman. It means Bernard-Docker has to be undeniable when he’s on the ice. Unfortunately, he’s still prone to making mistakes and hasn’t flashed enough offensive production to change Green’s mind. But otherwise, he’s been fine; he just needs to show more of that upside when he’s on.
Grade: C-
Thomas Chabot
42 games played, 3 goals, 19 points
Jake Sanderson may be the team’s No. 1 defenceman on paper. But Chabot has been nearly as good while playing on the team’s most offensively proficient pairing with Nick Jensen and continuing to show off his dynamism. Sure, Chabot has had some tough nights defensively, but those nights haven’t been more than his better ones thanks to that offence, particularly at even strength (15 of Chabot’s 19 points have come at even strength this season).
Grade: B
Travis Hamonic
37 games played, 3 assists
Hamonic’s leadership has been touted as a reason to keep him in the lineup when needed. And he’s had some moments where he’s played decently, justifying him as a necessary reinforcement for the Senators back end. But the truth is, the Senators need an upgrade at their No. 6 defensive spot. No, that doesn’t mean it should be Bernard-Docker.
Grade: D+
Nick Jensen has been a welcome addition to the Senators blue line. (Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)
Nick Jensen
42 games played, 2 goals, 16 points
Jensen is supposed to be the stable hand next to Chabot in their pairing and he’s shown that more often than not this season. He’s even kept pace with Chabot in scoring and isn’t too far off from Sanderson’s overall point production. It is also fun seeing Jensen flash his puck-moving skills. He’s been a welcome addition to the Senators defence this season.
Grade: B
Tyler Kleven
42 games played, 2 goals, 3 points
For a young defender with limited offensive upside, Kleven has had a sneaky-good defensive impact on his team. Two of the Senators’ three best pairings in expected goals against involve Kleven, according to MoneyPuck. Kleven has been fine as the team’s No. 5 defenceman thanks to his defending and size.
Grade: C+
Jake Sanderson
42 games played, 2 goals, 24 points
Sanderson is trusted as the Senators’ No. 1 defenceman. It’s reflected in power-play assignments, average time on ice and top-pairing duties. He’s had to deal with playing with Hamonic and Artem Zub at times this year, but he’s still more than capable of producing offensively, especially on the power play. Sanderson even looked like a dark horse candidate for Team USA at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off during the season’s first month. One drawback: Most of his points have come with the man advantage, not at five-on-five. Chabot and Jensen picked up some slack there. The second half will provide opportunities for Sanderson.
Grade: B+
Artem Zub
17 games played, 2 assists
It’s a bit difficult to judge Zub’s output so far this year considering how much time he’s missed due to injury. And even when he made his return, he needed some time before playing at 100 percent. His recent performances against Detroit and Dallas suggest he’s closer to form. When he’s at that level, he’s what the Senators need alongside Sanderson.
Grade: C-
Goalies
Anton Forsberg
14 games played, 4-8-1, .883 save percentage, 3.10 goals-against average, 2 shutouts
Forsberg lost some time to injury in December. But around that, his inconsistency hasn’t helped the Senators this year. Yes, he has two shutouts. But Forsberg’s .883 save percentage and 3.10 goals-against average aren’t sufficient to be relied upon as a backup. And with the emergence of Merilainen, who just played back-to-back starts over the weekend, Forsberg might have to fight for his place in goal.
Grade: D+
Linus Ullmark
23 games played, 12-7-2, .915 save percentage, 2.38 goals-against average, 3 shutouts
It has been a tale of two Ullmarks. His first 13 games had many worrying if the investment in him was worth it, with a 4-7-1 record and an .881 save percentage. His last nine games before getting injured have seen him play like an all-world goaltender with an 8-0-1 record, a .954 save percentage and two shutouts. Which Ullmark will the Senators get when he returns from his back injury? And will he be playing for Sweden at 4 Nations? What’s clear is if the Senators get the version of Ullmark that powered them through December, they have a strong chance at returning to the playoffs.
Grade: B
GO DEEPER
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Senators GM Steve Staios’ cautious approach with the team has worked so far. (Marc DesRosiers / Imagn Images)
Head coach and general manager
Travis Green
Green was called upon to help bring the Senators to the next level by instituting more defence into their structure while still getting the best offensively out of his stars. There’s been some success on that front as his players have bought in, but not without some flaws. Some may point to his penalty kill being easy for opposing teams to pick apart because of the diamond formation, while others will point to his lineup choices. Staios has also commended Green for being “firm but fair” with his players, a different yet necessary voice in the dressing room. The Senators have played confidently under his watch recently, even without their No. 1 goalie. Green should get some credit for that.
Grade: B
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Steve Staios
Staios’ cautious approach with his team, trusting their depth and not feeling compelled to rush into a trade or other significant change, has worked so far. If Ullmark returns to form, Staios can feel better about the extension he gave him starting next season. Despite being close to the salary-cap ceiling, eyes will be on Staios for whatever move he makes to help his team make the playoffs. His team could surely use another body to help get them there. Otherwise, Staios continues to lead his ship. It sets the stage for a fascinating trade deadline for the Senators.
Grade: B
GO DEEPER
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(Top photo: Richard A. Whittaker / Icon Sportswire)
