The Ottawa Senators Are In Serious Danger Of Taking Another Step Back
The Ottawa Senators have made the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of the past two seasons, but the Senators took a step backward last season, getting swept by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the 2026 playoffs.
The Sens finished with essentially the same regular-season record in the past two years, but getting dumped by the Hurricanes has Ottawa trending in the wrong direction.
The Senators' current off-season has to make even the most ardent Sens fan worried about where things are headed in the 2026-27 campaign.
Devan Dubnyk Reacts To Report Of Brady Tkachuk's Podcast Causing The Senators Problems
Devan Dubnyk said, even as a former NHL player, just telling it like it is about NHLers can feel odd. But Brady Tkachuk doing it as the Senators' captain was a weird line to walk, and it should go more smoothly in Florida.
With that in mind, the Senators could take another step-back season in 2026-27. With Tkachuk gone and Alfredsson twisting the dagger in the heart of Senators fans, it feels like this off-season couldn't have gone much worse for Ottawa.
Ottawa also addressed its goaltending this summer, acquiring veteran Samuel Ersson from the Philadelphia Flyers via the Toronto Maple Leafs. But if No. 1 netminder Linus Ullmark generates subpar results next season, turning their hopes to Ersson – whose individual numbers have plummeted in each of the past three seasons, going from a save percentage of .890 in 51 games in 2023-24 to .883 in 47 games in 2024-25 and to .870 in 33 games this past season – could prove disastrous for the Senators.
The other goaltending option for the Senators is youngster Leevi Merilainen, who struggled last year with an .860 SP and a 3.51 GAA in 20 games. Merilainen had more success in 2024-25, posting a .925 SP and 1.99 GAA in 12 appearances. But you can't let the 23-year-old carry the weight of the Senators' 2026-27 season.
Although Sens GM Steve Staios could use some of his $4.1 million in salary cap space on an experienced netminder, Staios might also choose to keep his cap flexibility and use it to address in-season issues.
Even After Giroux's Return, Senators Still Need To Bolster The Top Of Their Lineup
Claude Giroux's return offers veteran stability, two-way play, and elite faceoff ability, but the Sens still need more high-end, first-line skill.
Regardless, the Sens are facing a ferocious fight just to be a playoff team, let alone be a legitimate front-runner to win the Stanley Cup next season. Does anyone really believe the reconstituted Senators lineup is a serious Cup threat? They would have needed help even if Tkachuk had chosen to stay in Ottawa. Now, the Sens feel like a fringe playoff team at best.
Who knows – Eklund could be a sparkplug for the Senators. Maybe Ottawa's younger stars take the next competitive step while Ullmark gives the Sens the Grade-A goaltending they've needed from him. But for this writer, the Senators are shaping up to be a B-grade team that isn't going to do much damage in the post-season – and that's if they get there at all.
The Sens aren't a ‘mushy middle' team, but they aren't a top-10 team either. They're unlikely to take the next step and become a serious problem for the Atlantic and the rest of the Eastern Conference.
The Sens have absorbed serious body blows this summer, and the way they respond to them will dictate where they finish in the standings next season.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Copyright The Hockey News, Roustan Media Ltd.
This story was originally published July 12, 2026 at 9:37 AM.