This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on my personal blog (here) and my collectibles blog, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.
Caveats: At this point, despite the regular season being set to start today, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) two star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much work left to do.
Key exits: Brady Tkachuk (RW), Lars Eller (C), James Reimer (G), Nick Jensen (D), Dennis Gilbert (D), Lassi Thomson (D), Olle Lycksell (F), Mads Sogaard (G), Arthur Kaliyev (RW), Jan Jenik (D)
Key arrivals: William Eklund (RW), Samuel Ersson (G), André Burakovsky (LW), Samuel Blais (LW), Philip Tomasino (RW)
Top prospects: Carter Yakemchuk (D, 20), Logan Hensler (D, 19), Jonas Lagerberg Hoen (RW, 18), Blake Montgomery (LW, 21), Jorian Donovan (D, 22), Leevi Meriläinen (G, 24), Jaxon Cover (LW, 18), Xavier Bourgault (RW, 23)
The Ottawa Senators did some fine house cleaning in the offseason, clearing/cleansing the air in the (neighbouring) nation's capital.
What makes their odds look good:
Tim Stützle is a legitimate #1 centre, Jake Sanderson is an all-world defenseman, Thomas Chabot has been to an All-Star Game, Linus Ullmark is a Vezina winner, Artem Zub is a world-class defensive defenseman, Drake Batherson is a true top-six sniper, Claude Giroux still has gas left in the tank, Dylan Cozens is a good secondary centerman, Warren Foegle brings the lower-tier power forward element, Ridly Greig is a terrific wish-you-were-on-my-team pest (while Nick Cousins is the league's most-despised one), and Eklund still has untapped potential to break out as a first-liner.
Question marks:
Head coach Travis Green took a giant leap forward last season - does he have another step ahead in him? Is the Tkachuk addition-by-subtraction with the actual addition of Eklund enough to remain a wild-card team while the Florida Panthers get healthy again and the Toronto Maple Leafs have improved?
Outlook:
This is a good team with plenty of youth who can improve. They'd make the playoffs in any other division, but it's going to be a dogfight in this one.
Prediction:
6th in the Atlantic Division.
The Sens did the right thing today and righted a wrong from five years ago by naming Chabot the team captain. He had previously been a long-serving alternate captain for the team; internationally, he has worn both the "A" (2017 World Juniors, where he was tournament MVP) and "C" (2022 World Championships) in leading Team Canada to gold medals, a feat he also achieved at the 2019 Worlds.
Here he is wearing Ottawa's magnificent white (away) uniform on card # 127 from Upper Deck's 2021-22 Series 1 set, which he signed in blue charpie around 2023:
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