With American Thanksgiving behind us, the Ottawa Senators sit comfortably in a playoff spot. Still, like every other team in the hunt, they still have a few gaps to address if they want to reach the next level. This analysis will highlight areas of the lineup that could warrant a realistic upgrade, and a few potential targets.
A proven top-six winger to stabilize the forward core
The Senators already have the foundation set in stone. Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson form the key pieces of the top six. David Perron and Claude Giroux still contribute well in the top nine, and Shane Pinto provides stability down the middle. But they're missing one final piece up front to really turn them from playoff locks to true cup contenders. Adding a proven scorer would balance the forward group, ease pressure from the stars, and give Ottawa the matchup-proof top 6 that legit cup contenders rely on.
With that positional need in mind, the potential fits line up in a pretty clear order. Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson is the dream target. He's a young, elite goalscorer who would instantly transform the top 6, but his contract runs out and would demand a significant raise.
Filip Forsberg would be the next-best option. He's playoff tested, natural leader whose play style and contract would fit right in. Jordan Kyrou of the St Louis Blues would be a nice option as well, as he's a 26 year old Stanley Cup champion. He'd play phenomenally with Stutzle, and his contract matches up exactly. With his recent reports of being disgruntled, a change of scenery could make sense.
Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes find himself in the same conversation. He brings serious 50 goal upside if paired with the right linemates and system. Rounding things out is Kiefer Sherwood, who in my opinion would be the easiest to acquire as he has the smallest sample size. I think his scoring spike is more of a hot streak than a long-term projection, but if he can score 20 goals for the Ottawa Senators on the second line, I'd take that as a win.
Key injuries call for a depth defenseman
Depth on defense is finally a strength for the Senators, as key players Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot and Artem Zub find themselves locked under contract for years to come. Jordan Spence is a welcome arrival, and Nick Jensen is a perfect stopgap while Carter Yakemchuk develops in the AHL.
While I'm a big fan of Tyler Kleven, realistically he's a third pairing guy, and having him sit in Chabot's roster spot while he recovers from injury is exposing some growing pains in my view. Instead of leaving Kleven to deal with it, I'd be welcome to trading for a short term option to sit on that second pair. This wouldnt be someone I want playing in the top 4 long term. Only until Chabot is ready to return. Then that player can return to being a 7th defenseman. Just a body so Kleven can stay in his 3rd pairing role. Dennis Gilbert was recently acquired by the Sens, but he's more of an AHLer. If only we still had Donovan Sebrango...
My ideal candidate for this role would be a veteran who's proven in the past that he can sit in that role confidently, maybe a Nick Leddy from the San Jose Sharks? He's in the last year of his contract and I'm sure he'd rather ride the wagon with the Sens in the playoffs than remain in San Jose, who realistically are probably a year away from actually making the playoffs (despite them currently being close to a playoff spot, I don't think they make it in at the end of the day).
The Sens, like many other teams find themselves in their Stanley Cup Window. The time to win is now. If they want to make a push and find themselves lifting Lord Stanley's Cup, they're going to have to add to this young core to make sure they have everything it takes to go the distance. My preference is targeting a legit top six scorer. My money's on Jason Robertson or Filip Forsberg. Kyrou would be nice but I worry about a culture fit. What it may cost to acquire either player? Not quite sure. Maybe I'll take some time to evaluate that another time. Leddy would be nice, but acquiring him would almost be admitting Chabot's injury is longer term, which would be pretty worrisome.