OTTAWA, ON - MARCH 12: Nick Paul #21 of the Ottawa Senators skates against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period at the Canadian Tire Centre on March 12, 2022 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Richard A. Whittaker/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
As playoffs are set to begin in the next few days, I felt it was appropriate to give a quick rundown of each player who once suited up for the Ottawa Senators that are currently in the playoffs with a different team. This year, I’ve counted a total of 22 former Ottawa Senators in the playoffs. These 22 players spread to 13 different teams. Let’s touch on each one.
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Let’s start with the Eastern Conference
The Florida Panthers currently employ two former Ottawa Senators, Colin White, and Anthony Duclair. White joined the Panthers at the beginning of this season after being bought out by the Senators last offseason. In 68 games this season, he scored 8 goals and 7 assists for 15 points, mostly serving in a bottom 6 role. Duclair on the other hand missed most of the season due to injuries, but once he made his way back to the lineup, he played in 20 games and scored 2 goals and 7 assists for 9 points, which would be an 82-game pace of 8 goals and 29 assists for 37 points. Last season the forward was able to score a career-high of 31 goals and 27 assists for 58 points. It can be expected that he will be among Florida’s top contributors this postseason as he mainly plays in a top 6 role.
The Tampa Bay Lightning currently have 3 Former Sens in their lineup, Ian Cole, Nick Paul, and Brian Elliot. Cole was part of the Senators for just a few seconds, as he was acquired in the trade that would send Derick Brassard from the Ottawa Senators to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Cole would immediately be flipped to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a few minor assets that would play no role in the Senators’ current markup. Nick Paul on the other hand was with the Senators from the 2014 season up until last year when he was traded to the Lightning. He has played a bit of a swiss-army-knife type of role with the Lightning, playing up and down the lineup as needed. He scored 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points in 80 games this past season. Brian Elliot played with the Senators at the beginning of his career, for parts of four seasons before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche. Elliot has been a bit of a journeyman in the NHL making numerous stops along the way before finding his way to Tampa where he will most likely end his career. Elliot is the backup netminder and has just completed his second full season with the Lightning. He won’t see much postseason action unless Andrei Vasilevskiy gets hurt or somehow forgets how to play hockey, which won’t happen.
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The Carolina Hurricanes are currently icing two former Senators in Derek Stepan and Stefan Noesen. Noesen did not see any NHL time with the Senators, being an AHLer while with the team. Stepan however saw some action with Ottawa for a grand total of 20 games before he was traded to the Hurricanes. Stepan has been strictly a fourth-line forward for the Hurricanes, suiting up in 73 games this season and scoring 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points.
The New York Rangers currently employs three former Senators, Tyler Motte, Ben Harpur, and Mika Zibanejad. Motte was traded close to this past trade deadline, Harpur was a free agent signing and Zibanejad was traded to the Rangers back in the summer of 2016. Zibanejad has established himself as one of the best players in the NHL with the Rangers, and this past season had the best season of his career so far, scoring 39 goals and 52 assists for 91 points.
The following teams in the East only employ one player: The Boston Bruins (Nick Foligno), New Jersey Devils (Curtis Lazar), The Toronto Maple Leafs (Matt Murray), and the New York Islanders (Jean-Gabriel Pageau). The player playing in the highest role with his team out of these players will likely be Pageau with the Islanders. Pageau skated in 70 games with the Islanders this season, scoring 13 goals and 27 assists for 40 points.
Now for the Western Conference
Not as many Ottawa Senators play in the Western Conference, as 7 former Senators span over 5 different teams. The Vegas Golden Knights currently have the most at 2, and Colorado Avalanche (Alex Galchenyuk), Winnipeg Jets (Dylan DeMelo), Edmonton Oilers (Cody Ceci), and the Minnesota Wild (Filip Gustavsson) each employ one Former Senator. Gustavsson will most likely have earned the starters crease in Minnesota with his strong debut season with the wild. DeMelo and Ceci each have a top 4 role in their respective teams and should see significant ice time. Galchenyuk is a depth forward option for the Wild. With the Vegas Godlen Knights, they employe Mike Amadio and Mark Stone. Amadio entered the season as a depth option, but injuries gave him an opportunity and he took it. Amadio appeared in a career high 67 NHL games this season, scoring 16 goals and 11 assists for 27 points. Stone on the other hand has missed the majority of the season due to back injury, suiting up in 43 games while scoring 17 goals and 21 assists for 38 points. Stone is Vegas’ captain and automatically is on the first line as he is their best forward when he is in a position where he can play.
There’s a lot to love these playoffs in terms of wanting to cheer for a former Ottawa Senator. Normally, I’d pick one team to cheer for in the post season but this year I will opt to choose for one team per conference. In the west I will end up cheering for either the Vegas Golden Knights or the Minnesota Wild (I have not 100% decided yet, will make my decision soon) and on the East, I will cheer for the Tampa Bay Lightning as they have the most former Sens out of any team. I’m also a sucker for Steven Stamkos as he has been one of my favorite NHL players for a long-long time. I know he’s already won a cup but I can’t help but cheer for the guy.
