The Ottawa Senators enter the season with mixed expectations league wide and having a new identity to boot. This season will be important as they look to take that next step in their contention window on the backs of their young core. With the season set to start for Ottawa on Saturday, these are some hot takes for the upcoming year.
William Eklund scores 70 points
The Senators acquired William Eklund in the summer to fill the void left by Brady Tkachuk, and so far, he’s looked like a great fit. He’s already found chemistry with his former teammate Fabian Zetterlund and Dylan Cozens in the preseason. Though Eklund’s goal-scoring isn’t what the Senators were looking for in the offseason, his playmaking allows players like Cozens, Zetterlund, Drake Batherson, and Tim Stützle to shoot the puck more. Stützle, Batherson, and Cozens have all scored 30+ goals in a season during their careers, and focusing more on shooting would help the team immensely. Eklund will find himself on the first power-play unit and, in general, will have increased playing time with more skilled linemates than he has had in the past. Eklund mostly found himself playing on the San Jose Sharks' third line with Alex Wennberg and Tyler Toffoli instead of with a player like Macklin Celebrini. Eklund is still only 23 years old and has a lot of upside that should help him hit this milestone.
Linus Ullmark and Samuel Ersson give the team a .910+ SV%
Linus Ullmark mentioned in his most recent interview that the team now has a plethora of Swedish players, including his new goaltending partner, Samuel Ersson. Ullmark enters the season with renewed positivity and looks like he’s ready for a great season. Ersson enters his first season with the Senators and has a lot to prove because of his poor results during his time with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Senators’ defensive structure will help Ersson take his game to the next level. He has played extremely well on the international stage and has demonstrated his capability by going 7–1 for Team Sweden with a .943 SV%. Ullmark was able to find his form in the playoffs last year, and with last season being a complete statistical anomaly, it’s easy to bet that he will find his way well above a .900 save percentage. Ullmark will play a career-high 55 games, and Ersson will be relied upon to cover the other 29.
Senators trade Ridly Greig
Ridly Greig is in an interesting spot this upcoming season, with early line combinations placing him at fourth-line center. Greig’s role on the team over the last few seasons has been all over the lineup: as a top-six winger, third-line center, bottom-six winger, and now on the fourth line. He’s starting the season by serving a two-game suspension he received as a result of last year’s playoffs. His offence leaves something to be desired after seasons of 34 and 35 points, but there’s no doubt that he is good defensively and is a general pest. With that said, it wouldn’t be hard to see teams around the league coveting a player like Greig for the role he plays. He’s in year two of his four-year, $3.25 million contract, and with that cap hit and skill set, he could be a useful trade chip to bring in an impact player. The Senators’ bottom six is chock-full of good depth, which makes a player like Greig expendable for the right price.
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