Heading into the 2024-25 season, the Ottawa Senators were due for a breakthrough to end their playoff drought. In 2025, the Senators made the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
The Senators finished with a 45-30-7 record in the 2024-25 season, which was good for 97 points and the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
In under two months, the 2025-26 season will begin for the Senators on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 9. As a new season approaches, teams will be eager to improve or remain better in certain areas. For three particular players, they contributed big in one area that made the Senators so strong last season that will be relied on again.
Stutzle, Batherson and Sanderson thrived in one area on special teams
There's no denying that Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson and Jake Sanderson are three key players on the Senators roster. Last season in Ottawa, Stutzle led the team in points, Batherson was second on the team in points and Sanderson was third on the team in points. However, all three players thrived in one area last season.
Stutzle, Batherson and Sanderson each had over 30 powerplay points last season. According to NHL Fantasy on X, the Senators were the only team in the NHL last season to have three players with 30 powerplay points or more.
The @Senators were the only team in the NHL to have three players register 30-plus power-play points all with the same team last season: Tim Stützle (33), Drake Batherson (31) and Jake Sanderson (30)! 🔴⚫️
— NHL Fantasy / EDGE 🏒 (@NHLFantasy) August 20, 2025
Having three players that can thrive on the powerplay helps a team out so much. For the Senators, they had three players last season to produce powerplay points with great success.
Stutzle's 79 points led the Senators last season. Thirty-three of his 79 points came on the powerplay. Stutzle's passing abilities on the powerplay was evident with his 28 powerplay assists leading the Senators.
Batherson's 68 points was not just the second highest on the Senators roster last season, but it also set a new career-high for a single season. Thirty-one of Batherson's points came on the powerplay with half of Batherson's 26 goals last season were scored on the powerplay.
Batherson has turned into one of the most underrated and underappreciated players in the NHL over the past three seasons with not only recording three consecutive 60-point seasons, but being a steady powerplay scorer.
Like Batherson last season, Sanderson also set a new career-high in points with recording 57 points. Like Stutzle and Batherson, Sanderson was a powerplay weapon with recording 30 powerplay points.
More than half of Sanderson's points last season came on the powerplay. Of Sanderson's 46 assists last season, 25 of them were powerplay assists, which was the second most on the Senators last season.
It's clear that with having three players with 30 powerplay points last season, teams can't afford to take penalties against the Senators. Along with Stutzle, Batherson and Sanderson, the Senators have other key powerplay weapons.
Brady Tkachuk led the Senators with 14 powerplay goals. Claude Giroux recorded 18 powerplay points. Eight of Dylan Cozens' 16 points last season with the Senators after being traded over in March came on the powerplay.
The Senators will be eager to continue powerplay success in the 2025-26 season. With Stutzle, Batherson and Sanderson on the roster, there's huge reason to believe that the Senators' powerplay can be better next season.