Saying that the Ottawa Senators would clinch a playoff spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs wasn't something many people saw coming, but the Senators defied the odds all season and will play for the 2025 Stanley Cup this Spring.
The Senators' turnaround has been incredibly special to watch. From players having breakout seasons, to players showing major improvement, to head coach Travis Green proving his doubters wrong in his second term as a full-time NHL head coach.
While the Senators will be playing in the 2025 playoffs, there is still a punishment for the team within the next two years. However, results from this season should make it an obvious choice.
Forfeiting this year's first-round draft pick should be the choice now
In 2021, Evgenii Dadonov was traded by the Senators to the Vegas Golden Knights. It took two years until the NHL slapped the Senators with a punishment.
In November 2023, it was announced that the Senators would be forced to forfeit one of their first-round draft picks from 2024-2026. The Senators failed to supply the Golden Knights with Dadonov's 10-team list to not be traded to.
The Senators didn't give up their first-round draft pick last season and selected Carter Yakemchuk with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. With now clinching a spot in the 2025 playoffs, giving up this year's first-round draft pick could be more ideal.
The Senators will be in the 2025 playoffs, but it doesn't mean the team will return next year. Not many people will know what 2026 will look like, so giving up this year's first-round pick to get it over with could be ideal.
It puts the Senators in a position to not worry about what year to give up their first-round draft pick. With the Senators in the playoffs, their 2025 first-round draft pick doesn't exactly have the highest value. It won't be in the top 15, so getting the punishment out of the way now would be right.
After this season concludes, the Senators will have high expectations. What the Senators could have an idea to do if they forfeit this year's first-round draft pick, is to use the 2026 first-round draft pick in a potential trade to land a big named player.
If the Senators do fail to return to the playoffs next season, the 2026 first-round draft pick will have higher value than this year's first-round draft pick if they choose to forfeit it.
As excited as the Senators are to return to the playoffs, it can lead to sour taste of not owning their first-round draft pick in 2025 if they choose to do so, but giving up the 2025 first-round draft pick may result better than waiting one more year to forfeit 2026's first-round draft pick.