The Ottawa Senators have already had quite an eventful offseason. By now, it seems that the dust has mostly settled around the NHL, offer sheets, and arbitration cases, notwithstanding.
In that regard, would the Senators have anything else coming down the pipeline?
That’s an interesting question, particularly considering the dangerous arms race building in the Atlantic Division.
Every team in the most powerful division in the NHL has done its best to upgrade this summer. The Senators are hardly the exception. But you have to wonder if GM Steve Staios feels confident enough to take time off and kick back at the cottage.
The Senators, like every other team in the league, are not a finished product. The consensus around the league is that if there’s an upgrade to be made, that’s what the team will do.
So, where could upgrades lurk for Ottawa?
That depends. The Sens could certainly use another middle-six center and top-six winger, even with Claude Giroux choosing to return to the Nation’s Capital.
There’s also the blue line. Potentially, the Senators could use another right-shot defenseman and some bulk to beef up the overall lineup.
Perhaps the biggest question of all will lie in the crease. The Senators acquired and signed Samuel Ersson. But he’s a question mark at this point. He’s in a quantum state where the Senators don’t know what they’ve got until he plays.
That’s why the goaltending depth chart could use some help moving forward, mainly as insurance.
Given those priorities, could Staios manage something at this point? It’s tough to determine that, given how the league is gradually winding down for now.
Senators could lay groundwork for a late-summer move
The likelihood of a move coming down the hatch at the moment is kind of low. There really doesn’t seem to be many moving pieces out there. The UFAs that were going to sign have already made the jump. The remaining UFAs and RFAs will fall into place in the coming weeks, though none really seem major.
Unless there’s a stunning development, something like the Dallas Stars officially giving up on Jason Robertson, or Staios pushing the button and offer sheeting someone out there in the coming days, the next move might come later in the summer. Perhaps a team out there looks at their lineup leading up to training camp and figures a move needs to happen.
There’s always the possibility of contract negotiations dragging on, players taking time off during the summer to mull their future, or even agents figuring out what their guys could be worth in the coming seasons.
All of those factors, ones that may not register on the radar now, could lead to a move in the coming weeks. Please bear in mind that anything can happen at any time.
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