The 2024-25 Ottawa Senators season was special despite losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. 2025 marked the first time the Senators made the playoffs since 2017.
When the 2025 playoffs concluded for the Senators, the 2025 off-season had arrived. General manager Steve Staios got to work by signing defensemen Nikolas Matinpalo and Tyler Kleven each to a two-year extension.
Fast forward to the morning of July 6, the 2025 NHL Draft is over and free agency frenzy has slowed down big. With how the Senators have done, there was one word to describe the Senators' draft and free agency.
Senators' one word has been "shrewd"
On July 3, Sara Civian of Bleacher Report wrote an article titled "1 Word for Every NHL Team After 2025 NHL Free Agency and the Draft." Civian labeled the Senators after free agency and the draft as "shrewd."
The definition of the word "shrewd" for those that may not know according to dictionary.com:
Shrewd. An adjective. "Having or showing absolute or sharp judgment in practical matters, sometimes at the cost or moral compromise."
Staios has been sharp with the players he has re-signed and not re-signed this Summer. After re-signing Matinpalo and Kleven, re-signing 25-year-old Fabian Zetterlund to a three-year extension showed he trusts his young talent.
Then, Staios followed it up with re-signing three players. Claude Giroux, Leevi Merilainen and Nick Cousins each signed a one-year contract to remain in Ottawa.
Staios was able to re-sign players from the 2025 playoff team to another contract. Getting players back from the playoff team to stick around is a big step to show that Staios trusts his players that helped the Senators end an eight-year playoff drought.
At the 2025 NHL Draft, the Senators selected Logan Hensler, a defenseman from the University of Wisconsin. NHL analyst Kevin Weekes said that Hensler "looked like a veteran in college hockey." For a first-round draft pick at 23rd overall to get praise like that, shows Staios did his homework on Hensler.
The Senators followed it up on day two of the NHL Draft by trading for Jordan Spence and making five other draft picks. One of the five draft picks was former NHLer Thomas Vanek's son, Blake. With genes like Thomas', Blake has potential to be a solid day two pick.
One thing Staios did well was not return players who were a liability or had inconsistency issues. While losing Adam Gaudette to the San Jose Sharks could hurt the Senators for a player who scored 19 goals in 2024-25 on the fourth line, Staios didn't re-sign Dennis Gilbert, Cole Reinhardt, Anton Forsberg, Matthew Highmore and Angus Crookshank.
Signing Lars Eller was the Senators' biggest free agency splash, but Staios believes in his core from 2024-25. The Senators also signed Arthur Kaliyev, who can play on the fourth line if needed.
All in all, the Senators' draft and free agency have been solid in 2025. With over $4.29 million in cap space according to PuckPedia, there might not be much left the Senators can do with 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders under contract for the 2025-26 season.