The 2025-26 regular season begins on Oct. 9 for the Ottawa Senators on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, the preseason is just two days away.
The Senators' first preseason game will be on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs at Canadian Tire Centre. Six preseason games are on the schedule for the Senators.
With a new season drawing closer, projections and rankings will be made for all 32 teams. Recently, it was Bleacher Report's turn to give the Senators a power ranking with the preseason starting soon, but some may find the ranking low.
Senators in the middle of Bleacher Report's recent power ranking
Yesterday, Lyle Fitzsimmons of Bleacher Report wrote an article titled "NHL Power Rankings for the Start of 2025 Training Camp." Fitzsimmons ranked the Senators at 15 in his power ranking.
Being in the top 16 can make Fitzsimmons a believer that the Senators to be a playoff team with 16 teams qualifying to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Senators made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2017. However, some of the teams ahead of the Senators in Fitzsimmons' power ranking may find the ranking at 15 disrespectful.
Of the 14 teams ahead of the Senators in Fitzsimmons' power rankings, three of the teams finished below the Senators last season in the overall NHL standings. The St. Louis Blues were ranked 14, the Minnesota Wild were ranked 13 and the New Jersey Devils were ranked 12 by Fitzsimmons.
In a twist from last season, the Senators won both their games against the Wild. The Senators won two of their three meetings against the Devils, which both wins being on the road in New Jersey. The one win the Senators earned against the Blues was decided by seven goals last season.
Some might find it shocking that although the Senators finished 45-30-7 (97 points) overall last season, the team finished one point behind the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. With falling to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games in the first round of the 2025 playoffs, it can be used as huge motivation.
The Senators not only have a solid roster built around long tenured players Thomas Chabot and captain Brady Tkachuk, but have a young core that is destined to grow more. Tim Stutzle, Dylan Cozens, Ridly Greig, Jake Sanderson and Leevi Merilainen are all under 25 years old that are eager to make the Senators a winner. Stutzle talked about earlier this month that he and the Senators want to be a consistent playoff team.
Along with Chabot, Tkachuk and the young core, there's other players that go into the solid roster. Along with Merilainen, Linus Ullmark showed why he's a top goaltender with being the first Senator in almost two decades to win 25 games in a season. Ullmark and Merilainen are one of the best goaltending duos in the NHL.
The Senators also have quality forwards on the roster outside of Tkachuk and the under-25 core with Claude Giroux, Shane Pinto, Nick Cousins, Michael Amadio, Fabian Zetterlund and David Perron. Defensively, Artem Zub, Tyler Kleven, Jordan Spence and Nick Jensen will be looking to improve off of last season.
Some may find 15 as a low ranking for the Senators. However, the Senators can use it as more motivation for next season to prove doubters wrong.