It's going to be a much longer offseason than the Ottawa Senators were expecting, both emotionally and physically. Emotionally, it is going to take a while to get over the four-game sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It was a series that easily could've gone the Senators' way if only they got some goal scoring. After getting the performances they wanted to get out of Linus Ullmark in net all season, they supported him with just five goals in four games. Maybe there is some silver lining in the fact that the Hurricanes also went on to sweep the Philadelphia Flyers, but it is the thinnest of silver lines, only visible by squinting extra hard.
Adding to the lengthiness of the offseason is the fact that the work to get better next year can start sooner, and Senators general manager Steve Staios has already taken advantage of that by signing centre Stephen Halliday to a two-year deal that carries a cap hit of $1.075 million per season. With that deal in place, the Senators have approximately $16.2 million left to spend before next season begins, and that means they'll have to make a few tough decisions on some veterans, including Lars Eller.
Senators need to beef up their goal scoring depth this offseason
The need is clear heading into 2026-27 - find guys who can score. While the Senators did a fine job of scoring during the regular season, finishing eighth in the league with 275 goals scored, as mentioned, that scoring disappeared completely in the postseason. Eller was one of several veterans who didn't pick up a point in those four games, and it's very likely the 37-year-old may have played his last game in a Sens uniform.
According to Bruch Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, Eller, Nick Jensen, and minor-league goalie Mads Sogaard are not expected to return. The Senators will also have to make decisions on Claude Giroux, Nick Cousins, and Dennis Gilbert, and after those three players get taken care of, plus the need to aid in the scoring department, it's likely there won't be any room for Eller.
Eller, a Stanley Cup champion with the Washington Capitals in 2017-18, had 18 points (7-11-18) during that team's only Cup-winning season. But that was the highlight of his playoff career. Even though he's played in 42 playoff games since then, he's managed just two goals and nine points.
The Senators rebuild is over. Now it's time for the team to take that next step and find the pieces that will truly compliment the core.
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