This summer has been one of significant change for the Ottawa Senators. At the forefront of that change was the Brady Tkachuk trade, the captain of the team and the player that “dragged them into the fight.” For years, it seemed as though Ottawa was being built to be in the mould of the Florida Panthers—extremely physical. Tkachuk was that in spades.
For years, he had well over 200 hits, but his game was never defensively sound. With Tkachuk’s departure and the addition of William Eklund, the Senators are no longer mimicking the Panthers; they’re becoming the Carolina Hurricanes. With this new identity coming to fruition, what can the Senators expect for this coming season?
Senators' new identity after the Tkachuk trade
The Senators play a brand of hockey that fits within the archetype of 90% of the individual players’ makeups: one that plays a 200-foot style of hockey and doesn’t cheat for offence. Tim Stutzle has become an extremely defensively responsible centre who hits, wins puck battles, and improves his line mates. Shane Pinto just recently came sixth in Selke voting and is an elite defensive forward. Three other forwards were in the top 50: Michael Amadio, Dylan Cozens, and Claude Giroux. The trickle-down effect of defensive play and shutting down opponents’ chances is evident on all four lines.
Tkachuk was a very good player for the Senators, one who helped improve some of the younger players’ styles of play. However, what he lacked, and what is essential for the identity of this team moving forward, is defensive responsibility. What makes the Hurricanes so successful is that all of their players buy into the system that coach Rod Brind’Amour has in place. Players like Taylor Hall have completely bought in and have turned their careers around.
Travis Green is helping the Senators do the same thing. Green’s approach is meticulous in how it views the expected level of play in the defensive zone and the neutral zone. With Eklund and new addition Andre Burakovsky, they are coming into a completely new system, and if they believe in the style of play that the rest of the team is playing, they can fit right in.
Of course, losing a consistent point producer in Tkachuk is difficult, but quite frankly, his style of play no longer fit what this team was becoming. The Senators have the ability to roll four lines that have a mix of offensive creativity and commitment to defensive play. At minimum, two of the three players on a line need to do so to be successful.
With the subtraction of Tkachuk and Lars Eller and the addition of Eklund and Burakovsky, the difference in point totals is 12 points, in favour of the latter. With the expectation that Linus Ullmark will find a middle ground between his regular-season play and his playoff play, that difference will also help manage the loss of Tkachuk.
Last season was marred by key injuries and horrendous goaltending, yet the Senators were still able to make the playoffs in spite of that. This season, with some fresh faces and players playing to their potential, embracing this defensively responsible identity can see the Senators in the same place they were last season: the playoffs.
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