Last night, the Ottawa Senators played their final preseason game before the 2025-26 regular season opener. The Senators earned a 3-1 road win against the Montreal Canadiens.
With the preseason now over, the regular season opener for the Senators is set for Thursday night on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Benchmark International Arena with a 7 pm. ET puck drop.
Higher expectations are on the Senators after making the playoffs for the first time in eight years last season. With a talented roster, projections will be made by people, but a recent simulation is one that Sens fans and other fellow Canadians can dream of.
Senators simulated to win Stanley Cup over Oilers in NHL 26; Stanley Cup trophy returns to Canada at last
There's no denying that Canadians do love their hockey. Despite hockey being Canada's best sport, no Canadian NHL team has won a Stanley Cup since the 1993 Canadians. However, a recent simulation was made in which the Stanley Cup would return to Canada, and it was the Senators hoisting it.
Yesterday, Josh Wegman of the Score had an NHL 26 simulation for how the 2025-26 season would be played. It was a simulation that was quite unique to say at the very least.
The Senators finished second overall in the Atlantic Division with 96 points, and the team would end up winning the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals over the Edmonton Oilers in seven games. In another unique finish to the simulation, Dylan Cozens ended up winning the Conn Smythe Trophy.
What Canadians would enjoy if this simulation was to happen with the Senators and Oilers competing in the Stanley Cup Finals is that it would guarantee that the Stanley Cup trophy would return to Canada after over three decades of waiting.
Of course, if a Canadian roots for a rival team of the Senators or Oilers, that fan will root for the other team to win so that their rival doesn't win the Stanley Cup before their team does.
Sens fans will forever dream of Ottawa hoisting its first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The one and only Stanley Cup Finals appearance the Senators ever made was in 2007 which resulted in a five-game series loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
Clinching the first Stanley Cup over a Canadian team like the Oilers led by arguably the two best players in the NHL Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, would be the cherry on top of the Stanley Cup win for the Senators. It would also be the Oilers' third consecutive loss in the Stanley Cup Finals.
Of course, this was a video game simulation. Crazy simulations do happen in video games. However, this recent one in NHL 26 is one that is definitely unique with the Senators winning the 2026 Stanley Cup over the Oilers.