The Ottawa Senators seem to have shifted into neutral for their summer, with general manager Steve Staios suggesting that they are comfortable with their current roster, with the main additions being William Eklund, Samuel Ersson, and Andre Burakovsky. The roster, for the most part, looks to be set. However, there are still some noteworthy unrestricted free agents that the Senators could look into for a professional tryout. If they did go down that road, who could they look at?
John Klingberg
The buzz for some time has been that the Senators have been on the hunt for a top-six forward and a right-shot defenceman. Klingberg fits the bill here as an offensive-focused d-man who could slot in fairly well on the bottom pair. Why the Senators would bring him in is if they believe Carter Yakemchuk isn’t ready to hold an NHL roster spot and Nik Matinpalo doesn’t provide them much offence. Klingberg had 27 points in 56 games last season with the San Jose Sharks, and having him on a PTO would be a very easy way to find out if he can find chemistry with Tyler Kleven.
Eeli Tolvanen
It’s puzzling as to why the 27-year-old is still a free agent when you look at the roster makeup of some basement teams around the league. Tolvanen is still on the right side of 30, consistently a point producer, and has good defensive analytics. With 12 goals and 36 points last season, he may not be a surefire top-six forward, but he has upside that Ottawa could find a way to help flourish. In his PTO, give him the opportunity to play in a top-six role and see what he can do with it.
Vladimir Tarasenko
Could a reunion between the two make sense here? Tarasenko played for the Senators in 2023-24, finishing with 41 points in 57 games. Last season with the Minnesota Wild, Tarasenko had 47 points in 75 games, including 23 goals. Tarasenko’s shot has been his bread and butter his entire career, and he played very well here in Ottawa as well as last year, too. Tarasenko and the Senators may be agreeable to a reunion, especially if he can score at the same clip he did with the Wild last season.
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