Three potential breakout candidates for the Ottawa Senators

The 2026-2027 NHL season will be pivotal for the Ottawa Senators. Despite the Brady Tkachuk trade in the off-season, the expectation from general manager Steve Staois is that the team will continue to take another step forward. However, fans have been left wondering how this can happen aftering losing their captain. If the young core continues to mature and develop, the organization has some key pieces who can surely replace Tkachuk’s void.

Reaching new heights

German superstar Tim Stützle is one of the safest bets to set a new career high in the upcoming 84-game season. The Senators’ centre finished last season with 34 goals and 83 points in 80 games, which was his second-best season in both categories. One of the most intriguing questions surrounding Stützle’s production is whether or not he will be a 40-goal scorer this season. His career high of 39 goals was set in the 2022-2023 season, and since then, there have been pleas amongst the fanbase and media for general manager Steve Staios to find a young winger to complement the third overall pick from the 2020 NHL draft. With Stützle in need of a new consistent left-winger, the acquisition of William Eklund can be a great option for the Senators’ first-line centre.

Ottawa's newest spark

Eklund arrives in Ottawa coming off of a 53-point season in San Jose and is expected to play a prominent top-six role in Ottawa. The hope is that his playmaking style and speed will hopefully complement Stützle’s puck-carrying ability and shot. Aside from giving Stützle a speedy option on the wing, Eklund has also been linked to providing a spark to his friend and former teammate, Fabian Zetterlund. The Senators simply need Eklund to continue what he started in San Jose, as they provide him with valuable opportunities in the top six and most likely on the power play. No matter who he is on a line with, he has an opportunity to not only surpass some of his career highs but also bolster the production of the players around him, which makes him a potential unicorn to the organization. To surpass his 17-goal, 58-point career highs, Eklund will need to continue to increase his shot volume, as he has consistently over the past three seasons. With the right linemates, this may happen.

What can the workhorse from Whitehorse accomplish?

The possibility of also playing Eklund and/or Stützle alongside Dylan Cozens on the wing gives the Senators another interesting option. Cozens showcased his talent at the Men’s Worlds Hockey Championship this summer on the wing alongside star players Macklin Celebrini and Sidney Crosby. 

Cozens is a potential candidate for another career high season. In his first full season in the nation’s capital last year, he finished with 29 goals and 59 points and set career highs in power-play goals, power-play points, hits and game-winning goals. In order to surpass his career high 31-goal and 68-point season, Cozens will need to rely on his shot, physicality and special-teams production triple threat that has continued to improve season after season. His continued off-season training in Muskoka and terrific performance at the Worlds competition may have set the stage for Cozens to once again be a 30-goal scorer and surpass his career high. All the Senators need is for him to continue to generate shots and win puck battles to have a solid foundation for more production in his top-six role. 

Ottawa has a lot of key pieces that can help them forget what Tkachuk formerly brought to the organization. If they can find a recipe that works in the top six, nothing is stopping them. 

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