Since being drafted 3rd overall in the 2020 draft, and making the NHL on opening night of the very next season, Tim Stutzle has been the team's most skilled and dynamic forward. However, without Brady Tkachuk's physical presence, emotion, and that clutch factor he brings night in and night out, the Senators needed something different from their franchise center: control, consistency and leadership. Long story short, he gave them all three.
In the 20 games the Sens were without Tkachuk, "Timmy" scored 11 goals and 11 assists. In other words, he was over a point per game player in his absence, and he wore an "A" for most games. To be clear, he scored at a 1.10 PPG average, which is elite production on any team, and obviously first on Ottawa during that period. Drake Batherson came in second with 8 goals and 13 assists for 21 points in that same stretch. Only those two players reached at minimum a point per game in Tkachuk's absence.
Even compared against the league’s top scorers, the Nathan MacKinnon's and Connor McDavid's, Stützle’s 1.10-point-per-game pace during Tkachuk’s absence ranks him comfortably within the upper echelon of NHL forwards. He may not be setting the Art Ross pace, but for a 23-year-old on a team looking to make that next jump, that stretch signals star-level upside. I'd love to sit down and compare Stutzle's production with other top picks in the 2020 draft and dunk on the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers, but we can do that another day.
I think one of my favourite clips of Stutzle in this stretch was in a game against the Montreal Canadiens, where on the backcheck, Stutzle absolutely hammers Brendan Gallagher, then intercept a pass, grabbed the puck, went up the ice and undressed goaltender Sam Montembeault to put the Sens up 3-2.
Tim Stützle with a FILTHY goal to give Ottawa the lead!! #GoSensGo
— Everyday Sens (@EverydaySens) November 2, 2025
Rocked Gallagher, went the other way and buried it. Wow. Full circle after Gallagher's comments from years ago. pic.twitter.com/1mGc0QBTfC
That clip alone shows physicality, defensive prowess, speed, skill, and the clutch factor to bury a gorgeous opportunity that most players would miss on. It embodies everything that the Ottawa Senators needed from him, and he has proven time and time again that he can, and will step up.
To summarize, the Sens have a strong franchise cornerstone in Tim Stutzle, and we are very likely watching what could be a career best so far.