Are the Senators Better Without Brady Tkachuk?

Even with Brady Tkachuk, you could basically tell the Ottawa Senators were trying to win the “middle” of the standings, not fully tank or blow everything up. And now, with him gone (and the team trading for William Eklund so soon after moving their captain), it feels like Ottawa’s message is still the same: they don’t want to move backward.

Here’s the tricky part. Ottawa’s first-round run didn’t end well. They got swept by Carolina. But it wasn’t like they were falling apart. They were only really a Wild Card team because their goaltending held them back. In a weird way, that’s the most important kind of “bad luck” because it implies the team wasn’t actually as bad as the record might suggest. They played like a defensive club, and that’s exactly the kind of identity that keeps you competitive year after year.

How Should Senators Fans Feel About This Season?

So should Senators fans be confident? Honestly, “confident” is probably not the right word. However, “still in the mix” absolutely is. The Senators have Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson as their two pillars, and that’s a core you build around. When you’ve got that kind of talent on offence and defence, you can survive some roster changes and still be dangerous.

But there’s a deeper concern hiding under all of this: Ottawa didn’t really add a loud difference-maker in terms of a star prospect who instantly changes how the lineup works, especially up front. And that matters more now than it used to, because losing a captain like Tkachuk does more than just remove a player. It removes a layer of stability. He brought scoring, energy, and a certain “make things happen” vibe that can cover for weaknesses.