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Count Out the Senators at Your Own Risk

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Old Prof | Last updated Mar 23, 2026 7:35 PM ET

If you’ve been watching the Eastern Conference standings, you can see that the Ottawa Senators are hanging around the postseason cutoff. In fact, they’re not just tagging along. The truth is that they’re playing as well as, if not better than, some of the teams ahead of them in the wild card race.

The Senators are still a few points back, but they are gaining steam. They also have an advantage. They have games in hand and momentum is on their side. They seem like a team on the kind of run that can actually get them a postseason spot.

The Senators Are on Fire—and It Might Last

Since the Olympic break, Ottawa has been on fire. In their last dozen games, they’ve picked up 18 points with an 8-2-2 record. Compare that to teams like Detroit, who’ve hit a rough patch, and you can see why Ottawa might just toss their opposition from being in the playoffs to being on the outside looking in. March is when it counts, and right now, the Senators are trending up.

Three Reasons the Senators Could Wrestle Their Way In

Here’s why the Senators could make some noise:

Reason One: Brady Tkachuk is the real deal.

His points are great (47 in 49), but Brady Tkachuk brings way more than that. He’s the engine for the Senators. He’ll drop the gloves, then turn around and score a clutch goal like the one recently with 13 seconds left vs. the New York Islanders. In short, he’s doing everything out there.

Reason Two: The Senators are riding momentum.

Hockey is streaky, and right now Ottawa is hot. Some teams ahead of them are starting to slip. If the Senators can grab a few wins, they have the kind of confident locker room that can turn them from chasers into catchers. That’s what makes late-season hockey so fun: timing can matter as much as talent.

Reason Three: The Senators have depth and grit.

The Senators aren’t a one-man show. They have the kind of guys who step up in big moments and who can battle through tough games. That’s what separates real playoff teams from the rest. And Ottawa’s right there.

Fans Will Soon Be Talking About the Senators

Maybe people aren’t really talking about them yet, but with Tkachuk leading the charge and the team heating up, the Ottawa Senators have a real shot to sneak into the playoffs. And, if they do, they might be a problem once they get there.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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