Offseason Checklist: Ottawa Senators

The 28-year-old has set new career highs in points every season so far.  This year, he surpassed the 30-goal mark for the first time with 33 while he chipped in with 38 helpers to pass the 70-point threshold for the first time.  It’s the fourth straight year he has picked up more than 60 points as he has become a steady top-line performer.  He also brings above-average physicality to the table, an element we don’t always see from a lot of top-six pieces.

Basically, Batherson has lined himself up for a substantial raise on his next contract.  Frankly, doubling his current price tag is very much a possibility.  While that would put him considerably ahead of Tim Stutzle ($8.35MM) as Ottawa’s highest-paid player, the deals aren’t directly comparable.  The state of the cap now is much different moving forward and Stutzle’s deal covered four RFA-eligible years while Batherson’s next agreement will only cover UFA-eligible seasons.  And, in a market that makes it easier financially for teams to keep their top talents, losing him would certainly be a significant blow.

This doesn’t have to be something that gets finalized this summer but if they could work something out early, it would certainly send a positive message to potential additions in free agency this year.  It also would give them the ability to try to do an eight-year pact, something that won’t be an option after September 15th.  On top of that, it would provide them some momentum heading into a pair of potentially big extension talks next summer when Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot become eligible to sign.  Knowing that, expect this to be on Staios’ to-do list this offseason.

Bring In A Proven Top-Four Defender

When the Senators traded Jakob Chychrun to Washington two offseasons ago, they opened up a spot in their top four defensively.  The intention was for Nick Jensen to fill that role.  He did in 2024-25 but struggled while dealing with injuries this season.  Meanwhile, that role was never filled with a proven defender after that.  Jordan Spence (who fits better on a third pairing at five-on-five), Nikolas Matinpalo, and Tyler Kleven all had opportunities with varying degrees of success.

They’re undoubtedly hoping that Carter Yakemchuk will eventually be able to fill that role.  Injuries forced them to give him a look down the stretch and he held his own in limited minutes.  Meanwhile, he had a solid showing offensively in Belleville although his defensive play is still very much a work in progress.  Yakemchuk could fill that spot in a few years but if they want help now, they’re going to have to turn outside the organization.

In an ideal world, that player has a right-handed shot.  Artem Zub is their top player on that side with Spence, Matinpalo, and Yakemchuk the supporting cast behind him.  As noted, those are all better fits on a third pairing.  There is some supply of top-four right-shot rearguards on the open market this summer, including John Carlson, Jacob Trouba, Rasmus Andersson (who Staios has had interest in before), and Darren Raddysh.  They would all come at a significant price tag, likely more than half of their nearly $17MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.  But it would certainly represent a bigger swing at solving that roster spot.

With Jake Sanderson and Chabot, Ottawa has a solid top two.  Zub is a strong second-pairing player.  Now, they need to find a proven piece to fill that other spot to give the back end a needed boost in a very tight division.  They’ll have plenty of competition but landing a top-four upgrade would be a big victory for Ottawa this summer.

Look To Leverage Center Depth

There are many teams across the NHL who are looking to add center help this summer.  Beyond trying to re-sign pending unrestricted Claude Giroux, the Senators won’t be one of them.

Instead, the team already boasts above-average depth down the middle.  Tim Stutzle and Dylan Cozens are their top options, with Shane Pinto, Ridly Greig, and youngster Stephen Halliday behind them.  If they get Giroux back – a realistic possibility – they’ll be back to have six middlemen.  That’s a great spot to be in compared to many teams would be envious of having that type of depth.

That puts Staios and the Senators in a great spot.  With quality centers in short supply and high demand, they could be in a spot to try to capitalize on that on the trade front.  If they can’t land a core blueliner in free agency, they might be able to trade a pivot (not Halliday, who is more of a fourth-line option) to try to fill that spot.

There is definitely a case to be made to simply put one (or two, if Giroux re-signs) on the wing knowing that injuries can creep up at any time.  On the other hand, if you can get a core defender or a top-six winger (another position of some need) that’s a net upgrade over playing a center out of position, it’s something they should at least be considering.

If Giroux doesn’t re-sign, the Sens likely look at the center group they have and think that they’re set.  But if he does return, Staios should be receiving plenty of phone calls to see if one could be pried loose.  If that happens, he might receive an offer that’s simply too close to pass up.