Ottawa Senators’ Christmas Wish List

It’s almost Christmas, and it’s time for president of hockey operations and general manager (GM) Steve Staios to cue up Keith Richards’ rendition of Run, Run Rudolph and write to Santa Claus with his Christmas wish list. 

Not that letters to Santa have done his team much good these past eight seasons. With just one playoff appearance in all that time, the miserly old elf has behaved more like the Grinch, leaving the Senators feeling like little Cindy Lou Who – confused, disappointed and wondering why Santa was stealing their Christmas tree.

Even so, the team hopes they’ve avoided Kris Kringle’s Naughty List this year, and they’ll find what they want under their tree. Here’s a look at what Staios should be wishing for. 

A Stanley Cup for the Senators

It’s a long shot, but the Senators and their fans might as well ask for the Cup. All the fat man in red can say is no. Besides, maybe Hell could freeze over if it’s a cold one in Ottawa this winter.

Still, for the record, BetMGM puts the odds of a Stanley Cup parade down Elgin Street next spring at +4000. Long odds, to be sure, but for just a loonie, a bold Ottawa punter could walk away with $4,000 if the Senators pull a Miracle on 34^th Street and win Lord Stanley’s silverware. 

Shane Pinto – take special note. You can’t go anywhere near BetMGM, even if it is Christmas!

A 2026 Playoff Run for the Senators

If the Stanley Cup isn’t something Santa Claus can get down the Senators’ chimney, then maybe a decent playoff run next spring could be. Still, the odds on that are getting longer as the Senators continue their slide down the standings. To clinch one of the three Atlantic Division playoff spots, the Senators will likely need at least 100 points. That means, from now to the end of the season, they’ll need a points percentage (PTS%) of about .650. To put that into perspective, among teams in the Atlantic, only the Toronto Maple Leafs notched a PTS% that high last season. Not only that, but after 31 games, the Senators have registered a PTS% of just .516.

To take a wild-card spot, Ottawa would probably need at least 95 points, meaning they’ll need to notch a PTS% of about .600 from here on in. Last season, only 10 of the NHL’s 32 teams played at that level or better. At this point, the Senators are ranked 16^th in The Hockey Writers’ NHL power rankings. 

A New Downtown Bytown Arena

An actual NHL-sized rink is going to be tough for Rudolph and his team to pull down to Ottawa from the North Pole. So, a cool $1.5 billion in cash from one or all three levels of government for the Senators to build a new one in downtown Ottawa would be just fine!

Even so, not even Santa Claus could make the case that moving the team from Kanata to a more central location in the city makes any business sense. At least, not unless somebody other than owner Michael Andlauer and his partners pay all or at least most of it. And that looks like exactly what Andlauer is trying to do in hiring Toronto-based StrategyCorp, who say they are engaging in “discussions with government regarding arena eligibility for infrastructure financing and other government programs.”

It’s more likely the Senators will win a Stanley Cup (or Hell freezes over) before one or more of the City of Ottawa, the Province of Ontario or the government of Canada fronts the cash for a new rink. They’re all broke, and voters are unlikely to look too kindly on their tax dollars subsidizing new NHL rinks. As Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe put it, “there’s no appetite to use municipal tax dollars to support a new Senators arena.”

Still, Senators fans – at least those who don’t live in Kanata – can dream.

Leafs Fans Banned From Canadian Tire Centre

Nothing is more nauseating for the Senators and their fans than listening to thousands of crazed Toronto Maple Leafs fans in Canadian Tire Centre (CTC) chanting “Go Leafs Go”. And it’s unbearable to hear those chants when the Maple Leafs are laying a beating on the Senators. 

A ban on Hogtown fans even visiting Ottawa would be wonderful. Failing that, a new City of Ottawa bylaw banning the wearing of that blue garment Toronto fans pass off as a sweater would do.

50 Points in 2025-26 for Brady Tkachuk

If he’s nice and not too naughty (always a challenge for any Tkachuk!), 50 points in an injury-shortened season is something Santa may be able to put under the Tkachuk family Christmas tree this year. In the eight games since returning to the roster after missing 20 games due to a thumb injury, the big captain has notched one goal and nine assists. That’s more than a point per game – a production rate Senators fans have never seen from him before. It’s unlikely he’ll keep that pace up in his team’s remaining 51 games, but 40 more points seem realistic.

90 Points for Tim Stutzle in 2025-26

The young German may well find a gift card under his Tannenbaum for 90 points this season. He has 30 points after 31 games, and at that rate, he just needs to find nine more points to reach 90. That’s a number he put up only once – three long seasons ago in 2022-23. 

Better Goaltending for Senators

Starting goalie Linus Ullmark hasn’t been good enough over his 23 starts this season, registering a save percentage (SV%) of .877 and a goals-against average (GAA) of 3.05. His understudy, Leevi Merilianen, has numbers that are just as underwhelming. The tandem has the worst combined SV% in the NHL – bad enough to put them high up on Santa’s naughty list.