Senators’ fatal flaw that must be fixed in 2024-25 season

The culture around Ottawa’s organization needs an overhaul. It’s a disturbing trend for the front office and fans that you can’t depend on the roster to show up every night. Players like Tim Stutzle could be a top talent, but sometimes he is invisible on the ice. Stutzle had 90 points in 78 games in the successful 2022-23 season. TSN.ca named him the 24th-best player entering last season, but Stutzle failed to live up to the billing.

Stutzle’s 2023-24 season was a disappointment. He scored 18 goals in 75 games, 21 fewer than his previous season’s total. The Senators need him to contribute on a more consistent basis if they’re going to succeed in the Atlantic Division. The 2023-24 season could’ve been an anomaly for the Sens, as Claude Giroux (15) and Brady Tkachuk (9) also saw point total regressions.

Who can the Senators trust on defense?

Thomas Chabot was the supposed future of Ottawa’s defense core. Chabot’s biggest problem since his debut is an inability to stay healthy. He hasn’t reached the 70-game plateau since the 2019-20 season, which is skewed due to shortened COVID-19 seasons. The 2023-24 season was a new low for Chabot, as it was his fewest points since his rookie season.

Chabot’s struggles made Ottawa’s decision to let Erik Brannstrom go even more puzzling. Brannstrom was a solid depth piece for the Senators and someone who could step in when Chabot was unavailable. Ottawa puts too much trust in Chabot as the leader of the defense, and it could be time to start looking elsewhere.

Jake Sanderson could be beginning to step into that role. Sanderson was in line with Chabot for ice time over the past few seasons, but Travis Green could change that in his first season as head coach. Through two games, Sanderson leads the team with over 26 minutes of ice time per game, while Chabot averaged just over 20.

It could be a workload management tactic for Chabot to keep him healthy, but it’s more likely that Green sees a better fit in Sanderson. Chabot’s inconsistent play as the blueline’s leader was a poor model for the rest of the team, and Green could see that Sanderson was the better option.

Linus Ullmark brings stability and successful pedigree

Linus Ullmark is a former Vezina Trophy winner and backstopped the Bruins to the best regular season in league history. The end to Ullmark’s 2022-23 season wasn’t great, but he has shown an ability to lead teams to greatness. He won’t be able to do it alone, but a steadying presence and his leadership alone could elevate the team to new heights.

The Senators need to adopt a more consistent, winning mindset. The model of consistency in the Atlantic Division has been the Bruins, and Ullmark could bring some of those tendencies. Ullmark brought instant success for the team when he backstopped them to a season-opening win over the Florida Panthers. The question for Ullmark and the Senators is whether they can start performing like that consistently.