OTTAWA — The Ottawa Senators finally have a suitable right winger for Tim Stutzle.
Drake Batherson is the man.
Evidence in favour of the pairing was produced on the first shift of the game against Dallas on Tuesday, when Stutzle and Batherson rushed into the Stars zone, leading to a Batherson goal.
The two were first paired up against the New York Islanders on Oct. 20. Since then, they have played together almost exclusively. The duo has combined for 30 points in the team's last 12 games.
It’s much-needed offensive production for a Senators team without Brady Tkachuk.
Before this season, the two had played together for 31 per cent of Stutzle’s five-on-five ice time over the last three years. This season, it’s 53 per cent, which includes the first five games where they mostly played on different lines.
Many players and coaches will tell you playing with Stutzle isn’t easy because of his dynamic play and skating ability. Batherson can keep up with Stutzle and has the talent to mesh with the German.
“Obviously, he's a special player, and plays different from other players,” Batherson said. “So, it just takes time, the more time you spend with (him), the easier it gets. The longer we go, the better off we're going to be, too.”
The Senators have outscored opponents 9-2 at five-on-five with the duo on the ice while outchancing opponents 57-45.
“Most of my goals have just been in around the net area, so just trying to win battles in front, get the rims back from the point, little things like that. To just create space for Timmy,” Batherson said.
Stutzle loves playing with Batherson.
“I think he's a hell of a player. I told you guys that many times," Stutzle said. "I think he's one of the most underrated players, one of the best playmakers in the game, in my opinion.”
Batherson has 17 points in 14 games. At age 27, he’s just entering his prime. Both players are improving and when Tkachuk returns, how about a top line of Tkachuk-Stutzle-Batherson? In three seasons from 2022-25, the trio outchanced opponents 302-258 at five-on-five with a respectable 53 per cent expected goal rate.
We will see. Regardless, the line could become this era's version of the Pizza Line that carried the Senators in the 2000s with Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson.
Third-line dominance
There is a reason Senators coach Travis Green has maintained his third line of Michael Amadio, Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux while switching up his first two lines this season. The trio is seventh in expected goals percentage of any line in the NHL this season, at 65 per cent. It’s no coincidence that the Senators have a point in 10 of their 11 games since facing Edmonton on Oct. 21, the game the line was put together.
“That line is probably the only line that I haven't touched for a little while. You guys know me that when that happens, some good things are happening,” said Green.
The third line is routinely tasked with shutting down the opponents’ star players, such as Mikko Rantanen, David Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin. They’ve outscored opponents 9-3 at five-on-five, which is outstanding, considering their matchups.
The line is not just analytically dominant. Amadio recently had four goals in four games, Pinto is on a four-game assist streak and Giroux brings an added playmaking element that makes the line effective defensively and offensively. Giroux is on pace for more points than he had last season at age 37. The unit has combined for 22 points in 11 games — including Amadio and Giroux setting up Nick Jensen’s goal on Tuesday against Dallas.
When Tkachuk returns, we know what line will stay together.
Chabot injury a concern
The Senators have only three NHL-calibre left-shot defencemen. Now, their depth on the left side likely will be tested. Thomas Chabot left the game after the first period against Dallas with an upper-body injury. Green had no update post-game, but said the injury was caused by Chabot reaching out for a puck in the first period.
With the injury, the Senators likely will have to pair two right-shot defencemen together, which is unusual.
With Donovan Sebrango waived and claimed by Florida, Ottawa’s next best left-shot defenceman in its system, at least for now, is Jorian Donovan, who is at AHL Belleville. No slight to Donovan, who has played well in Belleville, but he’s not ready for the NHL with only 78 career AHL games under his belt.
The Senators also have Scott Harrington, a native of Kingston, Ont., who has 255 games of NHL experience but hasn't played in the league since 2022-23."
Maybe the Senators give 2024 first-round pick Carter Yakemchuk a look? But with six NHLers available to Green, not including Chabot, who would Yakemchuk replace in the lineup, and is that better for his development than continuing to marinate in the AHL?
We are sure GM Steve Staios will try to address the need for another left-shot defenceman at some point before the deadline, but will it be soon if Chabot is out for a significant period of time? If Chabot is out only briefly, the Senators should be fine, but an injury to Tyler Kleven or Jake Sanderson would really test their depth.
Sens doing just fine without Tkachuk
Tkachuk was seen on Tuesday without a cast on his injured thumb. Could that mean his return is sooner than we think?
Meanwhile, the Senators have points in 10 of their last 11 games without Tkachuk. According to Sportsnet Stats, the last time the Senators had points in 10 of 11 was off the blocks in the 2017-18 season (Oct. 5-27, 2017), when they went 5-1-5. Ottawa’s season has been more ugly than pretty, grinding out results without its captain. Racking up points early could define the season for the Sens.
