UFAs Lee, Arvidsson, Marchment could make sense for Senators

OTTAWA — Don’t expect the Ottawa Senators to create huge headlines in free agency.

“I've said this to you a number of times, I’m not going to go and chase the shiny toy to bring in. Because as you've seen, not only here but across the league, it doesn't work most times," Senators general manager Steve Staios said.

This is how Staios justified not going after sexy names such as Mason McTavish, JJ Peterka and Pavel Dorofeyev. All of then could have given a big boost to the Senators' top-six forward groups. Instead, Staios went for Andre Burakovsky, who scored one goal in his last 37 games and was likely to be bought out by Chicago.

Let’s just say many fans are scratching their heads about the direction of the team since the trade of Brady Tkachuk.

We know Staios’ predecessor, Pierre Dorion, would have made a big splash to recoup the loss of his franchise pillar. Then again, the Summers of Pierre too often turned into the Winters of Discontent.

The shiny new toys included Alex DeBrincat, Jakob Chychrun, and Matt Murray, but their additions didn't lead to team success.

That’s the context in which Staios’ stance makes sense. But his moves still are puzzling.

Staios promised no rebuild or retool. He paid a steep price — the ninth-overall pick — to acquire William Eklund from San Jose. That makes sense if the goal is to win now. But why not take a slight step back, use the ninth pick to acquire a top prospect and take two steps forward in two to three year?

“You make a very valid point. I'm not quite sure on the impact (of Tkachuk’s departure on the timeline to win)," said Staios. “I've seen that team, that core play. There's been a change, how it sort of sets in. We'll see, does it change the timeline, quite possibly.”

The Senators run the risk of finding themselves in the worst place of all: the mushy middle of mediocrity.

However, that can change with a smart free-agency window, which begins on Wednesday.

Leaving aside the addition of Eklund, Staios’ other acquisitions last week were hardly inspiring. He traded for two players, Burakovsky and Sam Ersson, who many in the league expected would be let off their contracts by their incumbent teams. Both fell somewhere between bland and porous in the NHL last season.

Staios insisted that he sees unrealized potential in the men he’s brought in: “I think you've seen I've acquired players that have been in situations where they weren't playing very well, and then we brought them in and things moved in the right direction.”

Staios was asked about the fact Burakovsky had one goal in his final 37 games with Chicago.

“How many did he have in his first 30 games?”

The answer is that he had 22 points in his first 30 games last season, including nine goals while playing with Conor Bedard.

Can he replicate that success alongside Tim Stutzle? Possibly, but it’s a big swing.

Meanwhile, if the Senators take the trade route, both Owen Tippett and Alexis Lafreniere would be perfect fits in Ottawa with team control until 2032 and reasonable $6- and $7-million AAVs.

The Senators have extra picks to play with. Use them if you want to win now.

Ultimately, the Senators need an upgrade in high-level skill. Staios didn’t rule out acquiring a defenceman, but with the extension of Jordan Spence last week, that seems unlikely.

You can reason that the Senators are built similarly to the Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes: depth all around, and zero 40-goal scorers.

"We have more shooters than playmakers,” said Staios on why he brought in the playmaking Eklund.

Eklund is an elite playmaker, averaging 40 assists the past two seasons. But in the post-season, the Senators scored four times in four games — and that was with Tkachuk. Eklund’s career high is 17 goals, while last season Tkachuk was on pace for 30 in a down season.

Staios does have more north-south scoring forwards on this team: Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto, Fabian Zetterlund, and Warren Foegele.

But who’s scoring goals for the 2026-27 Senators?

The Senators certainly will need a career year from Stutzle.

But look at what moved the needle in Carolina. The Hurricanes splurged on the high-end talent of Nikolaj Ehlers in free agency last summer.

That’s why with their remaining $9 million in cap space, the Senators must address their forward group and find another skilled player..

Here’s a list of players the Senators should consider chasing in free agency:

1. Anders Lee

Lee is our preferred candidate. He's a big, strong body who can score while playing physical. He’s got some Brady Tkachuk in him — they've dropped the gloves in the past. Lee has scored 20+ goals nine times in his career (spent entirely with the New York Islanders) with a 40-goal season as well. He had 19 goals last season. But would an American come to Ottawa?

2. Viktor Arvidsson

Arvidsson had a bounce-back season in Boston, scoring 25 goals. He's a six-time 20+ goal scorer. The Swede has been a top-six forward for many years and could provide good scoring punch. It would be a similar move to David Perron’s signing a couple seasons ago, as a veteran scoring winger.

3. Mason Marchment

Like Lee, Marchment brings some needed snarl and toughness. Marchment can get you 20 goals, although he’s more of a middle-six player. He’s not a star, but a very good complementary player.

In the end, none of these are long-term solutions. That’s why there is a world in which Staios addresses his top six via the trade route. Unfortunately, that’s substantially tougher to do after the draft because teams cannot use a pick in the present.

The Senators should seriously look at offer-sheeting players, such as Mavrik Bourque from Dallas as the Stars have only $9 million in cap space.

The Senators could offer-sheet Bourque for $4.7 million (giving up a second-round pick).

It would be a very reasonable price for a 24-year-old player with 20 goals last season.

Meanwhile, Staios is still interested in bringing back Claude Giroux and Nick Cousins. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun said Giroux is likely heading to market, but didn’t rule out a reunion in Ottawa. For what it’s worth, Giroux currently is working out at the Senators' practice facility. He is still a reliable NHLer but with age, has taken a step back and is really a third-liner at this point.

Unless there is a trade, we are unsure where Nick Cousins would fit on this roster.

As for goaltending, Staios credited Senators goalie coach Justin Peters and co-ordinator of goaltending, Maciej Szwoch, for guiding the move to get Ersson. "It's the one area (goaltending) where I probably don't feel as comfortable and rely on people for it."

"They like the upside on the goalie," he said.

We can appreciate the organization’s belief in “hitting singles” over the loud home run. Both tactics can work, and the Senators may be in store for singles on July 1, but the question is will the Senators be able to go on a run in 2027 based on that approach?