The post-Brady Tkachuk era has begun in Ottawa, where the Senators are moving on without their captain of the past five seasons. Though disappointing, Tkachuk’s departure for the rival Florida Panthers is not going to derail the Senators’ mission of reaching the playoffs for the third consecutive year.
“I think we’ve progressed the last two seasons, for a lot of reasons,” Senators coach Travis Green told reporters. “Our players have improved. We’ve still got a relatively young group. I looked at our board the other day with the age of our players. I think they’ve all become better hockey players. And, quite honestly, I expect them to be better again. I think, almost to a man, that group can improve still.”
Tkachuk’s in-your-face presence will be missed. But the Senators, who open the season Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, should be able to function without it.
Here’s how:
Eklund steps up
William Eklund, acquired from the San Jose Sharks two days after the Senators dealt Tkachuk, is not a one-for-one replacement for Ottawa’s ex-captain in the top six. Eklund has never topped 17 goals in his young career, but there is reason to believe that he could break out in that department this season.
His expected goal total, which accounts for the danger of the shots a player takes, was 22.7 last season compared to the 15 he actually scored. That suggests a correction could be coming for Eklund, who scored nine of his goals last season from the inner slot. (Only 11 NHL skaters had a wider negative gap between expected and actual goals than Eklund last season.)
Eklund, who turns 24 in October, has the tools to be an effective power forward, even if he does not reach the heights of Tkachuk. Last season, Eklund finished tied for 18th at the forward position in offensive rebound recoveries and tied for 43rd in offensive-zone puck-battle wins.
Green has placed Eklund alongside Dylan Cozens and former Sharks teammate Fabian Zetterlund, forming a potential second line for the Senators. They hooked up on a goal during Ottawa’s pre-season opener against the Montreal Canadiens when Eklund drove to the net and slammed home a pass from Cozens.
“He’s so good at holding onto the puck and making plays and just getting open and getting to those gritty areas,” Cozens told reporters.
An offensive breakthrough from Eklund would help fill Tkachuk’s void. Ottawa takes a by-committee approach to offence: nine forwards — eight of whom are still on the team — recorded at least 30 points last season, led by Tim Stutzle’s 83.
Defence remains elite
Ottawa’s calling card last season was its defence, which led the league in expected goals against per game in all situations (2.67) and trailed only the Tampa Bay Lightning in that category at five-on-five (1.82).
Jake Sanderson remains the workhorse on the blue line, and having just turned 24, he should only improve. Sanderson, who averaged nearly 25 minutes of ice time per game last season, took on the toughest matchups and still helped the Senators generate an impressive 56.4 per cent of the expected goals (xGF%) at five-on-five. Ottawa won his minutes on the scoreboard as well (52-40).
“Really, he checks all the boxes from a coach’s standpoint,” Green told reporters. “His skill level is extremely high. His work ethic is extremely high. He’s really committed to the game, to his teammates. … He’s a joy to coach.”
Sanderson’s defence partner, Artem Zub, is expected to miss the start of the season, but Ottawa’s defensive depth is the strength of the team. This summer, the Senators rewarded Jordan Spence with a four-year contract after he stepped up in the wake of defensive injuries last season. When Spence played next to Sanderson in 2025-26, the Senators tilted the ice in a major way at even strength (63.2 xGF% in 147:34 of ice time).
Up front, Shane Pinto is earning a reputation as one of the league’s best shutdown centres, as evidenced by his sixth-place finish (and eight first-place votes) in the Selke Trophy race last season. But no player will have a greater influence on the outcome of the Senators’ season than Linus Ullmark, who endured a rollercoaster year that included a leave of absence to address his mental health.
Over 21 starts following his return, Ullmark went 14-4-3 and saved 11.8 goals above expected (GSAE), which ranked 14th in the league from Jan. 31 through the end of the regular season. That carried over into the playoffs, where Ullmark posted an 8.1 GSAE in four first-round games against the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Carolina Hurricanes.
If the Senators can maintain their elite defensive play and receive the top-notch goaltending that Ullmark provided late last season, they should avoid a major step back without Tkachuk.
“It’s really nice not having to start the season here at camp being a minus,” Ullmark told reporters about his mindset. “It’s nice to be even and (able to) work through the positives and not have to feel like you have to catch up on things, so that’s a big step up from last season.”
