NHL Team Preview: Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators competed in the North Division of the NHL in 2020-21, and they were actually competitive at times a season ago. The year ended without a playoff trip for Ottawa, and that should be the same result for the team this season as well.

Ottawa has been going through a bit of a rebuilding process in the last few years, but things could start all over again this year. The Senators lost a ton of key talent from the previous season and there are plenty of question marks surrounding the franchise. 

Ottawa is now back in the Atlantic Division, and that is going to create an entirely new list of problems for the team. The Senators don’t appear to have the talent or depth to be a real threat to keep up with some of the top teams in that division. 

Big Additions

The roster for the Ottawa Senators is going to look much different this season, but it’s hard to argue that they made any big additions in the offseason. Ottawa was able to acquire some veterans to fill out the roster, but this group of players isn’t going to be enough to push the team over the edge.

Nick Holden and Pontus Aberg were two of the biggest additions for the Senators in the offseason, and both players will need to play a key role this season. 

Impactful Subtractions

The list of players leaving the Ottawa franchise is long, and there are also some big names on that list. Ottawa was a team that couldn’t afford to lose talent, but that is exactly what happened in the offseason.

Not only did Ottawa lose some players to free agency, but they also traded some key pieces away in an effort to improve the future. Evgenii Dadonov and Logan Brown were sent to other teams this offseason and those are moves that are going to hurt the production of Ottawa this season. 

Key Players

If the Ottawa Senators are going to become a real threat to make the playoffs this season then there are two players that must lead the way. Brady Tkachuk and Connor Brown were the two offensive stars for the Senators a season ago, and they must set the tone this season as well.

Tkachuk led the team with 36 points and Brown had a team-high 21 goals in 2020-21. Scoring goals could be a challenge for the Senators, but it will be up to these two players to set the tone.

Online Sports Betting: Ottawa Senators

The online sports betting odds for the Ottawa Senators don’t give the team or fans of the team much hope this season. Competing in the Atlantic Division is going to be a challenge, and it would be a major upset for this team to be a playoff contender. 

Ottawa currently has odds set at +8500 to win the Atlantic Division, and only the Buffalo Sabres have worse odds. It’s pretty clear that the Senators are going through a tough rebuilding phase at this time, and they have a long ways to go before they are relevant again.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are the clear favorites to win the Eastern Conference this season, and the Senators are way down on that list as well. Ottawa has odds set at +5000 to win the East, but that will be a tough task if they can’t even contend in the Atlantic Division.

Online sports betting on the Ottawa Senators will still be popular throughout the season, but the most action will come on each regular-season game.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.