3 burning Senators questions entering 2026-27 NHL season

September 12, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

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The Ottawa Senators had a lot of change happen this offseason. It seemed as if things would operate as normal until a few days before the NHL Draft. Then, the Senators traded Brady Tkachuk in a stunning blockbuster deal with the Florida Panthers.

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Tkachuk trade rumors weren’t anything new, to be fair. There was once a midseason report about a trade to the New York Rangers that had to be shot down, for instance. What was different here was that there was no real speculation. It wasn’t like the Dylan Larkin situation, where a trade was requested publicly.

But a trade was requested behind the scenes, and things were kept quiet until the trade went down. The Senators moved on from their captain and are officially entering a new era of their franchise. What that looks like remains to be seen for now.

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Fans won’t need to wait too long until they see this new look team, though. The Senators begin their 2026-27 season on October 3. This team has some important questions to answer in the season ahead, as well.

How will Senators fare without Brady Tkachuk?

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The Senators losing Tkachuk this summer is a major blow. While the former Ottawa captain may not have been the most consistent point producer, he was very much the team’s heart and soul. Had he not missed 22 games, he may have been an 80-85 point player this year, as well. That’s very good production, and among his career best.

Ottawa has to find a way to go on without him in the lineup. His leadership is gone from the locker room. The in-your-face, antagonistic style of play is gone on the ice. This is not easy to replicate, no matter how hard a team tries.

It’s the most obvious question to ask of a team like the Senators. How will this team do without Tkachuk on the roster? Are they still a playoff team, or are they headed back down toward the bottom of the Atlantic Division?

Did Ottawa do enough to replace Tkachuk?

The Senators set out to try to replace the production lost by Tkachuk. They needed a top-six forward before losing him. His departure made that need all the more pressing.

To this end, Ottawa looked to the San Jose Sharks. They swung a trade for William Eklund in a deal that included the ninth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. That ninth overall pick was part of the Tkachuk trade.

Eklund is a solid player who has shown the ability to produce on some not-so-great teams. This past season, he scored six points fewer than Tkachuk. He wasn’t as efficient, scoring his 53 points in 78 games compared to Tkachuk’s 59 in 60 games. But in the right situation, maybe there’s something more to this player.

Eklund, Andre Burakovsky, and the returning Claude Giroux are among the players who will need to step up. Did general manager Steve Staios do enough? Or will he need to be active on the trade market throughout the season?

Can Tim Stutzle become a franchise center?

Tim Stutzle is a fantastic player already. He has scored 80+ points in a season on two occasions, and nearly had back-to-back 80-point seasons had he scored one more point in 2024-25. This is a legitimate No. 1 center who doesn’t leave his team exposed against the opponent’s greatest players.

What’s remarkable is that Stutzle is still young. He is only 24 years old. The German national has a chance to continue developing. If he can find that next gear, Ottawa would certainly be tough to stop.

Is Stutzle that franchise-center-caliber talent? Can he become a truly elite 100+-point player? The 2026-27 campaign will be one to watch to see if he has that sort of breakout performance in him.

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