Well, and there's the counter-argument to those expressing concern about a veteran goaltender. Craig Anderson turned 36 when the Senators made their improbable 2016/17 run, and many people regret to this day not having kept him around until he was able to retire. Objectively, Markstrom has at least 3-4 good years in him, and if he wants to stay he could be a valuable mentor for the likes of Sogaard & Merilainen. And given how important Giroux has proven to be for the team, you have to believe Staios may be looking to add comparable veteran support at other positions.
- khawk

he has 1-2 good year maybe not 3-4.

Ya and Bobrovsky will be 36 in Septemeber, makes 10,000,000 and nobody in their right mind would want him in their net right now!


- DEDDIE

look at the team in front of him, for 3-4 years of his contract it was considered among the worst ever and he was constant buyout and trade speculations around him.

That's fair, and despite my ramblings about Markstrom I don't actually disagree with this approach. Bolstering the top-4D and middle-6F would be my top priorities as well, as I think the team's future success hinges on providing better support to their core young talent. However, replacing Forsberg with Stolarz is at best a shuffling of the deck chairs. Stolarz is already older than Korpisalo and has never played more than 28GP in a season. That means you're effectively going to be tolerating another 55GP from Korpisalo, and basically just hoping that he has a better season in 2024/25. No problem, as long as people don't confuse that with a substantial change.
- khawk

While I championed the Debrincat and Chychrun deals when they happened, they really both backfired in two ways. The team didn’t improve, and you gave up substantial assets to acquire them which you really can’t get back.

Any move for Ullmark, Saros, or Markstrom will be seen in a similar light. Steep price to acquire, assumption they are an upgrade, and assumption they will stick around. A trade could work but if you don’t learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it.

You also must have the conversation whether the Senators are going to try to address all holes this year and make a run this year or take a more systematic 2–3-year approach to fill holes to be competitive.

Goaltending is tricky. Overthinking the position can put you in cap/roster hell. Sens already whiffed on Korpisalo. Can they afford another whiff when they could use assets and cap space to address defense and forward depth? Perhaps fine tune the actual roster so you don’t need a goalie bailing you out all the time and just needs to make the saves they should make?

My idea of Stolarz is simply a cheap alternative that only costs you a couple of million on a short-term deal. Not necessarily a long-term solution to the issues in goal. However, has a bit of a similar road to Adin Hill until he got to Vegas.

I’ll probably champion any goalie move as I cannot deal with another 82 games of Korpisalo and/Forsberg at the helm. I am sure a 55 year old Damien Rhodes would be more effective than those two.

2026 Ottawa Senators (Playoffs)

Brady Tkachuk - Tim Stutzle - #1RW (could be Batherson)
#2 LW - #2 Center - Drake Batherson
Ridly Grieg - Shane Pinto - #3 RW (could be Joseph)
4th liners that can play in 3rd line odd time

Jake Sanderson - #2 D-man (strong prefer right shot)
Thomas Chabot - Artem Zub
Tyler Kleven - #5 RHD that is excellent PK

#1 Goalie
Back up

Josh Norris significant career altering health concerns leave big holes on the Sens. Sens should go after 1 big free agent on forward and 1 big free agent RHD. I'm calling up agents of Pesce, Tanev, Roy, and Walker and trying to sign 1 if not 2 of them. I'm also looking at trade options for centers. If Sens draft a D-man, it will likely be 2 years (early months of 2026) where he starts to make an impact; unless you hit a home run and I don't know draft a guy like Anton Silayev and he just makes a huge impact in 2025-2026.

Reminder - a few years ago Bobrovsky was the worst contract in the league.

Reminder - a few years ago Bobrovsky was the worst contract in the league.
- PogBoi

also, Bob did not get better, the team in front of him did.

Pierre LeBrun

@TheAthletic
·
18h

Two years ago, the Panthers made changes.

Despite a President's Trophy-winning campaign, Florida resolved to get tougher. Meaner.

This is not rocket science. Hockey fans have known forever that toughness and meanness are important ingredients when it really matters. (stretch and playoffs). Yet teams blow their brains out trying to ice more and more high end skill.

Sens need a physical top 6 forward to help offset the concentration other teams put on Brady to try and neutralize his physical game.

The Sens need a top 4 Dman that will punish opposing forwards in front of our own net (Kleven might work).

Other than that, I would not make many other changes. Sens have some depth players on the farm who should get a decent look.

Pierre LeBrun

@TheAthletic
·
18h

Two years ago, the Panthers made changes.

Despite a President's Trophy-winning campaign, Florida resolved to get tougher. Meaner.

This is not rocket science. Hockey fans have known forever that toughness and meanness are important ingredients when it really matters. (stretch and playoffs). Yet teams blow their brains out trying to ice more and more high end skill.

Sens need a physical top 6 forward to help offset the concentration other teams put on Brady to try and neutralize his physical game.

The Sens need a top 4 Dman that will punish opposing forwards in front of our own net (Kleven might work).

Other than that, I would not make many other changes. Sens have some depth players on the farm who should get a decent look.
- spatso

agree with all this

Reminder - a few years ago Bobrovsky was the worst contract in the league.
- PogBoi

And now at almost 36 years old, he's the verge of winning the Conn Smythe and the Stanley Cup!

Matt Roy contract projection is up at hockeycomparables.com.

Would the Sens do 5x5 for him? Should they?

agree with all this
- Mithos

I am a little nervous about the noise around the Sens and the possibility that they might blow their brains out trying to acquire a starting goalie.

I am not against better goaltending. I am against overpaying in a sellers market. Too many teams fighting over just a few goalies that might be available.

Wait.

The market will get a bit softer later in the summer.

Matt Roy contract projection is up at hockeycomparables.com.

Would the Sens do 5x5 for him? Should they?
- GrimmdaGoalie

If they can resolve their RHD needs via UFA and not have to invest major picks/prospects in the process, they should certainly explore that option. The real issue becomes whether 5x5 would become more like 5.5x5 or 5.5x6 by the time other teams have upped the ante. It also really depends on whether Staios believes there are better option available via trade, but I haven't seen a lot of evidence of quality RHD on the current trade market.

If they can resolve their RHD needs via UFA and not have to invest major picks/prospects in the process, they should certainly explore that option. The real issue becomes whether 5x5 would become more like 5.5x5 or 5.5x6 by the time other teams have upped the ante. It also really depends on whether Staios believes there are better option available via trade, but I haven't seen a lot of evidence of quality RHD on the current trade market.
- khawk

Matt Roy, Brett Pesce, Brandon Montour, DeMelo are all top 4 RHD that are/should hit UFA on July 1st

Matt Roy, Brett Pesce, Brandon Montour, DeMelo are all top 4 RHD that are/should hit UFA on July 1st
- Mithos

I would be happy with all, happier with some.

Cost wise, I think it would go: Pesce, Montour, Roy, DeMelo?

I feel the Sens will have to pay $1mill more per year and one extra year to compete against the teams in more tax friendly states and those that are closer to winning.

Pierre LeBrun

@TheAthletic
·
18h

Two years ago, the Panthers made changes.

Despite a President's Trophy-winning campaign, Florida resolved to get tougher. Meaner.

This is not rocket science. Hockey fans have known forever that toughness and meanness are important ingredients when it really matters. (stretch and playoffs). Yet teams blow their brains out trying to ice more and more high end skill.

Sens need a physical top 6 forward to help offset the concentration other teams put on Brady to try and neutralize his physical game.

The Sens need a top 4 Dman that will punish opposing forwards in front of our own net (Kleven might work).

Other than that, I would not make many other changes. Sens have some depth players on the farm who should get a decent look.
- spatso

Serves to note most teams don't have their primary muscle up on the top line. Brady is filling physicality roles he shouldn't be focusing on with the Sens. Brother Matthew and Barkov on FLA are good examples - these guys play very physical but take way less dumb penalties than Brady does because they've got a plethora of big, greasy physical presences in Bennett, Lomberg, Cousins, Mikkola, Ekblad, Lorentz and Gadjovich backing them up to do the dirty work. Brady has to do a lot of chirping and heavy lifting because our team is small and soft on pretty much every level, when he *should* be reserving that and focusing on points. If he had Matthew's lower PIM numbers I'd bet dollars to donuts he'd have more points than his brother as well.

If Iginla is available at #7 do the Sens flip picks with Calgary and other considerations. Sens would get #9 and Markstrom. Calgary gets #7 (Iginla), Korpisalo and a sweetener to make the deal work.

I would not like that deal...but, I fear something involving a reach for another goalie is inevitable.

agree with all this
- Mithos

me too

Looking ahead to the draft, we have no 3rd round pick. The player I am thinking of will probably go late 2nd round or third round. We have 4 fourth round picks but one will probably get switched to a 3rd round pick in 2026 draft (if Florida wins Cup .... part of Tarasenko deal).

So my question is, assuming we keep the 7th and 25th picks (a dman and a centre) , do we use the 2nd round pick to draft a goalie?

Ilya Nabokov, currently playing in KHL with Metallurg. He is 21 and just led the team to the KHL championship.
Season 2.15 .930 shutouts=3 23-13-3 43 games played
Playoffs 1.82 .942 shutouts=4 16-6-0 23 games played

If Iginla is available at #7 do the Sens flip picks with Calgary and other considerations. Sens would get #9 and Markstrom. Calgary gets #7 (Iginla), Korpisalo and a sweetener to make the deal work.

I would not like that deal...but, I fear something involving a reach for another goalie is inevitable.
- spatso

- DEDDIE

What's a fair offer?

Looking ahead to the draft, we have no 3rd round pick. The player I am thinking of will probably go late 2nd round or third round. We have 4 fourth round picks but one will probably get switched to a 3rd round pick in 2026 draft (if Florida wins Cup .... part of Tarasenko deal).

So my question is, assuming we keep the 7th and 25th picks (a dman and a centre) , do we use the 2nd round pick to draft a goalie?

Ilya Nabokov, currently playing in KHL with Metallurg. He is 21 and just led the team to the KHL championship.
Season 2.15 .930 shutouts=3 23-13-3 43 games played
Playoffs 1.82 .942 shutouts=4 16-6-0 23 games played
- OttawaB

That is a great post.

I wonder. So many teams are struggling with inferior goaltending. Do some of the draft eligible goaltenders get selected ahead of where they might normally be taken. NHL draft is very trendy.

Late risers on the draft prospect lists are most often the younger kids who have the later birthdays. In 2020 Jake Sanderson was not on anybody's top 10 list at Christmas. He was one of the younger players (July 8). Ridley Grieg was even younger (Aug 8).

Predraft, I like to look at the ages of the top prospects to see if anything stands out. Here is a top 10 list by age (from youngest to oldest)

Iginla 01 Aug
Cellebrini 13 June
Richardenson 07 June
Helenius 11 May
Silayev 11 Apr
Parekh 15 Feb
Lindstrom 3 Feb
Demidov 10 Dec (05)
Buium 7 Dec (05)
Levshunov 28 Oct (05)

If Iginla is still on the board at #7 take him. Do not take any phone calls from Calgary.

Note: the Hockey Buzz morality patrol edited the name of the London Dman from Richardenson to Richardson (oops they have done it again). Anyway, I think you can figure out why and how to unscramble who is this 6' 3" all star Dman.

What's a fair offer?
- AlfieisKing

Not sure but giving up Jacob Markstron and taking back 4 years of Korpisalo to move from 9 to 7 is a rediculous proposal.
Korpisalo's contract has very low to negative value and there is virtually no difference in the value of player your drafting at # 7 and #9.

The thought that Calgary is desperate to draft Tij is dumb as what their prospect pool really needs is help at C and D not wing.

Not sure but giving up Jacob Markstron and taking back 4 years of Korpisalo to move from 9 to 7 is a rediculous proposal.
Korpisalo's contract has very low to negative value and there is virtually no difference in the value of player your drafting at # 7 and #9.

The thought that Calgary is desperate to draft Tij is dumb as what their prospect pool really needs is help at C and D not wing.
- DEDDIE

*** and a sweetener to make the deal work.***

you casually glossed over that part...like if we threw in Chychrun for instance.

Interesting the not surprising news that Laiane is available. Now that is a gamble I would make.

Not sure but giving up Jacob Markstron and taking back 4 years of Korpisalo to move from 9 to 7 is a rediculous proposal.
Korpisalo's contract has very low to negative value and there is virtually no difference in the value of player your drafting at # 7 and #9.

The thought that Calgary is desperate to draft Tij is dumb as what their prospect pool really needs is help at C and D not wing.
- DEDDIE

The Sens do need some wing help....

Laine? Are we interested, if we don't pay anything and get CBJ to take back some bad contracts?