Wings to look for top 6 forward and top 4 defensemen in the offseason, Ottawa must figure out the DeBrincat situation.

Offseason plans, The Wings could look to add a top 6 forward and top 4 Defender to try and improve their team for next year, while the Senators need to figure out the DeBrincat situation and if he is willing to sign long term. 

Detroit Red Wings

Significant Pending UFA: 

C,LW P.Suter 14-10-24 79GP

LW,RW A.Erne 8-10-18 61GP

RW A.Chiasson 6-3-9 20GP

LD/RD J.Oesterle 2-9-11 52GP 

LD R.Hagg 2-5-7 38GP

RD M.Pysyk 0-0-0 0GP

G A.Nedeljkovic 5-7-0 REC 3.53 GAA .895 SV%

G M.Hellberg 5-8-0 REC 3.21 GAA .888 SV%

Significant Pending RFA:

C J.Veleno 9-11-20 81GP

C J.Weatherby 0-0-0 0GP

RW M.Luff 2-2-4 19GP

RD G.Lindstrom 1-7-8 36GP

RD W.Newpower 0-0-0 0GP 

LD J.McIsaac 0-0-0 0GP 

Current draft capital for Red Wings in 2023: 10

1RD DET, NYI

2RD DET, ST.L, VAN 

3RD DET

4RD MIN 

5RD DET

6RD DET

7RD DET 

Why did the Red Wings  miss the playoffs: Detroit had a pretty decent season this year and right from the start of the season they were competing hard to make the playoffs, but for the second straight year they fell off in the second half of the season and would up finishing bottom 10 again this year, so even though they had some improvements this season it wasn’t enough to get them into the playoffs and there were definitely a couple of reasons as to why they did so poorly this year especially in the 2nd half of the year. 

So first I would say the Red Wings, just like the Capitals weren’t able to keep pace with the teams challenging for the last Wild Card spot due to some bad play toward the end of the season, especially after the deadline. So the Red Wings had a decent start to the season this year and were competing from the get-go for a playoff spot and stayed in the race for a while and I remember that at one point in either late January or early February the Red Wings, points percentage wise were actually in a playoff spot and some people thought that if the Red Wings could continue that play and keep it up they could finally overcome the hump and finally make the playoffs, but then they started to fall out of the playoff race ever so slightly and while Atlantic division rivals Buffalo and Ottawa continued to push to make the playoffs, the Red Wings faltered a bit and started to drop out of the playoff race and while they were only out of a playoff spot by a mere 4 points at the deadline, GM Yzerman decided that his team was a seller after there poor play in the weeks leading up and I think that sealed their fate, as they would move Bertuzzi who is a top 6 forward, Sundqvist and Vrana who are good middle six forwards and Hronek who was a big top 4 offensive defensemen for them and was a big blow to lose, and after moving on from those guys at the deadline, they would finish the season with a 7-13-1 record post deadline and went from 4 points behind a playoff spot to finishing 12 out of a playoff spot, so in my opinion the poor play in the second half which wasn’t as bad as the year prior, but still wasn’t good cost the team a chance to at least remain in the running for a playoff spot and while they were playing bad before the deadline, I think moving those players and making the team a bit weaker really sealed the deal and the poor second half play was in my opinion the main reason why they missed the playoffs this year.

But it wasn’t the only one as I do think some bad play from the Red Wings goalies also cost them the season. Now the Red Wings came into this season with hopes that their goalie tandem would be good enough to get into the playoffs, as they had moved on from Griess in the offseason and brought in Husso to tandem with Nedeljkovic after Husso had a pretty good year with St.Louis the previous year, and that goalie tandem was supposed to do good, and they even added to their depth in season by claiming Magnus Hellberg who had bounced around a few teams off of waivers who could strengthen their net position, but surprisingly it didn’t turn out the way they wanted it to, as Husso was a pretty good goaltender throughout the season and definitely was the better of the three goalies, but Nedeljkovic had a shaky start to the season and was a major reason as to why the Wings claimed Hellberg off of waivers and he was able to play just a bit better then Nedeljkovic had been playing but not much and as the Wings started to play worse toward the end of the season the goalies didn’t do overly well and by the seasons end all three goalies had a SV% of below .900 and all had a over 3.00 GAA and while Husso had the better season of the three goalies getting a majority of the Wings wins and had 4 shutouts, both Hellberg and Nedeljkovic didn’t do too well this year and the Wings did wind up finishing as a bottom 10 team in the goals against department and I think the poor play from the three goalies was a big reason as to why they did so poorly defensively this year and was another reason they missed the playoffs.

And finally I think the injuries to the forward group the team sustained also played a part as to why the Wings missed the playoffs. Now the Wings had some players have some pretty good years with their team this year, as guys like Larkin, Raymond, and Copp, Kubalik and Perron in their first year with the team were all able to hit the 40 point plateau this year and they were able to have some good goal scoring, but their depth wasn’t there this year as the Wings didn’t have great depth scoring and I think a lot had to do with the injuries. Now if you look at who missed time on the forward group due to injuries, their were a couple of significant names as Rasmussen who was actually having a pretty good season only played in 56 games this year due to injuries, Robbi Fabbri who is a extremely good middle six winger only got into a very little 28 games of action this year due to offseason surgery, Tyler Bertuzzi before being moved at the deadline to Boston was in and out of the lineup due to injuries and only played in 29 games with the Red Wings, Flip Zadina who is a good young player who was supposed to take strides this year only was able to get into 30 games this year due to a couple of injuries and Vrana who had played well in the past with Detroit was only able to get into 5 games with the team before being shipped off to St.Louis at the deadline, so on top of having younger players like Veleno, Berggren and Soderblom help out with the depth scoring this year, they also lost guys like Rasmussen, Fabbri, Zadina and Bertuzzi and Vrana before being traded for long periods of time due to injuries and losing so many good middle six forwards due to injuries really did hurt this team and the Wings were the 9th lowest team in the NHL this year in goal scoring so I think the young depth coupled with all the significant injuries to middle six forwards really hurt this team and played a huge part in why the team missed the playoffs, but I don’t think this is anything the Wings can’t fix and there are a few things I think they can do in the off-season to become competitive again. 

5 ways of how the Red Wings can improve in the offseason. 

Vincent Carchietta USA Today Sports

.1) Add a top 6 forward to replace the loss of Bertuzzi.

Now the Red wings are set up well for the next few years and should have some pretty good prospects make the roster in the next couple of years, but they are going to want to compete for a playoff spot next year and I think this team could benefit from a bit of a boost by adding a top 6 forward in the offseason. Now the teams offense is pretty good already and their top 9 is solid with players like Fabbri, Berggren, Kubalik, Perron and Copp in their middle six and they have some solid top 6 forwards in Raymond and recently extended Larkin, but the Wings did move on from solid top 6 goal scorer Tyler Bertuzzi at the deadline when they were sellers and I think adding someone in the offseason to replace him has to be a must. 

Now the Red Wings have the assets needed to pull of a trade for a top six forward and I could see them trying to go after any available forward that could fit well in their top 6, such as guys like Taylor Hall, Tyler Toffoli, Brock Boeser or maybe even Mitch Marner or Timo Meier if their available, but I think with their pretty good draft capital and prospect pool they would have enough cap space to pull off a major trade to upgrade that team as I think if they added another lethal option to that top 6 then that offense becomes a lot tougher to handle, and although there aren’t as many good options in Free Agency as there are in the trade market, I could see the Wings look to target someone in free agency if they can’t pull off a trade, such as guys like Killorn, Tarasenko or maybe they even look at bringing back Bertuzzi who is still at the moment a pending UFA in Boston, so I think this team would look a lot more scary next year if they were to add another top 6 forward because I feel they have a solid middle six that is good and on the younger side and if they can produce and they add someone to play top minutes with Larkin and Raymond, they could easily role 2 or 3 dangerous lines at a time that would have some lethal abilities to score and I think it would become hard to defend that team, so in my eyes I think they should look to bring in a top 6 forward, and I if you agree tell me in the comments who you think they should go after. 

.2) Continue to add youth by giving guys like Berggren and Kasper full time roles.

Now the wings over the past few years have started to incorporate more and more young talent into their lineup, such as Raymond, Zadina, Seider, Lindstrom, as well as guys like Berggren and Soderblom get looks at various points last year, so I feel if they continue to go in the youth direction they should do just fine, and I think they could really benefit this year from adding Berggren and Soderblom on full time roles and giving young former first round picks Kasper and Edvinsson some opportunities as well. 

Now the Red Wings I think should continue to add some young players to this roster as it has worked out well for them so far especially with Guys like Raymond and Seider doing so well they are now a integral part of the Red Wings and some of their best players, and I think they should add a few more players next year. Now Berggren got his first taste of NHL action this year, putting up 15 goals and 28 points in 67 games played this past year and should be a regular in the Wings middle six next year, while the towering Elmer Soderblom also got into some NHL games this year, getting 5 goals and 8 points in 21 games and I think could be a solid bottom six forward who is hard to play against next year, and while I do think defensemen such as Wallinder and Viro could compete for NHL minutes as well, I think the two players who should come in and be good next year are Edvinsson and Kasper. Both are former first round picks (Edvinsson 6th in 21, Kasper 8th in 22) and both show great potential to be legit NHL players. I think Edvinsson is more likely to get consistent NHL minutes next year because of the weaker D-Corp and the fact that he has more experience, as Edvinsson got into 9 NHL games this year putting up 2 goals and o think he should at least get a 3rd pair role on the swings next year, while I could see Kasper either play in the minors or in the NHL next year, as Kasper came over from the SHL this past year and played his first ever NHL game before suffering a injury and looked good and I wouldn’t be overly shocked if he was able to crack the Wings roster and be maybe their 3rd line Center next year behind Copp and Larkin, so in my eyes expect more young players to continue to be put in the Wings roster, with players like Berggren, Soderblom and Edvinsson most likely being regular NHL players next year and also don’t be too surprised in my opinion if guys like Kasper and Wallinder also make the team as well next year as I think in order to make the playoffs next year the team has got to keep on getting younger. 

.3) Move on from Zadina, one of Perron/Kubalik. 

Now the Red Wings moved most of their pending UFA’s at the trade deadline so I don’t really see many players who might be moved in the off-season by Detroit, but a couple guys I could see the Red Wings part with would be one of Perron or Kubalik and maybe even youngster Filip Zadina. 

Now Zadina was drafted 6th overall back in 2018 by Detroit and had some very high potential coming into the NHL and a lot of people thought that right out of the gate he would be a extremely talented top 6 forward and that the Wings got a really good player in him, but now after 4 full NHL seasons Zadina has not been able to show that top 6 potential with the Red Wings as in 190 games over 4 seasons, Zadina only has 28 goals and 68 points, and his career high up to this point in his career was when he hit 24 points back in the 21-22 season, so Zadina hasn’t lived up to his potential and I think we are getting to a point where it might be time to give him a fresh start, as I think Zadina could still be a good 3rd line maybe 2nd line winger, but he only played 30 games this year due to injuries and put up a lousy 7 points playing mostly on the 3rd line and with other players passing him on the depth chart I think it is time for Detroit to move on, and maybe they can get a decent return for a former top 10 pick who still may have some scoring potential, but I think it is time the team moved Zadina somewhere else and gave him a fresh start.

Meanwhile, Perron and Kubalik were both signed by the Wings last offseason and both are entering the final year of their contracts this offseason, and both had really good years with Detroit but with their contracts expiring after this year and Detroit wanting to get more youth in this team and improve their top 6, I could see them dealing one of the two. Now Perron was coming off some pretty good seasons with St.Louis including winning the Cup in 2019, but he left and joined the young Wings last offseason and had a pretty good year this season, putting up 24 goals and for the 4th consecutive year hit at least 55 points, getting 56 with the Wings and seemed to fit in really well in Detroit’s top 6, while Kubalik wasn’t qualified by the Hawks last offseason and decided to go to Detroit for a couple years where he had 20 goals and 45 points last year with Detroit as he was only 1 point shy of tying his career high in points last year as well and really bounced back well after a couple of down years in Chicago, and was able to get back his scoring touch from a couple years ago. Now I could either player be traded as both did good last year in their first season and produced well, but with Kubalik being younger and having more of a ability to put the puck in the net, personally I think it would be Perron who was dealt, but I could also see Kubalik be dealt also. So in my opinion the end is near for Zadina in Detroit and he should be dealt, while I think one of Perron or Kubalik will also be dealt in the off-season and let me now in the comments which of Perron or Kubalik do you think is the more likely to be dealt in the offseason. 

Perry Nelson USA Today Sports 

.4) Figure out who is to play in Net with Husso. 

Now in Net the Wings have a situation to deal with as the team needs to find out in the off-season who will be the other goalie in Net with Husso as the goalie position wasn’t overly great this year and could use a upgrade in the offseason if the Wings want to compete for the playoffs next year.

Now the Wings went into this season with the idea of having Nedeljkovic and Husso who they acquired last offseason as tandem goalies to spilt time this year and help the Wings be a playoff team, but early on Nedeljkovic wasn’t doing too well and Detroit wound up claiming Hellberg off of waivers and as he was playing better they placed Nedeljkovic on waivers and he was sent to the minors until the final few games of the season, and all three goalies didn’t do too well, as Nedeljkovic and Hellberg only got 5 wins each on the year and all 3 goalies had sub .900 SV% and a over 3.00 GAA this year, and although Husso did good the year before he went to Detroit with St.Louis, he was part of a tandem with Binnington and with the bad play of Nedeljkovic and Hellberg it thrust him into the starters role and I think he wasn’t ready for that and was probably one of the reasons the team didn’t do too well defensively this year.

So now both Nedeljkovic and Hellberg are pending UFA’s this offseason and I would be extremely shocked if either are back with the team and I would expect both goalies to be looking for opportunities elsewhere, and I think if Husso had a few nights off and was more of a tandem goalie like he was a few seasons ago with St.Louis, I think he could have good numbers again. So in my eyes the Wings need another goalie, and former 1RD pick Sebastian Cossa seems to be the goalie of the future, but I think he would benefit dearly from another year or two down in the minors developing, so with Cossa a year or two away I think the team would be looking for a goalie, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least of they were looking at more starting level goalies such as Gibson, Hart or Lehner, but I think they are much more likely to go after a more tandem goalie and I think there are a few in free agency that they could go after, such as Varlamov in NYI, Raanta in Carolina or Brossoit in Vegas would all be good fits in Detroit as all 3 have been tandem goalies in the past couple of years and I think would give Husso the nights off he needs to put up some better games, so in my eyes both Nedeljkovic and Hellberg who are UFA’s will most likely leave in the offseason and with Cossa a year or two away, I would expect the Wings to try and get a goalie who they can get to work with Husso in the Wings net for the next year or two, while Cossa continues to develop, and I would like to hear which goalie you think the Wings will go after in the comments.

.5) Replace Hronek in the lineup be getting a top 4 defender.

Now the Red Wings moved Hronek in-season to the Vancouver Canucks as I guess they didn’t see a long term future with him and got a stellar package in return, but while I do believe the Wings have a good young D-Core and could even have some other players enter the lineup next year, I think this team could go after a solid top 4 defensemen to help boost their backend. 

Now the Red Wings still have 4 regular defensemen from last year signed for at least next season and that is Seider and Chiarot who are top 4 defensemen, as well as Maatta and Walman who can both play on on D-Pair 2 or 3 and we’re both given extensions in the offseason, so they have some solid defenders still in the lineup, and I feel that they will give Simon Edvinsson a regular spot in the NHL lineup even if it is only on the 3rd pair, but I seriously think that this team could benefit from another top 4 defender who can maybe play on pair 2. Now Hronek was having a career year last year for points and did really help that defence and I don’t think or would really feel good if Edvinsson was thrust into that role, so in my eyes getting a more older top 4 defensemen could help them, and I could see them go after a guy like Boqvist, Hanafin or Girard via trade and if they were to go and look for some help via free agency then I would about guys like Severson, Dumba or Gostisbehere as all of there guys are solid top 4 defensemen, can give the Wings the same sort of thing Hronek did before he was dealt, and they can be there for the next year or two until Edvinsson is ready to step into that role. But I definitely think if this team really wants to compete for the playoffs next year then upgrading their top 4 on defence is a must and if they are able to do that then I think it would help them tremendously in their playoff push, and if you agree with me, let me know down in the comments which defender you think the Wings would go after.

So in my opinion, if the Wings can add at least one top 4 defensemen and top 6 forward, continue to give young players like Berggren and Kasper more NHL playing time, find a goalie who can tandem with Husso for the next year or two while Cossa develops, and move on from Zadina and one of Perron or Kubalik who are entering the final year of their deals then I think the Wings should have a legit shot at making the playoffs and although they are in a tough division and Confrence and I wouldn’t guarantee they make the playoffs, I think if they did this they could be right there to the bitter end, but let me know in the comments what you think w the Red Wings should do in the offseason to improve. 

If you liked this blog post, then check out my YouTube video on the Red Wings offseason here. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_f8TYYg9O94&t=1s

Ottawa Senators 

Significant Pending UFA: 

RW,LW A.Watson 9-2-11 75GP

C,LW D.Brassard 13-10-23 62GP

RW,C,LW J.Lucchini 1-0-1 11GP

C,RW P.Brown 4-8-12 61GP 

RD T.Hamonic 6-15-21 75GP

LD N.Holden 2-14-16 65GP

G C.Talbot 17-14-1 REC 2.93 GAA .898 SV%

Significant Pending RFA:

LW,RW A.DeBrincat 27-39-66 82GP

LW E.Sokolov 1-1-2 5GP

RW J.Gauthier 9-5-14 57GP 

C S.Pinto 20-15-35 82GP

C D.Gambrell 4-6-10 60GP

LD/RD E.Brannstrom 2-16-18 74GP 

RD J.B Docker 0-1-1 19GP

LD J.Larsson 0-0-0 7GP

G K.Mandolese 1-2-0 REC 3.30 GAA .916 SV%

G D.Ferguson 1-1-0 REC 2.54 GAA .940 SV%

Current draft capital for Senators in 2023: 5 

4RD OTT

5RD OTT

7RD OTT, NAS, NYR 

Why did the Senators miss the playoffs: Now the Senators actually didn’t do half bad this year, as Ottawa only missed the playoffs by 6 points and weren’t eliminated until the final week of the year, so they didn’t do overly bad this year and they definitely took some major steps forward this year, but I do think there was a couple of reasons as to why the Senators did wind up missing the playoffs as I think if a few things had gone differently this year for the team, then my prediction before the season of Ottawa making the playoffs might have come true.

Now first would be that the Sens slow start really hurt the teams chances to make the playoffs. Now we talked about with teams like Washington and Detroit how their bad play towards the end of the season lead them to fall out of the playoff race and miss the playoffs, but for the Senators it was the opposite as for what seems like the 3rd straight season, Ottawa didn’t start too well and it cost them by the end of the season. Now as they have in the past couple of seasons, the Senators had a pretty slow start to the season as they started the season with a slow 6-12-1 record in their first 19 games, and I know after that slow start a lot of people started to count out the Senators and thought they would not be able to have any push or bite to get back in the playoff race, but they actually did as they never stopped fighting and would continue to push for a playoff spot and although they did wind up missing the playoffs, they fought to the bitter end and only finished a handful of points out and with a above .500 record, so they were able to turn things around after the poor start, but had they not had such a poor start I think they could’ve actually made the playoffs in my opinion, as had they won 3 of those games they lost in the first 19 and instead had a 9-9-1 record and then finished exactly how they did, they would’ve been tied with the Panthers for the final spot in the east playoffs, so although they showed some serious resilience and after the poor start we’re able to recover enough to finish with a above .500 record and only a mere 6 points out of a playoff spot, it was still a big hill to climb after the team started 6-12-1 and had they had a bit better of a start this season I think they could’ve made the playoffs, but they dug themselves in a hole early and although they got out of it and competed to the bitter end, I think the slow start for Ottawa was the biggest reason they missed the playoffs.

And then I think the Sens actually did pretty good in most other aspects of the season, as the young players grew a lot, the power play did exceptionally well as they had a top 10 power play unit this year and they were hovering around middle of the pack for their goals for and against as well as their penalty kill, so even though they didn’t make the playoffs there wasn’t much going against the Senators, except for probably the only other reason they missed the playoffs other then the fact that they had a slow start, and that was the injury bug. Now I don’t think it was as big a deal for them as say teams like Montreal and Columbus went through this year, but it did hurt the team a bit. Now the injuries I feel were not as big a problem in the first half of the year, but as the season went on they got more banged up, now on the forward group, Brassard only players in 62 games and missed the last handful of games in the season due to a injury, Mathieu Joesph only played 56 games this year due to injuries, Watson missed a handful or games due to injury and before being dealt at the deadline, key bottom six forward Tyler Motte also missed a big chunk of time for Ottawa due to injury, so the lack of good depth scorers especially late in the season hurt this team, but the biggest injury all year for the Senators was Norris, who was injured early in the season, missed some time and came back before re-injuring himself and having a season ending injury, so Norris who is their top line Center played a grand total of 8 games this year due to injuries and not having their top line Center on the team really hurt the Sens, but the forward group wasn’t the only spot getting hurt, as Sanderson and Hamonic missed a handful of games, Chabot missed 14 due to injuries, in-season acquisition Chychrun missed the final few weeks of the season due to injuries and only played in 12 games with Ottawa, while Zub only got into 53 games this year due to injuries, and in net Talbot, who they brought in to be their 1A missed the first month and a half of the year and was injured at other points as well, only getting into 32 starts, while Forsberg who had played well suffered a injury with about a month left in the year that kept him out the rest of the year and had him start only 25 games this year, so their two starting goalies combined for only 57 starts this year while 5 other goalies combined for 25 starts, which just says how injured they were in Net last year. So in my opinion injuries were a big part as to why they missed the playoffs as not having their top line Center, a few bottom six forwards at times, finishing the season without their top 4 defenders and having their net minders out at inopportun times did hurt the Sens and had Talbot been healthier, or Norris I think they could’ve been closer to a playoff spot then what they were, so injuries also lead to Ottawa missing the playoffs.

So other then injuries and a bad start, I think the Sens did good this year as had guys like Norris, Joseph, Zub and Talbot all been a bit healthier and had they had a better start I could’ve seen them in the playoffs instead of a team like Florida or NYI, but as good of a season as they had and a good learning experience it was for some of their younger players, I do still think there are things the team can improve on and I think the team could do a couple of things in the off-season to help their team possibly make the playoffs next year. 

How the Senators can improve in the offseason.

Charles LeClaire USA Today Sports

.1) DeBrincat needs to get a contract extension. 

Now I think priority number 1 for the Senators this offseason will have to be getting the DeBrincat situation ironed out, as he is a RFA who is only a year away from being a UFA and is due a $9 Million dollar qualifying offer and although Ottawa had said they would sign him, if they can only work out a 1-2 year deal would they actually consider moving him. 

Now this is the biggest thing the Senators are going to have to deal with this offseason because this could go a few different ways. Now the Sens acquired DeBrincat last offseason from the Blackhawks in exchange for a 1st, 2nd and 3rd which in my opinion was a steal, and he fit in really well into the top 6 in his first year in Ottawa and put up only 27 goals but hit 66 points, reaching the 66 point mark for only the 3rd time in his 6 year career, but the question now becomes does he want to sign long term, as he is currently a RFA this offseason finishing up his 3 year contract and is a year away from being a UFA, and is also due a $9 Million dollar qualifying offer if the Sens want to qualify him as a RFA. 

So the Senators would most likely want to lock him up on a 7-8 year deal but would they want to pay him somewhere between $9.5-11 Million dollars per year on a extension as I think that is probably how much it would cost to keep him, and would DeBrincat want to sign long term, because al he has to do is accept his qualifying offer and then walk to free agency next year, and if DeBrincat doesn’t want to sign with Ottawa would they possibly trade him, I got think that if he only wants a 1-2 year deal to remain in Ottawa they may have no choice but to trade him, but I think they will be able to work something out to keep him, as I think they will find middle ground similar to what Columbus signed Laine to, which would be a 3-5 year deal at a cap hit of $8.5-9.5 Million I think would make both sides happy, as DeBrincat gets paid for the next few seasons and then will be able to cash in one last time, while Ottawa gets to keep the lethal top 6 forward for the next few years, but I am not guaranteeing that will happen as DeBrincat might not want to resign or Ottawa might think a extension is too pricey in which case I could see some sort of DeBrincat trade coming, but he has got to be priority number 1 as the only other significant RFA they have is Pinto and I would expect this two sides to work out a deal rather quick, but because of all the possibilities for DeBrincat, it is going to be interesting to see what happens. So for me personally I think he signs a 3-5 year deal to remain in Ottawa, but I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments, if Ottawa keeps DeBrincat what does he sign for, and if he doesn’t want to sign long term, can you see the Sens actually trade him. 

.2) Will they be okay with a Forsberg-Sogaard tandem, or will they bring in a new goalie.

Now the Senators didn’t have great goaltending last year as Talbot was in and out of the lineup due to injuries and didn’t play all too well when he was in, and Forsberg who played quite well missed the last month due to injuries which thrust young goalies Sogaard, Mandolese and very late in the season Merilainen into some starts when I don’t think they were ready, but for next year Sogaard I think could be NHL ready, but would the Sens be okay with a Sogaard-Forsberg tandem or would they try to get a different goalie to tandem with Forsberg. 

Now the Senators acquired Talbot in the offseason for underperforming young goalie Gustavsson in a trade most people at first thought the Sens won, but then Talbot had a injured riddled season and when he was healthy he didn’t play overly well, while Gustavsson was able to take the starting job from Fleury in Minnesota, so that trade was basically a bust for the Sens, and now after Talbot finished the season being a healthy scratch to youngsters Merilainen and Sogaard toward the end of the season, it is almost a guarantee that Talbot, a pending UFA, will not be back with the team and I think guys like Merilainen and Mandolese are destined for the minors next year, but the question remains who will be the tandem at the NHL level next year. 

Now I think that Forsberg should definitely be part of the teams goaltending duo next year, as he played quite well this year before being injured and is signed for the next couple seasons, so I think Forsberg will play as a tandem guy, but the question remains who will be his partner in Net. Now I do think Sogaard is ready for some NHL action and when called upon due to injuries this year he actually looked quite good, but for a team who is looking to take a big step next year and compete for a playoff spot, is being backstopped by a 1B and rookie goalie really the best option for them, and I think with them being in win mode, they would more likely have Sogaard in the AHL for one more season and bring in someone new to tandem with Forsberg this upcoming season, and then maybe they move on from Forsberg next offseason and have Sogaard at the NHL level, but I definitely think with Ottawa trying to make the playoffs next year, I don’t believe a Forsberg-Sogaard tandem would work for them. So then the question becomes who do they bring in, and I think they could look to try and get a major upgrade in goal who can work with Sogaard for the next few years after this year as well, so I am looking at maybe Lehner in Vegas, Hart in Philly or Gibson in Anaheim as possible trade options for the Sens, while if they were to look in the free agent market, I could see them go after a guy like Jarry, Andersen or Korpisalo who all showed starter potential this year, but as much as I think Sogaard is NHL ready, I think he will wait one more season in the minors and continue his development while Forsberg will be the 1B goalie to whoever new they bring in to be the 1A or starter and I think if they can get a major goalie upgrade who can help them for the next few years, this team should have a much better chance at making the playoffs then they did this year. 

Marc DesRosiers USA Today Sports

.3) Continue to add some youth to the team. 

Now the Sens are on of the youngest teams in the NHL right now and have add a plethora of young players over the past few years including Stutzle, Tkachuk, Norris, Batherson, Sanderson and Pinto and all those players are key pieces for their team, but I think they need to continue to add young players to the team and guys like Grieg, Sokolov, Kleven, Bernard-Docker and Thomson should at least get a look at the NHL level next year. 

Now as I said the Senators are one of the younger teams in the NHL and have a good core group of guys like Stutzle, Tkachuk, Norris, Batherson, Pinto, Joseph, Chychrun, Chabot, Zub and Sanderson that should push this team back into playoff contention in the next couple of years, but after adding so much young talent I think they will continue adding young players next year, as there are a few young players who I think can make the NHL roster for the Senators next year. 

First on the forward group I think Greig is finally ready to be a full time NHL forward, as he had a couple of looks this past season and the former 1RD pick did alright and didn’t look out of place, as he put up 2 goals and 9 points in 20 games at the NHL level and I think he is going to be a really good hard to play against forward at the NHL level, and while the top 6 in Ottawa is extremely stacked with star studded talent, I think Grieg could maybe be a regular on the 3rd line with Joseph and Pinto and do well next year, so don’t be surprised id Greig makes the Sens roster next year. And another forward I could see getting a NHL opportunity next year is Sokolov, who does have a goal and assist in 13 NHL games under his belt, but has been a beast in the AHL these past 3 seasons and I think could do really well in the bottom six being a solid depth scorer for the Sens, so although I do think Sokolov might remain in the minors, I could also see him be a NHL forward next year. On the defensive side, I can’t see any scenario where Bernard-Docker isn’t a consistent NHL player next year as he has gotten some NHL looks over the past couple of years and has 2 assists in 32 games for Ottawa and I think he would be a great fit on maybe the 3rd pair with a more veteran defensemen, sort of like with Sanderson this year with Hamonic, so I would expect Bernard-Docker to be a regular NHL player, and although I think it is a ton more likely for these two to remain one more year in the AHL, I think both Thomson and Kleven could also challenge for NHL spots as I think in time both of these young defenders will be great NHL players and if there are injuries I could see one or both play some minutes on the 3rd pair this season, but definitely don’t be surprised if Kleven and Thomson are also challenging for roster spots, and then as we talked about above I do think Sogaard is ready for NHL duties but I think may spend one more year in the minors and be a really good 3rd string goalie, and then there are also guys who should challenge for roster spots in years to come with guys like Jarventie, Boucher, Ostapchuk, Hamara and Merilainen all being good prospects who should have NHL futures as well. So in my eyes I think Greig and Bernard-Docker will be regulars in the lineup next year and continue to help the Sens grow their young core, while I could also see Sokolov, Thomson, Kleven and Sogaard get some NHL time as well next year and I think Ottawa should definitely continue to add young players to this already stacked roster. 

.4) Re-work their bottom six. 

Now while the Senators have a good and young top 9 on the team, the 4th line looks a bit weak with guys like Watson and Motte most likely not with the team next year, so I think if they can maybe retool the bottom six a bit and get some more tougher players to play against I think they could benefit a lot from that in their playoff push for next year. 

Now these Senators bottom six I do think could use a bit of work this offseason, especially with guys like Motte now here and Brassard and Watson most likely going to free agency, but I think if they can add a few good depth forwards, the team should be good at getting some secondary scoring. Now as long as DeBrincat resigns I highly expect the teams top 6 to include DeBrincat, Tkachuk, Norris, Stutzle, Giroux and Batherson while I could easily see their 3rd line made of Greig, Pinto and Joseph next year so they have a pretty stacked top 9 but if the run into injuries and want a hard to play against 4th line then I think they could try and get some players via free agency on maybe 1-2 year deals. Now I think some players they could go after that would improve their bottom six would be Lucic, Foligno, Hornqvist or Sundqvist as all are good bottom six forwards who can play a majority of the season on the 4th line, but also have enough skill to play higher in the lineup if called upon and have some bite to their game that would make it tough to play against them and with a young guy like Kastelic centring them, I think a 4th line with that sort of look would really round out the roster, so I am not saying those 4 players are the ones they are going to go after, as I do think there could be others, but I do strongly suspect that if they can add a couple of bottom six forwards to their roster they should look a lot more complete next year, and if you were Ottawa, which bottom six forwards would you go after. 

.5) Have a better start than the past few years.

Now the Senators had a poor start to the season in each of the past couple of seasons and it has always been too much of a hill to overcome, so while this isn’t really something they can improve in the off-season, if the team would like to make the playoffs next year they are going to need a much better start to the season then they have had the past couple of seasons. 

Now the Senators had a poor start in both their last few seasons as in the 21-22 season the team started out 4-15-1 and could never overcome that poor start and even last year the team had a 6-12-1 start to the season and even though they were able to play quite well for the rest of the year and finish with a over .500 record and only be out by 6 points of a playoff spot, the bad start I think for sure did them in last year, so even though they have to wait until the start of the season to do this, they will need to start right this season if they want to make the playoffs, as I think if they can at least have a mediocre start to the season where they have around a .500 record and don’t have to dig themselves out of a early hole, then I think they should have enough momentum to not only contend to make the playoffs but also possibly make the playoffs, so although it is something they would have to fix in season, I think a good start to the season could go a long way to helping the Senators finally get over the hump and make the playoffs.

So in my eyes the Senators will have to get the DeBrincat situation taken care of, give young guys like Grieg and Bernard-Docker consistent NHL minutes, have Sogaard the 3rd string goalie and go out and acquire someone to tandem with Forsberg, while re-work the bottom six so it is tougher to play against and have a much better start to the season then the past two years and I think the Senators stand a good chance to not only make the playoffs, but also get a top 3 spot in the Atlantic and start to become the dominant I think they could be, but if you think of anything else that could help the Sens this year let me know down in the comments.

And if you like this blog post, then check out my YouTube video about Ottawa’s offseason right here. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_f8TYYg9O94&t=1s