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The Ottawa Senators finally made the playoffs in 2025 after coming close in previous seasons. Ottawa had a rough start to the season, to be fair. However, they rebounded to win the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, they were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But NHL Free Agency provided a chance to bolster this roster and build upon this performance.
The Senators certainly could have justified a big splash this summer. However, they elected to keep things a bit quiet. Their main priority was re-signing Claude Giroux to a one-year contract. They were able to do this before the market opened, ensuring the veteran winger remained with his hometown team for the upcoming season.
Outside of Giroux, the Senators made one other notable move. At the 2025 NHL Draft, Ottawa added to its defense. They swung a trade with the Los Angeles Kings for defenseman Jordan Spence. In return for the 24-year-old, Ottawa sent a third-round pick in 2025 and a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Senators are likely heading into the 2024-25 season with this roster. As a result, it's time to look at the areas they didn't address. Here is one move Ottawa should have made during the 2025 NHL offseason.
A top-six winger would bolster Senators' playoff chances
The Senators have a good top-six at this time. Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, and Drake Batherson are good scoring forwards. Stutzle and Tkachuk, in particular, are capable of producing at elite levels. Beyond these three, though, there is a bit of uncertainty.
The Senators have high hopes for Dylan Cozens moving forward. Giroux is still a good winger who can play in the top-six. And there's a chance that Fabian Zetterlund bounces back from his post-trade deadline struggles. Beyond these names, though, it's hard to see another reliable scoring option up the lineup.
Of course, adding a top-six winger is not easy. As one can imagine, teams don't want to give those sorts of players away. Making matters worse is that some of the potential options never had any interest in joining Ottawa. Brock Boeser's heart was with the Vancouver Canucks. And Nikolaj Ehlers signing with the Senators felt like a long shot.
The Senators could pursue a restricted free agent if they wanted to take the offer sheet route. In saying this, there are few options remaining on that side of things, as well. Luke Evangelista of the Nashville Predators could make some sense. But Ottawa would likely need to clear salary cap space in order to make that work.
Ottawa can still make the playoffs with the roster as it is. However, they are going to need significant offensive improvement from the likes of Stutzle, Batherson, and Tkachuk. Moreover, they will need Zetterlund to improve. And the more veteran options in David Perron and Michael Amadio will need to step up.
This is certainly not an impossible ask. Ottawa has an incredibly talented group. In saying this, it's still a tall ask for any squad. The Senators would do well to add another body to this group. This takes a bit of pressure off the current skaters while providing the top-six with another consistent and reliable scoring option.
Ottawa expects to make the playoffs once again. They should be in contention throughout the 2025-26 campaign. However, if they want to truly establish themselves as a playoff contender, they need to add a top-six winger before the season starts in October.
