The Ottawa Senators are looking to turn things around in Sweden. At the time of this article being published, the team was just taking to the ice for warmups at the Avicii Arena in Stockholm. The Sens and Detroit Red Wings will play the first of a four-game slate over as many days as part of the 2023 NHL Global Series on Thursday afternoon, with precious points at stake.
Although it's still early in the season, Ottawa has certainly dug itself a hole; the Sens have lost six of nine and have fallen to the basement of the Atlantic Division with a disappointing 6-7 record. Head coach DJ Smith made it clear before the season that there is only one goal in Canada's capital in 2023-24: making the playoffs.
This isn't looking like a playoff team, at least based on the last few weeks. But Ottawa has been without Artem Zub and Erik Brannstrom for stretches of the year, and remain without one of their top blueliners in Thomas Chabot. He fractured his hand at the end of October and was given a 4-to-6 week timetable.
Still, there have been bright spots on this roster — both Jakob Chychrun and Mathieu Joseph have been excellent in the early going. And the hard work is paying off in terms of increased minutes and more opportunity for both.
Jakob Chychrun fitting in great with his new team
Chychrun played just 12 games for the Senators in 2022-23 after being traded from the Arizona Coyotes, the only other NHL club he's known. And he was good, if not great, scoring five points in 12 games after being limited to just 36 contests in the desert. But after a full healthy offseason to train after he had been mired in trade speculation for years, the 25-year-old looks like a new player this season.
When the year started, Chabot was on the first powerplay unit. When he went down with injury, it was sophomore standout Jake Sanderson who took his place. And Sanderson has been solid this season, racking up 10 points in 13 games. But when the team took to the ice for practice in Sweden ahead of the NHL Global Series, it was Chychrun manning the top group, along with Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, Drake Batherson and Tim Stutzle.
On PP2, Chychrun looked potent, and he's third on the team in scoring outright with five goals and 12 points in 13 games. He's finally getting rewarded with the keys to PP1, and he seems poised to thrive in that role. He's also averaging a staggering 24:40 of time on ice in the early going. He's looking like the team's best defensemen, and has been more than a pleasant surprise for a disappointing club this year.
Mathieu Joseph earned his top-six spot
The same goes for 26-year-old Mathieu Joseph, who is quietly putting together an excellent start to the year — and being rewarded for it. He began the season on the fourth line, and when Ottawa takes on Detroit on Thursday night in Stockholm, he'll be playing with two stars in Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux in the top-six.
Joseph is well-deserving of the bump up the lineup; he's scored at nearly a point-per-game pace with 12 tallies in 13 games, while averaging just over 16 minutes of time on ice. He's blossoming into a top-six player and looks poised to shatter his career-highs across the board, which came with the Tampa Bay Lightning in his rookie season. The Quebec native had 13 goals and 26 points for the Bolts back in 2018-19, and he's breaking out five years later.
Despite the team's struggles, both Chychrun and Joseph have been pulling their weight for the Senators. A player who isn't through nearly a fifth of the season is Josh Norris.
Scorching return has cooled for Josh Norris
The Senators have a plethora of talent at the top of the lineup, and I was a bit surprised when Josh Norris returned to the team and was immediately thrust into a top-six role with exposure on the top powerplay unit. He immediately silenced me by scoring two powerplay goals in his return from a nagging shoulder injury that cost him almost all of last year.
But it's been a struggle for the 24-year-old since. After going on a four-game point streak after his triumphant return, Norris has just two points in six games since, and hasn't scored since Nov. 2. Although he remains on the top line with Brady Tkachuk and Vladimir Tarasenko (who himself has replaced Drake Batherson), he has been replaced on the top powerplay unit, being relegated to PP2 along with Sanderson.
Norris certainly hasn't been playing poorly, but he has been disappointing — along with the team — since his scorching start. Both player and club started hot and have cooled off, with unfortunate results for the fan base. Still, the Senators have an opportunity to get back on the right track against the Red Wings and Wild on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
Follow Us
Subscribe