The Senators haven’t made the playoffs since 2017, but they’re hopeful that will change as they open the season against the Florida Panthers Thursday
Published Oct 09, 2024 • Last updated Oct 09, 2024 • 4 minute read
Some in the organization have been hesitant to say the word playoffs out loud during the offseason, but on Wednesday Ottawa Senators head coach Travis Green made it clear what the goal is heading into the 2024-25 season. Photo by Tony Caldwell /PostmediaThe Ottawa Senators want to shake the also-rans label.
Fresh off the announcement of goaltender Linus Ullmark’s contract extension on Wednesday, the Senators can now prepare to open the 2024-25 campaign against the Florida Panthers in the home opener Thursday night at the Canadian Tire Centre.
After missing a ticket to the National Hockey League postseason for seven straight years, the Senators head into this season with a goal of getting back to the dance for the first time since the club advanced to the Eastern Conference final in 2017.
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“Our goal is to make the playoffs,” coach Travis Green said following the club’s 44-minute skate. “You don’t make the playoffs tomorrow. Our goal is to be better than last year, commit to the daily process and continue to grow our players.
“That’s our goal. It’s not complicated.”
That statement shouldn’t bring any added pressure because everybody knows it’s time and it’s a realistic expectation for the Senators. Owner Michael Andlauer has stated publicly he expects that, if this group can stay healthy, it should make the playoffs, and now the talk has to turn to action.
Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark, with a freshly signed contract extension, will be a key as the team looks to take it to the next level. Photo by Ryan Remiorz /The Canadian PressGreen knows it’s not easy, either, and there have been times in the offseason when people in the organization have been hesitant to say the word playoffs out loud.
But it’s time for the core of this team to make the next step and Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, has brought in new faces.
This team is built around its core players, led by captain Brady Tkachuk along with top centre Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Josh Norris, Shane Pinto, Ridly Greig, Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson. This season they should have a better supporting cast around them.
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Of course, it starts with Ullmark, who signed a four-year extension that will allow him to help take the Senators to the next level and is only two years removed from winning the Vezina Trophy with the Boston Bruins as the top goaltender in the league.
Brady Tkachuk, seen defending against Vladimir Tarasenko of the Florida Panthers in an April 2024 game, says playing the opener at home against the Stanley Cup champions will be ‘a huge test for us’. Photo by Joel Auerbach /Getty Images“The Vezina kind of speaks for itself,” Tkachuk said. “His calm demeanour is the thing that stands out the most and what he’s learned on past teams on and off the ice, he’s already brought here.”
Starting the season against the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers will be a good measuring stick for the Senators to find out exactly what it takes to get to the next level.
Last year, the Senators were one of the second-youngest teams in the league, but that’s not the case anymore. This team finished 13 points out of the final wildcard spot in the East last season and that’s a lot of ground to make up to get yourself back into the mix.
“Whenever you have the defending Cup champs for your first game, it’s going to be a huge test for us,” Tkachuk said. “It’s something we can measure up to. There’s a lot of great vibes coming into the season and that’s going to be great going into (Thursday).”
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David Perron says it’s time for the Ottawa Senators to hit reset as the season begins. Photo by Tony Caldwell /PostmediaNaturally, Tkachuk will be facing his brother, Matthew, and the Panthers, for the first time since having a front-row seat to their run to the Cup last spring.
Tkachuk’s mother, Chantal, and father, Keith, arrived in town late Tuesday so they’ll be on hand with the rest of the family for this one. They were supposed to be in Florida for the raising of the Cup banner, but opted to come straight to Ottawa because of Hurricane Milton.
“Being up close and personal, you have a lot of respect for what they accomplished,” said Tkachuk. “Every year you think about the defending Cup champs and you want to take out the top and you want to be at the top at the end of the year.
“It’s going to be all business for me (Thursday). It doesn’t matter if it’s Game No. 1 or Game No. 50, they’re all big.”
Judging by the line combinations and defensive pairings on Wednesday, the Senators will have eight new faces against the Panthers: David Perron, Noah Gregor, Michael Amadio, Nick Cousins, Adam Gaudette, Nick Jensen, Tyler Kleven and Ullmark.
The players have had a jump in their step since the roster was settled on Monday, and when they skate on Thursday morning they’ll begin the game-day routine of preparing to face the Panthers.
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“The first game of the year seems like a bigger game than it is, but it’s just one game in the end,” said Perron, a veteran winger signed from the Detroit Red Wings on July 1. “Any time there’s games like that, whether it’s the playoffs, Game 7 or whatever, you just have to follow your routine.
“What we’ve done in camp is put our best foot forward, we’ve listened to the coaches as much as we can and we got some wins in the preseason, but the way we played some of the time was exactly what Travis wanted in all aspects. We have to reset the clock and start building again.”
BGarrioch@postmedia.com
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