The Ottawa Senators are a breakout candidate as a team. With the additions of Vladimir Tarasenko, Joonas Koorpiaslo, and a full season of Jakob Chychrun, they are primed to take a huge step forward and contend for a playoff spot in 2023-24.
With that, comes individual players that could break out and help transform this franchise into the upper-echelon of teams atop the Eastern Conference. They are admittedly not there yet, but if they receive breakout seasons from their young, up-and-coming players, the outlook of their roster looks a lot deeper.
Ridly Greig
Ridly Greig was selected with the 28th-overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft and, in 20 games last season with the Senators, he posted nine points and looked comfortable within the top six.
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Going into training camp, especially so with the signing of Tarasenko, Greig is more likely to resume a role in the bottom six. There is still plenty of room for him to enjoy a breakout season, as his defensive skills and instincts will be greatly appreciated on the penalty kill. A shorthanded unit that was middle-of-the-pack in 2022-23 at 80.7 percent, could use a player like Greig to help them reach elite status in that regard.
The points may not pile up for Greig next season, but if he is to break out, his impact will be noticed in the “little things” that coaches love to rave about. His forechecking was a huge asset last season for those 20 games, and in a third-line role, he may be asked to use that ability more often than not. He is also the perfect type of player to slide up the lineup if an injury were to happen to a top-six forward. He has that type of versatility that coaches love, and head coach DJ Smith will likely use him in a plethora of situations this season.
With the departure of Alex DeBrincat, the Sens will have to be deeper and more complete up front to compete with their division rivals, such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Shane Pinto
Shane Pinto played a full 82 games last season for the Senators, and similar to Greig, he showed plenty of flashes when thrust into a top-six role. He posted 20 goals and 15 assists for 35 points, which are incredibly solid numbers for his first full season in the NHL.
What should excite Senators fans the most is the room for growth. Pinto will likely start the season as the team’s third-line centre, and he should have two skilled wingers on his side regardless of deployment. With another full season, and potentially improved linemates down in the bottom six, this makes Pinto a prime breakout candidate for 2023-24.
Another major question about the potential of a breakout season from Pinto is on the power play. How much ice time on the power play is he in line for? If he continues to be the “shooter” of the second-unit, then he will continue to post strong results in that area. His shot is arguably his best ability, and the Senators’ coaching staff should be looking to put him in the best possible shooting spots with the man-advantage.
He can also slot into the top six should an injury occur, and sharing that trait with Greig puts the Sens in a much better position than a season ago when they lost Josh Norris for all but eight games. Health is paramount to any teams’ success, but it feels as though the Sens were unlucky last season, and with improved injury luck and better depth, this forward core may be improved from the version that had DeBrincat.
Jake Sanderson
You may be thinking to yourself, didn’t Jake Sanderson break out last season? While you would be correct, I believe there is plenty of room for the former fifth-overall selection to grow into a true top-pairing defenceman. Sanderson posted a staggering 32 points in 77 games last season as a rookie, but his most impressive moments didn’t come offensively.
He continually, game after game, would break up multiple odd-man rushes and clear the puck out of danger. He was an absolute force defensively, and at just 21 years old, he is just scratching the surface of what he could become. By the end of the season, if he truly continues on this development path and once again breaks out, he could be regarded as the best defenceman on the team.
Between Sanderson, Chychrun, Thomas Chabot, and Artem Zub, the Senators’ top four is set in stone for next season. Sanderson taking yet another major step forward would be incredible for the organization’s playoff chances and would provide plenty of surplus value to his entry-level contract (ELC).
Another thing of note is that this is a contract year for Sanderson who will be a restricted free agent (RFA) next offseason. With the added motivation of a major pay raise on the other side of this season, look for a much improved and refined version of Sanderson in 2023-24.
The Senators are attempting to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017. If these three players are able to enjoy breakout seasons, they should have no issues qualifying given the upgrades they have made to the roster this offseason. With training camp just over a month away, the Senators project to be relatively quiet as their roster seems to be taking shape.