The Ottawa Senators (33-42-5-2) battle the Buffalo Sabres (32-39-8-3) in the season opener on Thursday evening. The Senators finished seventh in the Atlantic division with only 73 points in 2021-2022. Buffalo wasn’t much better, amassing 32 wins, and finishing in fifth with 75 points. The Senators won the season series by a 2-1 mark.
The Ottawa Senators enter the season with optimism. GM Pierre Dorrian had a busy offseason, bringing in veteran Claude Giroux and acquiring Alex DeBrincat from the Blackhawks. These are huge additions to help a young roster generate an increase in offense. Ottawa only won 33 games last year resulting in 73 points but there have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs.
The Senators brought in Giroux and DeBrincat and also signed Tim Stutzle to a big contract extension last month and are expecting an increase in production from the German forward. The 20-year-old winger scored 22 goals and finished the year with 58 points. He registered two assists in three games against the Sabres last year.
Brassard flashed the quick reflexes off this sweet backhand feed from Rourke Chartier ?? #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/bgKqdpfT0I
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) October 9, 2022
Claude Giroux is still a good player at the age of 34. The veteran collected 65 points in 75 games last season. Alex DeBrincat had reached 40 goals twice in his career including 41 in 2021-2022. One thing is for sure, the Senators will score more goals this season. They also have a proven goal scorer in Josh Norris. The Sens blueline is a bit thin. Thomas Chabot is one of the better defensemen in the league but the depth is lacking.
The Senators extended Anton Forsberg, signifying he is their man in net. The 29-year-old logged good numbers last season, recording a 2.82 GAA and a solid .917 save %. He was pegged with a ton of shots making that save % number remarkable. Ottawa only averaged 2.7 goals last season, ranking them 26th. The Senators conceded an average of 3.2 goals, positioning them 22nd.