Ottawa Senators 2021 Predictions, Team Odds and Season Preview
This is a completely different team than last year. GM Pierre Dorion blew the roster up in the off-season and despite losing their two leading goal scorers in Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anthony Duclair, the offence will be boosted with free agent signee Evgenii Dadonov and 2020 third overall draft pick Tim Stuetzle. This season should finally show Sens fans some light at the end of the tunnel.
Ottawa Senators 2021 NHL Odds
At +7,100 on the NHL futures board to win the Stanley Cup, no one is pretending this team is a contender. What gets interesting, however, is their potential improvement. Their season point total over/under is set at 45.5, by far the lowest of the Canadian teams, and they’re +552 to make the playoffs. Those are both very tempting numbers to take with a completely retooled Senators lineup that will be competing in a very open all-Canadian North Division.
As far as player props go, Tim Stuetzle is going at a conservative +457 to win the Calder Trophy, while it might also be worth the risk with Matt Murray at +2,800 for the Vezina and Thomas Chabot at +2,000 for the Norris. With a new contract and on a new team Murray has something to prove, while Chabot will see plenty of ice time as the undisputed No. 1 defenceman on the team.
Ottawa Senators 2019-20 Season
Record: 25-34-12 (62 points in 71 games); Seventh place in Atlantic Division; Missed Playoffs
Leading Scorers: Brady Tkachuk (44 points); Jean-Gabriel Pageau (24 goals)
The Senators continued their rebuild during the season with more trades and roster development. While they finished near the bottom of the league standings, their point percentage of .437 was the highest since the 2016-17 season. They were finally able to get the Bobby Ryan contract off the books and although Craig Anderson was a fan favourite, Matt Murray is a big upgrade.
Ottawa Senators Trades / Acquisitions
The off-season allowed Ottawa to radically overhaul the roster. They picked up a young two-time Stanley Cup winner with Matt Murray as the new No. 1 goalie and they added veterans Derek Stepan, Erik Gudbranson and Braydon Coburn through trade, while also picked up Alex Galchenyuk and sniper Evgenii Dadonov in free agency. Tim Tim Stuetzle looks more than ready to not only play in the NHL, but to also contribute importantly, liking signally the Senators are nearing the end of the rebuild.
Players to Watch
Tim Stuetzle: Stuetzle, the first of three first round picks Ottawa made in the 2020 NHL draft, looked like the most NHL ready prospect in the World Junior tournament. It would be shocking not to see the standout German make this Ottawa team and be an important piece right away. Last year, as a 17-year-old, Stuetzle averaged just under a point per game in the DEL, Germany’s top professional league, and he was he biggest standout in the 2021 World Junior tournament, finishing with 10 points in five games. Stuetzle is the corner piece of the Senators rebuild and has game changing potential that will only get better as he plays tougher competition.
Thomas Chabot: Starting the first year of an eight-year contract, Chabot is clearly the key piece to Ottawa’s defence. He is an offensive defenceman, who averaged 26 minutes of ice time per game, last season, and over the past two seasons he is in the top-15 in total points and points per game among defenceman who have played at least 50 games over that time. With the addition of shutdown defenders like Erik Gudbranson and Braydon Coburn, Chabot will likely focus more on the offensive side of his game and continue to put up big numbers this season.
Matt Murray: The Senators think they have found their franchise goalie in two-time Stanley Cup winner Matt Murray, trading for him in the off-season and immediately signing him to a four year contract. Murray, however, is not without risk. Although he is a young, proven, goalie, who has done a lot of winning over his short career, he has also dealt with injury issues and inconsistency. Murray is a gamble with a lot of upside, though. He is coming into Ottawa with a pedigree of winning and a chip on his shoulder to prove he can be a consistent presence in the net.
Best Bets
The Senators were dead even on the puckline spread last year, finishing 35-35. Understandably, they were rarely the favourite, going 2-7 on the puckline in those games, while they had a slight edge as the underdog, going 33-28. Oddsmakers aren’t likely to look much more favourably on Ottawa, this year, which could lead the Sens to have an even better record on the puckline spread.
Ottawa Senators 2021 Season Prediction
Outside of the most die-hard Sens fans, no one is going to tell you Ottawa is a playoff team. The all-Canadian division should certainly be beneficial to them, but they’re coming off a year that saw them finish 15th in the Eastern Conference. It would be surprising, however, to not see an improvement for this team.
Chabot is a certified star in the league, Brady Tkachuk could thrive in the North Division and have a breakout year and Matt Murray should finally give Ottawa a reliable goalie. Tim Stuetzle will likely be an impact rookie and help this Senators team take a big step forward, though the playoffs are likely still a year or two away.