The Ottawa Senators are one of many NHL teams that had a more complicated offseason than expected in this new era of star players dictating their destination of choice. Former captain Brady Tkachuk joins his brother Matthew with the Florida Panthers after requesting a trade from the organization. General manager Steve Staios has been aggressive over the summer in his efforts of filling the Tkachuk void. The biggest move in response to losing Tkachuk took place with the San Jose Sharks as the Senators gave up their ninth overall draft pick in exchange for forward William Eklund.
Senators have High Hopes for William Eklund
If the Senators are to return to the postseason this season, they are going to need Eklund to perform. The Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch is bullish that Eklund will make up for the loss of Tkachuk. Garrioch stated: “William Eklund will fill the void left by Brady Tkachuk’s departure on the left side; Staios tried desperately to acquire another top-six forward.”
Staios is hoping the Eklund addition can effectively replace Tkachuk; this will be especially the case after he failed to acquire a second top-six forward to add in the offensive rotation. Via The Daily Faceoff, the Senators forward core currently consists of Eklund on line one with Tim Stutzle and Fabian Zetterlund. The second line is made up of Ridly Grieg, Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson. This is a solid combination to work with on the top two lines, but it could use another piece. Maybe coach Travis Green feels confident that the grizzled veteran Claude Giroux can draw into a top line role if needed. Or, Staios could perhaps still have an in-season move up his sleeve to solve this dilemma.
In terms of production, it is not crazy to project that Eklund can chip in at a similar rate as Tkachuk. Tkachuk recorded 22 goals and 59 points in 60 games last season, while Eklund registered 15 goals and 38 assists in 78 games. Eklund produced at a lower level than Tkachuk, however he often played second line minutes in San Jose. Tkachuk rode shotgun with Stutzle on the left side, which is where Eklund will likely lineup this season.
Senators Team Should have Chip on their Shoulder
The big question is what does this change do for the identity of this Senators squad? Eklund is a completely different style of player compared to Tkachuk. Eklund is a talented player who relies on his skill, while Tkachuk is known for his physical game. Without Tkachuk, will this be a Senators group that prioritizes generating offense versus wearing teams down with their hard-nosed play?
Overall, this is a team that should be playing with a chip on their shoulder this season. Many pundits have written this team off as one that will drop out of the playoff mix after the departure of their captain. This is a squad that should be plenty motivated to prove people wrong. The games played against Florida in particular will be ones to watch as Tkachuk looks to get the better of his former team. Time will tell which side comes out of this situation on top.
Senators Hoping New Addition Can Fill the Brady Tkachuk Void