Senators season preview: Debryn Carter-Stutzl-Giroud line should add impact

3 KEYS

1. Top 6 Chemistry By bringing in 34 year old Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat , 24, The Senators revamped a third of their top six forwards. General manager Pierre Dorian said the original plan was to work with 20-year-old third-year forward Tim Stutzl Fight new people together. It looks promising, especially considering the different characteristics of each member. Giroux is a shrewd veteran who will become a teacher after being acquired in a March 19 trade with the Philadelphia Flyers and signing a three-year, $19.5 million contract on July 13 and teammates. Acquired in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 7, DeBrincat was a finisher who averaged 32 goals per season in his first five seasons in the NHL; Ottawa vs. Stutzle showed confidence in him by signing an eight-year, $66.8 million contract. The trio will have every opportunity to develop chemistry during training camp. 2. Chabot’s Help Thomas Chabot is entering the prime of his career; the 25-year-old has 188 points (42 goals, 146 assists) in 313 NHL games for the Senators and has proven to be a ball Team defensive player. But he needs help on the back end. Chabot played 59 games last season and led the Ottawa defender with 38 points (7 goals, 31 assists); the next highest-scoring producer under the blue line was Artem Zub , who had 22 points (6 goals, 16 assists) despite playing 81 games. Whether from Zub, Veterans Travis Hamonic or Nikita Zaitsev or Rookie Jack Sanderson , the Senators need more defensemen than Thomas Chabot.

3. Net Earnings Senators conceded 691 goals over the past three seasons; only Detroit Red Wings (743), New Jersey Devils (715), Montreal Canada The Man (702) and Buffalo Sabres (698) gave up more in that span. Over the past two seasons, Ottawa has used six goalkeepers: Anton Forsberg (54 games played), Matt Murray (47), Filip Gustavsson (27 ), Marcus Hogberg (14), Joey Dakod (VIII) and Mads Sogaard (II). By acquiring veteran Cam Talbot in trade with Minnesota With Gustavsson going wild on July 12, the Senators may finally have the stable net they’ve been looking for; the 35-year-old went 32-12 in a wild 49 games (48 starts) last season The 4 has an average of 2.76 goals, a 0.911 save percentage and 3 bans. After Ottawa started the 2020-21 season 1-8-1 and started last season 3-9-1, Talbot’s composure and leadership could help get off to a better start this time around. VIDEO: Ottawa Senators offseason

Roster countdown Make the cut The biggest lineup battle in the camp will come from the defense. While Chabot, Zub and Hamonic are all set to play, there will be plenty of opportunities for young players to start the season in the NHL. Ottawa has a bunch of promising rookies ready to jump to Sanderson, 20, Jacob Bernard -Docker , 22 years old and Lacy · Thomson , 21. It will be interesting to see if any, if all three, get a spot on the roster as a rookie. Most interesting addition Giroud has 923 points in 1,018 NHL games (294 balls, 629 possessions) assists), spent the offseason in Ottawa, so he has always had a soft spot for the region. Still, he’d like to see the Senators improve this offseason, and after they added Debryn Carter and Talbot, he had his answer. Giroux’s value can also extend beyond the iceberg. He could show other future free agents that Ottawa could be an ideal destination. Biggest potential surprise Changing the scenery could be the way forward Mathieu Joseph Required. The 25-year-old played his first 221 NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, playing limited in their top six, scoring 70 points (37 goals, 33 assists). But after being traded to Ottawa along with a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft Nicholas Paul On March 20, Joseph had 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in 11 games with the Senators. Predict what’s to come? Prepare to break Shane Pinto missed most of his 2021-22 season with Ottawa after undergoing shoulder surgery in November Matches are limited to 5 matches (1 assist). But the 21-year-old center is healthy and is expected to rotate regularly in the Senators’ back six and get potentially strong minutes on the second unit. The raw skills are there: He’s a 2021 Hobby Baker Award finalist for NCAA Division I hockey after scoring 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) in 28 games with North Dakota two seasons ago top players. Fantasy Sleeper Joseph, LW/RW (Average not in fantasy draft) — He averaged nearly a point per game and scored 8 in his last 11 appearances for the Senators in a trade with the Chargers In the season after being acquired. The top six was crowded after adding valuable forwards Deblink Carter and Giroud this offseason, but Joseph signed a four-year, $1,180 deal with the Senators on July 28. $10,000 contract, he could be a fantastic deep sleeper with at least one high upside young forward Alex Formenton ) and/or rookie Pinto. — Pete Jensen

Projected lineup

Bray Dee Tkachuk – – Josh Norris — Derek Bassen Alex DeBrincat — Tim Stutzle — Claude Giroux Alex Formenton — Shane Pinto — Mathieu Joseph Parker Kelly — Dylan Gambrell — Austin Watson Thomas Chabot – Travis Harmonic Eric Branstrom — Artem Zub Jack Sanderson – Nikita Zaitsev Cam Talbot Anton Forsberg