The late Eugene Melnyk, former owner of the Ottawa Senators, had unwavering faith in his team. He boldly predicted that despite recent struggles, the Senators would become a playoff contender again. His confidence, while sometimes controversial, fueled his vision for the team`s resurgence.
In 2020, Melnyk declared his belief that the Senators would win the Stanley Cup within four years. This ambitious statement came after a period of decline for Ottawa, who hadn`t reached the playoffs since 2017. Following a near Stanley Cup Final appearance, the team had endured a series of losing seasons.
Melnyk supported his words with a detailed plan, developed with then-General Manager Pierre Dorion, outlining how Ottawa would achieve his high expectations. They committed to investing up to the salary cap to realize this vision.
While the specifics of this plan remain largely unknown, it`s clear that the Senators faced significant challenges in meeting Melnyk`s ambitious goals in the immediate years following his declaration.
For seven seasons, the Senators experienced ups and downs. However, they finally broke through, securing a playoff spot and claiming the first wild-card position in the Eastern Conference.
Their playoff qualification wasn`t seamless; it was clinched despite a 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, thanks to a Montreal Canadiens victory over the Detroit Red Wings on the same night.
Despite the unusual circumstances, the Ottawa Senators are back in the playoffs. The question remains: how did they achieve this turnaround? It`s a complex story, but several crucial factors propelled Ottawa to this point, bringing them closer to fulfilling Melnyk`s championship aspirations.
General Manager Steve Staios acknowledged this achievement as “a good first step” for the team. He highlighted the strong motivation evident from the start of training camp.
The Senators` return to the playoffs came after Melnyk`s passing and the dismissal of Dorion in 2023, who had been tasked with leading Ottawa back to contention. The team`s decline from Eastern Conference contenders to bottom-dwellers was perplexing.
After finishing 30th in the 2017-18 season, a rebuild began. Key players like Erik Karlsson were traded, leading to further struggles and the departure of veterans like Matt Duchene, Mark Stone, and Ryan Dzingel. By March 2019, Ottawa was last in the league, and coach Guy Boucher was replaced, signaling a desperate need for change.
DJ Smith became head coach in 2019-20, aiming to revitalize the young Senators. Emerging talents like Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, and Drake Batherson were already on the roster, joined by top draft picks Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson by 2020.
In 2022, Dorion intensified the rebuild efforts by acquiring Alex DeBrincat and Cam Talbot, and signing Claude Giroux as a free agent, hoping to boost Ottawa`s playoff chances. However, the Senators missed the playoffs by six points that season.
DeBrincat`s reluctance to sign long-term led to his trade to Detroit, and Talbot also departed. Following Melnyk`s death in 2022, the team was sold to Michael Andlauer in June 2023, marking a new chapter. However, the transition was not smooth.
Early in the 2023-24 season, the NHL penalized Ottawa, stripping them of a first-round draft pick due to an issue with a 2021 trade involving Evgenii Dadonov. This penalty cost Dorion his job in November 2023. Staios, then president of hockey operations, took over as GM.
Amidst off-ice turmoil, the Senators` performance suffered. A poor 11-15 record led to Smith`s dismissal in December, replaced by Jacques Martin. Despite their young talent, the Senators again finished seventh in the Atlantic Division.
Three key philosophical shifts then occurred, propelling them from the bottom to playoff contention, with the belief that this is the start of sustained success.
Ottawa Trusted the Process
Tim Stutzle openly expressed the relief and pride felt by the Senators after clinching a playoff berth, acknowledging the difficult journey they had endured.
“We`ve been through some s— here,” Stutzle said after the loss to Columbus. “Some tough years. I`m just really proud of the guys, how we`re all hanging in here. I don`t think there`s a team who deserves it more than us. I think we worked really hard this year.”
Ottawa`s current success is made more meaningful by their recent struggles. Thomas Chabot, who debuted with the Senators in 2016-17, had expected consistent playoff appearances, given the team`s past success. However, it took over 500 games for him to finally reach the playoffs.
“You`re not going to see me smile a whole lot after a loss,” Chabot joked after securing a playoff spot, “but, man, it feels great.”
Brady Tkachuk echoed this sentiment. With over 500 games and 400 points, he had long strived to lead Ottawa to the playoffs. His dedication to the team was unwavering, even amidst trade rumors earlier in the season.
In February, as the Senators climbed the standings, Tkachuk was linked to the New York Rangers in media reports. This angered owner Andlauer, who suspected tampering. Tkachuk focused on his play, leading the team and dismissing distractions, reinforcing the team`s focus on developing their young core for playoff contention.
However, young talent alone wasn`t enough. Veterans like Claude Giroux and David Perron provided crucial leadership. Giroux, since joining in 2022, maintained his high level of play, contributing significantly to Ottawa`s offense and providing stability.
“Some games maybe we weren`t at our best. But we`ve been finding ways,” Giroux said. “When you`re not playing your best and you`re finding ways to win, that`s a good sign. You can just tell that everybody wants to play the right way. It`s fun to play that way.”
Giroux`s playoff experience, though limited in recent years, and Perron`s Stanley Cup win with St. Louis in 2019, brought valuable perspective. While a Stanley Cup this year might be a long shot, reaching the playoffs is a vital step in Ottawa`s progression.
“I`ve won [before], but I see other guys like Claude, and so many other guys [who haven`t],” Perron said. “You want to do it for them. You want them to experience a run, you want to give that experience to the younger players.”
Ottawa steadily positioned themselves for this opportunity. The difficult years strengthened the team`s core players, making them appreciate this playoff chance.
Ottawa Found the Right Coach
The Senators sought a fresh voice with their new ownership and GM, hiring Travis Green as coach in May 2024.
Green quickly recognized Ottawa`s readiness to move past losing.
“From day one, they were open-minded, and open to wanting to win badly,” Green said. “They`re open to coaching, and it`s the whole team. That`s not always the case.”
Green`s coaching background included a tenure with the Vancouver Canucks and an interim role with the New Jersey Devils.
He praised the Senators` coachability, particularly after a challenging 5-8-1 stretch in November that could have derailed their season.
“[That] was a big part of our season,” Green said. “It`s one thing to say you`re open to coaching. It`s another thing to do it. Being able to have an honest conversation and players be open to hearing things they do not necessarily want to hear. But there are certain parts of every player`s game where they must be a little better. [Then they have to] agree with it, and then try to do it.”
Staios lauded Green`s leadership in guiding the team`s turnaround.
“The vision that Travis had, and how he`s been able to coach this group and turn it from where we were last year to be able to play the type of hockey to give ourselves a chance to make the playoffs [is huge],” Staios said.
Green`s impact went beyond strategy; he instilled a winning mentality and structure. While many coaches understand tactics, Green`s success stemmed from how players embraced and implemented his approach, changing Ottawa`s trajectory.
“I know how badly they want to win,” Green said. “You don`t always get into the playoffs, but being on the side of our room, I truly felt like this group was willing to do whatever it took to take the next step. Now we`ve gotten there.”
Ottawa Fixed Its Defense and Got the Right Goaltending
A crucial element of Ottawa`s transformation was their commitment to defense.
Playoff contention required improvement at both ends of the ice. Green provided the defensive framework, and the players executed it.
“I`ve learned a lot from [Green], especially [with] the defensive side of things,” Tkachuk said. “It`s easy to see now when he shows the mistakes that we`ve made and how we can correct them.”
This defensive improvement was gradual. Early in the season, Ottawa was 26th overall in the league and allowing 3.20 goals per game.
Despite early frustrations, Green maintained his approach and supported his players. His belief in turning players like Stutzle and Tkachuk into complete players was evident. The team needed to commit.
“He`s got a unique way of being hard and holding players accountable,” Staios said of Green. “But also developing that relationship and having a real honest, open line of communication.”
Ottawa`s defense improved significantly. Over the next 25 games, they ranked second in the league in goals allowed per game (2.20).
Overall, their goals against at 5-on-5 dropped from 2.34 last season to 1.84 this season. They also won a significant number of games when being outshot, highlighting their defensive resilience.
This defensive focus was essential as Ottawa`s offense, while capable, wasn`t always dominant. They ranked lower in scoring and even-strength goals, relying somewhat on their power play.
Green`s system aims for long-term success, establishing a foundation for consistent playoff contention. This defensive improvement is attributed to Green, the players, and finally, reliable goaltending.
Ottawa had struggled with goaltending during their playoff drought, cycling through goalies like Craig Anderson, Matt Murray, and Anton Forsberg. Joonas Korpisalo also had a brief stint.
In June, Ottawa acquired Linus Ullmark from Boston, who signed an extension, solidifying his commitment. Ullmark, a recent Vezina Trophy winner, became Ottawa`s much-needed number one goalie. Interestingly, Ottawa made the playoffs while Boston was in line for a high draft pick, suggesting the trade benefited Ottawa significantly.
Despite injuries, Ullmark has been a strong presence, significantly improving Ottawa`s goaltending. Their team save percentage rose from .879 to .911 with Ullmark, who has formed a solid tandem with Forsberg, whose performance also improved.
Ullmark hopes to lead Ottawa`s goaltending in the playoffs. Having experienced playoff droughts in Buffalo and success in Boston, he understands the significance for players like Chabot and Tkachuk who are reaching this stage for the first time.
“I`m happy now that the guys now that have been there for a long time,” Ullmark said. “Like [Chabot] and [Tkachuk], for example, to have been there the longest, and now have an opportunity to play really meaningful games and get into a position where you can battle for the Cup.”
While a Stanley Cup this season or in the near future is not guaranteed, the Ottawa Senators are now in the playoff mix. For players like Chabot, it’s a dream realized – finally participating in meaningful late-season hockey.
After a long wait, the Ottawa Senators` playoff dream has become reality.
