With the NHL playoffs underway, the Senators will be standing on the sidelines for the 6th straight season. Brighter days are ahead, but we can now say that the Senators are just a step away from qualifying for the postseason in a make or break year in 2023-24.
Offense was one of their strengths this year, with top end talent that carried the team at times last season. So, let’s evaluate the Sens forward group they iced this season, who played a minimum of 10 games.
Drake Batherson: B
The 2022-23 season gave us a clearer sight on just what Drake Batherson is as a player. In 2020-21 he became a full-time player during a shortened 56 game season. And in 2021-22, he was limited to 46 games due to injury.
Batherson started out with strong offensive numbers, but with shaky defensive results. The winger had a team best 14 game point streak as well. While he found a home with Tkachuk and Stutzle in the early going (35 points in 36 games), he struggled to find chemistry on the second line with Shane Pinto and Alex DeBrincat. His defensive game also took a step back as he registered a -35 on the year.
Some of that can be chalked up to him continuing to heal from his high ankle sprain, but needless to say, Sens fans will look to see him clean up his play in his own end next year.
Derick Brassard: B-
The PTO signing from training camp ended up playing a far larger role than many originally thought. With Josh Norris out for 73 games, Brassard was counted on to provide some depth scoring. Early on, he had some time with DeBrincat and Giroux on the wings.
As the season progressed, Brassard began to play more in the bottom six. A good portion of his production came on the powerplay, but much of the bottom six struggled to score at even strength this year. Brassard ended the season with 23 points in 62 games, and a +3 rating.
Patrick Brown: B
A last-minute addition at the trade deadline was how the journeyman came in, and he fared pretty well in a limited role. Brown isn’t a flashy player, but he quietly had some good production with the team. 5 points in 18 games isn’t bad in just over 11 minutes of time on ice. There are far worse options than bringing Brown back as a depth piece, on a cheap contract.
Alex DeBrincat: B-
This is a tough one. DeBrincats’ positives outweigh the negatives, and everyone can agree he had a down year. His presence on the powerplay was fantastic, as his zone entry skills are off the chart. He’s also very good along the half wall on his off wing, where he scored a good number of his goals.
But it was clear that he struggled to find chemistry with linemates at even strength. His 66 points in 82 games was disappointing, but that tells you how good of a player he is. If he re-signs, it’s fair to assume another season in a Sens uniform will see his on ice production increase.
Dylan Gambrell: C-
We’re about to see back-to-back seasons where Dylan Gambrell has played more than 60 games. Gambrell doesn’t hurt the team. He doesn’t make costly mistakes and rarely takes unneeded risks. If he continues that, then it’s possible he could be an NHL player for a couple more seasons.
But with 10 points in 60 games, I think it’s time to cut ties with the centreman. He isn’t great on draws (45%) and doesn’t fight, so there aren’t a lot of intangibles he can add to the team. With Mark Kastelic being able to provide those services, I would expect Gambrell to find work elsewhere.
Julien Gauthier: B-
While Tyler Motte has produced well for the Rangers, Julien Gauthier has been as advertised for the Sens. His 5 points in 17 are nothing to write home about, but the raw potential is there. His blend of size, shot and speed can be valuable if he puts it all together. He isn’t going to play in the top six, so he’s going to have to learn to put up points while playing limited minutes if he wants to succeed next year.
Claude Giroux: A
Senators fans had relatively healthy expectations for Claude Giroux coming into this season. He was supposed to be a productive top 6 player that would bring some valuable leadership to the table. But were we expecting 79 points, including a career high of 35 goals? I don’t think so.
It’s refreshing for the Sens young core to learn from a player like Giroux. He’s never going to be the fastest skater, but his competitiveness and hockey IQ are traits that will rub off on his teammates.
Ridly Greig: B
Ideally, Greig should have spent the year down in the AHL to get used to the pro grind. But while he was up with the big club, he didn’t look out of place. Giroux taking Greig under his wing, helped the rookie get used to the Senators system. 9 points in 20 games was a good start for the 20-year-old, and he’ll look to carve out a full-time role next year.
Mathieu Joseph: C+
Considering he just signed a 4-year deal that pays him $3 million a season, it was a disappointing season for Joseph. The 26-year-old was expected to provide some secondary scoring in the bottom six but was limited to just 18 points in 56 games.
He also only scored 3 goals after netting 12 in back to back seasons the previous two campaigns. However, I don’t believe his season was as bad as some made it out to be. He was one of the few players with a + rating and was a key part of a strong penalty kill unit. I would expect Joseph to have a bounce back season next year.
Mark Kastelic: B-
Kastelic is working his way into becoming a fixture in the bottom six. His physicality and faceoff abilities are going to make him a valuable 4th line center come playoff time. Despite the promising package, Kastelic still has some things to work on. He’s never going to be an offensive dynamo, but he will have to provide more of an offensive spark than he currently has if he wants to be an everyday NHL player.
Parker Kelly: D+
This was definitely a tough season for Kelly, who was limited to 4 points in 57 games. You can appreciate the intangibles. The shot blocking, energy and physicality is something you notice every night. But like many of the bottom six, Kelly fell victim to a rough season offensively. I would expect Kelly to get one more shot next year as a depth forward.
Shane Pinto: B+
After an unfortunate injury in fall of 2021, Pinto returned for a full 82 games this season. For a rookie season, Pinto came as advertised. There were some stretches where he looked like a 30-goal scorer, then he had pointless streaks that would last 8 games.
Of course, he was thrust into a bigger role than expected when Josh Norris was out for the season. This gave him more ice time against tougher opponents and it exposed his limitations at the NHL level. He struggled to find chemistry with DeBrincat and Batherson, and with that Pinto ended the season with a -21 rating. For a player who was scouted as a strong defensive player, I wonder if we’ll see that player come back next year.
Tim Stutzle: A+
To have Stutzle reach 90 points one day, it would have been seen as a success. Instead, he did that as a 21-year-old. Since making the transition to center last year, Stutzle has been one of the best players in the league.
He’s the perfect blend of compete, skill and star power that will make him a winner one day. With Norris out of the lineup, Stutzle was given responsibilities across all facets of the game. Number 1 powerplay, 1st line and 6th in shorthanded ice time among forwards. His ice time should drop next year from over 21 min/game, but how will his production react to less responsibility?
Brady Tkachuk: A
We’re now seeing what Tkachuk can be at his peak form, and there might be another level still to unlock come playoff time. The captain made a jump to a point per game player this year with 83 points in 82 games. Tkachuk also brings many other intangibles to the table: constant physicality, passion, and leadership. It’s a pleasure to watch this player on a night-to-night basis.
Austin Watson: C-
Watson had some good moments this year, with a couple helping him stay a Senator past the trade deadline. But unfortunately, there were too few of them to cement his role with the team in the future. While the offense dried up, he thrived in other areas of the game. He led all forwards in shorthanded time on ice and was a key contributor for a top penalty killing unit. His 61 blocked shots was 1st for Senators forwards as well.
Slated to become an UFA this summer, it’s likely the Sens give his ice time to one of their prospects knocking at the door.
-Damian Smith
Twitter: @Damian__Smith
Photo: Jenn G. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.