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2023 Ottawa Senators Predictions with Futures Odds and Expert NHL Picks

by Ryan Cobbett - 9/26/2023

Ottawa Senators predictions Tim Stutzle

Summary of last season

Ottawa was about as mediocre as you can get last year. They finished with 86 points, finishing behind Buffalo and Pittsburgh as the next team out. Ottawa just could not win on the road. They were somewhat dominant at home, winning 24 of 41 home games but managed only 15 road wins. The Sens posted a -10-goal differential, with the offense failing to make an impact in most games this season.

Depth was the issue last season, as Ottawa had five players finish with more than 60 points but then it’s a pitfall to 41 points (Thomas Chabot) and then a whole lot of plug ins. LW Tim Stutzle led Ottawa in points (90), goals (39), and assists (51). LW Brady Tkachuk and RW Claude Giroux both finished with 35 goals and were second and third on the team in points (83 and 79). G Cam Talbot seemed to be the guy despite not posting the best record. He finished just 17-4-2 as the netminder but allowed less than 3 GA/G, though his SV% was a mere .898.

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Seasons come and go, so now it’s time to take a look at what we can expect from the Ottawa Senators in 2023-24:

Key Additions/Losses

The big departure was Alex DeBrincat when he was traded to Detroit back on July 9th. However, the Sens made it a good deal as they brought in a first-round pick and LW Dominik Kubalik, who is a decent plug-in with DeBrincat’s absence. Ottawa also added veteran skater Vladimir Tarasenko, who posted 50 points last season for the Blues and Rangers. Tarasenko should be a nice piece that can boost the offense. Finally, Ottawa made a big splash signing Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year deal, and he is expected to be the starting netminder heading into the new campaign.

X-Factors

Tim Stutzle- This kid will need to get back to the heights he reached last season where he posted 90 points. He is a young and exciting player but needs to prove consistency. He posted only 58 points in one more game the season before last. Ottawa will need Stutzle to take a step forward this year.

Goalie Outlook

Korpisalo is an upgrade over Talbot, but Talbot is not a bad No. 2. Both goalies have now been around for quite some time and have had dashes of excellence throughout their careers. Korpisalo posted better numbers last season than Talbot, allowing just 2.87 GA/G and posting a .915 SV%. I like the upgrade and I think Talbot may be better in less time.

Grade: B

Team Win total- Under 90.5

Key Schedule Stretch

December 9th to December 27th- This stretch features a lot of playoff teams and a lot of road games. They are being this stretch in Detroit before returning home to host Carolina. After that, it’s five consecutive road games in Saint Louis, Dallas, Vegas, Arizona, and Colorado. Following the tough road trip, they return home to play an improved Penguins team before hitting the road to take on Toronto.

Notable Odds

*DraftKings

Stanley Cup Champions - +4000

Conference Winner - +2000

Division Winner - +1100

To Make the Playoffs – Yes +130

Prediction

If everything goes right for Ottawa, they will be competing for a wild card, but that is their ceiling. I do not think losing DeBrincat hurts this team except for the fact that it made a Detroit Red Wings team more competitive, and that Detroit team could result in Ottawa just missing out on a playoff spot. I like the Sens, but I really like them next year. This season, they will make the wild card race interesting.

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