Senators training camp preview: What does post-Tkachuk era look like?

Stepping onto the ice for training camp, the Ottawa Senators aren't just looking to punch another playoff ticket — they are out to prove that they can transition from a post-season regular into a legitimate championship threat.

For the past five seasons, the Senators have been focused on building around Brady Tkachuk, but now the focus shifts toward moving in a new direction following his trade to the Florida Panthers.

General manager Steve Staios wasted no time trying to fill the void left by Tkachuk, acquiring William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks. There is no question the Senators will be hoping to avoid having Tkachuk's departure be a big talking point throughout camp but it will be tough to avoid it at the start.

That's not the only lingering situation the team is looking to resolve. The team will also try to get Batherson's contract extension out of the way, and if either side wants to make it an eight-year deal, they'll need to get that done before the new CBA kicks in on Wednesday.

Salary cap space: $4.196 million
GM: Steve Staios
Head coach: Travis Green
Assistant coaches: Nolan Baumgartner, Ben Sexton, Mike Yeo
Unsigned players: None
Key additions: William Eklund, Andre Burakovsky, Samuel Ersson, Sammy Blais
Key subtractions: Brady Tkachuk, Daniel Alfredsson

What we’ll learn during pre-season:

1. Who becomes the next captain?

This will be the biggest question surrounding the Senators from the moment players arrive at camp.

Replacing Tkachuk as captain is about more than deciding who gets to wear the 'C.' Tkachuk was the emotional leader of the room and one of the players who set the tone for Ottawa. The Senators now have to decide which player can provide that leadership while also representing the direction of the franchise.

Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot have emerged as the most obvious candidates, with Claude Giroux also providing an experienced alternative. Stützle is the team's franchise centre and offensive engine, Sanderson is the backbone of the blue line and Chabot is one of the longest-tenured Senators.

Whichever path management chooses, the player inheriting the 'C' will need to set the tone not only off the ice but on the ice to start the season.

2. Can Eklund become a legitimate top-line player?

The Senators made a big bet trading the 2026 ninth-overall pick to San Jose for Eklund as they looked to replace Tkachuk's spot in the lineup. They targeted the 23-year-old coming off back-to-back 50-point seasons in San Jose, but the team certainly hopes that he can reach another level.

Going from a productive piece on a rebuilding team to a driver of offence on a club with playoff expectations is going to present its challenges. Eklund will need to prove that he is capable of handling that heightened responsibility and cement himself as a true top-line threat.

One area Eklund will thrive in is that the Senators are among the top teams in offensive-zone time percentage, ranking second last season. Eklund was in the 93rd percentile among forwards in offensive-zone time percentage (45.9), according to NHL Edge stats.

If he can channel that zone time and the Senators' ability to generate high-danger scoring chances into more scoring opportunities, he could see his points total climb.

3. Is Yakemchuk ready to stay in the NHL?

While there will be eyes on the new additions during camp, many will be looking to see if Carter Yakemchuk can stick around when the final cuts are made.

The 20-year-old didn't earn a spot out of camp last season but he still got his first taste of NHL action, playing in four regular-season games and one in the playoffs. His offensive ability and puck-moving skills are his calling card, but head coach Travis Green will need to see if he can be trusted defensively against NHL competition on a consistent basis.

Having a full season in the AHL allowed Yakemchuk to get used to playing professional hockey while also working on developing a more complete game and playing top-pairing minutes.

The Senators' top four on the blue line is set with Sanderson, Chabot, Artem Zub and Jordan Spence. That means it'll be up to Yakemchuk to cement a spot on the team's third pairing, where he likely goes up against Nikolas Matinpalo for playing time.

4. Can Ullmark and Ersson give Ottawa reliable goaltending?

It was a bumpy second season for Linus Ullmark, whose struggles became a big storyline as he stepped away from the team to deal with mental-health issues.

Ullmark re-established himself as the No. 1, but Ottawa needs the backup position to become less of a concern.

The Senators acquired Ersson from the Leafs after he had a less-than-stellar 2025-26 season in Philadelphia, posting a 3.12 goals-against average and a .870 save percentage.

All the Senators need from Ersson is to provide reliability behind Ullmark. He has proved that he can play 40-plus games at the NHL level and has a respectable 65-50-17 record in 143 career appearances, but they need to avoid a repeat of last season where they used five different goalies.

Bold prediction

Sanderson makes a big run for the Norris Trophy

The competition for the Norris Trophy is among the toughest in the NHL when it comes to individual awards, and Sanderson has been knocking on the door as a player who could win it one day.

Many traits of Sanderson's game make him a strong candidate for the Norris. The 24-year-old led all defencemen in max skating speed (24.37 m.p.h.) last season, ranked second among defencemen in 22-plus m.p.h. speed bursts (31) and was third at his position in 20-plus m.p.h. bursts (204), according to NHL Edge stats.

He has also shown that he can handle the responsibility of being a workhorse on the blue line, playing the third most shifts per game among defencemen, and was ninth in time on ice per game, at 24:50.

What would help Sanderson's case is if he can improve his offensive numbers, as he's had back-to-back 50-plus-point seasons, but he'll need to see a big increase in production, as recent history suggests that 80-plus points is likely the bar to reach.

Projected lines

William Eklund — Tim Stützle — Drake Batherson
Ridly Greig — Dylan Cozens — Claude Giroux
Warren Foegele — Shane Pinto — Andre Burakovsky
Fabian Zetterlund — Nick Cousins — Michael Amadio

Jake Sanderson — Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot — Jordan Spence
Tyler Kleven — Carter Yakemchuk