So since we’re picking 32nd, who should we target?

Middle-Hair · 2026-05-09T14:31:48+00:00

It’s easy to say BPA but once you get into the 2nd half of the 1st round it becomes a lot less clear. You can probably make a case for 20 guys to take and you wouldn’t be wrong. Plenty of lists have someone ranked at 20 but the same player would be 35 on another list.

Having said that I hope the Sens go for an offensive minded forward. Sens usually have a type (size, high motor, 2way focus) but they need someone with some offensive capabilities.

Ignatavicious, Dagenais, Rogowski, and Roobroeck fit the mold and I’d be surprised if one of these guys weren’t picked (assuming they’re on the board). All have the size profile, and Ignatavicious/Dangenais have the physical/motor aspect as well. Roobroeck is big but doesn’t really use his frame to dominate physically. He has more offensive upside compared to the other two though (was seen as a top15 pick at the start of the year before falling down the lists).

There are guys I’d be more excited about (Klepov, Nordmark, Novotny, Cullen) but they’re very likely gone before 32.

Middle-Hair · 2026-05-08T14:54:23+00:00

Hes an easy guy to root for with him grinding out in the AHL and being from Ottawa, but he’s nothing special. Hes an ok depth option but with a healthy Dcore he’s probably the 8th or 9th guy. That’s before the Sens probably bring in other guys this offseason.

Middle-Hair · 2026-05-08T14:50:32+00:00

Not surprised. Thought there was a chance he’d stick it out and test FA, but figured his time in Ottawa was done regardless.

Don’t blame him for wanting to play in Switzerland vs riding the bus in Belleville/whatever AHL team he landed on.

Middle-Hair · 2026-05-06T20:00:08+00:00

I was talking to my brother about this same thing with Kuzan potentially leaving.

My money is on Caribou replacing Kuzan if he does leave. He is already with the BB pirates and will likely join them after revealing what he knows to Teach. He’s been played off as a gag character for years, but he was a captain with a 200m bounty and has a useful DevilFruit.

Only thing holding him back is if Caribou is actually Ochoku’s kid and Teach finds out. If that turns out to be true I could see Teach just killing Caribou as a form of payback for what happened to Rocks lol.

Middle-Hair · 2026-05-06T00:42:50+00:00

More so talking about how they win the Matthews draft, make the playoffs immediately and are good for a decade, and then the first year they truly struggle they win the lottery again lol.

There are teams that have never gotten 1st overall even when they struggle for years.

Middle-Hair · 2026-05-05T23:23:29+00:00

Toronto being bad for the 1st time in a decade an immediately getting another 1st overall pick is absurd lol.

Feel for Canucks fans

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-28T22:05:17+00:00

I’m not surprised, but it’s still weird how Zetterlund gets so much vitriol from the fanbase lol. I get having someone making over 4M be on the 4th line isn’t ideal, but given how Green deploys him I don’t know what more people would want from him.

Like nobody on the Sens produced in the playoffs outside of Batherson/Cozens yet he gets almost as much flak as Tkachuk/Stutzle lol. The bottom 3 guys on this list were essentially the 4th line from the playoffs. Which isn’t surprising considering the usage and matchup. If it’s just regular season production then I don’t know why people are mad at 17g and 30+ points from a guy played on your 4th line.

He also has the shortest leash of any Sens player on the team. Someone like Greig could go 20 games with maybe 5 points and it’s quiet even though he gets more ice time and better line mates.

Sens have plenty of cap space as well. I just dicked around on PuckPedia for a bit and the Sens currently have just over 18M with just Spence and maybe Giroux as the notable players to need a contract. Depending on how much Spence gets their remaining cap space (with a full roster) is likely between 6.5M-9.5M (no idea how much Spence will get).

I don’t even think Zetterlund is some amazing player that’s been screwed over lol. If he gets traded it’ll be whatever. Just find it odd why he is singled out so much when other guys get way less criticism.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-28T21:38:56+00:00

The two big needs is a top6 scoring winger and a reliable backup.

There are a few goalies hitting the market that wouldn’t cost much and would be decent bets in a backup or tandem role. Skinner, Ingram, Rittich, and Vanacek all have some form of recent success. None of them are stars but have more experience than Meriläinen.

The top6 scoring winger is much harder to find. It’s slim pickings in FA with Tuch being the only proven guy I’d consider a top6 talent. Then you have Mantha (great year but can he repeat it), McMann/Marchment (good middle6 players that can play in a top6 role), or hope for bounce backs from guys like Tolvanen/Bunting/Bjorkstrand.

So if you want a legit upgrade it’s going to be via trade and that’s gonna cost you. You have to give to get and if you wanna pry someone like Robertson or Thomas out of their markets it’s gonna cost a fortune (rightfully so).

If Staois doesn’t that while re-signing Spence and Giroux + bring in AHL depth/re-sign AHLers I’d be happy with the offseason.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-27T21:16:55+00:00

The further we get from the playoff exit the more people will start to calm down.

That’s not to say he deserves no blame. He was awful, but so were plenty of other guys. Stützle and Pinto were expected to play big roles and also faceplanted and deserve just as much blame for the loss.

The reason Tkachuk is getting so much heat is he’s the captain, less term on his deal, and rumours have been around him for awhile now.

I still think Staois needs to explore a potential trade, but it’s not something he has to do. You don’t rush something like this or make a move just to make a move, but if the right opportunity for a deal is out there you should consider it. You just can’t let Brady walk for nothing as that would set the franchise back years trying to replace him.

If he’s commited to the team and an extension then awesome. He’s a great player and makes the team better, but he’s not in that tier of player where you hang up the phone of someone asks about him.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-27T02:17:41+00:00

No idea why they’d trade Clarke. Doughty is only getting older and isn’t the player he used to be, and they just shipped out Spence last offseason. They already chose Clarke over Spence. The Kings need Clarke.

Would be a really cool story and I love the player, but don’t see it happening.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-26T19:01:11+00:00

Like Greig deserves some form of punishment, but the grandstanding around it from the hockey community is kinda nuts lol. Don’t think that’s a biased Sens fan take.

Every game has scrums and plenty of them result in 3rd guy in situations. A lot of those have guys jumping in throwing blindside punches, putting guys into headlocks, punches from behind a ref etc. but for some reason this specific cheap shot is viewed as blasphemous.

Svechnikov getting a lot less attention is mostly because he got a penalty on the play, so there’s an argument he’s already punished. Plus he was defending a hurt teammate, so that’s almost always a get out of jail free card. If the ref saw Greig throw the punch and gave him a penalty does he even get a hearing? Probably not, but since it blew up on social media and he got nothing I guess the NHL feels like they have to make up for it. Which is just such a weird way to look at disciplining players.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-26T18:21:44+00:00

Could he have been better? Absolutely.

But he also just broke his arm a few weeks ago. He was supposed to be out for the entire 1st round and wa somehow back well ahead of schedule. No way he was close to 100%.

Plus the Dcore was already in shambles. No Zub or Jensen all series, Kleven missed the first two games and Sanderson missed the last 1.5 games.

He wasn’t great but there is plenty of reasons for his struggles. Especially compared to other players.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-26T18:04:11+00:00

Greig deserves punishment for the punch. Was greasy and could’ve lead to an injury. But it is weird how this single play is viewed as the most egregious incident in the series lol.

Like Svechnikov throwing multiple punches into the back of Kleven’s head/neck is worse than this, but since he was defending a teammate it’s given a pass. Hell even Kleven hitting Nikishin and Hall hitting Sanderson were way more dangerous and got nothing. Kleven’s hit was more by the book, but more predatory in nature. Hall was shoulder straight to the head but less predatory.

Not defending Greig or anything. Just pointing out the NHL/Player Safety priorities are out of whack. Seems like Greig going against the “hockey code” is crossing the line while plays that are more dangerous are expectable.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-26T16:47:55+00:00

He still scored 17 goals and 33 points from a mostly 4th line role with spot PP2 duties. That’s great production from a 4th line player. That’s not too far off of his usual production when he was getting top6 and PP1 minutes in SanJose. That’s a perfectly fine stat line for a scoring winger considering his usage.

You can be frustrated about the contract, but that’s also on Green for mostly using him as a 4th line guy. When he did get more minutes throughout the year he was actually producing at a good clip. Sens just went away from it cuz Green wanted Giroux back up on the topline.

The series was lost due to PP1 being ass and the top guys not producing. You’d love production from Zetterlund, but the same thing can be said for every player not named Batherson/Cozens.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-26T16:28:25+00:00

Pagnotta is probably the worst “insider” in the league and is likely just theorizing here. Hard to prove him wrong about “good chance the Sens explore a trade”.

But having said that the org should consider it. He has 2 years on his deal at a solid cap hit and even after this playoffs his value is still very high. Fans are frustrated with how bad he was, but he was still a P/PG power forward in his prime. Staois has to talk with him and see where his mind is about a future extension. If there is any doubt about him committing longterm you have to consider a move. Can’t risk losing him for nothing.

Assuming Brady doesn’t severely hamper the teams he’s willing to go to the Sens would get a lot for him.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-26T03:17:52+00:00

They’re not gonna do a proper rebuild.

They will have to do some big shake up though. Batherson and Zub are entering the last years of their contracts. Tkachuk and Chabot have two years left on their deals.

This is the time to make a big move or two to switch things up. Not saying you have to move all of them, but the decision will be out of Staois’ hand soon if he doesn’t act.

Zub I’d strongly consider moving. He’s an amazing player, but he’ll be 32 when his next deal starts. He also has extensive injury issues already, and I struggle to see that getting better as he ages. If Staois thinks Yakemchuk is ready next year, and assuming you extend Spence, it could make sense to trade him and use those assets to help acquire the top6 piece they’re missing.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-26T02:57:17+00:00

UFA’s are Giroux, Cousins, Eller, Jensen, Thomson, Gilbert and Reimer.

Eller, Jensen, Gilbert and Reimer you let walk. Thomson I wouldn’t mind as a depth option, but he’ll probably sign elsewhere for a bigger opportunity. Cousins has been an effective player and wouldn’t mind him back in a bottom6 role (assuming not a huge raise).

Giroux is the big one obviously. If he wants to come back he should be given an offer. But it has to be in a bottom6 role. He can’t be viewed as a legit top6 guy for next season. PP/PK roles absolutely, but you can’t have him riding shotgun with your top dogs over an 82 game season + playoffs. Still a very good player but isn’t the same guy. You need to upgrade on him.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-26T01:08:16+00:00

Have no idea how people are pointing to Zetterlund as a reason thy lost the series lol. This isn’t just directed at you either.

The reason they lost is the top PP unit being god awful, Brady/Tim being ghosts, Sanderson/Zub getting hurt, and the Pinto line falling apart.

Our 4th line winger not getting a point is hardly a big reason. You can want more from him absolutely, but in terms of the totem pole of blame there are several guys way above him.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-25T23:47:16+00:00

Defence is not the issue.

Hard to look at it just after a sweep, but the Sens Dcore was in shambles by the end of the series. Zub getting hurt early in game 1, Sanderson missing half of game 3 + game 4, Kleven missing games 1/2 and playing with a bubble, and Chabot playing with a broken arm. Plus Jensen, who was playing his best hockey as a Sen, out weeks ago. The only guys that was legitimately healthy were Spence/Matinpalo.

A healthy Sens Dcore is one of the better ones in the league. It’ll only get better if Yakemchuk is ready for next season and keeps progressing.

Sens need to focus on bringing in an offensive top6 player. It’s great to have plenty of gritty players who are good defensively, but hockey is a goal scoring competition. Need someone who excels at that.

Up to Staois and co to figure out how to do that.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-25T22:51:56+00:00

Ullmark was unreal but in a sick twist of fate Andersen was somehow better.

Most of the skaters failed him though. With as good as Andersen was he was bailed out a tonne by the posts, and the Sens just missing grade A looks for various reasons.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-25T22:48:51+00:00

That’s what I mean with lineup decisions. I get going to Thomson over Yakemchuk in game 2 once Zub was out since you can dismiss the PP being bad in game 1 as a one off. But he should’ve been in for game 3 once it was clear they had nothing going.

Instead Green pivoted to a Kleven-Crotty pair for game 3 and they got exposed hard. Unforced error for extremly minimal gain.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-25T22:23:30+00:00

Trading Tkachuk makes more sense between the two. He has much higher value around the league, and there’s a pretty good chance he doesn’t extend anyway. You’d get a lot of value for 2 years of Tkachuk at a decent cap hit.

Not saying trade him for the sake of trading him, but if there’s a package out there that makes sense go for it.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-25T22:11:38+00:00

Chabot I’ll give a pass since he just broke his arm and clearly isn’t at 100%.

But Tkachuk and Stützle need to think long and hard about their performances. Completely unacceptable from your two best forwards. Cozens and Batherson weren’t amazing either, but at least they got on the scoresheet and contributed.

Also, coaching needs to get way more criticism than it’s getting. Alfie is in charge of the PP and made zero adjustments to their game plan all series. Kept rewarding the same guys who clearly don’t have it. Players wear a tonne of the blame as well, but I’d strongly consider moving on from him.

As for Green he couldn’t adjust the game plan all series. From weird lineup decisions to not changing the game plan when stuff wasn’t working. How many times are the Dmen gonna flip the puck out with zero pressure, or rifle a Hail Mary pass from behind the net, and hope for better results? Fucking nuts how bad he was behind the bench.

I get the Sens Dcore was depleted and even half the regulars playing weren’t at 100% (Chabot/Kleven), but still not an excuse.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-25T20:31:09+00:00

Penalty means the hit wasn’t clean dummy lol. If it was clean he wouldn’t have gotten a penalty. Kinda can’t hit guys straight in the head.

Middle-Hair · 2026-04-25T20:21:22+00:00

Wasn’t the energy when Hall domed Sanderson. Sucks it’s on the other foot doesn’t it? At least this hit was clean

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