The panic button isn’t being pushed in Canada’s capital just yet, but my hand is hovering over it. After watching the Ottawa Senators stumble out of the gate, losing five of their last six, it’s clear this team is in trouble. We all expected them to take another step forward this year, building on last season’s playoff appearance. Instead, they look completely lost.
From my perspective as an analyst, their identity is simply non-existent right now. You have to ask the hard question: Did Brady Tkachuk take the entire team’s identity with him when he got injured? His absence for the next six weeks is massive, not just for the goals he provides, but for the heart and soul he brings to that locker room.
When I watch them play, I see an Ottawa Senators team that is playing scared. They’re giving up so many goals that they’ve retreated into a shell, trying to play a “steady” game to limit chances. But that’s not who they are, and it’s not working.
What’s Really Plaguing the Senators?
It’s easy to point the finger at one thing, but the issues are systemic. You see GM Steve Staios is already working the phones, and for good reason. The problems go far beyond just one player or one position.
Yes, the goaltending hasn’t been good enough. That’s obvious. But it’s not the only issue. The team’s defensive zone coverage has been poor, and the turnover ratio is alarmingly high. You can’t win in the NHL when you’re constantly handing the puck back to the opposition. Their penalty kill is also bleeding goals, which is crushing any momentum they might find.
I saw a few flashes of life early in the third period of their last game, but that was it. A couple of minutes isn’t enough to win a hockey game. This isn’t just a slump; it’s a fundamental breakdown of their structure and, more importantly, their confidence.
The bottom line is this: the Ottawa Senators have to find their identity, and fast. They need to get back to the hard-nosed, aggressive style that made them successful. Tkachuk isn’t walking through that door for a while, so someone else in that room needs to step up and drag this team back into the fight.
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The post The Ottawa Senators Are Lost: Did Brady Tkachuk Take Their Identity With Him? appeared first on NHL Trade Rumors.
