The Daily Faceoff Show: What’s wrong with the Ottawa Senators?
There’s nobody worse in the NHL than the Ottawa Senators.
Statistically, they’ve only secured nine standings points as of Monday morning, placing them dead last in the league. And over the weekend, they made the curious choice to place goaltender Matt Murray on waivers, which he cleared. Murray has now joined the AHL’s Belleville Senators.
On Monday’s Daily Faceoff Show, Frank Seravalli and Bryce Salvador dove into what could be going on in Canada’s capital.
“I always go back to distractions,” Salvador said. “Yes, Brady Tkachuk did get his deal done, but he wasn’t in training camp, that’s a distraction to start off. Then you get hit with COVID. And then, after that, you’re scrambling. And inside the locker room — is there stability?
“You look at (the Senators cap situation), and you got nine players on the final year of their deal. You got a lot of guys concerned about their future and beyond Drake Batherson, nobody is really producing. Brady Tkachuk is producing at his best rate of his career so you got to give him credit, but that forward group has 91 total points which ranks them 30th in the NHL as a group.
“And don’t get me started on the defensive end — that’s where things have really been awful. They got a combined 31 points as a group which is tied for 29th in the NHL. Thomas Chabot, who signed his deal three years ago, had 14 goals (that year). This year he doesn’t have a goal.
“When you look at the goaltending being where it has, it makes it really difficult to win. Anytime you have to send a guy down to the minors who is supposed to be your number one. I saw that go through with the Devils with Corey Schneider. It really makes it difficult inside that locker room to play at your best, to have the right mindset on the ice.
“As you look at where this team is at, there’s a lot to be done here. Now, you just need a reset from the mental aspect more than really anything.”
You can listen to the full show below.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.