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Ottawa Senators News

Ullmark will start Ottawa's season opener in Tampa Bay on Thursday.

The Senators will start their season on Thursday with Ullmark tending the twine against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 32-year-old Ullmark battled some injuries in his first season with the Senators but was solid when called upon, posting a 2.72 GAA, .909 SV%, and four shutouts in 44 outings (25-14-3). Still, the Senators enter Thursday's contest as +154 road underdogs against a Lightning team that led the league offensively last season (3.59 GF/GP).

Linus Ullmark
Ullmark is expected to start in Tampa Bay on Thursday.

The Senators will start their season on Thursday with Ullmark tending the twine against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 32-year-old Ullmark battled some injuries in his first season with the Senators but was solid when called upon, posting a 2.72 GAA, .909 SV%, and four shutouts in 44 outings (25-14-3). Still, the Senators enter Thursday's contest as +154 road underdogs against a Lightning team that led the league offensively last season (3.59 GF/GP).

Linus Ullmark
Batherson (upper-body) will be out for Ottawa's season opener on Thursday in Tampa Bay and is considered day-to-day.

Batherson suffered an upper-body injury earlier in training camp but returned to practice on Wednesday. He has been ruled out of Thursday's season-opening matchup but could make his debut on Saturday. The 27-year-old right-winger is entering his eighth season in Ottawa after putting up career highs in points (67) last season across 82 games played. He will likely play an integral role in Ottawa's offence this season.

Drake Batherson
Batherson (upper body) returned to practice on Wednesday and could play on Thursday.

Batherson suffered an upper-body injury earlier in training camp but returned to practice on Wednesday and has not been ruled out for Thursday's season opener. The 27-year-old right-winger is entering his eighth season in Ottawa after putting up career highs in points (67) last season across 82 games played. He will likely play an integral role in Ottawa's offence this season.

Drake Batherson
Batherson (upper-body) has been placed on IR.

Batherson suffered an upper-body injury earlier in training camp and will miss at least one more week after being placed on Injured Reserve. The 27-year-old right-winger is entering his eighth season in Ottawa after putting up career highs in points (67) last season across 82 games played. He will likely play an integral role in Ottawa's offence this season.

Drake Batherson
Batherson will miss the next two weeks with an upper-body injury.

Batherson left Ottawa's practice early with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss at least the next two weeks of training camp. The 27-year-old right-winger is entering his eighth season in Ottawa after putting up career highs in points (67) last season across 82 games played. He is expected to play an integral role in Ottawa's offence this season, but it is not a guarantee that he will be ready for Ottawa's season opener.

Drake Batherson
Ottawa has signed Jan Jenik to a one-year, two-way contract extension.

After appearing in two games with the Senators in 2024-25, Jan Jenik will remain with Ottawa after signing a one-year, two-way contract extension on Monday. The 24-year-old forward is expected to start 2025-26 with Belleville (AHL) but will provide Ottawa with some offensive depth if they happen to face injury problems. He had 12 goals, 29 points and 75 PIMs with Belleville in 2024-25.

Jan Jenik
Ottawa has signed Cameron Crotty to a two-year, two-way contract.

Ottawa added to its defensive depth on Monday after it announced the signing of Cameron Crotty to a two-year, two-way contract. The 26-year-old has appeared in two NHL games with two different organizations (ARI, MIN) since making his debut in 2023-24. He is expected to start 2025-26 in Belleville (AHL) after captaining Iowa (AHL) with 10 assists in 64 games played last season.

Cameron Crotty
Ottawa has signed Hayden Hodgson to a two-year, two-way contract.

Hodgson is an undrafted 29-year-old winger who joined the Ottawa Senators organization last season and made enough of an impact to earn himself a two-year, two-way contract extension. He played two games with Ottawa but spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, scoring 11 points (5G / 6A) in 43 games with Belleville.

Hayden Hodgson
Ottawa has signed Arthur Kaliyev to a one-year, two-way contract.

After a promising 2022-23 season with the Los Angeles Kings, scoring 28 points (13G / 15A) in 56 games, Kaliyev had a tough time asserting himself as an NHL regular in the following two seasons. He spent portions of the 2024-25 campaign as a healthy scratch, as well as playing in the AHL. The 24-year-old winger has 75 points (38G / 37A) in 202 career NHL games.

Arthur Kaliyev
Washington has signed Graeme Clarke to a one-year, two-way contract.

Washington continued to add to its depth on Wednesday by adding Graeme Clarke on a one-year, two-way contract. The 24-year-old appeared in three games with New Jersey back in 2023-24, but failed to pick up a point. He spent the entire 2024-25 season with Iowa (AHL), where he had 16 goals and 37 points in 64 games played. He is expected to report to Hershey (AHL) for the start of the 2025-26 season.

Graeme Clarke
The Senators have signed Lars Eller to a one-year deal worth $1.25M.

Eller will enter his 17th NHL season with a new team, the sixth of his career, after signing a one-year contract worth $1.25 million with the Senators. The 36-year-old Eller split the 2024-25 season between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring 22 points (10G / 12A) in 80 games.

Lars Eller
Ottawa has signed Olle Lycksell to a one-year, $775,000 contract.

Lycksell was a sixth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and, despite impressing at the AHL level, was limited to only 45 games in his NHL career. The 25-year-old winger scored an impressive 44 points (19G / 25A) in 43 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL) last season.

Olle Lycksell
The Flyers have signed Dennis Gilbert to a one-year deal worth $875K AAV.

Philadelphia continued to add to its defensive depth on Tuesday after signing Dennis Gilbert to a one-year, $875,000 contract. The 28-year-old defenseman appeared in 29 games combined between Buffalo and Ottawa last season, picking up six assists, 50 PIMs and a -3 plus/minus. He is expected to compete for Philadelphia's final defensive spot in training camp ahead of the upcoming season.

Dennis Gilbert
The Senators have signed Nick Cousins to a one-year deal worth $825K.

After winning the Stanley Cup in the 2023-24 season with the Florida Panthers, Cousins spent the 2024-25 season with the Ottawa Senators and will return for a second season with the club in 2025-26. The agitating 31-year-old forward had 15 points (6G / 9A), 41 penalty minutes, and 85 hits in 50 games with the Senators.

Nick Cousins