Today, we continue our game previews with the Montreal Canadiens’ cross-border rival, the new Ottawa Senators.
And yes, this technically is an expansion franchise; the original Senators franchise operated from 1883 to 1954 before they folded. The current team was reborn in 1992 under the facade of TD Place Arena, before moving to the original Palladium, now called the Canadian Tire Centre.
Of course, they still share a massive rivalry with Montreal, so it’s good to see that hasn’t changed.
Related: How Utah HC Matches Up With The Montreal Canadiens
But the Senators are going through some massive changes.
Travis Green enters his first season as the Sens’ head coach after the firing of D.J. Smith, and Steve Staios is the new full-time general manager after Pierre Dorion stepped down at the beginning of November.
The talent, however, is still there.
Forward Brady Tkachuk returns after a career-best 37-goal season, and former no. 3 overall selection Tim Stutzle is hoping for a bounce-back year after scoring 18 goals last year.
It’s not a surprise, then, that Travis Green is one of the favorites, along with Utah head coach Andre Tourigny, for the Jack Adams Award, given to the league’s coach of the year.
Related: Utah HC Coach Andre Tourigny In Early Running For Jack Adams Award
Ottawa also added heft on its forward group with the additions of David Perron, Nick Cousins, and Michael Amadio, which should boost their ability to throw bodies around the ice when need be.
With all the talent and additions they made, it’ll be hard to see Ottawa on the foot of the league for very much longer; they could very well be a team that sneaks into the playoffs, much like Washington did last season.
Related: How Utah HC Matches Up With The Washington Capitals
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