Ottawa Senators Face 2026-27 Leadership Test After Brady Tkachuk Exit

The Ottawa Senators enter 2026-27 with a playoff-caliber core, a reshaped top six and one unmistakable hole in the room: Brady Tkachuk is gone. Ottawa opens the regular season Sept. 29 after finishing 44-27-11 last year, good for fifth in the Atlantic Division, before being swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round.

Travis Green begins his third season behind the Senators bench with the club looking for offense, steadier work in net and a new leadership balance after its longtime captain was dealt to the Florida Panthers on June 21.

Life after Tkachuk starts immediately

Tkachuk had worn the captaincy since 2021-22 and left behind a sizable production record in Ottawa: 213 goals and 463 points across 572 regular-season games, plus four goals and seven points in 10 playoff appearances. The 27-year-old had asked to be traded, and the Senators received the ninth and 25th selections in the 2026 NHL Draft, a 2027 second-round pick and a conditional 2029 first-round choice in return.

There will not be a one-for-one replacement. Tim Stutzle led Ottawa with 34 goals last season, while Drake Batherson scored 33, Dylan Cozens had 28 and Shane Pinto finished with 23. The Senators will need that group, along with newly acquired William Eklund, to cover the scoring that walked out with Tkachuk.

Claude Giroux and Thomas Chabot are the veterans positioned to take on more of the dressing-room responsibility. Their influence will matter as much as the goals Ottawa must replace.

Ullmark sets the playoff ceiling

The Senators’ path back to the postseason begins in their crease. Linus Ullmark was a major reason Ottawa reached the playoffs last spring, going 12-4-3 with a .902 save percentage and 2.51 goals-against average after the League resumed play Feb. 26 following the Olympics.

He carried that form into the series against Carolina, even though Ottawa lasted four games. The concern is whether the club can receive that level of goaltending over a full schedule. Ottawa ranked 29th in the NHL with an .878 team save percentage last season, despite placing 13th in goals allowed per game at 2.99.

To address the uneven results, Ottawa hired Maciej Szwoch as coordinator of goaltending scouting and development. Szwoch has been a friend and mentor to Ullmark. Samuel Ersson is projected to serve as the backup.

Eklund-Zetterlund connection gets another chance

Eklund arrives from San Jose carrying top-six expectations. The 23-year-old posted 15 goals and 53 points in 78 games for the Sharks last season and has 50 NHL goals in 252 career games.

Ottawa acquired Eklund on June 23 along with forward Kasper Halttunen and the rights to prospect Brandon Svoboda, sending the No. 9 pick in the 2026 draft back to San Jose. At camp, Eklund has been reunited with Fabian Zetterlund, his former Sharks linemate. Zetterlund had joined Ottawa ahead of the 2025 trade deadline.

If that familiarity carries over, it could give Cozens a productive second line and ease some of the pressure created by Tkachuk’s departure.

Burakovsky gets first-line audition

Andre Burakovsky opened camp on Stutzle’s left side, with Batherson on the other wing. It is a prime opportunity for the 31-year-old, whose best goal total was 22 with the Colorado Avalanche in 2021-22.

Burakovsky has scored 41 goals in the four seasons since that career year. Ottawa is giving him a prominent look because it needs more finish throughout its forward group. Whether he can hold the job will be one of camp’s key questions.

Yakemchuk pushes for a roster spot

Carter Yakemchuk has a chance to become part of the answer on the blue line. The No. 7 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft will turn 21 on Sept. 29, and Ottawa made clear during its exit meetings that it wanted him to arrive ready to win an NHL job.

Yakemchuk recorded two points in four regular-season appearances last season, then contributed two assists in one playoff game against Carolina. He also produced 10 goals and 40 points in 54 American Hockey League games with Belleville.

The Alberta native is staying with Senators forward Ridly Greig during camp and has been paired early with Jake Sanderson, Ottawa’s top defenseman. That assignment is a strong indication of the responsibility the club is prepared to test him with.

Projected Senators lineup

Ottawa has enough established skill to stay in the playoff race, but its season will be defined by the response to Tkachuk’s exit. Ullmark’s consistency, Eklund’s fit, Burakovsky’s opportunity and Yakemchuk’s readiness are all early markers to watch when the puck drops Sept. 29.