The 2019-20 Ottawa Senators performed about as well as expectations, which is to say that their finish near the bottom of the standings wasn't a shock to anyone. But as we look ahead to 2020-21, there are a handful of captivating young players on the roster -- along with a complementary veteran presence -- which will make them a tough out for their North Division foes. And there are brighter days ahead, with one of the best prospect pipelines in the NHL.
Here's everything you need to know before opening night:
Big question: Is Matt Murray a franchise goalie?
The biggest change for the Senators is in goal. Craig Anderson's decade-long run in Ottawa has ended with the arrival of Matt Murray via a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Four years ago, Murray won his second Stanley Cup and then took the crease from Marc-Andre Fleury. But he was never able to deliver on that promise, going 20-11-5 with an .899 save percentage last season. Pittsburgh moved on and Ottawa moved in, signing him to a four-year, $25 million extension. He'll get a fresh start with respected goalie coach Pierre Groulx; and at 26 years old, he could be the netminder if and when Ottawa rounds the corner to contention. Or, if his downward trajectory continues, he could be Seattle expansion draft bait.
Did realignment hurt or help?
They were helped. It's more about the change in postseason format than it is realignment. In the Atlantic Division, the top three seeds were owned by the Lightning, Leafs and Bruins, and snagging a wild card was daunting. In the (We The) North Division, the Leafs still own a playoff stop, but it could be a mad scramble for the other three. A few breaks -- lucky for Ottawa, unlucky for division rivals -- and maybe the Senators kiss the bubble?
Offseason comings and goings, plus the cap situation
Besides Murray, the Senators added a couple of other veterans in the offseason. The most surprising was Evgenii Dadonov from the Florida Panthers, as the scoring winger inked a three-year, $15 million deal to line up across from Brady Tkachuk on the top line. Defenseman Erik Gudbranson, 29, was acquired via trade with the Ducks, and Ottawa is his fourth team in three seasons. The Senators signed another high draft pick-turned-happy wanderer in Alex Galchenyuk, the third overall pick in 2012 who is on his fifth team in four years. They also traded for veteran center Derek Stepan, a salary cap casualty in Arizona. Finally, two more salary cap casualties were added as Tampa Bay traded center Cedric Paquette and defenseman Braydon Coburn to the Senators. Ottawa has just under $11 million in open cap space, according to Cap Friendly.
Bold prediction
Ottawa's power play breaks into top 20. Outside of Detroit, the Senators had the worst special teams in the NHL last season, with a penalty kill that ranked 28th, and the worst power play in the league that clicked at just 14.2%. The additions of Dadonov and Stepan should help them on the man advantage, but it's younger players like 2020 third overall pick Tim Stuetzle that could end up pushing the power play out of the NHL basement. Thomas Chabot, their great 23-year-old defenseman, is a key on the man advantage as well.
Breakout candidate: Tim Stuetzle
The 19-year-old scored 10 points (five goals, five assists) in five games for Germany at World Junior Championship, and was named the top forward in the tournament. That bodes well for his rookie season with the Senators: Germany didn't exactly have an arsenal of offense, and neither does Ottawa. But Stuetzle, who has professional experience in Germany, is a winger who can create his own chances.
Biggest strength: Center
It may be a case of quantity over quality, but the Senators have so many players in the middle that they'll have to shift some of them over to wing. Stepan and Paquette join Chris Tierney, Colin White, Logan Brown, Artem Anisimov and Josh Norris on the center depth chart.
Biggest weakness: Special teams
Our positive vibes for the power play aside, the Senators may be back into the bottom third of the league on special teams, as they have been, on average, for the last two seasons.
Senators in NHL Rank
No. 52: Thomas Chabot, D
Prospect perspective
Prospects in the top 100: No. 3 Tim Stuetzle (LW), No. 20 Jake Sanderson (D), No. 37 Josh Norris (C), No. 39 Alex Formenton (LW), No. 87 Logan Brown (C), No. 92 Shane Pinto (C), honorable mention Jacob Bernard-Docker (D)
Fantasy facts to know
Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot are situation-proof fantasy assets, but any other member of the Senators comes with some degree of risk versus various amounts of upside.
Rookie Tim Stuetzle and new goaltender Matt Murray have the most upside of the group. Stuetzle has the chops to be a first-line player out of the gates, and Murray would benefit if the Sens can play solid defense this season.
Evgenii Dadonov should not be treated as the same player he was on the top line for the Panthers, but could still be in the fantasy mix.