Senators Center Depth After Free Center – Hockey Writers – Ottawa Senators

After looking at the left and right wing depth charts for the Ottawa Senators, it's time to move to the centers. Now that the draft, the big wave of free agency, and development camp are over, we're getting a better look at what the roster will look like when the regular season begins.

In this third installment of a five-part series, we'll take a look at the center depth the Senators have, followed by the defense and prospect in the coming days. When looking at depth, players are not listed as they will be on the full roster, rather the list starts with the best and works down to prospects and American Hockey League (AHL) players who may be called up and offered. opportunity. Not all AHL players will be listed, but those who have a legitimate shot at playing even a few games in 2024-25. Some players are listed in multiple positions, but they will only be listed once, and it will be the position they played the most in the previous season or their preferred side.

Average Depth Chart

The Senators' depth in the middle is their strongest group when it comes to forwards. They have more than four NHL-quality centers, so it's possible some of them could move to the wing and improve the depth at that position. All these players are natural centers and would like to play center.

Tim Stutzle

The team's star, Tim Stutzle, will be the top center and there isn't much competition. In 2023-24 he faced some injury problems throughout the year. It was noted after the season ended that he had been nursing a wrist injury since the fourth game and had suffered other injuries during the season, including his shoulder.

After his 90-point season in 2022-23, his 70-point performance last season wasn't as high as expected, but if he can enter the 2024-25 season healthy and stay that way, he will be successful. he should have no problem reaching the heights he was at. The biggest hole in Stutzle's game last season was his ability to score goals, especially on the power play. He dropped from 39 to 18 last year and scored just one goal on a man advantage. His two-way game has been up and down, but there's no doubt that Stutzle is an elite center.

Josh Norris

Josh Norris, perhaps the smartest player to move to the wing, has struggled with injuries in his short NHL career. Having undergone three shoulder surgeries, there are concerns about his ability to play center and tackle. On top of that, there are doubts that he can return to the game he showed in his 35 goal season. After struggling to start last season, Norris played in 50 games before another shoulder injury ended his season. At that time he scored 16 goals and 30 points but he looked like a shell of the player he once was.

The expectation is that he will be ready for training, and hopefully this time, since he has the opportunity to wake up with the whole team, he can renew his game and reach that real center of the six that looked like a guarantee that it will be two years ago.

Shane Pinto

After his 41-game suspension in 2023-24, Shane Pinto returned and proved he's ready to take on a bigger role in the organization. A suspension and a shoulder injury that kept him out of all but five games in 2021-22 created a rough road for his development, but Pinto's solid play and production give the Senators options. If Norris moves on, it's possible that Pinto will be the second baseman, especially after his strong play towards the end of last season.

Related: Senators Sign Shane Pinto to 2-year deal

Pinto's nine goals and 27 points in the last half of the season were impressive as he missed a lot of time and seemed to miss a step. A full season of being healthy, no contract disputes, and being ready to go should lead to a great start for Pinto. He will likely play with two Drake Batherson, David Perron, or Michael Amadio, and all three can complement his game in different ways. The Senators picked up a two-year contract with Pinto this offseason, so he'll likely try and play some of the best hockey of his career to earn a big extension after that.

Ridley Greig

After a strong rookie season that saw him score 13 goals and 26 points, Ridly Greig emerged as the true center of the nines, but he can also be moved from the wing. It's either Norris or Greig to do so, with Greig having experience on the left side and Norris being a full-time center.

Greig brings more than just a solid deep offense. He has a good two-way game, but not a great one, and his effort level, stamina, and physicality are among the best in the entire program. Greig is a little ball of energy and brings everything he has every time. He likes to get under the skin of his opponents but has a knack for exploiting attacking opportunities. The third line center role is the perfect place to put Greig in the lineup.

Zack Ostapchuk

Zack Ostapchuk made his transition to high-level hockey last season and posted 28 points in 69 AHL games, including a seven-game hitting streak in the NHL. He may not be a top scorer, but he plays a very reliable game and has the speed and stamina to slot into the fourth line and be a meaningful player there.

At just 21 years old and one season out of the Western Hockey League (WHL), there's a good chance he'll be headed to the AHL to start the season, but he'll certainly be in contention for a fourth-line spot in training camp as well. before the season.

Jan Jenik

Jan Jenik was recently acquired in a trade with the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for Egor Sokolov. Jenik had some great showings in the AHL, including a 47-point year as a 21-year-old center. Similar to Sokolov, Jenik didn't get much of a chance in the NHL with his team, but he showed a lot of promise and reason to get his chance.

The Senators could certainly give him a chance to crack the roster, and at 23 years old, he could be ready to make a move. He is primarily an offensive-minded player, and with injuries and a trade request creating some obstacles to his development, he will be happy to start over in Ottawa.

Stephen Halliday

Although it may be a long shot, there is a chance that Stephen Halliday will make his NHL debut this season. He was drafted by the Senators in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft as a two-way pick but with his 6-foot-4 frame and good playmaking ability, he could be someone the Senators look to add. particular case in line four.

Halliday has just 17 games of pro-level experience, with 10 regular season AHL games and seven more in the playoffs. He played two years in the NCAA where he scored 77 points in 78 games, and hit the ground running in the AHL with five points in the regular season and nine in the playoffs. Halliday could be the steal of the draft and could get an NHL opportunity sooner rather than later.

Also, center depth is certainly the strongest among the three forward positions, and arguably at every position. They have some young players who could benefit from more AHL time, but they have also shown enough promise to earn a chance in the NHL. This could be one of the most interesting stories to follow for the Senators as they prepare for the season.