The Ottawa Senators are looking to snap their seven-year playoff drought in 2024-25, but to do that, they'll need to be the best team in many ways. General manager Steve Staios has done a good job of recruiting players to help in areas that have been struggling, the rest of the work needs to come from the players. Here are the big X things for the Senators this coming season.
Josh Norris Returns to Form
The biggest IX-factor is Josh Norris. There is little dispute about his importance to the team. In 2021-22, Norris scored 35 goals and 55 points in 66 games, earning an eight-year extension worth an average annual salary of $7.95 million per season. To say that things did not go as planned would be an understatement.
When he signed that contract, he was battling Tim Stutzle in the race to be the first line center of the future and the team's scoring option. The next season didn't start well for Norris, as in 2022-23, he injured his shoulder, postponed surgery, and ended up needing that procedure after re-injuring the same shoulder in January. Norris played in only eight games that season. In 2023-24, he was still recovering from shoulder surgery to start the season, so he missed training camp, the preseason, and the first few games. He played 50 games but was not playing at the level he had shown before, scoring only 16 goals and 30 points during that time. After another injury, he underwent a third surgery on the same shoulder, ending his season.
Heading into 2024-25, Norris is expected to be ready for training camp, and his health and performance could significantly change the outlook for this team. With him in the lineup, probably on the wing on the second line, that creates a significant amount of added depth as the Senators can have David Perron and Michael Amadio play on the wings on the third line and form a dominant trio with Ridly Greig.
Despite being vital to the organization's depth, he still has the ability to play at a high level and, while not fully alive, be an impact player on a nightly basis.
Related: 2024-25 Senators' Forward Line Predictions
Before the injury, Norris was considered an elite shooter with a good two-way game. Scoring would be a nice addition to the team going forward, but with the team's performance last season and the additions made, that's not as important as balanced defensive play from the top six and creating depth for him. it does.
Another difficult factor when it comes to evaluating Norris, his health, and his contract, is that the uncertainty surrounding it causes the Senators to be pressed for a choice. If he is not healthy and/or not playing at a high level, it is difficult to move, and the Senators can spend more reliable about 8 million dollars, if he is injured, they can spend a long time – the last time he is injured during the season, but they cannot make a move if they expect him to return. It was the same story in the offseason.
All eyes are on Norris to start the season. There is no doubt that he is the biggest X-factor in this team next season.
Senators Demand Results from Ullmark
On paper, it's hard to come up with a better goalkeeper than Linus Ullmark. The Senators have had significant struggles over the past number of years, and aside from a .917 save percentage (SV%) season from Anton Forsberg, they haven't had much success since the departure of Craig Anderson.
Ullmark has been one of the most consistent pitchers in the league over the past five seasons and will need to continue that this season with the Senators. After winning the Vezina Trophy in 2023, it was clear that there would be a regression in his game as his numbers were almost impossible to repeat, but in the nine seasons he played in, there was only one season with an SV% below .913.
The Senators' defensive structure has improved, at least on paper, which should help some of the impact of the bend, but according to MoneyPuck, the Senators were a middle-of-the-pack team in terms of team defense. They rank 14th in the league in goals against, actually ranking higher than the Boston Bruins, who Ullmark played for last season.
The worst stat from last season for the Senators was allowing a goal on one of the first two shots of the game 22 times. As bad as the defense has looked at times, that number falls on goals and there is no way around it.
If the Senators can get good scoring and a good season out of Norris, they will have a much better shot at making the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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