Chabot, Sanderson or Stutzle? A decision looms for Ottawa Senators

Ottawa Senator Jake Sanderson is seen skating at the Sensplex in Ottawa on Sept. 4, 2026. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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Captain letters were being handed out fast and furiously around the National Hockey League on Monday with training camps set to kick off with on-ice sessions on Thursday.

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The New York Islanders named Bo Horvat the 16th captain in franchise history to replace Anders Lee, who signed with the Utah Mammoth as an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

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Just down Highway 417, the Montreal Canadiens confirmed that Josh Anderson will serve as an alternate captain to Nick Suzuki, along with Mike Matheson.

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The Senators have yet to name a replacement for captain Brady Tkachuk after he was traded to the Florida Panthers in June in exchange for four draft picks.

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Ottawa is one of nine teams without a captain.

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The Senators are on a list that includes the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks.

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The next player to wear the “C” will be the 10th captain in franchise history.

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Where does the search stand?

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The Ottawa Citizen reported last month that Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, and head coach Travis Green have had several internal discussions regarding a replacement.

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The top three candidates on the list are alternate captain Thomas Chabot, top defenceman Jake Sanderson and top centre Tim Stutzle.

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Ottawa Senator Thomas Chabot is seen at the Ottawa Senators Foundation Charity Open in Ottawa on Sept. 8, 2026. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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Of that group, Sanderson is considered the frontrunner, while many believe Chabot is the most deserving. Stutzle deserves consideration because he is ready to take on more of a leadership role.

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“I don’t think that’s anything that we want to rush into. It’s an important decision,” Staios said last Tuesday while speaking to the media at the club’s charity golf tournament.

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“Yet, when I look at our group and the potential players that could be our next captain here for the Ottawa Senators, it just comes naturally to all these players that we’re talking about.”

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The Senators have met with the top three candidates for the job, and the talk in league circles is that the trio was told the organization would let them know soon what direction it would take with the position.

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We believe they’ve also discussed the possibility of giving the “C” to Claude Giroux for a year, but we’re not sure that plan is realistic. The 38-year-old is the epitome of not needing a letter to be a leader.

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Though Tkachuk led this team into battle many nights during his tenure in that role, several people will tell you that Chabot played a huge role in steadying the ship and ensuring the focus on improvement was in the right place.

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Last year, when the Senators opted to move their training camp to Quebec City, it was Chabot, who makes his off-season home in Saint-Marie, who organized a golf outing for his teammates and a spectacular dinner at his home during an off day.