These five Ottawa Senators must have enormous off-seasons

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The version of the Swedish winger Ottawa has gotten is prone to severe droughts (four streaks of nine-plus games without a goal in 2025-26), missing his old release and plays a little too much on the perimeter.

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Here’s a breakdown of how Zetterlund scored his goals the past three seasons:

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2023-24 — 24 goals (82 games with SJS)

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2024-25 — 19 goals (64 games with SJS, 20 with OTT)

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2025-26 — 17 goals (82 games with OTT)

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Zetterlund has gone from a first-liner playing 18:51 a night with San Jose in 2023-24 to a fourth-liner playing 12:55 a night with Ottawa in 2025-26. He had ample opportunity alongside Tim Stutzle on the top line and was more underwhelming with each stint.

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Zetterlund needs to get his swagger back this summer. Shoot one million pucks; add half a step to your stride; work on screens, tips and rebounds.

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Leevi Merilainen Photo by Julie Oliver /Postmedia

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Leevi Merilainen

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The bad news is that Merilainen was downright dreadful this past season.

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The good news is that the problems all seem somewhat fixable.

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The Finn has high-end athleticism. It’s the fundamentals that were missing.

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Merilainen, who was 8-10-1 with a putrid .886 save percentage in 20 games, had trouble tracking the puck especially on point shots, got beat under the arm too many times, and wasn’t sturdy enough in his crease on jam plays.

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The theme of his off-season should be getting back to basics.

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Of course, the Senators are looking for a backup goalie this summer, but that doesn’t mean Merilainen won’t get a chance to redeem himself. Injuries happen, and we’ve seen a plethora of NHL goalies demoted due to lacklustre play over the past couple seasons. Hell, the Senators may even take a chance on one of them.

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If Merilainen can find his game for next season, organizational goaltending depth could play a role in a third straight postseason berth.

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Stephen Halliday of the Ottawa Senators Photo by ALEX GOODLETT /GETTY IMAGES

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Stephen Halliday

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The Senators have made a two-year commitment to one of their up-and-coming forwards. Now Halliday needs to prove them right.

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The cliché off-season aspiration every hockey player verbalizes couldn’t apply more for the 23-year-old: Get faster and stronger.

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Halliday’s ceiling is much higher than fourth-line centre, but it’s quite possible that he’ll play most of his 5-on-5 minutes next year in that very spot. And if that’s the case, he’ll need to give Ottawa quality minutes pushing the pace on the energy line.

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He’s got the frame — coming in at 6-foot-4, 214 pounds last season — it’s just about using it.

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Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators gets ready to take a faceoff against the Florida Panthers during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena on March 31, 2026 in Sunrise, Florida. Photo by CARMEN MANDATO /GETTY IMAGES

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Tim Stutzle

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The Senators’ most dynamic forward had a remarkable 2025-26 regular season. Stutzle matured in every facet of the game while maintaining that patented flare that captivates audiences every night.

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He is oh so close to becoming a bona fide star in this league.

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The next step is learning from his shortcomings in the franchise’s second straight first-round exit.

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Though he had encouraging stretches of O zone play, Stutzle’s scoring touch vanished, recording just one assist in the series. After he flubbed numerous Grade-A chances in Game 2, the Canes caught on and totally suffocated him.

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The German was self-aware on locker clean out day, taking a chunk of the blame for the team’s lack of offence (five goals in four games).

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An upgrade on his wing would go a long way, but it’s far from a guarantee that Staios is going to find a perfect match in the trade market or free agency. In the meantime, Stutzle must add another layer to his offensive game, becoming more forceful, more direct, more … inevitable.

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Overall, Stutzle was brilliant last season. But he’s got another gear in him.

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