Senators: Sanderson injury clouds strong Stutzle start to season

The Ottawa Senators have only three games in the books, but some clear early storylines are emerging. Jake Sanderson’s health is already a concern, Tim Stutzle has come out firing offensively, and the blue line — with Carter Yakemchuk in the mix — is still searching for its best configuration.

Sanderson sidelined again as blue line leans on depth

The biggest issue for Ottawa so far is Sanderson’s lower‑body injury resurfacing just as the season began. After missing a significant chunk of training camp, he returned to practice and dressed for the opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs, only to leave after six shifts. He then sat out the game against the Boston Bruins and will not accompany the team for the rest of the current road swing.

Head coach Travis Green described the situation as “not as serious as it could be,” a small relief for a club that can ill afford a long absence for its number‑one defenceman. Sanderson is central to Ottawa’s defensive identity: he logs tough minutes, drives the transition game and produced 52 points in 67 games last season. His status will be monitored closely as the Senators try to steady their start.

Behind him, the potential of the defence remains a major storyline. Thomas Chabot is still a top‑end option, while Jordan Spence is coming off a season where his puck‑moving and underlying numbers took a noticeable step. The ideal setup, as seen last year, has Sanderson with Artem Zub handling the hardest matchups, with Chabot and Spence tilting the ice behind them.

Yakemchuk’s mixed underlying numbers on early pairings

Carter Yakemchuk is a key variable in whether Ottawa’s defence becomes a true strength. The 2024 seventh‑overall pick delivered an impressive first AHL campaign with 40 points and showed flashes of high‑end puck skills in limited NHL action, particularly in the offensive zone and in transition.

Early this season, his results have been uneven depending on his partner. When deployed with Tyler Kleven, the pair has been badly out‑chanced, with a very low expected goals share over their first three games. In contrast, Yakemchuk’s minutes with Chabot have produced a dominant expected goals percentage in a small sample of under 12 minutes.

Those extremes underline how early it still is, but they also highlight the opportunity. If Sanderson–Zub can reassume top‑pair duties once Sanderson is healthy, and Chabot–Spence continue to control play, a third pairing anchored by Yakemchuk that can push the puck in the right direction would give Ottawa a blue line deeper than most.

Stutzle scoring early, but first line chasing the puck

Up front, Stutzle has delivered exactly what the Senators need from their top centre. He has six points through three games, building off last season’s 83‑point breakout and reinforcing the sense that he can eventually push toward the 100‑point mark. His work on the penalty kill has stood out as well, using his speed and pressure to disrupt opposing power plays.

The question is what happens at five‑on‑five with his current line. Skating with Drake Batherson and Warren Foegele, Stutzle has seen decent results on the scoreboard — the trio is ahead 1–0 in goals — but underlying metrics show they have been heavily outplayed territorially, with a very low share of expected goals.

There is reason to think that can change. Stutzle and Batherson posted strong puck‑possession numbers last season when joined by Claude Giroux, and Stutzle’s previous time on a line with Brady Tkachuk also produced elite underlying results. Andre Burakovsky, who saw time with Stutzle and Batherson in the preseason, remains another potential fit. With just three games played, line chemistry and defensive pairings alike look more like early trends to track than firm verdicts on where this Senators team is headed.