The biggest splashes were made up front with the acquisitions of proven point-producers Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat. The two join a talented group of forwards that features captain Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris and Drake Batherson, each 24 or younger.
Landing Giroux, a veteran who brings skill to the ice and leadership to the locker room, symbolized the new win-now philosophy of the organization. Impressed by the way the Senators were able to bring DeBrincat and goalie Cam Talbot on board, the 34-year-old signed a three-year, $19.5 million contract July 13 and returns to the city he calls home in the offseason.
"The moves that Pierre was able to do, it excited me and helped me make my choice," Giroux said. "I'm really looking forward to it."
Giroux has 923 points (294 goals, 629 assists) in 1,018 regular-season games and 81 points (28 goals, 53 assists) in 95 Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers. He brings experience to a young team that needs it if it wants to take the next step.
"There's a lot of players under 25, so it's funny to think that they're 10 years younger than me," Giroux said. "But I'm excited to be with them and the energy they will bring, and I bring a lot of energy myself."
One of the key under-25 players is DeBrincat, who's penciled in to join Giroux and third-year forward Stutzle on the second line. The top line of Tkachuk, Norris and Batherson is expected to remain intact.
The Senators acquired DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks several hours before the 2022 NHL Draft on July 7 for Ottawa's first- and second-round picks in the 2022 draft (Nos. 7, defenseman Kevin Korchinski, and 39, center Paul Ludwinski) and a third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. DeBrincat had 307 points (160 goals, 147 assists) in 368 regular-season games and six points (two goals, four assists) in nine Stanley Cup Playoff games during his time with Chicago (2017-22).
"I'm really excited to join this group," DeBrincat said. "Obviously, a young core that's ready to compete, to play in the playoffs, hopefully a good team and win some games this year to turn in the right direction. I'm happy to be a part of that."
So is Stutzle.
"I can't wait to learn from guys like that," he said. "I am still super young and I think I can learn a lot from DeBrincat, Giroux, those guys. It's going to be a lot of fun playing with them and I can't wait to get going, see the guys and get to meet them."
The Senators also feel they've found consistency in goal in Talbot. The 35-year-old, acquired from the Minnesota Wild for goalie Filip Gustavsson on July 12, was 32-12-4 with a 2.76 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and three shutouts in 49 games (48 starts) this season and has one season remaining on a three-year, $11 million contract ($3.67 million average annual value) he signed with Minnesota on Oct. 9, 2020.
"I'm happy that they chose me to come in, and hopefully lead them back to the playoffs," Talbot said.
Dorion said the Senators would still like to provide some help at defenseman to mainstay Thomas Chabot. Either way, the improvements already made to the roster should be a boost for a team that finished seventh in the Atlantic Division with a 33-42-7 record last season.
For Stutzle, making the 2023 postseason is a reachable goal.
"I think we can still get better, everyone knows that, but we want to be in the playoffs,'' he said.
"I think that's why we made the moves. We talked about that in the exit meetings too that we have to make moves to be in the playoffs. They fully committed to that so everyone is really happy to get back to Ottawa."
NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen contributed to this report
