3 questions facing Ottawa Senators

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the Ottawa Senators.

1. Can Jakob Chychrun stay healthy enough to be a factor for an entire season?

With a number of teams understandingly showing interest in Chychrun because of his talent and age, Ottawa was the ultimate winner in the sweepstakes to land the smooth-skating 25-year-old defenseman by acquiring him from the Arizona Coyotes on March 1 for a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft (forward Daniil But), a conditional second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

Coupled with Thomas Chabot (26) and Jake Sanderson (21), Chychrun gives the Senators a blue line foundation that provides optimism for the future. Of course, that is, if he can stay healthy.

History shows that's a big "if."

After the Senators got him, Chychrun missed the final 10 games of the regular season with a hamstring injury. That came on the heels of an injury-riddled 2021-22 season in which he missed 11 games with an upper body injury, then the final 24 regular-season games with an ankle injury.

2. Which version of Vladimir Tarasenko are the Senators getting?

In 2021-22 the forward set a career high in points with 82 (34 goals, 48 assists) in 75 games with the St. Louis Blues, a rate of 1.093 points per game.

Last season, the 31-year-old dipped to 50 points (18 goals, 32 assists) in 69 games with the Blues and New York Rangers, a rate of .725 per game.

The Senators, who signed Tarasenko to a one-year $5 million deal on July 27, have penciled him into their top six forwards and will be leaning on him to augment their power play. In order for that plan to be productive, they'll need the version of Tarasenko from two seasons ago, not last season.

For his part, Tarasenko said the trade rumours, which ultimately saw him dealt to the Rangers on Feb. 9, helped combine for his sag in points.

"Last year there was a lot of stuff going on," he said. "It's in the past. I'm looking forward to this year."

3. How secure are the jobs of general manager Pierre Dorion and coach D.J. Smith, especially if the team misses the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a seventh consecutive season?

The answer, ultimately, lies with Toronto businessman Michael Andlauer, who led the group that bought the Senators this summer. He endorsed the retention of both the coach and the general manager for the coming season, an endorsement of the direction the franchise appears to be heading in.

Another failure to reach the postseason, however, and all that could change.

The Senators are 120-139-32 in Smith's four seasons behind the bench, the first three coming as part of an extensive rebuild. He's only nine years removed from being the coach of the Memorial Cup champion Oshawa Generals in 2015. And he's the coach Dorion handpicked for the Senators job.

At the same time incoming ownership wants to create a new image of the franchise, including looking into the possibilities of sites for a different arena closer to the downtown core. Another season without playoff hockey won't go over well, especially with a loyal fanbase that's been patient with the rebuild.