Category: Sports News

One of the most popular topics amongst Sens Nation since the Brady Tkachuk trade has been who will replace him as captain.

Cases have been made for all four of the current alternate captains: Thomas Chabot, Claude Giroux, Jake Sanderson and Tim Stutzle.

With Drake Batherson’s camp in heavy negotiations and the September 15th deadline for an eight-year extension fast approaching, his name has even been thrown in the hat, with the captaincy possibly being part of the offer.

One option that's rarely been talked about is starting the 2026-27 season with no captain.

Let’s discuss.

In order to settle that debate, a few questions need answering.

Does a team need a captain to be a playoff team or win a championship?

Only two teams have won the Stanley Cup with no captain in NHL history, and it was the Boston Bruins in 1970 and again in 1972. They ran a captain by committee, and they also had Johnny Bucyk and Phil Esposito. Both are in the Hall of Fame.

They also had some guy named Bobby Orr.

Several teams in NHL history have made the playoffs with a captain by committee approach, but it is an anomaly.

It would not be the first time the Senators have gone into a season without a captain. After Erik Karlsson departed, the team was without a captain for the 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons before Tkachuk signed his extension and assumed the role.

Of course, the Senators were not the Boston Bruins of ’70 & ’72. The Sens were rebuilding with very low expectations, and their 77-109-23 record during that time supports that.

It is also worth noting that, regardless of how his tenure came to end in Ottawa, Tkachuk was the obvious choice, and no one was shocked when the announcement came.

Going into the season without a captain does not mean doom for the Senators. However, it won’t inspire fan confidence if they have the whole summer to fill that hole and can’t decide from within who should fill it.

Is there an obvious choice to succeed Tkachuk?

The fact that there has been debate all summer and that five names have been bandied about as possible replacements shows there is no clear-cut choice. At least outside the dressing room.

Is there a clear-cut choice inside the dressing room? Right now, Steve Staios and Travis Green have been tight-lipped.

It’s quite possible that they know who the next captain will be. Maybe they're just using the “American Idol Ryan Seacrest dramatic pause” for effect.

Perhaps they know there won’t be one and are using the same tactic.

The soundness of that strategy can be debated. However, let’s hope it’s one of those two options, because if the organization doesn’t know the character of its own people by now, when will they?

Not having a captain was the right choice from 2018-2021. There was one clear choice, but he wasn’t ready yet. From the moment he joined the organization, Tkachuk was the presumptive captain, but by waiting, they spared him years of tough media scrums where the captain has to answer for all the losing.

Local Heroes: The Top Five Senators Who Were Born And Raised In OttawaWe take a look at the top five players who transitioned from dominating local rinks to playing important roles on Ottawa's biggest hockey stage.

What are the risks of choosing the wrong captain?

Teams may have qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs and even won the Cup in the past without a captain. However, there is no stat showing how many teams have done the same with the wrong captain.

My guess is that the answer is none.

Having no captain and using a committee approach amongst the alternates may or may not be the right course of action but the wrong course of action is to choose a captain believing you have to.

The only thing worse than choosing the wrong captain is having to either trade him or remove the C while he is still playing for your team.

Being right is absolutely, fundamentally critical.

Being wrong could set the team back immeasurably.

Jason Spezza’s tenure as captain was one season. They missed the playoffs, and he asked to be traded. He was filling huge shoes in the departure of Daniel Alfredsson. Was he the right choice or did he get chosen to avoid having no captain?

Erik Karlsson’s name seemed like the obvious choice to replace him having led the team in scoring. He had a Norris Trophy on his resume, and being Daniel Alfredsson’s protégé didn’t hurt either.

In his four years as captain, he had a heroic role in the 2017 run to the conference final. He was also a central figure in the controversy that ultimately led to former GM Pierre Dorion declaring that the dressing room was “broken”.

Mark Stone was part of the team from 2014 to 2019 and is now the captain of the Vegas Golden Knights and has his name on the Stanley Cup.

Did the team rush Karlsson to ensure there was a captain, or could they have let that situation evolve organically, where Stone might have emerged as the guy?

What are the expectations for the 2026-27 Ottawa Senators?

Since Tkachuk’s trade announcement on Father’s Day, a lot has happened to the Senators' roster. One thing they have not done is replace Tkachuk as a power forward.

Steve Staois insisted at the Season Ticket Holders event earlier this month that the Senators may not have a lot of players who fight, but they are not easy to play against.

Though that may be true, Tkachuk’s absence has left a hole, whether anyone wants to admit it or not. Time will tell if the Senators can forge ahead without that tangible physical element and be successful.

The Senators are not entering the season as Cup contenders. Playoff contenders, maybe. Cup contenders, they are not. Though they are free to prove everyone wrong.

If the Senators were earmarked for greatness this season, it would have behooved them to address the captaincy sooner rather than later, as teams with a murky leadership structure generally don’t win the Cup.

Perhaps this takes the pressure off naming a captain and allows the selection to be identified organically.

Perhaps the right person will emerge during the season. No rules exist preventing teams from naming mid-season captains. Alexander Ovechkin and Eric Staal are just a couple of players who have.

The only thing that is clear about the Senators' captaincy situation is that there is no clear-cut choice. There are many attractive candidates, but no one has taken the reins yet.

The Senators can’t be wrong about who gets the next captaincy.

If they aren’t 100% sure who should get it, then no one should.

By Pat Maguire
The Hockey News

Sens Rewind: 15 Years Later, A Look Back At The Senators' Rebuild That Wasn't With the Senators moving out some key players and not doing a lot to replace them, hopes weren't particularly high entering their 2011 training camp.

The time has finally come for Behind the Steel Curtain’s most prestigious tradition: The Isaac Redman Award.

Now over a decade old (and with its own section on Wikipedia), the award, in the words of former BTSC editor Neal Coolong, is to be given to “the unheralded Steelers player who came from the furthest reaches of obscurity to reach general heightened fame and appeal among Steelers fans.”

As originally stated in that 2014 article, the basic rules are as follows:

Eligibility

• Player must not be a draft pick higher than the sixth round
• Player can only have participated in two other training camps prior to this one
• Player demonstrated frequent references in comments regarding the likelihood of significant playing time in the coming year
• Weight of general fan sentiment leans towards the player being a “diamond in the rough”
• Player does not have to make the team in the year of his nomination to qualify (this isn’t meant to be included in 53-man roster discussion)

Staff nominations

Ryan Parish: This year, it was between two rookies for me: Gabe Rubio and Robert Spears-Jennings. Both impressed, but I’m going to give the nod to Rubio. In three games, the young nose tackle racked up six solo tackles and assisted on six others. He recorded five “Stops” which are plays PFF chart as tackles that produce a negative outcome for the offense. Rubio even managed two pressures the final preseason game against the Bills. There’s an argument that outside of Germie Bernard, he was the rookie with the most impressive preseason performance, which makes him the clear Redman winner on my ballot.

Mike Nicastro: I’ll go off the grid a bit and give my nomination to Lew Nichols, who is a similar player to Isaac Redman in stature — he even won the award last year.

Nichols just keeps on trucking. He led the team in rushing with 87 yards on 20 attempts – good for a 4.35 average.

He also scored a touchdown and probably should have had another if he kept his balance on a great run in their first contest against the Packers.

He isn’t going to necessarily be the belle of any ball, but he deserves some recognition, and possibly a roster spot, for his consistency and relentless approach.

Jarrett Bailey: I’ll give mine to Robert Spears-Jennings. With the depth at safety (or lack thereof) being a big question, the seventh-round pick had a very strong summer in camp and in preseason play. He should get a spot on the 53-man roster.

Joey Bray: It would be a shame if the Pittsburgh kid Eli Heidenreich didn’t get a nomination for the Redman Award. 

Steelers fans rejoiced when the Mt. Lebanon high school alumni was selected 240th overall back in April. Heidenreich’s middle name is versatility, playing wide receiver and running back in college. His awareness and ability in the open field makes him a serious big play threat and giving Mike McCarthy no shortage of ways to use him. 

The Steelers primarily used Heidenreich as a running back throughout the summer. After missing a few weeks in camp with a leg injury, his spot on the 53-man roster doesn’t seem to be a lock. Heidenreich played well in the Steelers preseason finale, scoring a touchdown and getting some run as a return man on special teams. “The Swiss Navy Knife” deserves a spot on the 53-man roster, and potentially a Redman Award victory.

Ryland Bickley: While my vote will almost certainly go to one of Rubio or Spears-Jennings (please convince me which one), I’d be remiss if I didn’t get Will Howard onto this ballot as a former sixth-rounder who dominated preseason talking points even when his on-field performance didn’t always live up to the hype.

Sure, Howard didn’t come from the depths of obscurity as a former National Championship-winning Ohio State quarterback, but he’s built up a fanbase worthy of Redman Award consideration, leading to discussion of the Steelers keeping a whopping four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster just to keep Howard from potentially being poached by another team. The point of this award is to recognize August storylines with a bit too much hype, and while Howard still has plenty of time to develop, I’m not sure if another player better encapsulates that sense of preseason overreaction than him.

Other notable eligibles

• DB Devan Boykin
• DL Kevin Jobity Jr.
• TE Lake McRee
• WR Max Hurleman
• DB Doneiko Slaughter
• WR Brandon Smith
• OLB Julius Welschof
• LB Carson Bruener

Vote!

But enough of what the staff wants to say — this is your decision! Vote below in the poll, and if you want to write in an eligible candidate, recs on a comment stating a player’s candidacy will count as votes.

The ballot will stay open through Saturday, with the winner announced before the cutdown deadline on Sunday.

May the best Isaac Redman Award candidate win, joining a storied fraternity that includes the likes of Mike Hilton, Roosevelt Nix, and Tyler Matakevich. And make sure to fill the comment section with civil discourse election propaganda below.

Tonight’s preseason finale between the Jets and the Giants kicks off at 7:30 pm Eastern from MetLife Stadium. Although both teams call MetLife Stadium, this is technically considered a Jets home game.

In the past, only the home team has put on a broadcast. That has changed. Both teams will conduct broadcasts of this game.

The Jets feed will be on WCBS 2. Ian Eagle and Anthony Becht will call the game.

The Giants feed will be on WNBC 4. Bob Papa, Carl Banks, and Phil Simms will be in the broadcast booth. Unlike the Jets, the Giants have an expansive television network broadcasting their preseason contests. The Giants broadcast will also be shown on WNYT 13 in Albany, WSTM 3 in Syracuse, WPNY 11 in Utica, WETM 18 in Elmira, WWTI 50 in Watertown, and WTIC 61 in Hartford. (Jets, can we expand our preseason broadcast map a bit?)

The game can also be streamed. Fans in the New York area can watch the Jets feed of this game online on the official Jets app or newyorkjets.com and the Giants feed on the Giants app and giants.com.

If you are outside the local area, you can stream the game live on NFL+. A separate subscription is required.

Fans in the United Kingdom and Ireland can also stream the game live on newyorkjets.com.

If you cannot catch the game live using any of these methods, NFL Network will reair Jets vs. Giants on Sunday August 30 at 3:00 pm Eastern.

While on his official visit to Xavier, four-star small forward Markus Kerr has decided to commit to Richard Pitino and the Musketeers, his agent Nate Conley told Rivals.

The 6-foot-6 rising senior out of Wellington Sports Academy (FL) considered  Baylor, Maryland, NC State, and Tennessee as his other finalists.

Kerr is ranked as the No. 62 overall recruit in the 2027 class and the No. 16 ranked small forward, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an average of all three major recruiting media companies (Rivals, ESPN, 247Sports).

This summer on the Nike EYBL Circuit, Kerr averaged 15.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while playing with Team United.

More on Markus Kerr

Rivals National Recruiting Analyst Jamie Shaw has evaluated Kerr for a significant period of time. Here is what he recently had to say about his game:

You really have to lock in on Markus Kerr to understand his value. Over the past 18-plus months, he has never been the top option on his team; however, his ability to consistently find his role within the team construct and thrive has been so intriguing to watch. At Brewster (NH) Academy last season, he played more of an energetic four-man role, not having much run for him, but still able to average 13.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals while shooting around 48-percent from the field. This summer, with the Team United program on Nike’s EYBL Circuit, Kerr played more of a hybrid-forward role, alongside two top-five ranked players, and worked his way into 15.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 47-percent shooting from the field.

Then you find him with Garner Road in the Adidas 3SSB Championships, and you see Kerr in more of an on-the-ball role. His 3.0 assists per game were second on the team, and given his new spot on the roster, he came off the bench to also average 10.1 points. No matter the situation or the role, Kerr has always found a way to produce and make winning-type plays. A two-way player who is 6-foot-6, with explosive burst and ball skills; there is a lot of intrigue still left in the tank.

The Phinsider Mailbag is back to answer your questions ahead of the Miami Dolphins’ Preseason Week 3 game against the Atlanta Falcons. Tonight’s game is the last chance for roster bubble players to show the coaches they deserve a spot on the 53-man roster. It is also the last tune up the Dolphins get before they head into the regular season and start playing games that actually matter.

This week, we asked for your questions and you responded. You asked questions about Miami’s backup quarterback, the importance of preseason results, and the ghost of Joe Philbin hanging over the team. It is time to get into the answers. As we did last week, Marek Brave and I had a round table like discussion to bring you our thoughts to your questions.

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MB: I’m on record as saying that I don’t believe Miami’s QB2 is currently on the team’s roster. Quinn Ewers has been abysmal outside of Mike McDaniel’s offense — and he wasn’t all that good in that offense either. Cam Miller has gotten slightly better as the preseason has progressed, but he’s got a long way to go. Jon-Eric Sullivan needs to be scouring the waiver wire after cut-down day this Sunday.

KN: I think I am in the “show-me” crowd. Ewers is the backup until the team makes a move. Do I think they will make a move? I am probably 50/50 on that. If this team were in “win-now” mode, I would absolutely be screaming that they have to address the position as soon as possible, but since this team is looking toward the future, rather than a Super Bowl run this year, I do not know if Ewers being the backup actually matters. If the Dolphins are relying on Ewers for any stretch this year, they probably are in the market for a new quarterback in 2027 and an earlier draft choice might be a better option. I want this team to win now, and I am never going to be someone who advocates for a “tank” season, but I also think the Dolphins have to be smart about how they use their already limited salary cap space, and I am not sure a move at quarterback is the one I would make.

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MB: I don’t give any importance to them at all.

KN: Absolutely agree.

MB: We’ve seen Miami’s starting offense for a single drive this preseason, and they scored a touchdown. Does that mean the Dolphins will be an offensive juggernaut this season? Umm… no. But, I think Malik Willis will be an impressive player, the team will show heart and fight each week, we’ll find out we have the right head coach and GM moving forward, we’ll be happy with our rookie class and we’ll earn the right to have some hope heading into the 2027 season. If you’re expecting much more than that from this team this season, you are probably setting your expectations too high.

KN: I do not think head coach Jeff Hafley has put any time into preparing for the specific games Miami has played this summer. He is more concerned with the players on the roster and their individual and group performance. Even when the Dolphins are getting trounced, the individual player responsibilities and performances are what Hafley is trying to see. Do I want to feel better about the team because they won this weekend? Of course. But I do not think Hafley and the rest of the coaching staff are looking at the scoreboard at all. And, like the question said, everything that happened in these three games will be forgotten as soon as Week 1 starts.

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KN: We as fans live and die by the week when it comes to the Dolphins. This year for the Dolphins, the weekly results do not matter. They need to grow. Are they looking like a better team in Week 18 than the one that took the field in Week 1? That is the true measure. This team is pieced together with rookies, new free agents, and younger players seeing extended playing time for the first time; they will need time to get everyone on the same page. I expect rookie mistakes – even out of the veterans – early in the season because they are still growing together. I want to see those cleaned up throughout the year and a more competitive product on the field late in the year.

MB: Jeff Hafley has said himself that wins and losses won’t be the measure of success for Miami this season, so it shouldn’t be for Malik Willis either. Hafley wants to see leadership from the QB position. I think Willis has already shown a high level of leadership through the way he speaks with the media, in addition to the way he has taken accountability for getting the offense on the right page during practices and team meetings. Also, I’m a believer in all three rookie wide receivers, so to say there’s a lack of receiving talent without letting those guys attempt to prove themselves in meaningful games is a bit premature for me.

KN: I skipped over that part, but you are right. There is a ton of potential talent on the roster for Miami this year. You do not select 13 players in a single draft and not come away with potential talent. We as fans have to be content with letting them have the time to develop and blossom. We all want immediate results and we are ready to call a player a bust the first time we see him get beaten on the field. This year has to be about patience. The wide receivers have the potential to be stars. Maybe we should let them turn the potential talent into talent.

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MB: I think he’s more of a practice squad candidate for my money. He’s an intriguing player and someone you want to keep around for sure, but I don’t know if he’s ready to be a primary backup just yet. Maybe he makes the team initially to keep him off of the waiver wire through the first round of claims, but I’m not so sure he’s on the main roster once the regular season kicks off.

KN: I am probably a bit higher on Mulbah than you are. I think he does have a shot at making the roster. He is right on the bubble for me – though in today’s 53-man roster projection, I have him on the wrong side of the cut line. I agree he is a practice squad option, especially since I think he is battling Matthew Butler for one roster spot. But, if he plays well tonight, I could see Miami looking for a way to keep him on the roster.

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MB: Whoa, whoa, whoa… Calm down. In my opinion, Hafley and Philbin couldn’t be any more different. Don’t judge the new head coach on a mostly meaningless preseason game. The Dolphins lack depth. That’s because the Dolphins lack money. Their highest paid player will be playing AGAINST them in tonight’s preseason finale. Let’s give the new guy a bit of a grace period before we start comparing him to Mr. Queasy himself — this is a rebuild after all.

KN: I am so glad you answered this question first. The only comparison between the two is Green Bay. I have not seen or heard of Hafley walking around at practice picking up trash. Just based on personality alone, I think Hafley seems more like a head coach than Philbin ever did. I also go back to, I do not think Hafley had any interest in trying to scheme to win that game. I think the coaches knew what they wanted to see from the players on the field, and they called the game to get that film, not to win the game. The play calling, player packages, and formations will be different when the games matter. But, like you said, this is a rebuild. The coaches and front office know they are here to clean up a roster and a salary cap that had gotten out of control. There will be growing pains this year, and there will be times when the Dolphins simply cannot matchup to the opponent, but that is the nature of a rebuild.