When the Ottawa Senators begin training camp next month, they'll be looking for the high-compete levels from their group. So, in the lead-up, there will be the usual dialogue from the team — the proverbial carrot dangled before their young horses. They'll say things like "best players will play," "nothing is guaranteed," and "anything can happen." Even players from Belleville last year will be told they have a shot at making this team.
These are the things they have to say, and they're not lying when they say them. But the odds are against them. Barring injury or something totally unexpected, the Senators' 2025–26 roster is already set, with no jobs available.
Have a look at the projected roster as it stands right now, and ask yourself the question: which player might realistically lose his job to a current Senators prospect?
Forwards
Brady Tkachuk – Tim Stützle – Claude Giroux
David Perron – Dylan Cozens – Drake Batherson
Ridly Greig – Shane Pinto – Fabian Zetterlund
Nick Cousins – Lars Eller – Michael Amadio
Defense
Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot – Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven – Jordan Spence
Goaltenders
Linus Ullmark
Leevi Meriläinen
Ottawa Senators Rewind: The Pre-Draft Promise of Tim StützleTaking another journey through The Hockey News Archive, it was interesting to read about Senators star Tim Stutzle five years ago this summer, just days before his draft day.
Players Most Likely To Push For NHL Jobs:
Arthur Kaliyev
Zack MacEwen
Stephen Halliday
Xavier Bourgault
Jan Jenik (RFA)
Carter Yakemchuk
Lassi Thomson
Max Guenette (RFA)
Mads Sogaard
No one on that list is currently at a level that represents a clear and obvious improvement over the list above it. And there's certainly no pressure, contractual or otherwise, to keep anyone on List No. 2 at the NHL level.
Even last year's training camp had limited jobs available. Last year was mainly about the players learning how new head coach Travis Green wanted them to play. As far as job battles went, the primary intrigue was whether the fourth-line center role would go to Adam Gaudette or Zack Ostapchuk. Not exactly HBO documentary stuff, though that battle did have an interesting conclusion.
At the end of camp, Gaudette was placed on waivers while Ostapchuk stayed with the team. That made it seem to outsiders as though Ostapchuk had won the job, although Ostapchuk hadn't been told anything. When Gaudette cleared, he got the last spot, and Ostapchuk was sent down to Belleville.
Carter Yakemchuk also made some noise last fall, leading the Sens in preseason scoring, but he was sent back to junior to work on his defense and skating. This year, the organization's patient approach probably won't change. As Yak faces men for the first time in the grind of his first regular season as a pro, they'll likely want him to work out the glitches of youth where it doesn’t matter as much — down in Belleville, where every mistake won’t be magnified a thousand times over.
Nick Jensen’s health, as he returns from hip surgery, is the only real wild card that could open up some serious opportunity on this roster.
There’s also a chance that Nikolas Matinpalo could push Jordan Spence for a job, but despite Matinpalo’s strong second half last season, we wouldn't categorize this battle as serious. Spence makes more money, has more NHL experience, way more offensive upside, and was a full-time defenseman the last two years with the Los Angeles Kings — the team that allowed the second-fewest goals in the entire National Hockey League last season.
None of this is to say that the Senators’ training camp won’t be highly competitive. This isn't 1989, when a veteran or two might go through the motions at camp. But for the prospects, the competition won’t be about winning NHL jobs; it'll be more about improving their organizational stock, so that when Ottawa needs help, they’ll know who to turn to first.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
This article originally appeared on The Hockey News website: The Ottawa Senators' 2025-26 Lineup Is Probably Already Set
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