Ottawa Senators News

Ottawa has secured a myriad of goaltending depth this offseason, including the signing of 29-year-old Hunter Shepard. The undrafted Shedpard playing one NHL games with the Washington Capitals last season but spent most of the campaign in the AHL, posting a 2.80 GAA and .891 SV% in 39 games (23-11-4) with the Hershey Bears.

Hodgson is an undrafted 29-year-old winger who joined the Ottawa Senators organization last season and made enough of an impact to earn himself a two-year, two-way contract extension. He played two games with Ottawa but spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, scoring 11 points (5G / 6A) in 43 games with Belleville.

After a promising 2022-23 season with the Los Angeles Kings, scoring 28 points (13G / 15A) in 56 games, Kaliyev had a tough time asserting himself as an NHL regular in the following two seasons. He spent portions of the 2024-25 campaign as a healthy scratch, as well as playing in the AHL. The 24-year-old winger has 75 points (38G / 37A) in 202 career NHL games.

Parsons is an undrafted goalie that played the previous four seasons in the OHL with the Kitchener Rangers. As a 20-year-old last season, Parsons shined, posting a stellar 2.24 GAA and .920 SV% in 52 games with Kitchener (37-12-3).

Ottawa will keep a familiar face around after the team announced it will sign Wyatt Bongiovanni to a one-year, two-way contract. The 25-year-old forward will rejoin the Belleville Senators (AHL) for his 5th season of pro hockey in 2025-26 after putting up 22 goals and 33 points in 54 games in 2024-25.

Eller will enter his 17th NHL season with a new team, the sixth of his career, after signing a one-year contract worth $1.25 million with the Senators. The 36-year-old Eller split the 2024-25 season between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring 22 points (10G / 12A) in 80 games.

Lycksell was a sixth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and, despite impressing at the AHL level, was limited to only 45 games in his NHL career. The 25-year-old winger scored an impressive 44 points (19G / 25A) in 43 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL) last season.

After winning the Stanley Cup in the 2023-24 season with the Florida Panthers, Cousins spent the 2024-25 season with the Ottawa Senators and will return for a second season with the club in 2025-26. The agitating 31-year-old forward had 15 points (6G / 9A), 41 penalty minutes, and 85 hits in 50 games with the Senators.

Merilainen spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, but was thrust into NHL action due to recurring injuries to Ottawa's goaltenders. The 22-year-old Merilainen, a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, was excellent when called upon for Ottawa, posting a 1.99 GAA and .925 SV% in 12 outings (8-3-1). He had a 2.37 GAA and .913 SV% in 37 games (18-12-4) with the Belleville Senators (AHL).

Ottawa will be bringing back a familiar veteran presence in 2025-26 after announcing it has signed Claude Giroux to a one-year, $2 million extension, with the possibility of earning up to $4.75 million in bonuses. The 37-year-old is entering his 19th NHL season and his fourth with Ottawa after putting up a modest 15 goals and 50 points in 81 games played in 2024-25.

Zetterlund was acquired at the trade deadline from the Sharks and had just two goals and three assists (five points) in 20 games. Zetterlund played more of a depth role after being acquired but could play more of a top-6 role in 2025-26. He has a career-high of 24 goals and 44 points with the Sharks in 2023-24.

Thomson spent the 2024-25 season with Malmö (SHL) but has earned himself a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 with the Ottawa Senators. The 24-year-old is expected to return to North America after one season with Malmö, where he excelled with 17 goals and 29 points in 50 games played. His last NHL appearance came in 2022-23 with Ottawa, where he had no points in two games played.

The 2024-25 season was the first full NHL season for Kleven, who had 19 points (4G / 6A) in 79 games. He also had a solid postseason, posting two assists, eight blocked shots and 16 hits while averaging 15:47 TOI/gm in six games vs. the Maple Leafs.

Matinpalo is an undrafted 26-year-old defenseman that played a career-high 41 games with Ottawa this season, scoring four points (1G / 3A). He appeared in all six playoff games for Ottawa this postseason as well.

The Senators will of course turn back to Ullmark between the pipes on Thursday as they hope to push their opening round series against the Maple Leafs to a deciding Game 7. The former Vezina Trophy winner is coming off his best performance of the playoffs and arguably stole the victory for Ottawa in Game 5, posting a shutout in a game where the Sens were outshot 29-19. Ullmark owns a 2.80 GAA and an .883 SV% through the opening five games of the series. The Senators enter action on Thursday at -120 on the money line.

Ullmark was solid in Ottawa's 4-3 overtime win in Game 4 on Saturday, saving 31 of 34 shots (.912 SV%) for his first postseason victory as a Senator, narrowing the Toronto Maple Leafs' series lead to 3-1. The 31-year-old netminder has a 3.44 GAA and .848 SV% in four games this postseason (1-3). He returns to the crease in Game 5 for a Senators team that is a +152 road favorite against the Maple Leafs, who have outscored them 15-10 in the series.

Spence did not play in Game 4 but will return to the Kings' lineup in a pivotal Game 5. The 24-year-old defenseman is averaging 6:08 time-on-ice and has a -2 plus/minus through three games this postseason.