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TSN hockey analyst Jamie McLennan recently teamed up with Jay Ontrai of SportsCentre to discuss what the Ottawa Senators should focus on during the off-season following another disappointing year.
McLennan emphasized that the Senators should not be panicking because they have a solid foundation and a pool of promising young players:
"First and foremost, they don't need to panic, because I do believe they've got some great pieces in place. What you need to do is add around it and continue to help these young players get to that next level."
The analyst mentioned the significance of adding complementary pieces to support the existing core players and elevate the young talent to the next level.
McLennan specifically praised Claude Giroux as an exceptional leader and highlighted the value of experienced veterans like him in guiding and mentoring young players.
According to McLennan, this mentorship role could be crucial in helping the team progress and learn from seasoned professionals:
"They have an unbelievable leader in Claude Giroux, a veteran guy 36 years old who still has game and is still bringing it, so you need more Giroux types. It's amazing how veteran guys will settle things down. They'll show the guys the younger players that are still learning on the job. Maybe the tricks of the trade on and off the ice."
Jamie McLennan also underscores the importance of bringing in players who can not only contribute on the ice but also serve as mentors for the young talent at the Ottawa Senators:
"So you need somebody who could still contribute but be great mentors for some of these young players to get to the next level. That would be the focus for me, as a couple of those guys that can add to the depth of your group certainly contribute but are also great mentors and leaders on and off the ice."
The Ottawa Senators have had an underwhelming season and are likely to miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season.
The club is third in the league, with the longest active drought-serving team (six seasons). The last time Ottawa made the playoffs was in 2016-17.
Ottawa Senators ease past Buffalo Sabres with a dominant win
On Wednesday night, the Senators traveled to the KeyBank Center to face the Buffalo Sabres. The Sens had one of their best first-period performances this season, scoring five goals against the Sabres before eventually winning 6-2.
Five players — Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson, Jakob Chychrun, Boris Katchouk and Brady Tkachuk — contributed a goal each for Ottawa in the win. Netminder Joonas Korpisalo was solid between the pipes with a .944 SV% with 34 saves.
Despite the win, the Sens are unlikely to make the playoffs, as they are 16 points off the second wild card in the East with 11 games remaining. The Ottawa Senators next face the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.
