With Ottawa Senators fans now neutral observers in these playoffs, it’s always a fun exercise to find non-financial reasons to cheer for certain teams. If you’re looking to support players who used to play for the Senators, look no further than the Dallas Stars, who have an NHL-leading three ex-Sens playing regularly.
Here’s a list of ten ex-Senators who still have a chance at getting their hands on The Precious.
Connor Brown, Edmonton Oilers, 6 points
The Oilers briefly thought that maybe The Connors could rekindle their Erie Otter magic of a decade ago when Brown had 128 points in a season, and McDavid had 99. Instead, Brown gave them a 55-game goalless drought to start the season. But Brown has turned it around this season, posting 30 points in 82 games, and so far in 9 playoff games, has 4 goals and 6 points.
Josh Brown, Edmonton Oilers, 0 points
We’ll also tip our cap to former Senator defenceman Josh Brown, who’s only played in one playoff game for the Oilers so far. Brown was dealt to Boston for Zachary Senyshyn and a 2022 fifth-round pick, which turned into promising Swedish goalie Kevin Reidler.
Memories of Connor and Josh remind us of the various grim seasons of the Ottawa rebuild when, along with Logan Brown and Patrick Brown, the Sens kept themselves distracted from the darkness by trying to set a record for having the most guys named Brown.
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Cody Ceci, Dallas Stars, 3 points
Ceci has had his detractors, but he’s gotten north of 20 minutes of ice time everywhere he’s been, and since leaving Ottawa in 2019, he’s played in the playoffs every year – first with Toronto, then Pittsburgh, Edmonton, and now Dallas. His streak was ready to end this year until San Jose traded him to the Stars at the deadline. Ceci is something of an iron man, rarely spending time on the injured list. In fact, he had the rare 85-game regular season this year. He has three points in 10 playoff games for Dallas.
Jakob Chychrun, Washington Capitals, 3 points
When Chychrun arrived at the 2023 trade deadline, it made for exciting headlines in Ottawa, where another top-four defenceman had been on the wish list for a long time. But as a left-shot, offence-first defenceman, Chychrun wasn’t the kind of defenceman they lacked.
It’s been a better fit in Washington, where Chychrun posted a 20-goal season, third-best among NHL defencemen. He also had a remarkable capital gains in the plus-minus department, going from -30 in Ottawa to +17 in Washington. He has 3 points in his first 8 playoff games.
Evgeny Dadonov, Dallas Stars, 4 points
This season, Dadonov’s stat line read 20-20 for 40 points on the year. Hindsight is also 20-20. And if Pierre Dorion had some right now, he’d certainly have handled the Dadonov trade differently. Dadonov will forever be known to Senator fans for his connection to Dorion getting fired in Ottawa.
When the Sens traded Dadonov to Vegas, they didn’t accurately report the details of his limited no-trade clause. The league punished the Sens by taking away a first-round draft pick. Barring a change of heart from the NHL, it looks like the pick will be surrendered in the 2026 Draft. Dadonov has 4 points in 10 playoff games.
Dylan DeMelo, Winnipeg Jets, 4 points
DeMelo has already hit a career high with 4 points in his first 9 playoff games. He’s been rock solid for the Jets, on and off the ice, and when the Sens traded him away in 2020, there wasn’t much vision there either. DeMelo was about to become a free agent, so the Sens dealt him to Winnipeg for a third-rounder. The Jets signed him to a four-year deal worth $12 million. And when that deal ended last summer, they signed him again to another four-year deal worth almost $20 million. Not bad for a guy who only cost the Jets a third-rounder.
The silver lining? The Sens used that third-rounder to select goalie Leevi Merilainen. But getting lucky with a mid-round pick doesn’t excuse the mishandling of that asset. They finally filled that void by acquiring Nick Jensen last summer.
The Next Big Thing? A Glance At How Top Senators Prospect Carter Yakemchuk Fared This SeasonFor Ottawa Senators fans, the sting of their team’s first-round elimination is starting to fade. Soon, that disappointment will give way to excitement for the future, and much of that excitement centers around young NHL prospects.
Matt Duchene, Dallas Stars, 4 points
With 30 goals (Patrick Roy is scowling somewhere) and 82 points in 82 games, Duchene had the second-best season of his career. He has 4 assists but remains goalless in 10 playoff games so far.
As with Mark Stone, Ottawa traded Duchene at the 2019 deadline, and the deal was supposed to yield some key pieces for the Senators’ rebuild. After Lassi Thomson left to sign in Sweden last spring, there’s nothing left. The Senators effectively traded Duchene for three non-NHL players – the pick they used on Thomson, and forwards Jonathan Davidsson and Vitaly Abramov.
Matt Murray, Toronto Maple Leafs
Still only 30, it’s hard to believe this is a goalie who won back-to-back Cups. The Sens got him in 2020, just in time for his career meltdown, a run of injuries and eventual double hip surgery. But until Anthony Stolarz returns in Toronto, Murray is wearing the backup’s ballcap on the Leafs’ bench. Unless he doesn’t feel good.
Vladislav Namestnikov, Winnipeg Jets, 4 points
A year after the Jets took DeMelo off Ottawa’s hands for a third-rounder, they acquired Namestnikov from the Sens for a fourth-round pick. Again, the Sens made something of it, sending the pick to Nashville, straight up for Austin Watson.
Namestnikov isn’t what you’d call an elite NHL player, but he manages to have an impact on whatever line the Jets need him to play on. Three months ago, they rewarded him with a two-year, $6 million extension. He has 4 points in 10 games so far.
Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights, 8 points
We’ve saved the best for last (also an alphabetical coincidence). When the Sens traded away Mark Stone, it ended up being one of the worst trades in Sens history. They traded him with Tobias Lindberg to Vegas in exchange for Erik Brannstrom, Oscar Lindberg, and a 2020 second-round pick, which became Egor Sokolov, who became Jan Jenik, who’s now an RFA. If the Sens fail to qualify Jenik, that will be the end of the Stone trade tree. But let’s be honest, the Ottawa branch on that tree began to wither the day it was planted. Unless you consider it a win to upgrade your Lindberg.
When Stone signed his long-term contract in Vegas, many pundits warned that the back half of that deal would eventually look terrible. Seven years into his eight-year deal, we’re still waiting. The Vegas captain has 8 points in 9 playoff games.
So, there’s the Big 10, still in hot pursuit of a Cup this year. While the hockey itself has been the star, it’s still exciting to follow players like these and see the direction their careers have taken after their time in Ottawa.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News – Ottawa
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