Former Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk. Photo by TONY CALDWELL /POSTMEDIA

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One month away from Ottawa Senators training camp, it’s time to start answering the tough questions.

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From Citizen reader Stewart Nicol: “It’s a weaker lineup than last year.”

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The Senators are not an improved hockey team on paper after losing Brady Tkachuk, but are they really that much worse?

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Adding winger William Eklund will help recoup a significant portion of the offence Tkachuk provided, and if young Carter Yakemchuk can prove he’s NHL-ready by the end of training camp, the Sens may be just as dangerous as they were last regular season (eighth in the NHL with 3.35 goals per game).

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Speaking at the team’s Season Seat Member Summit last week, general manager Steve Staios pointed to roster continuity as a major reason he balked at making more off-season moves.

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“We really like this core,” Staios told several thousand card-carrying Sens fans. “We like how they’ve come together. We like how they continue to develop. We like how they represent you guys. We like how they play.”

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Ottawa’s 23-man roster could include 20 familiar faces. Coach Travis Green certainly appreciates — and perhaps advocated for — player retention.

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While Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson had monster campaigns in 2025-26, the Senators were not carried by individual performances. Stutzle, who had 83 points (34 goals, 49 assists) in 80 games, was the only Ottawa skater inside the NHL’s top 45 in scoring.

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Indeed, the Sens found success by buying into an all-hands-on-deck approach to team defence and forechecking. In turn, Green felt comfortable most nights rolling all four lines and six defencemen.

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Looking back, the vast majority of Ottawa skaters probably played the best two-way hockey of their careers.

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More cause for optimism should be the current stage of the core that Staios speaks so highly of. Stutzle (24), Sanderson (24), Tyler Kleven (24), Shane Pinto (25), Dylan Cozens (25) and Jordan Spence (25) each is entering his prime as we speak.

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With an average age of just over 27, Ottawa’s roster is the 23rd oldest in the league. This isn’t a team that is getting worse by simply being a year older.

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From Citizen reader Terry O’Donnell: “Will Zetterlund’s game improve now that his best friend William Eklund is in Ottawa?”

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The power of friendship is strong — just ask Linus Ullmark.

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The goaltender’s best statistical seasons, including his Vezina-winning campaign in 2022-23, came in the midst of the NHL’s most passionate bromance, when a giant bear hug with teammate Jeremy Swayman was customary after Boston Bruins wins. Over the course of three seasons, neither goalie’s save percentage dropped below .914.

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Can Fabian Zetterlund and Eklund, the best of buddies during their time with the San Jose Sharks, harness a similar energy?

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In parts of two seasons in San Jose, Zetterlund and Eklund played a total of 456 minutes together at 5-on-5, a darn good sample size.