The Ottawa Senators have some strong centre depth when all players are available. However, between the health of Shane Pinto and Josh Norris, the Senators have hardly had a chance to see them all in action together. Over the past two seasons, the Senators have only seen 11 full games of their centre trio including Tim Stutzle. If the Senators want to have a successful season and make the playoffs, they are going to need more consistency down the middle.
NHL teams have realized that strength at centre is crucial to team success. The Stanley Cup might not be in reach for the Senators quite yet as they continue to develop, but looking back at the last few champions, it is enough evidence to show just how important it is to have that stability.
Jack Eichel, Chandler Stephenson, and William Karlsson for the Vegas Golden Knights, Nathan MacKinnon, Nazem Kadri, Alex Newhook, and Tyson Jost for the Colorado Avalanche, and Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, and Anthony Cirelli for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Centre depth wins you hockey games.
Norris & Pinto Need to Stay Healthy
The Senators and shoulder injuries have been quite a toxic relationship as of late. Pinto suffered a shoulder injury in just his fourth game into his first full season with the team after crashing into the boards hard on a hit from Mario Ferraro. He would play again three weeks later and worsen the injury on a faceoff. In a similar situation last season, Norris made it just five games into the season and returned a few months later and re-injured his shoulder the same way Pinto did.
Stutzle has been healthy and consistently in the lineup and that has been a big factor in him taking the first-line centre role by a significant margin. Norris and Pinto combining for the middle-six centre spots put this team in a very comfortable position.
Unfortunately, with the preseason kicking off and Pinto still unsigned, there is a possibility that Pinto won’t be in a Senators uniform to start the season. The Senators need to clear out cap space to get that contract done. Pinto will likely command $2.5 million for one year and the club only has $120,000 in cap space as the roster sits today. There are multiple paths forward, but none of them are easy to swallow.
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On the other side of this duo is Norris. He has not played since January and had shoulder surgery shortly after that last game. He started training camp in a yellow non-contact jersey, which is causing concern among the fanbase. In scrimmages and drills, Norris was taking faceoffs and taking very light contact, but time will tell if he is ready to go or not. The initial recovery time was set for four to six months, and now we are eight months past the surgery and he is still not ready to be a full participant.
In a media presser, general manager Pierre Dorion stated that Norris tweaked something in a skate a week prior to camp opening, but regardless of how, it is still unsettling.
A Healthy Group Has a High Ceiling
On display from the last few championship teams, centre depth is important. If all three of these players can be in the lineup together, they have the potential to be among the top of the league in this category.
Stutzle has proven to be a superstar. In his third NHL season, he recorded 39 goals and 90 points, and can certainly take another step similar to the way Jack Hughes did. The 100-point threshold is certainly within reach for Stutzle, and he could quickly become one of the best players to ever play for the club.
Norris’ last full season was his sophomore year, where he posted 35 goals and 55 points in 66 games. That is a great pace, and if he can get back to that it will be a huge success. The Senators really missed that level of offence in the second-line centre spot last year. Pinto did fine there but was much better suited on the third line.
Speaking of how Pinto did, coming off of his official rookie campaign where he posted 20 goals and 35 points, there is certainly room to build on that. If the group is healthy, he may not get the same opportunities he did playing with Alex DeBrincat and Drake Batherson, but his play seemed significantly better on the third line despite playing with lower point producers. If Pinto stays on the third line all year and posts similar numbers, that will be a win. He is a strong two-way centre and he can continue to build on that.
There are a lot of ifs and buts with this trio, but if they can stay together for a significant period of time, there is a lot of potential there. There are some other players who can slide in, especially Ridly Greig, but the ideal group is Stutzle, Norris, and Pinto. It is finally time to see them all in action together as this team hunts for the playoffs.
