I don’t get this coach Joseph a healthy scratch when they are playing his brother would of been a good game for him, but no let’s play Gambrell who has 1 goal 0 assists cause he’s to valuable to knock outta that 4th line 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️
- sens4life1971

Actually, from what I can tell they are playing Gambrell on the third line. Joseph has 9 points, Gambrell has 1 - both in 25 games. Not unexpected from this bench boss mind you.

Stanley Cup is usually won by a veteran team. Experience is always a huge factor when the playoffs role around.

People get confused in believing that making the playoffs is an important measure or indicator of a team improving and becoming a serious Cup contender.

I think the Devils are actually the way it works. A team struggles, rebuilds through the draft and loses a lot. When the kids are ready to win, it is time to fill in the 3rd and 4th line with the right role players.

Do not understand folks who go on at great length about which 3rd or 4th liner is a better choice. Look at the +/- totals for your top 6. Compare that with the +/- of your bottom 6. You will see the bottom 6 is doing far better in holding up their end of the deal. Winning for the Sens means the top 6 has to learn to play a better defensive and a better puck possession game.

Seem like Joseph have break a team rules

I'll go there. I am not so against the idea of trading Chabot, if the deal makes sense. He would bring lots of value to a trade to possibly address other areas.

The question that really sticks out to me is that is he a true #1 d-man. I am not so sure. He gets allocated minutes like one, but the results are a bit underwhelming. People will say it's the ice time that is the problem, but other top d-men have similar ice time. The ice time argument might actually mean he's better suited in a 2/3/4 role rather than true #1 role. He currently has the lowest point total and worst +/- of the top 10 d-men in ice time. Additionally, has the second most penalty minutes of that group.

He is certainly a top 4 guy. If Sanderson if going to be the d-man of the future, which is too early to call now, you likely can't have Chabot and Sanderson with big contracts and same shot, assuming Sanderson takes another step net year and demands a significant deal. The money allocated to Chabot, could be used in other ways.

I am not advocating to trade the guy today, but I woulddn't be shocked if somewhere down the line, the idea is entertained. Especially before the rest of the NHL realizes that Chabot might just be a 2/3/4 guy rather than a top tier d-man.

Teams in transition sometimes have to make a big splash with their core to take the next step. The Avalanche once thought O'Reilly and Duchene were mainstays on their team. Few years past, prospects came up and they could afford to move those players to address other areas, one way or another, and win the cup last year.

Don't get too attached to a roster that can't seem to get into the playoff picture. Big issue is that it is incredibly hard to make trades with players with significant contracts.

Stanley Cup is usually won by a veteran team. Experience is always a huge factor when the playoffs role around.

People get confused in believing that making the playoffs is an important measure or indicator of a team improving and becoming a serious Cup contender.

I think the Devils are actually the way it works. A team struggles, rebuilds through the draft and loses a lot. When the kids are ready to win, it is time to fill in the 3rd and 4th line with the right role players.

Do not understand folks who go on at great length about which 3rd or 4th liner is a better choice. Look at the +/- totals for your top 6. Compare that with the +/- of your bottom 6. You will see the bottom 6 is doing far better in holding up their end of the deal. Winning for the Sens means the top 6 has to learn to play a better defensive and a better puck possession game.
- spatso

Good post. While it would be nice to have some upgrades in the bottom six, those upgrades are not turning this team into a perennial contender. The top six needs to play better defensively but also, the defenders and goaltenders need to be better and/or upgraded. I wonder with Norris back in the lineup, DJ shifts things to create 3 ok lines with one forward having more defensive responsibility.

I'll go there. I am not so against the idea of trading Chabot, if the deal makes sense. He would bring lots of value to a trade to possibly address other areas.

The question that really sticks out to me is that is he a true #1 d-man. I am not so sure. He gets allocated minutes like one, but the results are a bit underwhelming. People will say it's the ice time that is the problem, but other top d-men have similar ice time. The ice time argument might actually mean he's better suited in a 2/3/4 role rather than true #1 role. He currently has the lowest point total and worst +/- of the top 10 d-men in ice time. Additionally, has the second most penalty minutes of that group.

He is certainly a top 4 guy. If Sanderson if going to be the d-man of the future, which is too early to call now, you likely can't have Chabot and Sanderson with big contracts and same shot, assuming Sanderson takes another step net year and demands a significant deal. The money allocated to Chabot, could be used in other ways.

I am not advocating to trade the guy today, but I woulddn't be shocked if somewhere down the line, the idea is entertained. Especially before the rest of the NHL realizes that Chabot might just be a 2/3/4 guy rather than a top tier d-man.

Teams in transition sometimes have to make a big splash with their core to take the next step. The Avalanche once thought O'Reilly and Duchene were mainstays on their team. Few years past, prospects came up and they could afford to move those players to address other areas, one way or another, and win the cup last year.

Don't get too attached to a roster that can't seem to get into the playoff picture. Big issue is that it is incredibly hard to make trades with players with significant contracts.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

What a moronic post! Are you the same Gord Wilson that has been spewing this nonsense on TSN radio?

The Sens have a true number one D and you want to trade him away? You're not saying that outright but in a weaselly way are testing the waters to see if it might be something you can peddle. And there's no problem with this because friggin rookie Sanderson is going to be the big guy? This is just too friggin stupid!

I have been trying to figure out where this idiocy comes from and I think it might be when that turkey behind the bench has said in his post games that Sanderson has been their best D. Too stupid for words!

To summarize this stupidity the reason the Sens are not in the playoff picture after all these years is because of Chabot! Un friggin believable!

I know this post is abusive but you deserve it because you get paid to spew this crap.

While I'm at it I might as well say that the Sens should look seriously at making a pitch for Provorov. If the pack of virtue signaling weasels at TSN are right and the NHL has turned into this gutless, politically correct at all costs, bunch of butt lickers then Provorov might be had for a fair price. Not going to happen I know because Ottawa is the capital of the insane asylum that Canada has become.

When did who you like to fu_k become an indispensable, integral part of the game of hockey?

For anyone that's plays hockey, is it THAT bad if a right-handed D is playing on the left, or left-handed playing right? Sanderson can play both sides, put Chabot and Sandy together!

What a moronic post! Are you the same Gord Wilson that has been spewing this nonsense on TSN radio?

The Sens have a true number one D and you want to trade him away? You're not saying that outright but in a weaselly way are testing the waters to see if it might be something you can peddle. And there's no problem with this because friggin rookie Sanderson is going to be the big guy? This is just too friggin stupid!

I have been trying to figure out where this idiocy comes from and I think it might be when that turkey behind the bench has said in his post games that Sanderson has been their best D. Too stupid for words!

To summarize this stupidity the reason the Sens are not in the playoff picture after all these years is because of Chabot! Un friggin believable!

I know this post is abusive but you deserve it because you get paid to spew this crap.
- Whatisavailable

Tap the breaks. You love to escalate things and not look at things objectively. Once upon a time guys like Spezza and Karlsson were deemed untouchable. This is a business. Teams need to be looking at avenues to improve their team.

Chabot shouldn't be playing as much as he is. Everyone agrees with that. So many people say that is a coaching error, which can be fair. However, how is it a ridiculous notion to take from that that he might just not be a true #1 guy given the statistics available with other top d-men?

As per my post, I would not be looking to trade Chabot today but it might be a scenario that you might want to look into depending on the development of the team and holes emerging.

Also, would love to be paid for getting you angry, but alas, I am just some working class dude on his couch behind a screen.

For anyone that's plays hockey, is it THAT bad if a right-handed D is playing on the left, or left-handed playing right? Sanderson can play both sides, put Chabot and Sandy together!
- PogBoi

I used to advocate this style of play for awhile. It just seems very few NHL coaches want to do this unless they absolutely have to. I assume it's mainly for board play offensively and defensive clearings, so you are naturally shooting towards the boards and out rather than middle of the ice and out..

Tap the breaks. You love to escalate things and not look at things objectively. Once upon a time guys like Spezza and Karlsson were deemed untouchable. This is a business. Teams need to be looking at avenues to improve their team.

Chabot shouldn't be playing as much as he is. Everyone agrees with that. So many people say that is a coaching error, which can be fair. However, how is it a ridiculous notion to take from that that he might just not be a true #1 guy given the statistics available with other top d-men?

As per my post, I would not be looking to trade Chabot today but it might be a scenario that you might want to look into depending on the development of the team and holes emerging.

Also, would love to be paid for getting you angry, but alas, I am just some working class dude on his couch behind a screen.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

I would like to apologize for being abusive because everyone is entitled to their opinion without being abused. Had a couple of beers after a rough day. No excuse of course but an explanation.

Are you not the same Gord Wilson who makes cameo appearances on the TSN radio show because you sure sound like him.

There's no trading Chabot ever in my opinion. I have seen stupid trades. Edmonton traded Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson straight up because Hall hadn't taken them to the playoffs in years. Montreal traded Chris Chelios for Denis Savard. Chelios played for years after that with a couple of Norris trophies. I think Savard played a half dozen games for Montreal before they gave him back to Chicago for nothing.

I truly hope Sanderson will become a number one D. It looks promising so far but you can't tell at this point. If that happens it will be great. Montreal won all those Cups because they had Robinson, Savard and Lapointe on D with Dryden in net.

The Sens have Chabot and probably Sanderson. Zub is OK but if JBD doesn't surprise us all they will need another GOOD top 4 RD and pay for it.

The Sens need to ditch this DeBrincat character and get themselves a true number one net minder and pay for it.

They have enough up front in the top six and just need a 4 or 5 million dollar guy that works with the stars.

Fill in the bottom six. They had Paul and Brown but decided to blow that up for some inexplicable reason.

This is not rocket science. It requires smart hockey professionals and Seattle is the proof of what a good coach means to a team.

I would like to apologize for being abusive because everyone is entitled to their opinion without being abused. Had a couple of beers after a rough day. No excuse of course but an explanation.

Are you not the same Gord Wilson who makes cameo appearances on the TSN radio show because you sure sound like him.

There's no trading Chabot ever in my opinion. I have seen stupid trades. Edmonton traded Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson straight up because Hall hadn't taken them to the playoffs in years. Montreal traded Chris Chelios for Denis Savard. Chelios played for years after that with a couple of Norris trophies. I think Savard played a half dozen games for Montreal before they gave him back to Chicago for nothing.

I truly hope Sanderson will become a number one D. It looks promising so far but you can't tell at this point. If that happens it will be great. Montreal won all those Cups because they had Robinson, Savard and Lapointe on D with Dryden in net.

The Sens have Chabot and probably Sanderson. Zub is OK but if JBD doesn't surprise us all they will need another GOOD top 4 RD and pay for it.

The Sens need to ditch this DeBrincat character and get themselves a true number one net minder and pay for it.

They have enough up front in the top six and just need a 4 or 5 million dollar guy that works with the stars.

Fill in the bottom six. They had Paul and Brown but decided to blow that up for some inexplicable reason.

This is not rocket science. It requires smart hockey professionals and Seattle is the proof of what a good coach means to a team.
- Whatisavailable

No apologies needed. We all have those days! Enjoy the beers!

I have never called TSN radio. I was just a punk kid creating a funny alias hockeybuzz account name. The real Gord Wilson has always grinded my gears dating back to the New RO broadcast days.

I don't think a Chabot trade right now is an ideal move. However, it could happen. I'd like to see more elite consistency in his game since he is the #1 d-man. Maybe I'm too spoiled from the Karlsson years. There are just too many high quality d-men getting similar ice time that are bringing more to their teams right now in my view.

I am not sure Seattle is a great comparison at this juncture. The NHL created a surefire way for expansion teams to be competitive right away. Seattle and Vegas got to choose from 2nd, 3rd liners, and salary dumps. It automatically creates a well-rounded roster with not a lot of cap issues initially and no reliance on development. While no super star players, no plugs like a lot of NHL teams have. Existing teams have to deal with the cap over many seasons with inconsistent drafts (in terms of overall talent to choose from) and plugs due to cap/buyout issues.

However, I am in agreement coaching and smart hockey people need to be brought in. A new owner cannot come soon enough.

Goaltending is horrendous. Talbot needs to get back to the drawing board.

I would like to apologize for being abusive because everyone is entitled to their opinion without being abused. Had a couple of beers after a rough day. No excuse of course but an explanation.

Are you not the same Gord Wilson who makes cameo appearances on the TSN radio show because you sure sound like him.

There's no trading Chabot ever in my opinion. I have seen stupid trades. Edmonton traded Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson straight up because Hall hadn't taken them to the playoffs in years. Montreal traded Chris Chelios for Denis Savard. Chelios played for years after that with a couple of Norris trophies. I think Savard played a half dozen games for Montreal before they gave him back to Chicago for nothing.

I truly hope Sanderson will become a number one D. It looks promising so far but you can't tell at this point. If that happens it will be great. Montreal won all those Cups because they had Robinson, Savard and Lapointe on D with Dryden in net.

The Sens have Chabot and probably Sanderson. Zub is OK but if JBD doesn't surprise us all they will need another GOOD top 4 RD and pay for it.

The Sens need to ditch this DeBrincat character and get themselves a true number one net minder and pay for it.

They have enough up front in the top six and just need a 4 or 5 million dollar guy that works with the stars.

Fill in the bottom six. They had Paul and Brown but decided to blow that up for some inexplicable reason.

This is not rocket science. It requires smart hockey professionals and Seattle is the proof of what a good coach means to a team.
- Whatisavailable

Very good post. You often have really solid comments.

But sometimes we see a brain freeze followed by unhinged and abrasive commentary. But, we all do that at times.

I am glad you mellowed the harder edges of your commentary,

It appears that we may be destined to become an orphan thread. At this time, there are only a few of us and we cannot afford the luxury of offending one another merely for the sake of scoring insult points.

Write something nice about Timmy being a superstar and all will be forgiven!

Goaltending is horrendous. Talbot needs to get back to the drawing board.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

I watched Talbot a lot when he was with Edmonton. He could make spectacular saves at times and often play solid but almost every game he would let in at least one really bad goal at what seemed like the worst possible time. He hasn't changed at all. I didn't like giving up a good prospect in Gus for what I knew was not a number one goalie but that's in the past and now what they need to think about is what do you do about the net.

Forsberg's a good backup. If they can snag a promising young prospect I would do it. I can't think of them now but I've seen a couple of young guys who don't have a spot on their current team. If they need to resign Talbot then no more than a year.

Play JBD for the rest of the season to find out what he is. If he's just a solid third pairing that's fine. Try playing Thomson a bit. What have you got to lose? Guys like Holden and Hamonic need to be gone if possible.

Above all else find your goalie.

I watched Talbot a lot when he was with Edmonton. He could make spectacular saves at times and often play solid but almost every game he would let in at least one really bad goal at what seemed like the worst possible time. He hasn't changed at all. I didn't like giving up a good prospect in Gus for what I knew was not a number one goalie but that's in the past and now what they need to think about is what do you do about the net.

Forsberg's a good backup. If they can snag a promising young prospect I would do it. I can't think of them now but I've seen a couple of young guys who don't have a spot on their current team. If they need to resign Talbot then no more than a year.

Play JBD for the rest of the season to find out what he is. If he's just a solid third pairing that's fine. Try playing Thomson a bit. What have you got to lose? Guys like Holden and Hamonic need to be gone if possible.

Above all else find your goalie.
- Whatisavailable

Was Gustavasson thta goalie?

I watched Talbot a lot when he was with Edmonton. He could make spectacular saves at times and often play solid but almost every game he would let in at least one really bad goal at what seemed like the worst possible time. He hasn't changed at all. I didn't like giving up a good prospect in Gus for what I knew was not a number one goalie but that's in the past and now what they need to think about is what do you do about the net.

Forsberg's a good backup. If they can snag a promising young prospect I would do it. I can't think of them now but I've seen a couple of young guys who don't have a spot on their current team. If they need to resign Talbot then no more than a year.

Play JBD for the rest of the season to find out what he is. If he's just a solid third pairing that's fine. Try playing Thomson a bit. What have you got to lose? Guys like Holden and Hamonic need to be gone if possible.

Above all else find your goalie.
- Whatisavailable

I misjudged Talbot but we also had to endure Murray, Hogberg, etc. This team hasn't had competent goaltending since Andy in his prime. I'd prefer to figure out the defence before goaltending is addressed. There might be a guy to emerge from Søgaard, Mandolese, and Meriläinen. Sometimes goalies come out of no where. No more Talbot or Murray experiments please.

One interesting thing with losing Gustavsson, now that he is in Minny, his conditioning seems improved from before judging by his comments and comments from Minny as well. Sort of interesting to hear. Might be a conditioning/workout problem in Ottawa. Might contribute to the reason this team looks flat sometimes.

I misjudged Talbot but we also had to endure Murray, Hogberg, etc. This team hasn't had competent goaltending since Andy in his prime. I'd prefer to figure out the defence before goaltending is addressed. There might be a guy to emerge from Søgaard, Mandolese, and Meriläinen. Sometimes goalies come out of no where. No more Talbot or Murray experiments please.

One interesting thing with losing Gustavsson, now that he is in Minny, his conditioning seems improved from before judging by his comments and comments from Minny as well. Sort of interesting to hear. Might be a conditioning/workout problem in Ottawa. Might contribute to the reason this team looks flat sometimes.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

I remember watching this team 3 years ago. They lost a lot but they never gave up and I always enjoyed watching them. Same two years ago and last year as well. You could see a team growing up and full of vim and vigour and promise.

I don't see that anymore. Something has changed. This is just me I know but I posted after the DeBrincat acquisition that I worried about the chemistry of the team being affected. This little guy was gifted top PP and big even strength minutes without having earned them.

They dumped Paul and Brown for a 2024 second and Joseph. I don't see the same chemistry anymore. I think Smith and Dorion have really hurt the franchise and I hope that when they are gone some of the trust can be restored.

Stutzle clocked 26:29 minutes tonight that’s crazy for a forward lol
Norris played ok for first game in months
Poor Pinto tho stuck with Brassard and Gambrell
I agree we need a good goalie we need a young Anderson who used his body more then glove lol

WIN... but Yeesh, what's going on with the goalies. That's not all D issues. 3 of those goals were garbage.

Some people that think getting a #1 pick isn't a big deal, I think it's HUGE. How many cup winners have won without a #1 pick? I think there's only a handful in history. It's certainly possible but the Sens need development of Stutzle, Sanderson, Norris, Batherson, and Tkachuk to grow to another level. Also it would be nice to acquire a top D-man and/or goalie because both positions are looking good but not in the top third of the NHL. 32 teams now, it's harder to win.

2003 - Marc-Andre Fleury - won Stanley Cup with PIT
2004 - Alex Ovechkin - won Stanley Cup with WSH
2005 - Sidney Crosby - won Stanley Cup with PIT
2006 - Erik Johnson - won Stanley Cup with COL
2007 - Patrick Kane - won Stanley Cup with CHI
2008 - Steven Stamkos - won Stanley Cup with TBL
2009 - John Tavares (TBD)
2010 - Ryan Nugent Hopkins (TBD)
2011 - Taylor Hall (TBD)
2012 - Nail Yakupov (FAIL)
2013 - Nathan MacKinnon - won Stanley Cup with COL
2014 - Aaron Ekblad (TBD)
2015 - Connor McDavid (TBD)
2016 - Auston Matthews (TBD)

Some people that think getting a #1 pick isn't a big deal, I think it's HUGE. How many cup winners have won without a #1 pick? I think there's only a handful in history. It's certainly possible but the Sens need development of Stutzle, Sanderson, Norris, Batherson, and Tkachuk to grow to another level. Also it would be nice to acquire a top D-man and/or goalie because both positions are looking good but not in the top third of the NHL. 32 teams now, it's harder to win.

2003 - Marc-Andre Fleury - won Stanley Cup with PIT
2004 - Alex Ovechkin - won Stanley Cup with WSH
2005 - Sidney Crosby - won Stanley Cup with PIT
2006 - Erik Johnson - won Stanley Cup with COL
2007 - Patrick Kane - won Stanley Cup with CHI
2008 - Steven Stamkos - won Stanley Cup with TBL
2009 - John Tavares (TBD)
2010 - Ryan Nugent Hopkins (TBD)
2011 - Taylor Hall (TBD)
2012 - Nail Yakupov (FAIL)
2013 - Nathan MacKinnon - won Stanley Cup with COL
2014 - Aaron Ekblad (TBD)
2015 - Connor McDavid (TBD)
2016 - Auston Matthews (TBD)
- AlfieisKing

Good post. Teams need to hit bottom before rising to the top.

2020 draft. Sens cashed in big time. When Sens win their Cup people will look at the haul they took starting with lead off Jeopardy question. Nobody will talk about the coach.

Some great posts in here.

Talbot is a big save goalie and a bad goal goalie.
Forsberg is like a Tugnutt. Easy every day saves--yup he's got you. Big saves--not so much.

I don't know about DeBrincat either. This team can barely score 5 on 5.

Last night's game was a fun excercise of watching us play ourselves. Pitt's defense looked like ours does at times. Running around in their own end, unable to clear it effectively.

That game was essentially a tie. We needed a win in regulation. Good for the confidence. Bad for the standings.

I thought the Sens played a really solid game and the Pens had no business snagging a loser point. Talbot strikes again!

What really impressed me is the little glimpse into the near future this team provided. Sanderson played a great game. So did Chabot. JBD looked really solid and if he would stay put for the rest of the season they may very well find that they have a partner for Chabot and Zub can be partnered with Sanderson. Unfortunately Smith won't let that happen I don't think.

Stutzle just seems to get better every game. He is already their legitimate number 1 C.

Norris looked good for his first game back.

The whole team looked good. Too bad about that loser point.

Some people that think getting a #1 pick isn't a big deal, I think it's HUGE. How many cup winners have won without a #1 pick? I think there's only a handful in history. It's certainly possible but the Sens need development of Stutzle, Sanderson, Norris, Batherson, and Tkachuk to grow to another level. Also it would be nice to acquire a top D-man and/or goalie because both positions are looking good but not in the top third of the NHL. 32 teams now, it's harder to win.

2003 - Marc-Andre Fleury - won Stanley Cup with PIT
2004 - Alex Ovechkin - won Stanley Cup with WSH
2005 - Sidney Crosby - won Stanley Cup with PIT
2006 - Erik Johnson - won Stanley Cup with COL
2007 - Patrick Kane - won Stanley Cup with CHI
2008 - Steven Stamkos - won Stanley Cup with TBL
2009 - John Tavares (TBD)
2010 - Ryan Nugent Hopkins (TBD)
2011 - Taylor Hall (TBD)
2012 - Nail Yakupov (FAIL)
2013 - Nathan MacKinnon - won Stanley Cup with COL
2014 - Aaron Ekblad (TBD)
2015 - Connor McDavid (TBD)
2016 - Auston Matthews (TBD)
- AlfieisKing

So 7/14 have won, but on just 5 teams (PIT/COL had two each). Meanwhile, if you go back another 14 years, you have just 1 Stanley Cup won by a #1 overall pick.

1989 - Mats Sundin (FAIL)
1990 - Eric Lindros (FAIL)
1991 - Owen Nolan (FAIL)
1992 - Roman Hamrlik (FAIL)
1993 - Alexandre Daigle (FAIL)
1994 - Ed Jovanovski (FAIL)
1995 - Bryan Berard (FAIL)
1996 - Chris Phillips (FAIL)
1997 - Joe Thornton (TBD)
1998 - Vincent Lecavalier (won SC with TB)
1999 - Patrick Stefan (FAIL)
2000 - Rick DiPietro (FAIL)
2001 - Ilya Kovalchuk (FAIL)
2002 - Rick Nash (FAIL)

The point: #1 overall picks are no guarantee of success whatsoever. If the Senators win the draft lottery in 2020, they wind up with Lafreniere instead of Stutzle. There was even a discussion at the time about whether it was worth trading the #3/#5 picks to move up to #1. Pretty sure that's not under discussion anymore. Just look to DET, LA, STL, and BOS if you want to see Cup-quality teams w/o a 1st overall pick on the roster. Or look at TOR if you want an example of a team where multiple 1st overall picks hasn't even won them a single playoff series. Alfredsson, Hossa, and Chara were the 3 best players in Senators' history, and 2 of them weren't even first round picks.

Having Stutzle-Tkachuk-Sanderson is a very solid young nucleus, and were #3, #4, and #5 overall picks. Give them a decent coach/GM, an owner willing to regularly pay up the salary ceiling, and a decent supporting cast and you'll have a Cup contender.

So 7/14 have won, but on just 5 teams (PIT/COL had two each). Meanwhile, if you go back another 14 years, you have just 1 Stanley Cup won by a #1 overall pick.

1989 - Mats Sundin (FAIL)
1990 - Eric Lindros (FAIL)
1991 - Owen Nolan (FAIL)
1992 - Roman Hamrlik (FAIL)
1993 - Alexandre Daigle (FAIL)
1994 - Ed Jovanovski (FAIL)
1995 - Bryan Berard (FAIL)
1996 - Chris Phillips (FAIL)
1997 - Joe Thornton (TBD)
1998 - Vincent Lecavalier (won SC with TB)
1999 - Patrick Stefan (FAIL)
2000 - Rick DiPietro (FAIL)
2001 - Ilya Kovalchuk (FAIL)
2002 - Rick Nash (FAIL)

The point: #1 overall picks are no guarantee of success whatsoever. If the Senators win the draft lottery in 2020, they wind up with Lafreniere instead of Stutzle. There was even a discussion at the time about whether it was worth trading the #3/#5 picks to move up to #1. Pretty sure that's not under discussion anymore. Just look to DET, LA, STL, and BOS if you want to see Cup-quality teams w/o a 1st overall pick on the roster. Or look at TOR if you want an example of a team where multiple 1st overall picks hasn't even won them a single playoff series. Alfredsson, Hossa, and Chara were the 3 best players in Senators' history, and 2 of them weren't even first round picks.

Having Stutzle-Tkachuk-Sanderson is a very solid young nucleus, and were #3, #4, and #5 overall picks. Give them a decent coach/GM, an owner willing to regularly pay up the salary ceiling, and a decent supporting cast and you'll have a Cup contender.
- khawk

I would include Chabot and Batherson in that nucleus. If Norris is over his shoulder problems he would be there as well.