3 Moves The Ottawa Senators Should Make This Off-Season

After starting the season at the bottom of the NHL, the Ottawa Senators would end the year as one of the league's hottest teams. They would finish the season with a 23-28-5 record, but there is optimism going into next season. The Senators worst days of their rebuild may be behind them, as they appear to be inching closer to being a competitive team. Yet, there is still more work to be done if they want to continue to improve. Making the postseason next season in their tough division may be a stretch, but you never truly know.

Here are three moves they should make this summer.

Bring In Top-Six Center: It would be wise for the Senators to bring in a top-six center this off-season. They are reportedly linked to Ryan Strome, and he would be an awesome addition for them. There are also some centers who are set to hit the open market who could intrigue them. Some of these include Mikael Granlund and Phillip Danault. Maybe they could even consider trading for Evgeny Kuznetsov from the Capitals.

Extend RFA Brady Tkachuk: The Senators need to extend Brady Tkachuk this off-season. It is not hard to understand why. He's an immensely physical forward who is also one of their best scorers. Many people envision him as being the next captain of the team, too. If Tkachuk is open to it, the Senators should try to sign him to a long-term contract. He is only 21-years-old and will continue to improve from here.

Sign Or Trade For Right-Handed Defenseman: The Senators could use some help on the right side of their defensive core. Ideally, they should be going after someone who can play top-four minutes at a minimum. Some pending free agents that they could consider are Tyson Barrie, Adam Larsson and even Dougie Hamilton. Hamilton would cost a lot and may be a reach of an idea, though. Another right-handed defenseman who is expected to be dealt this off-season is Rasmus Ristolainen. He could be a potential fit on their second pair.