Ottawa Senators: 2 Breakout Candidates For Next Season

With each season that passes, it seems as though every team has players who improve significantly. They often turn out to be prospects naturally, but players who have some experience in the league also can. In this segment, we will be looking at two potential breakout candidates from each team. We will also be setting a max age limit of 26 years old, so older players are not eligible for discussion.

Now, let's talk about the Ottawa Senators in this one. It is clear that Ottawa is forming a very solid group of young players, so they have plenty of potential breakout candidates. Therefore, besides talking about the two main ones, we also will briefly mention a handful of others. At the end of the day, it is safe to say that the Senators are heading in the right direction. They could be very good in time if all their young players reach their full potentials.

Tim Stützle LW: Tim Stützle was very solid in his first NHL season and this is just the beginning. In 53 games, the 19-year-old winger scored 12 goals and recorded 29 points. As he continues to mature, we should only see his offensive totals go up. It will be intriguing to see just how much he improves in his second NHL season. To be entirely blunt, it should be rather noticeably. The Senators may have a true star with this kid.

Shane Pinto C: Shane Pinto left a very solid impression this past season with the Senators. In 12 games, the 20-year-old center had a goal and seven points. He certainly will be given more chances to succeed this season, as he certainly will be in their top-six. He also had a very strong season with the University of North Dakota before joining Ottawa. In 28 games, he scored 15 goals and had 32 points. He is a player to keep a close eye, as he is set to begin his first full NHL season.

Honorable Mentions: Ottawa has so many players who would also work on this list, too. Filip Gustavsson had a great start to his NHL career and could even beat Matt Murray out for the starting job. Brady Tkachuk is already a very good player, but we could also see his points skyrocket in just his fourth NHL season. Drake Batherson already had a 34-point campaign last season and could take that next step as a true top-six forward. Defensemen Victor Mete and Erik Brannstrom will also be worth keeping an eye on. Overall, there are just so many quality choices with Ottawa.