3 Senators Players Who Won’t Be Back Next Season

The Ottawa Senators have once again failed to reach expectations this season and there is a need for some change in the offseason. While it may be tough to pull off a big move involving someone with a lot of term, there are other areas that the Senators can adjust to make themselves more competitive for next season and finally get back in the playoff picture. Here's a look at who likely won't be back in Ottawa next season.

Dominik Kubalik

Dominik Kubalik has not had the season as advertised when he was a part of the Alex DeBrincat trade. He has fallen to a bottom-six player who has actually played a fair amount on the fourth line since his scoring has really dried up. This is someone who scored 30 goals as a rookie just four seasons ago that has now only put up 10 goals and 14 points in 60 games. The Senators will look younger for next season and would have traded him if they could have at the deadline.

Jakob Chychrun

There was a lot of speculation as to whether the Senators would trade Jakob Chychrun already, but he inevitably stayed put in Ottawa. For how long? That will be a question heading into the offseason. The Senators have more impactful left-shot defensemen than righties, but Chychrun can play his off side. Since he just has one year left on his deal and the Senators haven't turned things around yet, the team could move him and really help to fix their back-end with players that can help keep the puck out of their net. Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot are already locked in and Chychrun could get a nice return as he's proven he can stay healthy this season.

Rourke Chartier

Rourke Chartier has mostly been a fill-in on the fourth line for the Senators this season as he's a center and there have been centermen out of the lineup for the entire season in Ottawa for one reason or another. The plan for next season isn't to have that happen, and since Chartier is a 27-year-old UFA with three goals and four points in 56 career games, it's unlikely he will be re-signed.