3 Ottawa Senators Who Will Regress In 2024-25

The Ottawa Senators have been hoping and working towards getting better and into the playoffs for a number of years now, but it still hasn’t come to fruition. While this may be the season and it is up to many of the younger players to make it happen, there are some veterans who are in line to regress, whether that be due to age or coming into a worse team where it’ll be tough to replicate last season’s numbers.

Claude Giroux

Claude Giroux definitely didn’t see his time in Ottawa after signing being from the outside of the playoffs looking in, but that’s the only place he’s found himself. He is in year three of his three-year deal and is going to turn 37 during the season. He will have Josh Norris and David Perron as wingers as linemates as long as Norris stays healthy. Giroux already dropped from 35 goals and 79 points in 2022-23 to 21 goals and 64 points in 2023-24. A little more regression isn’t hard to imagine happening.

Linus Ullmark

Linus Ullmark has a stellar .918 SV% in his career, even including his time spent on non-playoff teams in Buffalo. Over the three seasons in Boston, he has a .924 SV%. That gives hope to the Senators who have been searching for much better goaltending than they have had. Ullmark posted a .915 SV% with the Bruins last season and that isn’t going to be easy to replicate with a much worse defense and defensive system in Ottawa. The goaltenders last season really struggled in Ottawa, partly due to their own play, but because there wasn’t enough help in front of them either. If Ullmark finishes 2024-25 with a .910 SV% it will be big for the Senators.

David Perron

Perron signed a two-year deal with the Senators and is now 36 years old. He has regressed over the past three seasons and for being one of the most consistent players in the NHL over his career, produced 17 goals and 47 points last season. The same issue may apply for him as it does with Giroux. If Norris is injured, the line will probably be worse off. Perron will also get less power play time as he will be on the second unit in Ottawa.