The Ottawa Senators have had a great start to the 2026-27 season. One reason is the excellent defensive structure that they have consistently been able to execute, but we are here to highlight another reason, and that is that their stars are playing like stars. Specifically, we’d like to highlight centre Tim Stutzle, starting goalie Linus Ullmark, and captain and defenceman Thomas Chabot. Let’s get into it, it’s time to get sensational.
Best Senator Players to Start ’26-27
Perhaps it is a trait of underdogs that they try to disguise their respective star power throughout the lineup. And to take it a step further, it could be as simple as trying to get a psychological edge in the individual matchup game against your opponent. Get in their heads. But make no mistake, Ottawa’s roster has an underrated star component, a crucial element when it comes to carrying a Stanley Cup Champion pedigree for a team. Because hey, isn’t that the ultimate goal? But who’s to say what’s fair to say and not to say. And don’t ask Jordan Spence.
The players we would like to examine to explain the Sens hot stretch to start the season are Tim Stutzle, Thomas Chabot, and Linus Ullmark. With the return of Artem Zub, and the impending return of their undeniable star on the blueline Jake Sanderson, one player has stepped up in a major way.
The Captain, the Leader of the Blueline and Beyond
It has been a positive for the team, as the recently named captain, Thomas Chabot and the fact of him stepping up early on, playing in a role he used to slot in, the top d-man of the Sens defence corps.
To prove our point, let’s study his early season success with a statistical lens. Chabot is 12th in the entire NHL, averaging 20:36 of even-strength ice time per game. Now, we will add quickly that the rest of the blueline has been doing well stepping up, such as Spence, who has an average time on ice of 20:09, good for 18th league wide at even strength. So, it is not to takeaway from his teammates, but just to say how well Chabot has played.
Furthermore, Chabot is strong in other game metrics. His total kilometres skated of 6.81, is in the 95th percentile. He also does well at putting pucks on net, as he finds himself in the 95th percentiles for shots on goal among fellow defencemen. To say that he has stepped up in Sanderson’s absence, might be an understatement. Chabot may not be the Sens number one defenceman when the team is healthy, but he does fine, in the interim.
The Best Senator Players from Behind the Mask
Next up to discuss is the Sens starting goalkeeper, Linus Ullmark. To guide our discussion, take a look at these league-wide goaltending statistics since about the time that Ullmark came back last year, following his leave from the team. Below are NHL ranks since January 31, 2026, as well as filtered on a minimum games played of 15.
- Stat – Totals – Rank
- GP – 30 – 5th
- W – 20 – 1st
- SV% – .914 – 5th
- GAA – 2.15 – 2nd
The numbers don’t lie, in fact, you might even say, they speak for themselves. Since Ullmark has turned it up, he hasn’t shut it off. It’s early in the season, but he leads in Moneypuck’s goals-saved above expected at 7.7 and save percentage at .949. To say he has returned to near form of his Vezina Trophy-winning 2022-23 campaign would be painting a pretty good picture, especially early on.
It is one of the best starts for a Sens goalie ever. Ray Emery started 2005-06 with seven-straight victories, and Dominik Hasek started the same season with five-straight wins. Ullmark is currently 6-0-0 on the 2026-27 campaign.
Superstar Tim Stutzle for the Senators
For Stutzle, he has started the season with five goals and six assists in 11 points in eight games. He is off to one of the best starts of his career. That is saying something when you think of his career high. Back in 2022-23, Stutzle had 39 goals, 51 assists, for a total of 90 points. As a note, he has since (twice) surpassed his assist career best, that is now 55. But the other two stats remain career highs. Stutzle is actually third in the league in ice time among forwards at 22:03. He is certainly playing at an elite level, and he could be in a solid run at a 100-point 2026-27 campaign.
The Last Word
The Ottawa Senators stars have come to play. And also you can even see the impact of their performances in the last two games, as Ullmark helped to backstop them to the 2-1 shootout victory over the New York Islanders, where Stutzle didn’t end up with any points. The game before Ullmark wasn’t in and they lost big to the St. Louis Blues, 7-2. So even in the tough games, you see the impact these three players have on the outcomes. With Sanderson near a return, look for that to further boost the Sens, who are off to a terrific start.
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Main Photo Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images