ROSTER RUNDOWN
Making the cut
The biggest battle at camp seems to be focussed on an open spot among the bottom six forwards. If the Senators want extra muscle, they could turn to Zack MacEwen (6-foot-4, 240 pounds); if they opt to send him to Belleville of the American Hockey League, he'd have to clear waivers. Adam Gaudette, who has 220 games of NHL experience, is another option. Among the younger players, keep an eye on 24-year-old left wing Angus Crookshank, who made his NHL debut last season and had three points (two goals, one assist) in 13 games.
Most intriguing addition
Ullmark is the obvious one here and rightly so, but the addition of veteran forward David Perron also could turn out to be a shrewd move. The 36-year-old has 768 points (310 goals, 458 assists) in 1,131 NHL games and joins fellow 36-year-old forward Claude Giroux as the most experienced players on a relatively young team. Not only has Perron scored at least 15 goals in each of the past eight seasons, he plays with a competitive edge that can get under the skin of opponents. Perron, who helped the St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup in 2019, signed a two-year, $8 million contract ($4 million average annual value) on July 1.
Biggest potential surprise
Is this the season center Josh Norris returns to form? The 25-year-old signed an eight-year, $63.6 million contract ($7.95 million AAV) on July 14, 2022, after he had NHL career highs in goals (35), assists (20) and points (55) in 2021-22. Since then, he has struggled to produce offensively and stay healthy; he's played 58 games the past two seasons, during which he had 33 points (18 goals, 15 assists). He's coming off the third shoulder surgery of his NHL career, the latest in March, which has led to questions about his durability. The bottom line is Norris is being paid like a top-end forward but has not produced like one. Now he has the opportunity to show the Senators they can reap the benefit of putting their financial faith in him.
Ready to contribute
Defenseman Tyler Kleven continues to ascend in the organization and appears poised to take the next step this season. The second-round pick (No. 44) in the 2020 NHL Draft has played 17 NHL games the past two seasons, and has three assists. He's also a minus-2 during that span, a respectable total playing for a team that struggled defensively during that time. At 22, he could earn a full-time NHL role this season and should fit nicely with how Green wants tighter play in the defensive zone.
Fantasy sleeper
Jake Sanderson, D (average draft position: 135.0) -- Sanderson has reached 30 points in each of his two NHL seasons and has the potential to be a draft steal this season in fantasy. Sanderson is expected to have a larger role with Ottawa this season, including a spot on the top power-play unit. The Senators have sneaky offensive potential; they averaged 31.7 shots on goal last season, 10th in the NHL. -- Anna Dua