Off-season of change looms as Senators miss playoffs for sixth straight season

OTTAWA -- The end, when it comes, arrives quickly.

An ugly, 7-2 late-season loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday, combined with wins by rival teams, has eliminated the Ottawa Senators from playoff contention. Three more games will play out the string. The "meaningful games" mantra gets a well-deserved vacation.

And then begins the long off-season, longer once again because Ottawa has missed the playoffs for a sixth straight season.

Fans will have to be patient once more, and place hopes in the massive off-ice changes in the works, with the Senators franchise about to be sold. New proprietors will have their own vision.

First, though, there will be some housekeeping to do.

Several Senators players will have to decide if they want to extend their season by participating in the world championships, decisions based on health, family circumstances and the interest in a change of scenery while representing your country.

New owners will make changes

Meanwhile, Senators management will prepare for an off-season like no other. The summer when new ownership could change the very ground on which current staff walk.

At this point, there are more questions than answers about the weeks ahead. How long will it take for a new ownership group to be in place? When he was in Ottawa recently, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the current phase of the bid process would last another six weeks. He spoke on March 27, so that would take us through to May 8. He added that the new Senators owner(s) should be approved by the NHL board of governors “early (to) mid-summer.” So, late June or early July.

Once an ownership group is approved in principle, before final approval, would they have any say in operations in Ottawa or plans to build a new arena? Or do they have to hold off until they are formally approved by the NHL?

That point is critical because the NHL draft is June 28, with free agency to follow in early July. At this point, it is hard to envision a scenario where new owners are approved and are prepared to effect any management change in time for the draft. Even if the ownership transition precedes the draft, would a revised staff be prepared for a draft that current scouts have been studying for months?

It means that current general manager Pierre Dorion, his management staff and scouts are going to make plans for the draft and free agency until they hear otherwise. To paraphrase head coach D.J. Smith talking about his players clinging to playoff hopes over the past two weeks, management will keep going until someone says they can’t.

Big change could be in store for managers and coaches, but it might be a while before we have a clearer picture.

A quick glance at a to-do list for Ottawa’s three groups of player positions:

Forwards: Bottom six needs work

With a core of Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, Claude Giroux, Drake Batherson and Josh Norris, most of the heavy lifting is done at the forward position. The big decision regarding the top six will have to do with winger Alex DeBrincat – either sign him to a new contract, qualify him at $9 million or trade him. My sense is that one of the first two options will happen.

Otherwise, the main emphasis will be the bottom six. Beyond Shane Pinto, a 20-goal scorer in what was technically his rookie season, there wasn’t enough scoring support or two-way tenacity here to merit status quo.

Defence: The pieces are in place

Remember when the blueline was Ottawa’s Achilles' heel? Not anymore. With the instant rise of Jake Sanderson, the blossoming of Erik Brannstrom and the addition of Jakob Chychrun, the D-corps has evolved from a weakness to a strength. Sanderson’s elite defending and ability to play half a game if necessary, takes a load off the erstwhile top-minute guy Thomas Chabot. Artem Zub is steady and under contract. Travis Hamonic will be a free agent this summer but played so hard this season he might be invited back under the right terms. Nick Holden, another pending UFA, is respected and admired but there may not be room for him. Newly arrived Tyler Kleven, fresh out of University of North Dakota, adds another component as he is big and physical. Is he ready for prime time or will he need to gain experience in the AHL?

Dorion had been talking about obtaining a top-six defenceman for so long, it started to sound like a GM parody account. Guess what? He actually did get one with the deadline trade with Arizona that brought Chychrun to the Senators. Chychrun’s recent injury history is a concern, but if he can get past this latest setback – a groin strain – he should settle into a long and productive career with the Senators. Chychrun, 25, is under contract for two more years.

There isn’t a lot of work to be done in this area, but a priority will be getting Sanderson inked to a long-term deal as soon as possible. He is under his entry-level deal for another season, but the sooner Ottawa can lock him in, the better. He is going to be paid at a salary that exceeds Ottawa’s $8-million men, Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk et al.

Goaltending: Where is the next Craig Anderson?

Has there been a crazier year in the crease? Not in our view. And with the Senators, a franchise known over the years as a goaltender graveyard, that is saying something. Seven goalies got starts this season. Six recorded victories. The young callups Mads Sogaard, Kevin Mandolese and Dylan Ferguson always seemed to start strong and then faded. This past week, it was Leevi Merilainen’s turn, and he had one quality start and one DNF.

The veteran starters were a disaster. Cam Talbot, brought over from Minnesota to provide stability, was out of the lineup for three long stretches due to injury and was inconsistent when he was available. Anton Forsberg, who was supposed to be the co-starter, did not play as well as he did last season, and then got knocked out of the lineup with MCL tears to both knees.

The good news: the goalie cupboard is rich with prospects – Sogaard and Merilainen are promising but might require more time.

The need: There has to be a reliable veteran goalie in the mix for next season. Forsberg might return to form, but can the franchise count on that after his knee injuries? The Sens simply can’t go through another season of goalie hell like this one.