Ottawa Senators defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo started his NHL career by going undrafted. It wouldn't be until the 2023-24 season in which Matinpalo would make his NHL debut.
During the 2023-24 season, Matinpalo played in just four games for the Senators. Heading into the 2024-25 season, it was unsure how many NHL games Matinpalo would get called up for with his little NHL experience.
With the Senators defense hit by injuries, it allowed Matinpalo to get called up and get more NHL playing time. Along with that, 2025 saw Matinpalo get more experience outside of playing just for the Senators.