The Ottawa Senators are going to miss the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season.
For a team that has integrated a ton of young talent into the lineup and has the bulk of their core up in the NHL now, they need to take a legitimate step forward next year to becoming a playoff team. If they don’t, they risk wasting players’ primes and cheap entry-level contracts. It’s why I’ve been harping on the fact that the Senators need to start being a buyer for players that can surround this young core. They won’t be young forever, and at this point, losing is not acceptable.