Senators' Elite Centre Depth Could Be Biggest Strength in 2026-27

The Ottawa Senators are entering the 2026-27 season with considerable confidence in their roster, with their centre depth poised to be a significant advantage. The team has cultivated one of the league's deepest centre groups, spearheaded by Tim Stutzle, Dylan Cozens, and Shane Pinto.

Beyond these top three, the Senators possess several capable players who can fill centre roles. This analysis will provide a comprehensive review of all the centres within the organization, covering both NHL and American Hockey League (AHL) rosters with the Belleville Senators. Players in international leagues, college, or junior leagues are excluded from this discussion. For a detailed look at prospects, refer to Dayton Reimer's prospect pyramid, which will be available on The Hockey Writers before the season commences.

Tim Stutzle, Elite First-Line Centre

Over six NHL seasons, Tim Stutzle has solidified his position as an elite first-line centre. He has consistently achieved 70-point seasons for four consecutive years, reaching a career high of 90 points. The 2025-26 season marked his second-best performance in both points and goals, with 34 goals and 83 points.

Stutzle's game is characterized by exceptional speed and creative offensive prowess. NHL Edge data places him in the 96th percentile or higher for maximum skating speed and all tracked speed burst categories. His speed isn't limited to straight lines; he also possesses excellent edgework, allowing him to quickly maneuver around defencemen.

The speed at which Stutzle plays not only aids his playmaking and positioning but also contributes to his superior penalty differential, second only to Connor McDavid.

Offensively, Stutzle has recorded seasons with 34 and 39 goals, with the potential for even higher numbers. It wouldn't be surprising if he challenged for a 50-goal season, with 40 goals being a realistic target.

Stutzle's ability to score goals is versatile. He often scores from close to the net, showcasing excellent stickhandling skills to deke goaltenders and a quick reaction to rebounds. His mid-range goals are a testament to his strong shot.

Under head coach Travis Green, Stutzle has been entrusted with a regular penalty-killing role. Despite the team's struggles on the penalty kill, Stutzle has been a standout performer. He employs a 'power-kill' style, leveraging his speed and puck-handling to aggressively carry the puck and create pressure.

At even strength, Stutzle's defensive game is not as robust. While his other talents compensate for this, he isn't typically in contention for the Selke Trophy. This doesn't imply he's a defensive liability; he can be trusted in the defensive zone, but with other defensive specialists available, he isn't deployed in critical defensive situations as frequently as some of his teammates.

The second line combination of Cozens, Brady Tkachuk, and Ridly Greig proved highly effective, but it often meant Stutzle was playing with either Fabian Zetterlund or Claude Giroux on the wing for much of the season. While both players bring value to their respective roles, a true top-six winger is needed on Stutzle's first line. Drake Batherson complements Stutzle well, but an additional elite winger on that line could elevate Stutzle's game even further.

The acquisition of William Eklund is intriguing. His playing style suggests a better fit alongside Stutzle compared to the Cozens or Pinto lines. If Eklund plays with Stutzle and Batherson, all three could experience significant seasons and set personal bests across the board.

With Stutzle as their top centre, the Senators are in an excellent position.

Dylan Cozens, Strong Second-Line Centre…Or Winger?

Since his acquisition from the Buffalo Sabres, Dylan Cozens has been a valuable addition to the Senators. His game is characterized by physicality, speed, and strong offensive skills. This diverse skill set makes him a strong candidate for a second-line centre role, capable of fulfilling various responsibilities.

Cozens excels along the boards and in puck battles. His physical presence and effective stick work make him one of the team's most tenacious forecheckers. Once he gains possession of the puck, he demonstrates good vision and decision-making.

His ability to drive the net and create disruption benefits his linemates. Whether scoring himself or creating space for others, he significantly impacts the offensive zone. Following his near 30-goal performance last season, it's reasonable to expect a similar output from him again.

As previously mentioned, his line with Tkachuk and Greig was one of the Senators' most effective units last season. However, Tkachuk's departure will alter this trio for the upcoming season.

Eklund and Cozens could form a dynamic duo, given their speed and complementary skill sets. However, Stutzle is the more probable centre for Eklund. Batherson has demonstrated success playing with both Stutzle and Cozens as his centre, making that pairing a toss-up.

It's likely that Greig will remain on Cozens' line, with the other winger being either Zetterlund, Andre Burakovsky, or Warren Foegele, assuming Batherson stays with Stutzle.

This arrangement would place significant pressure on Cozens to drive the line, a role he hasn't consistently occupied in Ottawa thus far. Despite Greig's strong performance, Cozens only recorded 35 points. Greig's presence provided Cozens and Tkachuk with more space, and while it was a career-high for Cozens, Greig wasn't the primary catalyst for his offensive success.

It will be interesting to see which wingers are most frequently paired with Cozens. He has a spot on the power play where he could potentially replace Tkachuk's net-front presence. His strong shot also makes him effective on the circles.

Given the uncertainty surrounding the other winger position, there's speculation that Cozens could shift to the wing, with Pinto taking over at centre. At the 2026 IIHF World Championship, Cozens played wing alongside Macklin Celebrini and Sidney Crosby, which undoubtedly facilitated offensive opportunities, and he appeared to be playing some of his best hockey.

Prior to the World Championship, Cozens and the Senators were swept in the first round, but Cozens was one of the few bright spots in the team's disappointing performance.

Regardless of whether Cozens plays centre or wing, he is a valuable top-six player and will be integral to any success the Senators achieve.

Shane Pinto, Selke-Level Third-Line Centre

Having two top-tier centres in Stutzle and Cozens is a significant asset, but adding Shane Pinto, who finished sixth in Selke Trophy voting last season, creates one of the league's most elite centre trios.

The Hockey Writers' Justin Giampietro ranked the Senators' centre core fifth in the league, stating, "Dylan Cozens and Shane Pinto could be the best middle-six center duo in the league, with the latter taking on some tough assignments."

Pinto began the 2025-26 season on a strong note, scoring 12 goals in his first 24 games before an injury sidelined him. He recently signed a four-year extension, commencing this offseason, with an annual salary of $7.5 million.

Considering the current NHL salary cap landscape, securing a centre who can contribute nearly 50 points and provide Selke-level defense on such a contract is excellent value. Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic's model rated the Pinto deal an A-. Furthermore, alongside Pinto's favourable contract, Luszczyszyn's model assigned an A rating to Stutzle and a B+ to Cozens, contributing to the Senators being ranked as the third-most cap-efficient team according to his model. (Source: 'NHL contract efficiency rankings 2026: Which teams spend their money most wisely?', The Athletic, July 29, 2026)

Pinto demonstrated last season that he is capable of being a consistent 25-goal, 25-assist player. If the proposed scenario of him playing on the second line with Cozens on the wing materializes, he could potentially push for up to 60 points.

In his established role last season, Pinto played with Michael Amadio and Nick Cousins, forming an effective third line. Often, Giroux would substitute for Cousins, creating one of the league''s top defensive trios.

Pinto has shown the capability to perform at a second-line centre level, but he excels on the third line. The Senators boast an outstanding centre trio, which recent Stanley Cup champions have highlighted as a critical component for success.

Stephen Halliday, Promising Depth Centre

Following his transition to the NHL last season, 24-year-old Stephen Halliday performed admirably in a fourth-line role and even better during his time back in the AHL.

With the NHL club, Halliday recorded 11 points in 31 games as a rookie, ranking fourth on the team in points per 60 minutes. His offensive production surged in the AHL as well. After accumulating 51 points in 71 games during the 2024-25 season, Halliday finished with 29 points in 29 games last season.

He competed with Lars Eller for ice time throughout the season, which limited his full-time role. However, heading into this season, there is less competition for the position, and Halliday is expected to see increased playing time.

Halliday spent most of his shifts with Zetterlund, forming a highly skilled offensive fourth line. While the line performed well defensively, they utilized their scoring ability and puck-moving skills to effectively shut down opponents by controlling possession and playing offense.

There is certainly room for Halliday to continue developing at the NHL level. While climbing the lineup beyond the top three centres will be challenging, if Pinto moves to the second line and Halliday is elevated to the third line with increased responsibility, it could significantly benefit his development.

Daoust, Bakke Olsen Lead AHL Call-Up Candidates

Looking beyond the projected NHL centres, there aren't many immediate standout options from the centre position.

The Senators acquired Eskild Bakke Olsen after the 2026 World Championship, where the undrafted forward contributed five points in 10 games and was instrumental in Norway's bronze medal run. Throughout last season, Bakke Olsen recorded 32 points in the Swedish Hockey League.

Steven Ellis, speaking on the Locked On Senators Podcast in June, praised Bakke Olsen, stating, "Any time Norway was doing something well at the World Championship, [Bakke Olsen] was involved, whether it be the two-way game, or when he was winning essentially every one of his battles, getting the puck where it needed to be, getting pucks in the slot, this was a guy that was working hard."

While a full season in the AHL will likely be beneficial for the 24-year-old, if he proves he can compete on the North American ice surface, his mature game could translate to the NHL relatively quickly.

Philippe Daoust has been part of the Senators' organization since being drafted in 2020. Although he hasn't had his opportunity in the NHL yet, the limited depth outside the current NHL roster might pave the way for him to get his chance.

Daoust experienced a significant offensive surge last season, more than doubling his previous career high with 50 points in 63 games.

After dealing with some unfortunate injuries and struggling with availability, he has now become a key component of the organizational depth. The Senators will need to provide him with some NHL action to assess his transition to the faster pace of the game. Skating and pace are his primary concerns, but he managed to be a positive asset last season despite these challenges.

Silver Seven Sens provided an insightful analysis of what Daoust brings to the club.

Beyond these two, the centre depth is somewhat thin. Following the departures of AHL centres Jan Jenik and Garrett Pilon, there will be competition for ice time. Ryan Suzuki will join Belleville and could be a candidate for an NHL call-up, but would likely be behind the aforementioned two. Oskar Pettersson, a natural winger, played some centre in a bottom-six role last season but is an unlikely call-up option for Ottawa.

If injuries occur, the Senators would likely turn to Cousins or Giroux to play more centre rather than delve deep into the AHL lineup. Assuming the roster remains healthy, they are in a strong position. Even with one or two injuries, they have players capable of stepping in, but they do not possess an abundance of NHL-ready centres beyond their top four.