Early in the season, defense was a sore spot for the team. Ottawa Senators on paper. This has remained the case for eight matches. While goaltenders are partly to blame in some ways, that’s not the whole problem. It’s also not too early for the Senators to at least think about solving their defensive problem, whether it’s a personnel or tactical problem.

The senators are still without Artem Zubwho would normally play alongside Jake Sanderson on top pair. Head coach Travis Green said earlier this week that he didn’t expect Zub to play Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues.

The Senators’ current third duo Tyler Kleven And Jacob Bernard Docker has good advanced stats; They are the only Senators defensive duo with a Corsi For percentage above 50 percent from five with a minimum of 20 minutes together this season at five-on-five. But their inexperience showed itself at inopportune times throughout the season.

This penalty and play was the result of a mistake between Tyler Kleven and Jacob Bernard-Docker that left them locked in, defending their own zone in the last minute.

Not ideal. #Sense #GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/UzL7EZhpw3

– Pesky Sickos (@PeskySickos) October 28, 2024

According to Natural Stat Trick, the Senators’ Corsi For percentage at five-on-five is 48.32 percent. Entering Monday night’s game, the Senators had the worst high-risk probability percentage in the league at 39.84 percent. That rate isn’t helped by the fact that only six teams have allowed more goals in high-danger areas (11) than them at five-on-five.

While the Senators could use most types of defensive reinforcements — and you’ll notice it in the variety of defensemen listed below — their dream scenario would likely be finding a complementary shorthanded defenseman who can plug into the top four but who should ultimately be an improvement over the bottom pairing defensemen in their rotation including Bernard-Docker, Kleven and Travis Hamonic. The Senators should also be aware of their salary cap for any matching moves, as they have a cap hit of less than $2 million. spaceaccording to PuckPedia.

In light of the Senators’ recent defensive concerns, we surveyed the league for potential solutions and evaluated whether or not they would make sense.

Age: 25; Shots: right; Team: Toronto Maple Leafs

Statistics 2024-25: 1 match played, zero points

Contract Status/Cap Reached: UFA 2026, $3 million AAV

Liljegren signed with the Maple Leafs in June arbitration. But the 25-year-old has already fallen out of favor with the team’s new technical staff. He’s a right-handed, puck-moving defenseman with offensive skills (he scored three goals and 23 points in 55 games last year) and experience on the penalty kill. Liljegren probably wouldn’t take a leap forward Nick Jensen on the depth chart right away, but he could at least be an upgrade over Bernard-Docker as a third-duty guy.

But how good is he defensively? Liljegren posted the worst Corsi For rating last season (49.25%) among Leafs defensemen who played at least 300 minutes. Liljegren also recorded the team’s worst expected goals and chances. prices through six playoff games last season. If Liljegren isn’t useful on that side of the ice, especially in front of the net where the Senators are vulnerable, he might not be worth it.

While the Senators could benefit from a rearguard with some offensive ability, the $3 million price tag attached to him would have to come down if the Senators were truly interested. But it might still be worth the detour. If Liljegren commits to improving his defense, he could still play up to his top four.

Age: 32; Shots: left; Team: Anaheim Ducks

Statistics 2024-25: 8 matches played, 2 assists

Contract status/cap reached: UFA 2026, $6.5 million

Fowler can always be counted on to provide veteran advice to a young, rebuilding Ducks team. But he’s also just two seasons removed from his best statistical season in 2022-23 (10 goals, 48 ​​points). He could still be useful on a better team with playoff aspirations (and hopefully more experienced defenders on their team). The Sens, for example, could benefit from his offensive potential even though he is about to exit his prime at age 32.

But Fowler isn’t the most reliable when it comes to defending, whether at five-on-five or on the court. numerical inferiority. Fowler was on the ice for the most goals against for the Ducks last season at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Experience and offense are assets for Fowler. However, the $6.5 million price tag will ultimately remove him from the trade dispute unless the Ducks are willing to keep part of his salary. According to PuckPedia, the Ducks can afford to do that with less than $20 million in cap space, but maybe not with the Sens as a trade partner.

Age: 25; Shots: right; Team: Buffalo swords

Statistics 2024-25: 10 matches played, 1 goal, 3 points

Contract status/cap reached: UFA 2025, $3.1 million

A two-way right-handed defenseman who can kill penalties in a secondary role and block shots. He is coming off his best season as a professional and has found his place as a partner for Rasmus Dahlin on the Sabres. (Jokiharju also spent time with Owen Power.) His underlying numbers also look positive, whether through Corsi For or high-risk chance percentages. Although you might wish he was bigger or a little more physical, Jokiharju seems to be coming into his own as a player. He’d probably want to stay in the top four, but he’d be a cut above as the Senators’ third-pairing defenseman if needed.

However, some questions remain about it. How much are his stats improved playing alongside Dahlin or Power? Plus, if the Sabers aren’t good enough to make the playoffshow much does his asking price increase? He’s a pending UFA at the end of the season and his $3.1 million AAV could be pretty manageable if the Sabres, or someone else, eat some of his salary. And maybe the Sabers will keep him anyway, signing him long-term to form a stable duo with Dahlin? He occupies a unique space with the Sabres, but teams will definitely keep an eye on him this year.

Age: 26; Shots: left; Team: St. Louis Blues

Statistics 2024-25: 2 matches played, 0 points

Contract Status/Cap Reached: RFA 2025, $1.15 million AAV

It’s possible the Senators won’t see Perunovich in the Blues lineup Tuesday night at the Canadian Tire Centre. He’s only played two games this season and is already in danger of being cut from the team, making him a prime waiver candidate. Injuries hampered him throughout his early NHL seasons and perhaps a fresh start could be on the horizon for the 26-year-old.

Could this new beginning take place in Ottawa? Perunovich might be a slight upgrade over Kleven on the left side in terms of playing experience, but not by much. And there’s still a lot to look forward to from Perunovich on both ends of the ice. He could be a low-end, low-risk option, but perhaps only if he were available on waivers.

Minnesota’s Jon Merrill and Seattle’s Jaden Schwartz (Matt Blewett/Imagn Images)

Age: 32; Shots: left; Team: Minnesota Wild

Statistics 2024-25: 8 matches played, 1 assist

Contract status/ceiling reached: UFA 2025, $1.2 million

Merrill has spent most of his career as a journeyman defender and has playoff experience. As of 2021, he has found his home in Minnesota and has played in no fewer than 65 games in his first three seasons in Minnesota. Merrill won’t make headlines with his attack as a stay-at-home defender. But he can kill penalties, has size at 6-foot-3 and has an affordable $1.2 million cap hit through the end of this season.

Merrill can certainly be part of a third-pairing option that improves the Senators’ defense, but he’s best used on a third pairing and beyond that. The bigger issue is whether the Wild would want to part with a third duo if they remain competitive throughout the season.

Age: 32; Shots: right; Team: Detroit Red Wings

Statistics 2024-25: 6 matches played, 1 assist

Contract status/cap reached: UFA 2026, $3.4 million

Purely in profile, Holl ticks a few boxes. A tall, imposing defender who is best suited in a bottom pair role. Before joining the Red Wings, he was capable of producing points in a secondary role. And for most of his career, he was considered a plus/minus player. Holl has only been on the ice for two goals at five-on-five this year. Kleven and Zub (thanks in part to injuries) are the only Senators defensemen to score two or fewer goals on the ice at five-on-five.

Here are the downsides. The cap hit could be enough to scare away any interested team, let alone the Senators, without retention. His possession numbers aren’t ideal and they’ve dropped from his best years with the Maple Leafs, along with his overall production. The Sens should ideally acquire a game for their third pair and not an inconsistent presence like Holl seems to be, not to mention his AAV might be too expensive to be on their books until 2026.

(Top photo by Timothy Liljegren: Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)