Ottawa Senators Getting Great Results From Fourth Line Upgrades This Season

In recent years, the depth of the Ottawa Senators forward group has been called into question. The production from the fourth line, or lack thereof, has always been a sore spot, and when injuries hit, as they always do, the ability to backfill higher in the lineup never seemed to be sufficient.

Gone are Parker Kelly, Rourke Chartier, and Mark Kastelic, along with some minor-league depth players. Now in their place are newcomers Nick Cousins, Adam Gaudette, and Noah Gregor along with the returning Zack MacEwen. The forward spots 10 through 13 are holding their own quite nicely.

All four players have a minimum of three points on the board, with Gaudette being the outlier at seven, including six goals.

The Senators have not been immune to the injury bug in the early going. Shane Pinto says he will return tomorrow in Toronto, but he missed eight games, while Artem Zub has missed nine games due to a concussion. The absence of David Perron for personal reasons has also left a hole to fill up front, and it’s here that the fourth-line upgrade has truly been felt.

Gaudette has shown himself capable of not only filling in but also producing higher in the lineup, which is something that previous Senators depth could not do. Due to injuries, Gregor has spent more time on the second and third lines than he has on the fourth.

Setting aside the offensive production, except for MacEwen, all players are averaging over 10 minutes per game, which implies they have earned Travis Green’s trust. For context, Kastelic's average time on ice the past two years were 8:54 and 7:53

The impact of this new infusion of speed, grit, and experience has been noticeable, particularly on MacEwen.

It was hard not to notice him on the ice in the second half of the third period against the Bruins, being heavy on the forecheck and creating havoc. He has already equaled his point total from last season, which took 30 games. There hasn’t been any talk of putting him in Belleville to help manage the cap; Green seems to have found a role for him, an even bigger one than he gave him in Vancouver.

It has also been hard to miss the depth support from Belleville during this injury bug, with yet another 2020 draftee, Cole Reinhardt, and 2021 second-round pick Zack Ostapchuk not only filling in, but also fitting in.

Both went down to Belleville and played their way into call-ups by being hot out of the gate. Each has notched their first NHL points and served notice that they have more to give.

If the Ottawa Senators truly view themselves as playoff candidates, it starts with having forward depth, not only in spots 1-12 in the lineup, but also 13-15. Early returns show that they have taken a step forward this season.

With Pinto and Perron about to return to the lineup, Travis Green will soon have some difficult decisions to make, and that’s a good thing.