Do The Ottawa Senators Need Help To Win The Wild-Card Battle?

The Ottawa Senators are so close to being right where they want to be.

After losing six of seven games, the Senators won back-to-back games over the weekend to sit one point outside of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Senators’ situation is better than that may sound, as the two teams ahead of them – the Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins – have played more games than Ottawa.

The Bruins have three more games than the Sens, and Columbus has one more game. That means the Senators’ current win percentage of .536 is better than the Bruins’ (.522) and the Jackets’ (.535). If Ottawa does catch Columbus in the standings with a regulation or overtime win, the Sens would be the winner in the tie-breaker.

That’s very encouraging for Senators management and fans who are starving for playoff action. But they need to take advantage of their position. They won't have games in hand forever, and they can't spoil their wins with slumps the way they did to begin the New Year after winning six-straight games.

By winning more matches, the Senators can get into a wild-card spot and hold down that spot for good. If there are doubts, they should consider acquiring some veteran pieces to push them over the finish line.

In addition to the legitimate contenders for a wild card spot – teams like the Bruins, Blue Jackets, and the white-hot Detroit Red Wings – there are other playoff pretenders (from this writer’s perspective) in the East, including the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. That means Ottawa needs to outperform, at minimum, two teams in the legit contender group to earn a playoff spot.

With that in mind, the question arises – do the Senators need one of their current players to emerge as a difference-maker? Or do they have to go out and acquire one before the NHL’s March 7 trade deadline? The answer to those questions is rather complicated.

In one regard, the Sens will get a trade-type addition when veteran sniper David Perron returns to action. He's been out with an upper-body injury since late November, but he's been practising in a non-contact jersey.

An eventual Perron return should give them a bump in offense, even if he isn’t the same player now that he’s 36 years old and no longer in his prime. But considering that the Senators have just $80,000 in salary cap space, adding talent through the trade market will not be easy.

That said, don't underestimate Sens GM Steve Staios' willingness to make moves on the trade front. Staios told reporters Sunday that Ottawa should just stay the course it’s currently on, but that shouldn't stop him from making a needle-moving trade if the opportunity presents itself.

But by the trade deadline, the Senators definitely could need help, whether it’s for their backup goaltending situation or whether an injury or an underperforming Sens player opens up a roster hole.

Leevi Merilainen played strong in net for the Senators last weekend, and if he or Anton Forsberg can keep the Senators winning, then Ottawa can stay the course in that regard. Otherwise, head to the market. If Perron needs more time to recover or doesn't meet expectations, the Senators should look for another winger for insurance.

If the Senators are still achingly close to a wild-card spot, you’d have to think Staios will feel compelled to add experience, determination and talent via trades. Making the playoffs will benefit the players and squad so much after a lengthy drought.

The Senators have let down their long-suffering fan base many times before, so it’s possible, in theory, that they don’t have what it takes to outlast their rivals and earn a post-season spot. But they’ve shown enough positive things this season to give Ottawa’s fans reason to believe they will get it right this time.

Of course, the Senators still could have issues making a deep playoff run, but that’s a conversation for another day. Today, the Sens look like they will push to be a playoff team, and their next moves this year will be made with the playoffs in mind. We're entering "put up or shut up" territory, and Ottawa looks primed to put up.

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