Tim Stützle had arrived.
Two seasons ago, the young Ottawa Senators forward exploded for 90 points and was on the fast track to superstardom. But Stützle took a slight detour last year, scoring 21 fewer goals and finishing with a disappointing 70 points.
That apparently was all the motivation Stützle needed, because he has bounced back to start this season. Stützle leads the Senators with 21 points in 17 games — a 102-point pace over a full season.
“I wasn’t happy with the season and how it ended up last year,” Stützle, 22, told reporters last month. “I didn’t feel great over 82 games, so I wanted to be better for 82 games and be consistent. I think it’s really important to do consistent things every day, even if you feel good or not. You’ve just got to do it every day and come to work well prepared. And I think that’s really important for me this year, focus on little things.”
Even during his unsatisfying 2023-24 season, Stützle remained among the top puck-movers in the NHL, averaging 21.9 possession-driving plays per 20 minutes at 5-on-5 — 12th out of 593 skaters who played at least 500 minutes in that situation. Stützle outdid elite skaters Nathan MacKinnon (15th) of the Avalanche and the Oilers’ Connor McDavid (20th) in that category. He also was hard to catch in open ice, ranking 11th in successful dekes.
Stützle continues to push the pace. His 29 end-to-end rushes in all situations are tied for 13th in the league, sharing that spot with Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes and Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl.
Senators coach Travis Green has shifted Stützle between the first and second lines, and he has delivered results on both units. When Stützle has centred Tkachuk and Ridley Greig, the Senators have generated 62 per cent of the expected goals and out-chanced opponents 31-23 at 5-on-5.
Stützle, Claude Giroux and Drake Batherson have outscored opponents 4-2 and controlled play (57.1 xGF per cent) when together.
Stützle has shown the most improvement on the defensive side of the puck. The German centre is averaging nearly two more defensive plays per 20 at 5-on-5 year over year. Specifically, he is doing a much better job of getting his stick in passing lanes and has cut down on his turnovers in the Senators’ zone.
At 5-on-5, Ottawa has generated 57.6 per cent of the expected goals, 57 per cent of the shot attempts and 62.1 per cent of the inner-slot shots on net with Stützle on the ice. Those are all significantly better than last season, when the Senators generated 47.5 per cent of the expected goals, 52.7 per cent of the shot attempts and 46.8 per cent of the inner-slot shots during Stützle’s minutes.
“Timmy’s worked hard, and he’s trying to become a real, complete player (who) can win when it matters,” Green told reporters after Stützle had four points in a win against the St. Louis Blues last month.
Collectively, the Senators have made big strides defensively in Green’s first season, jumping from 25th to seventh in expected goals against per 60 at 5-on-5. They are the No. 1 team in the league at denying zone entries at 5-on-5, stopping 52.7 per cent of opposing attempts after finishing 13th in that category last season.
Although Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg have been inconsistent, Ottawa’s goaltending has made progress relative to last season, when the team surrendered the most goals-above-expected in the league. The Senators have allowed the sixth most so far (3.44).
The Senators do not need to be reminded that they have missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons. They hope a more well-rounded Stützle will help them finally end their drought.
“There’s other things than skill and points that go into winning, and he’s been a guy (who’s) bought into it,” Green told reporters. “There’s a lot of young guys on our team that people talk about. They’re buying into playing a certain way that is conducive to winning hockey, not just scoring hockey.”
