The Senators and Leafs entered the offseason from very different places.

The Sens are coming off a 99-point season, ninth overall in the NHL, and a second straight playoff appearance. After it was over, they had an unexpected problem drop in their lap when captain Brady Tkachuk requested a trade.

Toronto, meanwhile, went from first to worst in the Atlantic with 78 points, won the draft lottery, replaced their head coach and GM, and went to work on a major roster overhaul.

Drake Batherson says it would be nice to get an extension done with the Sens this summer and hopes it happens.

The summer is far from over, but most of the heavy lifting has probably been done. So, which team had the better offseason, and more importantly, which one looks better heading into 2026-27?

Senators Trades

The Senators' offseason plans spun off the road in early May when Tkachuk officially decided he wanted to play with his brother, asked for a trade, and was eventually got one.

Ottawa received Florida's ninth and 25th picks in the 2026 draft, a 2027 second-round pick and a conditional 2029 first-rounder.

GM Steve Staios quickly flipped the ninth pick to San Jose for forwards William Eklund and prospects Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda.

Eklund is the key piece, the proven NHL commodity. He had 53 points last season and gives the Sens a young, established top-six winger who can help replace Tkachuk's offence. The additional hope is that the 23-year-old Eklund still hasn't hit his ceiling.

The Senators also acquired winger Andre Burakovsky from Chicago for a 2027 sixth-round pick and RFA goalie Samuel Ersson from Toronto for a 2027 fifth-rounder.

Senators Free Agent Signings

Ottawa's free-agent activity was much quieter as they basically took care of their own. Senators re-signed Ersson, veteran forwards Claude Giroux and Nick Cousins, defenseman Jordan Spence, and goalie Leevi Merilainen.

They also signed some depth free agents to two-way contracts: forwards Sammy Blais, Ryan Suzuki, Philip Tomasino, Philippe Daoust and defenseman Christian Kyrou.

Senators Free Agent Losses

The Sens turned the page on Lars Eller, Nick Jensen, Dennis Gilbert, Lassi Thomson, Arthur Kaliyev, Olle Lycksell, James Reimer, and Mads Sogaard, allowing all of them to walk into free agency.

The obvious question is whether Eklund and Burakovsky can make up enough of the offence lost with Tkachuk.

That said, when you factor in the intangibles like team chemistry, or how Tkachuk's vibe noticeably changed after last year's 4 Nations Face-off, it's more than fair to suggest his exit isn't all bad for the Sens.

Extreme Makeover: Toronto Edition

If the Sens' summer was about reacting to the Tkachuk Show leaving town, Toronto's offseason program might be labelled Extreme Makeover. The Leafs parted ways with head coach Craig Berube and GM Brad Treliving.

New general manager John Chayka, in the role of Ty Pennington, came in with major renovations after the Leafs' dismal 78-point season, starting with the hiring of Jim Hiller as his new head coach.

Leafs Trades: Additions

Praying to all the hockey gods that he's not a one-hit wonder, the Leafs acquired defenseman Darren Raddysh from Tampa Bay and signed him to an eight-year extension worth $8.5 million. In just his third full NHL season, the 30-year-old Raddysh erupted for 22 goals and 70 points last season. His previous best was 6 goals and 37 points.

Toronto then went back to Tampa for former Senator Nick Paul. They also acquired RFA defenseman Emil Andrae and RFA goalie Sam Ersson from Philadelphia. Ersson's rights were then flipped to Ottawa for almost nothing.

Leafs Trades: Substractions

The Leafs didn't make all those changes without saying goodbye to some talent in those deals: Along with Ersson, goalies Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby are also gone. So are defencemen Brandon Carlo and Simon Benoit, along with forward Nick Robertson.

First Overall Pick

Toronto's most intriguing addition didn't come through trade at all. After winning the draft lottery, the Leafs selected Gavin McKenna first overall. McKenna has the elite puck skills to be a superstar but it remains to be seen if he can reach that status right away.

Leafs Free Agent Signings

Toronto's biggest free-agent signing was goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who signed a three-year contract after seven seasons with Florida. Bobrovsky has been an elite goalie for years, but posted an unimpressive .877 save percentage last year. Was that because the Panthers were a bad team, ravaged by injury, or because age is setting in? Bob will turn 38 in September.

Toronto also signed Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime, and Zack MacEwen.

Leafs Free Agent Losses

The Leafs turned the page on Matias Maccelli and Calle Jarnkrok.

That's a lot of turnover. Toronto is betting heavily that an aging Bobrovsky won't repeat last year's performance and that Raddysh will.

And Then There's Alfie

This Battle of Ontario comparison has another layer that has nothing to do with the rosters.

Daniel Alfredsson left the Sens' coaching staff after three seasons and joined Toronto as an associate coach. Seeing him join the Leafs is beyond strange.

Verdict 1: Who had the better offseason?

Toronto, in a landslide.

The Sens did their best to recover from a situation they didn't create. Turning part of the Tkachuk return into William Eklund was solid and helped shore up the Sens future with picks and prospects that everyone agreed they needed.

For the second straight year, the club is maybe being a little cavalier with their backup goaltender situation. Linus Ullmark obviously needs a platoon situation in the regular season and the Sens are betting big that the newcomer, Ersson, a $2.2 million goalie, can be that co-number one for them.

Toronto, meanwhile, aggressively addressed several areas of its roster. Bobrovsky, Raddysh, Paul and Roslovic are significant NHL additions, while McKenna will probably become the most important player acquired by either team this summer.

Verdict 2: Who will be the better team this season?

Ottawa.

The Leafs will surely narrow the gap, but the Senators finished 21 points ahead of them last season, and that's a lot of ground to make up in one year.

Ottawa still has a core built around Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, Drake Batherson, Shane Pinto, Dylan Cozens, and Thomas Chabot, and has now added Eklund to that group. Unlike teams of the rebuild, the core is not only better, more experienced, and battled-tested, they're now well-insulated with higher-quality veterans.

The Leafs may have improved more this summer, but they still have to show that all those new pieces can completely transform the fifth-worst team in hockey. If they can't, the Buds may find themselves with a restless captain of their own next summer.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article first appeared at The Hockey News Ottawa. For full Senators coverage, check out one of The Hockey News headlines below.

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