Sens Fan Pre-season Poll 2024-25

Written by: Luke Muise

Need a laugh (or maybe a cry)? Check out this Sens fan poll from around this time last year. As a group, we were confident last year would be the year the Sens became relevant again, and boy were we mistaken.

Here’s the thing about Sens fans though: we are not quitters. We are dedicated, loyal, and maybe in an abusive relationship with a team we can’t fix, but damn it, we’re ready to be hurt again. Case in point: below are the results from this year’s pre-season Sens fan pre-season poll. Spoiler - we’re somehow still confident.

I think this pair of responses makes perfect sense. The fans are confident that the team will be better than last season. After all, they’ve addressed the team’s biggest need by acquiring Linus Ullmark. There’s no way the team can be worse, right? That said, even with the huge upgrade in goal, the fans aren’t as confident the team has what it takes to make it to the dance as they were last year. I think 80 per cent is still too high for a team that hasn't even really been close to making the playoffs yet. I cannot fault the fans’ confidence though, aspirations are fun.

Now we’re into “getting ahead of ourselves” territory, but that’s point of a prediction poll. The vast majority of respondents think the Sens will finish fourth in the Atlantic division, which might finally be starting to open up again. For at least the last five years, it's been Tampa, Florida, Toronto, and Boston locked into those four top spots, with Ottawa, Buffalo, Detroit and Montreal competing as also-rans. 

Now though, Boston and Tampa aren’t quite looking like the sure things they have been for so long. The cracks started to show for Tampa last year - they simply weren’t as good as they had been and it looks like the piper may be coming to collect his dues pretty soon. Factor in the loss of long-time leader Steven Stamkos in free agency and Andrei Vasilevskiy coming off a mediocre season and this could be the year the Lightning slip enough to be caught. In Boston, the Jeremy Swayman situation is looking like it's going to drag into the season, leaving the starting job to none other than Sens legend and definite fan-favourite Joonas Korpisalo. That’s… not ideal for them, considering how many of the Bruins’ issues were masked by strong goaltending from Swayman and Sens legend and fan-favourite Linus Ullmark.

Oh yeah, that’s the stuff. Image credit: @ottawasenators.

Bruins’ captain Brad Marchand is also coming off THREE off-season surgeries at age… 36.

Of course, I could be dreadfully wrong about this. People have been predicting the Bruins’ downfall for a few years now, and they just seem to not care. If the Sens want to finish fourth in the division, it’s likely it will have to be the Bruins at the Lightning that relinquish their perennial top-four spot.

As for how far the Sens can go in the playoffs? If they make it anything can happen, but a first round exit seems like the most likely hypothetical outcome.

I wish this were 100 per cent yes, because I strongly believe everyone inside and outside the organization should feel like missing the playoffs is a failure for this group. No more moral victories. The steps in the right direction have to lead somewhere, not go in a loop to the same place. Playoffs or bust - make it happen.

Steady Steve Staios gets the fan vote of confidence heading into his first full season with the team, and who could blame them? He’s felt like the breath of fresh air the front office has needed since the day he took over, and he made some smart-looking moves in the office season to add some veteran presence and shake up the team a bit.

I find the Travis Green result interesting because if I had presented this question the day he was hired I'm positive I would have gotten the opposite result. He’s hit all the right notes since then though and quickly flipped public opinion about the hiring. His brutal honesty during training camp has been something to behold. I’ve been missing commentary like that from Sens coaches for a long time.

The depth question was the closest there was to a 50/50 split on an answer, and I’d personally agree with the minority. I like the team on paper, but it seems like it's a couple of injuries away from everything getting tossed into a blender. That said, after watching some pre-season games I do feel a little better about the center slot if, say, Josh Norris were to go down again (or, y’know, not even be ready for the start of the season). Still though, a couple of injuries could really throw a wrench in things.

I don’t have much commentary on which new addition will have the most positive impact. I think Jensen is a fine enough answer because of the position he plays, but personally, I went with Perron.

I'm very happy to see “indifferent” that low, and very distressed to see “still optimistic” that high.

I understand the response but what are we here? The Leafs without even a round one exit? I don’t think the Sens can just keep running it back with the same core if they can't prove they’ll get the job done. We love the players but if it’s not working, it’s not working.

Pressure’s on, Stüperstar - all eyes are on you. It’s time to prove to the league you are who the fans think you are. I fully believe there’s a 100-point player here and I desperately want to see it happen. Looks like I'm not alone.

Had this one last because it looks like we already have our answer: Sanderson has been on the top power play unit for almost all of training camp.

To close out the poll, I asked the fans how they were feeling heading into the season and respondents could enter their own answers. I want you to see if you can find a couple patterns here:

On balance, it looks like we’re mostly somewhere between cautious optimism and outright fear - right in the sweet spot baby! You terrify us but we love you! This is a normal relationship, very normal! Go Sens Go!