It's not just management either. All around the hockey world, there's a prevailing sense of hope around this team, one that posits that this year's Senators could be the first to make the playoffs since the 2016-17 group that came within one overtime goal of securing a berth in the Stanley Cup Final.

A lot's changed since then. Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone, Kyle Turris, and Derick Brassard are long gone. In their stead, Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, Thomas Chabot, and Alex DeBrincat have stepped up, forming a core group all their own with aspirations of contending for the sport's ultimate prize.

They're not there yet, but savvy veteran additions coupled with a prospect pool that's still among the league's best suggest that they're closer to that reality than they are the morass of the last five seasons. Let's see what the future has in store in the nation's capital.