The 2025-26 NHL season may be young, in fact this will be the first Saturday night on the schedule. But already there are signals of a changing of the guard, looking back, it likely started last year. Before we get into that, let’s welcome you back for another go around of NHL Predictions was us here at Last Word On Hockey. Here we feature the Ottawa Senators, as they take on the Florida Panthers in the Sens second and the Cats third game, respectively. This will be a good battle of a couple teams that made the Stanley Cup playoffs last year. Not to mention, the Panthers won the ultimate prize, but also, both teams are hopeful of similar success this year. In the Sens case, more success.
NHL Predictions for the Senators and Panthers
2024-25 Regular Season Series: Senators won 2 – 1
Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
TV: Sportsnet One, SCRIPPS, ESPN+
Location: Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida
Now, we did reference a changing of the guard of sorts in the NHL’s Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division. Even the Boston Bruins are looking to silence the critics, with a solid 2-0 start to the season. And, surprise, surprise, amid early season injury difficulties, the Buffalo Sabres are likely in trouble already. Furthermore, a couple teams in the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens look fairly similar to the teams they had last year. However, where the most impact on the year-over-year change seems to be originating from, is the top end. The Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs are fighting hard to battle for the throne currently held by the Panthers. Meanwhile, Ottawa is pushing to show they are in the conversation as well. Hey, the win against Tampa was a good start.
The Ottawa Senators Story Early On in 2025-26
Ottawa comes into this one riding the wave of a cross-state win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Sens season opener on Thursday evening. They managed to sneak that one out 5-4. That was a wild game, with a fight between recently acquired Sens tough guy Kurtis MacDermid, taking on a formidable foe. In fact, his opponent, Curtis Douglas, is tied for the current tallest in the NHL with Matt Rempe (6’9″). However, when the Sens got down to business, they ended up flipping a 3-1 deficit, into a 5-3 lead. That is before a very late second of the night by Nikita Kucherov to make it 5-4. Moreover, that was as close as the Lightning would get as there was only 14 seconds remaining when that happened.
What we want to focus on for the Sens, besides their resiliency in a comeback win on the road, was the play of their best players. You might say, their best players outplayed the Lightning’s best. One unexpected hero ended up being Artem Zub. Normally not known for his offensive touch, but still a top-line player. Zub scored the Sens second goal, and had a beautiful pass to Shane Pinto for the 3-3 goal. In the end, Brady Tkachuk, Shane Pinto, and Jake Sanderson joined Zub with a multi-point effort. That is a tremendous sign for Sen fans, that their big guns got firing right off the draw. Tim Stutzle, Dylan Cozens, and Claude Giroux all added singles as well. So, they are humming along already. Let’s see if they can carry that momentum into South Florida Saturday night.
Our projected lines tonight in Sunrise
#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/j4e3Abjs7v
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) October 11, 2025
The Sens do have some injuries and scratches to follow. Despite it seeming like he’d played based on practice lines Drake Batherson has been ruled out according to the Sens X account. He was injured during training camp and missed Thursday’s season opener. The line from defence to forward stays the same as the season opener on Thursday. Tyler Kleven is out on defence, so Donovan Sebrango draws in to fill in on the left side. Meanwhile, Nikolas Matinpalo‘s size and toughness seems to be favoured over the smaller Jordan Spence. At least for the time being, or Kleven jumps back in.
The Panthers Perspective
Now, what about the Florida Panthers? The skeptics are there, and rightfully so. Knowing they don’t have Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk in their lineup for a sizeable chunk of the 2025-26 season, is a logical reason for that skepticism. However, what the rest of the league, and most notably the Atlantic Division knows, is Florida is built different. Their players are mean, they have size, and a combination of speed and tenacity to win. It takes a complete team to win championships. Guys like Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen have been chomping at the bit. They want the opportunity to prove they can provide the skill needed to win in the NHL. So far, with Florida’s solid 2-0 record, all signs are pointing to them being able to achieve it.
Actually, these teams will provide a good test for one another. Florida wants to prove they have the skill and strength to look at themselves as powerhouses of the Atlantic Division. Conversely, Ottawa sees a team that they can leapfrog in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference playoff race.
One updated injury note, is that Dmitry Kulikov was placed on injury reserve. It is probable Uvis Balinskis draws in to replace him.
The Showdown
As for the starting goalies, each will look to avoid their first loss on the season. It is a battle of heavyweights, as Linus Ullmark will take on Sergei Bobrovsky. The duo has combined for three Vezina Trophy titles going back to 2013. With the skill of the two respective goaltenders, look for it to elevate the intensity of this early season divisional matchup.
NHL Predictions
This one will be an excellent October Saturday night clash in Sunrise. We don’t get the battle of the Tkachuk brothers, but there will be plenty of blood, sweat, and tears shed regardless. Look for Ottawa to carry over the momentum, and a boost with Batherson added to the lineup. We like Ottawa in this one, but it will be tight.
Prediction: Ottawa win 3-2
Some Spicy Prop Bets
For anytime goal scorers, we like Brady, who is paying +180. We mentioned Lundell, too. At +330, that would add some value to your pick. Even just combining those two, with an Ottawa moneyline win (not the specific score we mentioned), it pays over +2000. C’mon with it.
Main Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Please play responsibly, check for your local rules and age restrictions; some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
The post NHL Predictions Senators Edition October 11th Ottawa at Florida Panthers appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.