Senators able to lean on Tim Stutzle in Tkachuk’s absence

Tim Stutzle has been the Robin to Brady Tkachuk’s Batman, but even without Tkachuk, Stutzle has shown he is every bit a force of nature. 

“He’s nasty,” said teammate Drake Batherson about Stutzle — meaning it in a good way, of course.

Stutzle’s talent has never been questioned. He’s a dynamic, silky skater with unbelievable hands and a bit of an edge. But, at times, Stutzle’s play has felt like empty calories — lots of beautiful plays but lacking the production to match the finesse. The question became, ‘Would Stutzle’s play wane or elevate without Tkachuk?’

We appear to have the answer: Stutzle has 13 points in 10 games without Tkachuk while riding a five-game point streak. 

The German’s goal against Montreal epitomized his toughness infused with skill.

Sometimes, young and uber-talented star centres focus on points over wins. Not Stutzle. He’s become an excellent all-around player, which is backed up by the stats. According to Evolving Hockey, since the start of the 2024-25 season, Stutzle is fifth in the league in WAR (wins above replacement). The names in front of him are Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, David Pastrnak and Thomas Harley. One stat doesn’t tell the whole story, but that is a stratospheric list. 

Something the greats in any sport need is belief-in-self while understanding the need to work on their shortcomings.  

Stutzle has both. 

One Senator last season told Sportsnet.ca that Stutzle is one of the most confident players he’s ever played with.

“I know what I can bring to the table, and I just got to stay confident,” said Stutzle.

His adjustments this season include a new tape job. Stutzle used to have a thin layer of tape on the bottom of the stick blade. But following the advice of the GSOAT (Greatest Senator of All-Time), Daniel Alfredsson, Stutzle’s entire blade is now covered in a white band of tape.

Alfredsson believed the new tape would allow Stutzle to hold onto the puck rather than “fumbling it 10 times,” as Stutzle mentioned had happened before. It seems to have worked; Stutzle has seven points in 10 periods with the new setup.

If you ask Stutzle about Alfredsson, his face lights up. “He’s awesome,” said Stutzle. The pair frequently pass the puck around to begin practice.

“Learning from the Hall of Famer, he always has some tricks on the ice, off the ice, and he’s just such a smart person,” said Stutzle. “So, it’s just really fun to hear his opinions. And he doesn’t always agree, which is great too.”

Stutzle has also elevated his game in the face-off dot. Before this season, he had never had more than a 47 per cent winning percentage in a season. This season has just started, granted, but he has skyrocketed to 60 per cent. 

“Face-offs, just for example, this year, he’s one of the best in the league, and he really put that commitment, time and effort into getting better,” Tkachuk said. 

Plus, Stutzle stated on multiple occasions that he needed to shoot more this season, after having a career low in shots per game last season. He now leads the team with 40 shots. He’s been rewarded with six goals in 13 games, on pace for 37 goals. He had 24 last season.

But, more importantly, the kinship between Batherson and Stutzle has led to Ottawa going 4-2-2 since being united. The duo has combined for 26 points in eight games.