why stützle's hot start is sustainable

No player epitomizes the growth of the Senators on and off the ice more than Tim Stützle.

His ultra-competitiveness, maturity and meticulous attention to his nutrition - all in pursuit of performing at the highest level - can be summed up in one quote.

“I have a chef at home,” said Stutzle ahead of former Senators’ captain Brady Tkachuk’s return to Ottawa.

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Questions swirled about who would fill the void left by Tkachuk after he asked out of the nation’s capital. Those questions have been answered.

Thomas Chabot is the captain, but Tim Stützle is the emotional leader and has been Ottawa’s best player through 12 games.

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Stützle ranks 11th in league scoring and is tied for seventh with eight goals. He’s on pace for 56 goals and 112 points, totals that would set franchise records in both categories.

With William Eklund sidelined and Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson having also missed time with injuries, Stützle has shouldered much of the offensive load in helping Ottawa to an 8-4-0 record. He has scored or assisted on 42 per cent of the Senators’ goals this season.

Stützle is 11th in the league in points and tied for seventh in the league in goals with eight. He’s on pace for 56 goals and 112 points. If that’s how his season finished, it would be a franchise record in goals and points.

“A lot of the games he drags everyone into the fight,” said Senators forward Stephen Halliday.

The 24-year-old has already established himself to be an elite No. 1 centre in the NHL, already with two point-per-game seasons under his belt.

This season Stützle appears poised to take another step, from NHL star to bona fide superstar.

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He’s number one in the league amongst forwards in zone exits, fourth in the end-to-end rushes, and 10th in the league in controlled entries (all data provided by SportLogiq).

Stützle’s production becomes even more impressive considering the Senators aren’t playing a run-and-gun style. Their focus is on winning games, not filling highlight reels.

Under Travis Green, the Senators prioritize their defensive structure which minimizes rush chances for opponents’ opportunities off the rush. That approach also means Ottawa relies more heavily on getting pucks deep rather than trading chances in transition, which can limit offensive opportunities.

Yet Stützle continues to create them. He ranks third in the NHL in loose-puck recoveries, an ability that not only helps Ottawa regain possession but has also made him an elite penalty killer. (courtesy of Sportlogiq)

The Senators best forward isn’t just evolving offensively; his defensive game has taken a significant step forward too.

Since the start of last season, the Senators are second in the league in expected goals allowed according to Natural Stat Trick.

The Senators ceiling grows in tandem with Stützle’s. It’s no coincidence that the Senators best start to the season in two decades has come with the best start to a season in his career.

There are similarities between Stützle and Nathan MacKinnon in their progression and production. Both are fiercely competitive and known for their disciplined approach to nutrition.

During last season’s playoffs, Stutzle acknowledged his competitive fire sometimes turned to frustration, which seeped into his game and contributed to the team going 1-for-21 on the power play.

Stützle admits it’s hard to let go of his frustration at times “because you care so much… But also, you got to find a way to limit your frustrations.”

“Because I feel sometimes it can take away from your game too, where you just get off your game because you get too frustrated, and maybe that's why our power play wasn't that good (against Carolina),” said Stützle. “Because we were so frustrated and we're so worried about it that when we stepped out the next time, we didn't do great either.”

Stützle is entering his seventh season in the NHL, but he’s still just 24-years-old. The progression from very good to great was always expected. So far this season, Stützle is making that leap.

It’s not just on the ice where Stützle is evolving. He’s taken youngsters Carter Yakemchuk and Stephen Halliday under his wing.

Earlier this season, Stützle took Yakemchuk aside in the dressing room, explaining details and concepts of the power play that they were working on at practice.

Meanwhile, Halliday has relied on Stüutzle in his first full season as an NHLer.

“He's going to be one of the best players in the league, and I'm really impressed by his game, but he's got to stay confident,” Stützle said of Halliday.

Stützle is encouraging Halliday to be aggressive and play with an edge.

“To get praise from him felt super unreal and just helps my confidence when a guy like that thinks, like thinks so highly of you,” said Halliday, who is currently producing at a potential 35-point clip.

Meanwhile, Stützle's also invested in the Ottawa community, partnering with Thomas Chabot to donate $1,872 to CHEO Foundation after every Senators win this season.

Stützle is emerging into one of the best players in franchise history. And the more he elevates his game, the better the Senators’ chances of becoming a legitimate contender and making a deep playoff run.