The Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs meet Wednesday, September 23, but for fantasy hockey managers, the most important storyline is not simply who wins. This is a split-squad preseason game, which means the real value comes from watching deployment, power-play opportunities and which players earn meaningful minutes before the regular season begins September 29.
Ottawa enters the new season trying to replace the offense lost when Brady Tkachuk was traded to Florida, putting even more importance on Tim Stützle, Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens and newcomer William Eklund. Toronto has undergone an even bigger makeover around Auston Matthews and William Nylander, adding No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna, power-play defenseman Darren Raddysh and veteran goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
My biggest fantasy question tonight is which players receive top-six and PP1 opportunities when the rosters are divided. At the time of this analysis, I did not find officially confirmed rosters or starting goalies for the Toronto-hosted half of the split-squad matchup, so every game-specific player projection below is conditional on that player dressing.
Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Game Information
The NHL officially lists Ottawa’s split squad at Toronto for 7 p.m. ET, while another Leafs group simultaneously plays in Ottawa. The Toronto game is scheduled for Scotiabank Arena.
Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Fantasy Hockey Matchup Outlook
Last season provides a useful baseline even though these are now significantly different rosters. Ottawa finished 44-27-11 with 99 points, scoring 275 goals while allowing 245. The Senators averaged 3.35 goals per game and operated at 23.95% on the power play. Toronto finished 32-36-14 with 78 points, scoring 252 goals and surrendering 295. The Leafs averaged 3.07 goals while allowing 3.60 per game.
Ottawa’s offensive advantage last season was meaningful, particularly on special teams. Toronto’s 81.22% penalty kill actually topped Ottawa’s 75.85%, but the Leafs’ overall defensive numbers were substantially worse.
Ottawa also won three of four regular-season meetings last year. Toronto took the first 7-5 on December 27 before Ottawa answered with 5-2, 5-2 and 3-1 victories. The most recent meeting was Ottawa’s 3-1 win on April 15.
That trend gives Ottawa some historical momentum, but I would not weigh it heavily tonight. Split squads, offseason roster changes and experimental special teams make preseason much less predictable.
NHL Fantasy Players to Watch in Senators vs. Maple Leafs
If Tim Stützle plays in Toronto, he is immediately Ottawa’s most important fantasy skater. He produced 83 points last season and has established himself as a major power-play threat. Drake Batherson’s 33 goals and 71 points make him another high-upside option, while Eklund is especially intriguing after arriving from San Jose. NHL.com identifies Eklund as a breakout candidate and notes that he could eventually skate alongside Stützle.
For Toronto, Matthews is healthy after recovering from last season’s knee injury, and Nylander remains the Leafs’ most productive returning scorer after recording 79 points in only 65 games. McKenna is the player I am most interested in from a preseason fantasy perspective because Toronto is already testing him in its top six.
Another name to monitor is Darren Raddysh. Toronto’s first camp power-play configuration put Raddysh at the point with Matthews, Nylander, John Tavares and Jack Roslovic, while McKenna and Matthew Knies began with PP2. That deployment is potentially significant for Raddysh’s fantasy ceiling after his 70-point season in Tampa Bay.
NHLTradeRumor.com Fantasy Matchup Projection
Top Five Senators and Maple Leafs Fantasy Scorers From Last Season
The scoring history highlights exactly why Ottawa and Toronto enter this preseason with different fantasy questions. Ottawa needs to redistribute Tkachuk’s offense, while Toronto needs healthier seasons from Matthews and its top veterans.
Ottawa Senators
Toronto Maple Leafs
Injuries and Absences That Could Affect Fantasy Value
Ottawa’s defensive deployment deserves attention. PuckPedia currently lists Jake Sanderson with a concussion and Artem Zub with a lower-body injury, while Ridly Greig is listed separately as suspended. If Sanderson or Zub does not play, that could mean heavier preseason evaluation minutes for Carter Yakemchuk, Jordan Spence and other defensemen competing for roles.
For Toronto, Max Domi remains out with a back issue, while Dakota Joshua has also appeared on the injury report. Morgan Rielly, however, returned to practice after dealing with a virus and said he expected to be available for Wednesday’s split-squad games. Whether he plays in Toronto or Ottawa remains the more important game-specific question.
From a fantasy perspective, Domi’s absence creates more opportunity for forwards such as McKenna, Easton Cowan and Roslovic to earn offensive touches. Goalie fantasy value is much harder to project because no Toronto-game starter had been officially confirmed in the sources reviewed, and preseason games frequently involve shared workloads.
Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Salary-Cap Snapshot
Cap space does not predict tonight’s score, but it provides useful context for roster battles. We currently project Ottawa with approximately $4.20 million in cap space, while Toronto’s current projected roster sits roughly $2.82 million above the $104 million cap ceiling.
Ottawa has considerably more flexibility at the moment. Toronto’s projected cap position makes the final roster process worth watching because roster decisions can indirectly create fantasy opportunities for younger or lower-cost players. It should not, however, be treated as an indicator of which team will win tonight.
Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Fantasy Hockey Prediction
MY SCORE PREDICTION: Ottawa Senators 3 – Toronto Maple Leafs 4
I am giving Toronto a slight edge at home, but my confidence is deliberately lower than it would be for a regular-season game. The biggest unknown is the split-squad composition. If Toronto places Matthews, Nylander, McKenna or Raddysh in the Scotiabank Arena group, the Leafs have enough high-end skill to create a strong fantasy scoring environment. If Ottawa counters with Stützle, Batherson and Eklund, that gap becomes very small.
Ottawa was the better team statistically last season, scored more frequently, owned the stronger power play and won the final three meetings between these teams. Toronto, however, has changed substantially. Bobrovsky gives the organization a new No. 1 goalie, Raddysh transforms the power-play options and McKenna adds a high-end playmaker who did not exist in last season’s matchup data.
My fantasy edge goes narrowly to Toronto’s offensive stars, assuming several of them are assigned to the home game. But the development that matters more to me than the final score is power-play deployment. I want to see whether Raddysh remains the PP1 quarterback, whether McKenna earns any first-unit looks, and how Ottawa distributes PP1 minutes without Tkachuk. Those clues could matter far more to fantasy managers preparing for opening night than who wins a September exhibition game.
How to Watch Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM CT / 5:00 PM MT
Arena: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
Canada TV/stream: Sportsnet One and Sportsnet’s streaming platform are listed for the matchup.
United States: NHL Network is appearing in multiple current U.S. television guides, although I did not find a first-party NHL national broadcast listing for this specific Toronto-hosted preseason game. Verify availability before puck drop.
Radio: A game-specific radio assignment was not confirmed in the sources reviewed.
Regional restrictions simply mean a channel or stream can be available in one viewing area but unavailable in another. Because preseason listings can change, fans should check their provider shortly before the game.
For more coverage before puck drop, check the Ottawa Senators on TV today and Toronto Maple Leafs on TV today schedules on NHLTradeRumor.com, follow the latest NHL point leaders for 2026-27, and while you’re here, join our NHL Fantasy Hockey Pool to test your GM skills against other hockey fans and compete for ultimate bragging rights.
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