Our Ottawa Senators vs Toronto Maple Leafs preview covers the odds, puck line, total, start time, TV channel and where to watch on Saturday, October 3, 2026. The Ottawa Senators (opening its season; 44-27-11 in 2025-26) visit the Toronto Maple Leafs (1-1-0 this season; 32-36-14 in 2025-26) at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ont. Puck drop is 7:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local). TV: Sportsnet (Canada).
Season-opener storyline: The Senators open their 2026-27 season in Toronto, their first regular-season game since trading captain Brady Tkachuk to Florida on June 21. Ottawa has made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and added forwards William Eklund and Andre Burakovsky to help replace Tkachuk’s scoring (NHL.com). The Maple Leafs are 1-1-0 under new coach Jim Hiller after a 3-2 loss to Montreal on Sept. 29 and a 2-1 win over the Islanders on Sept. 30, both at Scotiabank Arena. DraftKings lists Toronto at -120 and Ottawa at +100 on the moneyline, with the total at 6.5.
Ottawa Senators vs Toronto Maple Leafs Odds, Puck Line & Game Info
| Matchup | Ottawa Senators @ Toronto Maple Leafs |
|---|---|
| 2026-27 Records | Ottawa Senators 0-0-0 (season opener) | Toronto Maple Leafs 1-1-0 |
| 2025-26 Records | Ottawa Senators 44-27-11 | Toronto Maple Leafs 32-36-14 |
| Head Coaches | OTT: Travis Green (3rd season) | TOR: Jim Hiller (1st season) |
| Puck Line | OTT +1.5 (-258) | TOR -1.5 (+210) |
| Moneyline | Ottawa Senators: +100 | Toronto Maple Leafs: -120 |
| Total | O/U 6.5 (o+105 / u-125) |
| Venue | Scotiabank Arena (Toronto, Ont.) |
| Date / Time | Saturday, October 3, 2026 — 7:00 PM ET |
| TV / How to Watch | Sportsnet (Canada) |
| Probable Starting Goalies | OTT: TBD (Linus Ullmark / Samuel Ersson) | TOR: TBD (Sergei Bobrovsky / Anthony Stolarz) |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN), cross-checked on Action Network, as of Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, ~10:22 PM ET. Totals ranged from 6 to 6.5 across books at research time. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before puck drop. Starting goalies had not been confirmed at research time.
Ottawa Senators Preview: Last Season, Offseason & Goalies
2025-26 recap: Ottawa went 44-27-11 (99 points), finished fifth in the Atlantic Division and made the playoffs, then was swept by eventual champion Carolina in the first round. The Senators ranked fourth in the NHL in power-play goals (63) and eighth in power-play percentage (24.0), but their team save percentage (.878) ranked 29th (NHL.com). Tim Stutzle led the team with 34 goals and 83 points, and Drake Batherson scored 33 goals.
Offseason moves: Tkachuk, who had requested a trade, was dealt to Florida for the No. 9 and No. 25 selections in the 2026 draft, a conditional 2029 first-round selection and a 2027 second-round selection. Ottawa then sent the No. 9 selection to San Jose for forward William Eklund (53 points last season), forward Kasper Halttunen and the rights to prospect Brandon Svoboda. The Senators also acquired Burakovsky (33 points) from Chicago, goalie Samuel Ersson from Toronto and signed forward Sammy Blais. Longtime franchise star Daniel Alfredsson left his job as an Ottawa assistant to become Toronto’s associate coach (NHL.com).
Key players & coach: Stutzle, Batherson, Dylan Cozens (28 goals), Shane Pinto (23 goals), Eklund, Fabian Zetterlund, Ridly Greig and Claude Giroux, who re-signed for another season, lead the forwards. Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Jordan Spence and Tyler Kleven anchor the defense, and 2024 No. 7 selection Carter Yakemchuk is pushing for a full-time role. General manager Steve Staios said after the Tkachuk trade, “I don’t want anybody to be misled,” adding that he did not intend for the group to step back (NHL.com). Travis Green is in his third season as coach.
Goalies: Linus Ullmark went 28-12-8 with a 2.73 GAA, .891 save percentage and three shutouts in 49 games last season, and he went 12-4-3 with a .902 save percentage after the Olympic break (NHL.com). Ersson went 14-11-5 with a 3.12 GAA and .870 save percentage for Philadelphia last season. Ottawa had not confirmed a starter at research time.
Injuries: Sanderson returned to the ice Friday and could be available for the opener. “See how he is tomorrow,” Green said. Defenseman Artem Zub (knee) and Burakovsky (upper body) skated in noncontact jerseys Friday, and forward Warren Foegele will play Saturday (NHL.com Status Report, Oct. 2). Forward Kurtis MacDermid (upper body) and Blake Montgomery (undisclosed) are on injured reserve (ESPN).
Toronto Maple Leafs Preview: Hiller Era Begins at 1-1-0
2025-26 recap: Toronto went 32-36-14 (78 points), finished last in the Atlantic and missed the playoffs. General manager Brad Treliving was fired on March 30 and coach Craig Berube on May 13 (NHL.com).
Offseason moves: John Chayka became GM on May 3, with Mats Sundin as special advisor, and Jim Hiller was named head coach. Toronto drafted Gavin McKenna No. 1 overall, signed Sergei Bobrovsky, landed defenseman Darren Raddysh from Tampa Bay and added Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic, Teddy Blueger, Colton Sissons and Brandon Duhaime. On Sept. 28, the Maple Leafs traded Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae and a 2027 second-round selection to Columbus for forwards Kirill Marchenko and Miles Wood and injured goalie Elvis Merzlikins, then signed Marchenko to a six-year, $75 million extension (NHL.com, ESPN).
Key players & coach: Captain Auston Matthews, William Nylander (team-high 79 points last season), John Tavares (31 goals), Marchenko, Morgan Rielly and Chris Tanev lead the roster, and McKenna has dressed in both games. Hiller previously coached the Los Angeles Kings (2023-26) and was a Maple Leafs assistant from 2015 to 2019.
Goalies: Bobrovsky started the opener and made 21 saves on 24 shots. He went 27-23-1 with a 3.07 GAA and .877 save percentage for Florida last season. Anthony Stolarz started Sept. 30 and made 26 saves on 27 shots. Toronto had not confirmed a starter at research time.
Season so far: Montreal beat Toronto 3-2 on Sept. 29. Nylander scored both Toronto goals, and Alexandre Carrier scored the winner at 13:12 of the third period. The next night, Sissons and Easton Cowan (power play) scored in the first period of a 2-1 win over the Islanders, and Stolarz allowed only a short-handed goal by Emil Heineman (NHL.com).
Injuries: Dakota Joshua (abdomen), Max Domi (back surgery), Cade Webber (elbow), Merzlikins (shoulder surgery) and William Villeneuve (knee surgery) are on injured reserve (ESPN).
Key Matchup Notes: Senators vs Maple Leafs
- Schedule spot: It is Ottawa’s first game of the season. Toronto has had two days off since beating the Islanders on Sept. 30.
- Last season: Ottawa won three of the four meetings, 5-2 in Toronto on Feb. 28 and 5-2 and 3-1 at home in March and April. Toronto won 7-5 at home on Dec. 27, 2025 (NHL.com).
- Familiar face: Alfredsson, the Senators’ all-time leader in points (1,108), goals and assists, is now behind Toronto’s bench as associate coach (NHL.com).
- Special teams: Ottawa scored 63 power-play goals last season, fourth most in the NHL. Toronto scored on the power play in its win Wednesday.
- In goal: Ottawa’s .878 team save percentage ranked 29th last season. Bobrovsky posted an .877 with Florida, and Stolarz allowed one goal on 27 shots Wednesday.
- Odds snapshot: Toronto -120 / Ottawa +100 on the moneyline, Maple Leafs -1.5 (+210) on the puck line, total 6.5 (DraftKings).
How to Watch Ottawa Senators vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
Puck drop: 7:00 PM ET (7:00 PM local)
Venue: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ont.
TV: Sportsnet has the game in Canada (NHL.com). ESPN lists ESPN+ streaming in the U.S.; no U.S. TV broadcast is listed at research time.
Check the puck line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 3, 2026 puck drop, and look for confirmed starting goalies closer to game time.