The noise around NHL team valuations just got a lot louder. Thanks to Sportico’s fresh numbers, every fan has something to say about whose team is worth what. The Ottawa Senators sit near the bottom of the list, but after the kind of season they just had, does anybody in the city really care? For Brady Tkachuk and Sens fans, it might finally be less about dollars and more about digging in for something bigger. How did Ottawa go from rumors about losing its biggest star to talk of brighter days ahead?
Why Are the Ottawa Senators Among the Least-Valued NHL Teams?
Sportico’s new report has the Senators valued at $1.14 billion, making them the fourth least-valued NHL franchise. The Columbus Blue Jackets are even further down the rankings as the league’s least-valued team, followed by the Winnipeg Jets and the Buffalo Sabres. The Utah Mammoth lands just below Ottawa at the fifth least. Even with all their recent success, the Florida Panthers join the ranks of NHL teams with low valuations.
Here’s the full 153 of @Sportico‘s major U.S. franchise valuations. Get your 🔍out…
🏈 @NFL – $7.13 billion average🔴
🏀 @NBA – $4.6 billion average🟠
⚾️ @MLB – $2.82 billion average🟢
🏒 @NHL – $1.79 billion average ⚪️
⚽️ @MLS – $721 million average 🔵 pic.twitter.com/qBlHS9j1XO— Eben Novy-Williams (@novy_williams) August 13, 2025
The top end of the NHL chart still belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs, followed by the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, and Boston Bruins. Right behind them are the Los Angeles Kings. On the flip side, the Senators have spent years near the bottom, but things might finally be changing.
How Did the Ottawa Senators Battle Their Way Back on and off the Ice?
The Sens are coming off a great season, and their playoff run helped salvage their reputation. Rumors swirled about franchise cornerstone Brady Tkachuk leaving, but in the end, he stayed put. Tkachuk’s message to fans was simple: the sky is the limit for this team.
Ottawa’s low valuation goes back years. Laurent Benoit put it bluntly in the Ottawa Citizen in 2023: “For 30 seasons, generations of Ottawa Senators’ fans have cheered in the arena bowl while, in the bowels of the building, owner after owner has attempted to bring financial stability to the small-market franchise.”
Tough times made life hard for anyone trying to keep the team afloat. Eugene Melnyk spent his own cash to keep the Senators going until Michael Andlauer bought the team from Melnyk’s daughters in September 2023. As Benoit explained, “…Eugene Melnyk rescued from bankruptcy and for almost 20 years personally subsidized before passing it on to his daughters– who’ve now sold majority ownership to Michael Andlauer.”
The change in ownership helped. In 2024, the Senators showed improvement both in the rink and around the franchise. Josh Pringle reported in CTV News last October, “Sportico says the value of the Ottawa Senators has increased 111 percent from just over $540 million in 2021 to $950 million in 2023 and $1.14 billion this year.”
What Will a New Arena Mean for the Senators’ Value?
Soon, Ottawa’s value could get a real bump. The Senators plan to move into a new arena at LeBreton Flats near the Ottawa River. Their current home, the Canadian Tire Centre in Kanata, sits 25 kilometers outside downtown Ottawa. That remote location has made it tough to sell out playoff games, even when the team is rolling.
On Monday, Ottawa’s front office struck a deal with the National Council Commission for 11 acres at LeBreton Flats. Fans are fired up, hoping this move marks the next chapter in the Sens’ resurgence on and off the ice.
