The easy answer is: a new owner.
The more serious answer is a few cost-controlled reclamation projects, cast-offs or a little veteran leadership on short contracts to fill spots while our prospects either make the team and learn the NHL game or play competitively on a potentially very strong Belleville Senators roster.
We might also be in a position to take cap space for cash (e.g. the end years of front-loaded contracts) depending on how many years are remaining.
We're at least 2-3 years away from seriously competing consistently for a playoff spot. I think a lot of Senators fans wouldn't mind another lottery pick in next year's draft.
We have good depth in net in the system in Nilsson, Hogberg, Gustavsson and Daccord plus Craig Anderson.
On D, it's Chabot, Wolanin, Zaitsev, Reilly, and you could maybe see someone like Hainsey being re-signed to be the old and slow guy. Someone like Brannstrom on D will also get a chance to hang with the big club as Borowiecki looks for a job elsewhere.
Up front, aside from Tkachuk and maybe Ryan, it's a lot of 2nd-4th liners like Tierney, Duclair and Connor Brown.
Colin White will be under the microscope after a sophomore slump just on the heels of signing a substantial contract. He suffered an early injury last season and struggled to make much of an impact without Stone on his line. He'll be replacing Pageau's minutes.
Batherson, Logan Brown, Formenton and Chlapik might have decent odds of playing a lot of games in the big leagues. Josh Norris might play his way on to the team after his mindblowing rookie season in the AHL.
It's really hard to know who makes the team out of camp and who will stick throughout the season.
It's challenging to talk about need because it will really depend on which of our prospects pan out over the next 2-5 years and we aren't really in a position to seriously compete next season.