At the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the Senators selected local Orleans, Ontario, and Ottawa 67's player Cody Ceci in the first round, 15th overall.
The Senators lost forward Zenon Konopka and defencemen Filip Kuba and Matt Carkner to other teams through free agency.
The team traded forward Nick Foligno to the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenceman Marc Methot to add to the defence.
The team picked up winger Guillaume Latendresse and defenceman Mike Lundin through free agency, both from the Minnesota Wild.
The club also re-signed Peter Regin, Kaspars Daugavins and Stephane Da Costa to one-year contracts.
The Senators regular-season opener was to take place at the Bell Centre in Montreal against the Canadiens on Thursday, October 11.
[7] Despite being devastated by injury, the Senators continued to find ways to win games, earning the nickname Pesky Sens.
[9][10] On April 25, after a 2–1 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals, the Ottawa Senators clinched a playoff berth for the 14th time in the modern franchise's history.
After the end of the season on April 28, Ottawa finished seventh, drawing the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the playoffs.
During the game, Senators defenceman Eric Gryba checked Montreal center Lars Eller, causing a concussion and facial fractures.
In the third game in Ottawa, Senators' rookie Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored his first NHL hat-trick; his first goal was the game-winner.
The Senators played a more physical style in the third game and focussed on wearing down the Canadiens' top defenceman P. K. Subban.
In the third period, the Canadiens played a tight defensive game, while the Senators pressed to equalize, out-shooting Montreal 13–4.
With 22 seconds left, and Anderson on the bench for an extra attacker, Cory Conacher scored to tie the game and force overtime.
In overtime, Kyle Turris wristed a shot on net that was deflected by Canadiens' defenceman Raphael Diaz past Budaj.
It was also the first time that the Sens had won a playoff series since eliminating the Buffalo Sabres in game five of the 2007 Eastern Conference Final on May 19, 2007.
Game three saw the return of Jason Spezza to the Senators' lineup after a long injury layoff due to back surgery.
The game was won in the second overtime on a goal by Colin Greening, his third of the series, on a rebound of an Andre Benoit shot.