Maciver joined the newly formed expansion team, the Ottawa Senators, for the 1992-93 season. In his first game with the Senators on October 8, 1992, Maciver earned two assists, as the Senators defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5–3. Two nights later, in his second game with the club, Maciver had two more assists, in a 9–2 loss to the Quebec Nordiques. Maciver scored his first goal as a member of the Senators on October 20, 1992, scoring against Felix Potvin of the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 5–3 loss. On February 17, 1993, Maciver scored the first multi-goal game of his NHL career, as he scored twice against Ron Hextall of the Quebec Nordiques in a 6–4 loss. In 80 games with Ottawa, Maciver scored 17 goals and 63 points, setting career highs in goals and points, while leading the Senators in team scoring.