After going unsigned by the RFA signing period earlier this month, Alex Formenton has signed with HC Ambrì-Piotta in the National League in Switzerland for the remainder of the season.
Formenton, 23, still remains a member of the Ottawa Senators, who hold his RFA rights after submitting a qualifying offer last summer. Due to the NHL’s rules among unsigned RFAs, he’s unable to play in the NHL for the remainder of the season.
The last two restricted free agents to not sign deals by the Dec. 1 deadline were Jesse Puljuarjvi (Edmonton) and Julius Honka (Dallas), who both elected to play in Europe after having their trade requests denied.
Drafted 47th overall by the Senators in 2017, Formenton has 23 goals and 39 points in 190 games with the Senators. He also won gold with Canada at the 2018 World Junior Championship.
In a team release published in Italian, Ambri-Piotta said that the team understands the situation involving the 2018 WJC team and that an investigation is still ongoing. The translation said they believe there isn’t a reason at the moment “not to assert the presumption of innocence” against Formenton.
Earlier this month, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli said the Senators were in touch with a few teams, most notably the Vegas Golden Knights, about trading his rights before the Dec. 1 deadline hit. An NHL GM is quoted as saying “Too much risk at this time” regarding Formenton’s status.
Ambrì-Piotta currently sits 12th in the National League with a 7-14-6-2 record. The club has three other players with NHL experience, including forwards Brandon McMillan and Filip Chlapik, as well as defenseman Tim Heed. The team is set to play in the Spengler Cup in Davos later this month, opening the tournament against Swedish-based Orebro HK.
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