Trade Deadline Primer: Ottawa Senators

Ottawa doesn’t have much, but they have a few pieces that could be moved to acquire more talent. The first name that comes to mind for anyone familiar with Ottawa’s prospect system is Carter Yakemchuk. The 20-year-old defenseman is the Senators’ top prospect and currently plays for their AHL affiliate in Belleville, where he is having a solid first professional season. To put it bluntly, Ottawa isn’t moving Yakemchuk for any short-term gains and may not be inclined to move him at all. If they had a move available to address both their short- and long-term futures, they might be open to it, but for now, he is likely staying put.

Outside of Yakemchuk, the Senators have a few other prospects they might be more willing to move, including another defenseman, Logan Hensler. The Senators’ 2025 first-round pick (23rd overall) is currently in his second season in the NCAA with the University of Wisconsin. He has already matched his point total from all of last season (12) in just 23 games. Hensler’s game is quite different from that of Yakemchuk in that he plays a safe, steady game focused on gap control, an active stick, and using his explosiveness to make defensive recoveries. Hensler is well-suited to play alongside a defenseman like Yakemchuk, who is more offensively minded and gifted. Should Ottawa make Hensler available in a trade, he is the kind of player who could be the big piece in a package that includes draft picks and other players.

In the crease, the Senators have run the course with goaltender Mads Sogaard, and it certainly feels like his time with Ottawa needs to end soon. The former second-round pick has not shown much in his last two professional seasons, after a stellar start to his AHL career from 2020 to 2023. Sogaard is now 25, and although the Senators don’t exactly have a deep prospect pool in the crease, it seems likely they will non-tender him this summer. Given that trajectory, it makes sense for Ottawa to move him before the deadline (hopefully) for a late-round pick or let him walk in the summer for nothing. Sogaard isn’t going to fetch much of a return, but Ottawa could pair the pick with other assets to facilitate a bigger move elsewhere.

Shifting up front to the forwards, Stephen Halliday has been a nice story this season for the Senators. The 2022 fourth-round pick (104th overall) was an overage draft pick when Ottawa selected him, and he has had a terrific start to his professional career. The Senators have rewarded his progression by giving him 25 NHL games this year, and Halliday, in turn, has rewarded the Senators’ trust in him by tallying four goals and seven assists while averaging just over eight minutes per game. Halliday’s skating isn’t great, but his size and offensive skill set would be desirable to a team looking to add good young talent to its prospect pool.

Team Needs

A Top Six Center: Ottawa had hoped that last year’s trade-deadline acquisition, Fabian Zetterlund, could slide into a role in the Senators’ top six. However, that hasn’t been the case, as Zetterlund has struggled this season and has been relegated to fourth-line duties alongside Eller. The 26-year-old isn’t much of a play driver, but he has fared better in this department this season despite his demotion. Zetterlund can skate well and could likely play in Ottawa’s top six if needed, but at the moment, he’s been a disappointment this year. With his play moving him down the lineup, it’s become clear that Ottawa could use a top-six forward to bump some of their other players back to a more suitable role. Some fans might point to a veteran like Perron as a potential candidate for the top two lines, but given his age and recent injury history, that is not a safe bet. Ottawa doesn’t need to sell the farm to make an addition, and it probably wouldn’t be in on any of the trio of St. Louis Blues who are available (Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas, or Brayden Schenn). However, Ottawa could afford to target a player like Michael Bunting of the Nashville Predators or Andrew Mangiapane of the Edmonton Oilers. Both of those players are having down years, but perhaps an opportunity in Ottawa’s top six might reignite their play this year.

A 1B Goaltender: Linus Ullmark is a terrific NHL goaltender who has had a great career. He’s dealt with a lot this season, and unfortunately, it has affected his play on the ice. Had Ottawa received league-average goaltending this season, it would be comfortably in a playoff position at the moment, instead of sixth in its division. The Senators don’t have the assets to acquire another starting goaltender. Still, they could find a more consistent backup, or ideally, a 1B goaltender who can take more starts and allow Ullmark to work through his game without the pressure of shouldering the bulk of the goaltending load. The name Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild has been thrown around quite often in online forums. Still, the Senators probably don’t have the trade capital to make that move, particularly given that the Wild are looking for center help and Ottawa likely doesn’t want to part with any of their young, cost-controlled centers (nor should they).

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