The Ottawa Senators’ exhaustive search for a right-shot defenceman took a left turn on Wednesday.
With the clock ticking towards the National Hockey League trade deadline on Friday at 3 p.m., some of the blueliners whom Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, had targeted were either traded or contemplating a move to another team.
At the top of that list was Calgary Flames defenceman MacKenzie Weegar, an Ottawa native who agreed to waive his no-move clause to be dealt to the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday night.
The Flames were expected to receive three second-round picks in the 2026 NHL draft, defenceman Olli Maatta and prospect Jonathan Castagna, who is at Cornell University.
The Senators’ search for a right-shot defenceman who can play in the top four has intensified in recent days, but we’re not sure if the talk will turn into action after there was a flurry of activity on Wednesday.
Sitting six points out of the final playoff spot in the East after an ugly third-period meltdown in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night, the Senators have 22 games left to try to make the post-season for the second straight spring.
League sources say Staios and the Senators have spoken to every team that has a right-shot defenceman available to check the asking price.
It’s believed the Ottawa Senators have talked to St. Louis about a trade involving 33-year-old Justin Faulk, who has one year left on his contract at $6.5 million U.S.
We witnessed on Wednesday that the market is competitive. Tyler Myers was dealt to the Dallas Stars by the Vancouver Canucks early in the day, and then the Buffalo Sabres agreed to a deal to acquire Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues, but he was contemplating waiving his no-move clause.
By the end of the day, Weegar, a player the Senators had coveted to help round out their top four, was trying to decide if he’d go to Utah.
“A lot of teams are looking for a right-shot defenceman,” a league executive said Wednesday.
If the Weegar and Parayko moves happen, it would leave Justin Faulk of the Blues as the top right-shot blueliner available. We believe the Senators have talked to St. Louis about a trade involving the 33-year-old Faulk, who has one year left on his contract at $6.5 million U.S.
The other right-shot defencemen available include Rasmus Ristolainen of the Philadelphia Flyers, Braden Schneider of the New York Rangers and Brandon Carlo of the Toronto Maple Leafs, along with Doug Hamilton and Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils.
Ottawa would rather not get into a rental situation with the club trying to make up ground in the playoff race.
Ristolainen has a year left on his deal, but the asking price is high with the Flyers looking for a first-round pick and a top prospect in return. The Senators don’t have a first-round selection in this year’s draft.
So, what do the Senators have to trade?
While teams have been inquiring about the availability of rugged winger Ridly Greig, the belief is that the Senators have no interest in dealing him.
League executives say Stephen Halliday is one of three Ottawa Senators to keep an eye on ahead of Friday’s trade deadline.
League executives say three names to keep an eye on in Ottawa this deadline are forwards Fabian Zetterlund and Stephen Halliday, along with veteran defenceman Nick Jensen.
Acquired at last year’s deadline, Zetterlund, 26, is in the first season of a three-year deal that pays him $4.275 million per season. He has struggled to find consistency, with 12 goals and 23 points in 60 games.
Halliday, 23, is interesting because he’s had an opportunity on the fourth line and has looked good at times in a limited role. You have to give up something to get something, and teams would look at him as having some upside.
Jensen, 35, is an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and will be the odd man out if the Senators acquire a right-shot defenceman. You could envision a scenario where he’s part of that trade if it happens.
The club’s unrestricted free agents
We’ll have to see if the Senators opt to sit anyone on Thursday night in Calgary.
Making the playoffs is still a longshot, at best. The Senators were three points out of the post-season on Jan. 1 and haven’t been able to get back into the mix since.
That’s why Staios has to consider moving some of his UFAs.
League sources say the Senators have had calls on most of their pending UFAs, including Nick Cousins, Claude Giroux, Lars Eller and David Perron.
Perron likely won’t be dealt because he’s recovering from hip surgery.
Giroux has a full no-move clause and wants to stay with the Senators, but a contender might call.
Cousins would like to sign here, but told the Citizen that he’s leaving that in the hands of his Toronto-based agent, Craig Oster of Newport Sports.
We could see a scenario where Eller is moved. The club has Halliday ready to move into a fourth-line role, and Eller could help a team down the stretch that’s headed for the post-season.
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