The Ottawa Senators are reportedly looking for a “home run” trade, and while their scoring hasn’t been an issue this season, they are in the market for a top-six winger, and should get it done sooner rather than later.
It has been a weird year when looking at trade candidates. So many were pending free agents who re-signed, some teams are getting ready for a fire sale, and some wingers are just being talked about in surprising ways. Wherever they are coming from, the Senators need to be looking at all of the options available to them.
Senators’ Need for Top-Six Winger
Everybody knows the Senators are looking for an impactful winger. Reports suggest that general manager Steve Staios began working on this quickly after being eliminated from the playoffs. Through the draft, free agency, the trade market, and anything else, he has come up short. (from As Senators reach 20-game mark, is it time for Steve Staios to make a big splash?, Ottawa Sun, Nov. 20, 2025)
The offense has actually looked quite good this season. The club has been without their captain and top winger for all but three games this season. After looking at the abysmal 5-on-5 scoring last season, mixed with minimal roster change since last season, their offensive success has been quite surprising this season.
The Senators sit currently 11th in 5-on-5 goals-for with 46, which is a significantly better pace than their 31st-ranked 140 in 2024-25.
The trio of elite centres the Senators have, Tim Stutzle, Dylan Cozens, and Shane Pinto, have been leading the way with a combined 29 goals, and Drake Batherson has produced very well, but there are three holes on the wing in the top-six.
Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle battles for control of the puck with Los Angeles Kings right wing Joel Armia and defenseman Brandt Clarke (Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images)
Brady Tkachuk is set to return to the lineup on Nov. 28 when the Senators visit the St. Louis Blues, which certainly fills one of those holes. He has expressed on his newly formed podcast, Wingmen, that he is fired up to return to the ice and is feeling good. Tkachuk has a very high offensive ceiling, which he displayed in three of the past four seasons. While 2024-25 didn’t prove to be as productive for him, it’s hard to forget how dominant he can be.
The other two spots on the wings have been filled by many combinations of Michael Amadio, Ridly Greig, David Perron, Nick Cousins, Fabian Zetterlund, and even Lars Eller has stepped in there. There has been little to no consistency with the wings, with the exception of two.
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Giroux and Amadio have been part of the elite third line the Senators have been rolling out with Pinto in between them. They have regularly been together and dominating their share of ice time. Those two wingers can be taken out of the question.
Cousins, Perron, and Eller are not on this team to be top-six contributors. They have a role, but that isn’t it.
Ridly Greig, who has missed the last handful of games due to injury, has had time there, too, but hasn’t been producing. While points aren’t everything, the player to fill that hole needs to be one more productive than Greig has been.
That leaves Fabian Zetterlund. While scoring goals in back-to-back games could be the start of his turnaround with the team, to this point, he hasn’t been able to produce either. If the Senators were to swing big and add an elite winger to the group, having Zetterlund in the top-six would be a good chance for him to keep finding his way. He has the talent to be there and could certainly be the fourth winger.
Tkachuk, Batherson, and Zetterlund all have a home in the top-six if the Senators bring in another high-end winger, so here is a look at some of the potential candidates to fill the void in the Senators’ top-six.
Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes
The Senators are reportedly looking for a “home run” trade, and if the Carolina Hurricanes are willing to listen, Andrei Svechnikov would be a perfect target for the club.
On Saturday Headlines, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Hurricanes and Svechnikov were getting closer to exploring trade options. While the star winger has had a dramatic turnaround since those conversations earlier in the season, if the Hurricanes re-open the phone lines, the Senators should be calling.
May 10, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov (37) scores a goal against the Washington Capitals during the second period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Svechnikov spoke to the media and refuted the report, though there has to be respect that both Friedman and Svechnikov are doing their jobs on both sides of the report. Friedman reports what people tell him, players try and silence rumours.
Though he has missed a significant amount of time over the past few seasons, Svechnikov regularly scores at a 70-point pace. He steps up when he is needed, he has a gritty style to his play, and would match up really well with any of the top three centres in Ottawa.
Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars
The availability of Jason Robertson is a huge question. The latest reports suggest that the Dallas Stars are going to work hard at getting an extension done with the superstar winger, but they are currently waiting for Robertson and his agent to come back to the negotiation table.
The Stars have built an incredible team, and Robertson is a huge part of that. Currently sitting fourth in the NHL in scoring, there is no question about his talents. If the Stars establish that they aren’t going to get a deal done with Robertson, they could look to move him, and the Senators should be ready for their home run swing.
Someone From The Vancouver Canucks
There have been plenty of reports that the Vancouver Canucks are open for business. Most of the players being talked about are players who are on expiring deals or have little term. That would include wingers Kiefer Sherwood and Evander Kane.
Sherwood and Kane bring a lot of value in their own ways, but Sherwood is a prime candidate for regression and should be someone the Senators look to avoid. Now, if the price is right, Sherwood would be a fantastic addition, but he shouldn’t be the home run deal the Senators look for.
Kane brings some physicality and can still produce, but again, he isn’t the top-six star they need.
Two wingers there certainly could be conversations about would be Conor Garland and Brock Boeser. Despite having an extension already signed with the Canucks, Garland’s name has resurfaced in trade rumours, including Patrick Johnston of The Province reporting that the Canucks were already considering a deal involving Garland.
With the assumption being that they are listening on Garland, there could be a question about Brock Boeser as well. How far are they going to tear it down? Either Garland or Boeser would be a good addition to the top-six for the Senators.
Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres
Alex Tuch would be another huge upgrade on the wing for the Senators. He plays a strong game. Physical, battles hard, and plays with emotion. That kind of player would play very well with the Senators. There is no telling what is going to happen between him and the Buffalo Sabres. There is reported mutual interest in an extension, though the dollar figure seems to be far apart.
The Senators have the cap space to play with to get one of these wingers signed, but they need to be sure. Is Tuch going to be the long-term solution? The Senators would certainly be a better team with Tuch in the lineup, but this doesn’t feel like the type of deal Steve Staios would be looking to make. He did surprise us with the Dylan Cozens trade, though.
Filip Forsberg, Nashville Predators
This would be a perfect fit. If the Nashville Predators finally commit to blowing it all up and selling off their top players, which it appears they are heading in that direction, the Senators would be smart to ask about Filip Forsberg.
First of all, the Sens and their Swedes have a good history, and Forsberg could be the newest instalment. Predators players like Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos are talked about often, but the Senators should probably stay away from them with the risk they carry, given their contracts. A chance on Marchessault could make sense for the right price, but not so much for Stamkos.
Forsberg is an elite winger who is struggling like the rest of his team this season. Bringing him in is the exact kind of deal they are looking to make.
Jordan Kyrou, St. Louis Blues
To round out this list, for now, Jordan Kyrou and the St. Louis Blues seem to always have conversations going on. There have been talks about Jordan Binnington, Brayden Schenn, and other Blues players, and Kyrou could certainly be among those available.
Often used as an example, Kyrou has been healthy scratched multiple times in the past two seasons. He is a star player, good for 30 goals and 70 points per season, and could even be elevated with the right line.
Kyrou would bring a ton of speed to the Senators’ forward group and could be a huge asset in the top-six. While the production is always one of the first things to look at, if a player like Kyrou was going to line up next to Cozens, it could work extremely well.
Add Scoring Before Letting it Become an Issue
The Senators have been getting great depth scoring. They need to keep this up if they want a successful season, but they are certainly a team that could regress in scoring based on those holes in the lineup. If the Senators are going to make a deal, getting it done before the scoring is problematic is key, and it appears that Staios feels the same way.
