The Ottawa Senators and the Florida Panthers completed a blockbuster trade on Sunday night. Ottawa sent their captain, Brady Tkachuk, to Florida for the 9th overall and 25th overall pick from the 2026 NHL Draft, as well as a 2029 first-round pick plus a 2030 second-round pick. This gives the Senators ammunition to reshape their team, and apparently, that is what they are going to do.
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As General Manager Steve Staios said in a statement following the trade, they have the cap space now to improve the roster.
“This was not a decision we took lightly, but ultimately we did what we felt was best for the long-term future of our hockey club,” Staios said. “We now possess cap space and draft capital and will be actively working to improve our roster.”
As it has been reported, the Ottawa Senators are looking to reshape their defence. Anthony Di Marco of the Daily Faceoff wonders if they could flip one of their picks for Rasmus Ristolainen. Ristolainen has been linked to the Senators since before the trade deadline.
Will be interesting to see if OTT flips either of the 1sts they just acquired. We know they’ve liked Ristolainen for a little while and one of the 1sts would be a good starting point in discussions.
Will be interesting what happens.
— Anthony Di Marco (@ADiMarco25) June 21, 2026
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However, defence is not the only area the Senators are looking to improve. According to Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Steve Staios is expected to make a run at Jason Robertson from the Dallas Stars either via trade or the offer sheet route.
Things are very fluid, and there’s plenty of time for Dallas to explore its options, but sources say Ottawa is making a big push for Jason Robertson. If a trade cannot be ironed out and he hits July 1 as an RFA, the Senators could present him with a significant offer sheet.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 21, 2026
However, it doesn’t like that Robertson wants to go to Ottawa, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic on the latest CJ Show. Would the Senators want to take a shot at Robertson and risk losing another American player? Going in a different direction makes sense.
According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, the Ottawa Senators could take a run at Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks. In addition, the Senators have held talks with the St. Louis Blues about Jordan Kyrou. Garroich also suggested they could revisit trades with the Pittsburgh Penguins about Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. The goal is to get a winger for Tim Stutzle.
Regardless, the Senators have the capital and assets to make a big move entering the draft. Their 9th- and 25th-overall picks are in play. Ottawa can’t rebuild, given the players they have and the age bracket they are in.
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