Ottawa Senators are going big-game hunting on NHL's trade market

It's believed that the Ottawa Senators will now step up their efforts to acquire forward Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks. Photo by Emilee Chinn /Getty Images

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Steve Staios pulled the trigger on one big deal on Sunday.

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He had no choice because captain Brady Tkachuk wasn’t going to stay with the Ottawa Senators when his contract expired, so he was moved to the Florida Panthers.

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The feeling in Ottawa is that Staios had better have another big move up his sleeve, and it better include some scoring help.

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A league executive told the Ottawa Citizen on Sunday night that they expect the Senators to use some of the assets acquired in the trade with the Panthers _ the first round picks and a second round selection _ to get another top six forward in return.

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Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, indicated he will be shopping around this week with the National Hockey League draft set for Friday night. At this point, the club holds the No. 9, No. 25 and No. 32 selections in the draft.

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Ottawa cannot deal the No. 32 pick.

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“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. We now possess cap space and draft capital and will be actively working to improve our roster,” said Staios.

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It’s believed that the Senators will step up their efforts to acquire forward Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks

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A league executive told the Ottawa Citizen on Friday that the Senators were actively seeking a top-six forward who could play with top centre Tim Stutzle. That doesn’t come as a huge surprise, but this is something Staios has been trying to acquire for two years.

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The market is thin, and the teams that have them want big returns, but there are options.

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“They aren’t going to attract any free agents … there are no free agents,” a league executive said on Sunday night.

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Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks tries to break away from the check of Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks during a game in April 2025. Photo by Rich Lam /Getty Images

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The Citizen reported last month that the Senators were actively seeking a top-six forward who could play with top centre Tim Stutzle. That doesn’t come as a huge surprise, but this is something Staios has been trying to acquire for two years.

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The market is thin, and the teams that have them want big returns, but there are options.

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McTavish is an interesting name.

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He is coming off a difficult season with only 17 goals and 24 assists for 41 points in 75 games. McTavish was scratched for two games in the playoffs by Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville, and that has left his future with the organization in doubt.

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Teams have been calling to see if he’s available, and we believe the Montreal Canadiens are also in the mix, along with the Philadelphia Flyers.

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McTavish has five years left on a deal that will pay him $7 million U.S. per season through 2030-31. He is linked to the Senators because his father, Dale, was one of the first hires Staios made when he took over in Ottawa in 2023 in a pro scouting role.

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The Senators now possess a big asset the Ducks want in return, which is a first-round pick. They could either use the No. 9 or No 25 selections they received from the Panthers in the deal for Tkachuk, along with a prospect to acquire McTavish.