When Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios moved Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers to join his brother Matthew The trade looked to be the end of an era in Ottawa. However, Staios acted fast and landed William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks, using some of the assets he recouped from the Panthers.
Now, as the club heads into their first training camp without their former captain, their roster looks a bit different. They are faster and a little less physical but still possess enough talent to try and compete in the Atlantic Division. That said, Staios has put his club in an interesting position, where he can turn the rest of the assets that he got from the Panthers into another big name if one were to become available at any point this season.
Staios could turn Tkachuk's return into blockbuster deal
At this point in this summer, there aren’t many rumours circulating about who would be available for trade. That said, each and every season there tend to be some big-name players that end up being traded, and now with the increase in cap space and every team having just a bit more to play with, that will be the same this season.
For the Senators, even if this season becomes a wash and they decide to punt on the 2026-27 season. They need to remain active. There are some notable players that are on expiring deals, like Erik Karlsson, who could return to where it all began. Jaren McCann from the Seattle Kraken and Lawson Crouse of the Utah Mammoth.
There are players whose contracts are expiring in 2027-28 that the Senators could target and have another year to work on an extension. Of note, Tyler Bertuzzi of the Chicago Blackhawks and Jordan Eberle of the aforementioned Kraken.
If Staios can somehow turn some of the assets that he received from the Panthers or even more of their own draft capital into another highly skilled forward. It would be exactly what the Senators need after their captain wanted out of the organization.
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