The escalating arms race ongoing in the Atlantic Division has forced every team in the lot to continue pursuing bigger and more dangerous weapons.
Such is the case of the Ottawa Senators. Even after making solid additions this offseason, the club is by no means done looking to add.
As insider David Pagnotta noted, the Sens are among the teams in the league looking to land a top-six forward to complement their scoring.
“Even when they pulled off the William Eklund addition...they had already been looking for another top six winger, another goalscorer… they're clearly still looking.”
The comments made on July 22 of the Tom Gazzola show echo the continuing efforts by Ottawa to keep up with the big boys in the Atlantic. The team is looking to continue building a forward group that can outduel the likes of the Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Buffalo Sabres.
The big question is, however, who could the Senators target in such a move? With the trade market not exactly overflowing with top-six forwards, the Senators might have to get a little creative.
Free-Agent Market May Be Senators’ Best Choice Right Now
Considering that the Senators already made a major splash in the trade market, free agency may be the only viable option for Ottawa at this point in the season.
However, the pickings are slim as July winds down.
One name that isn’t going away is Patrik Laine. The 28-year-old is a UFA and has yet to find a new home.
Could Laine be an option for the Senators? He could be. But it seems that landing Laine could come down to a question of time and money.
We’ve already explored the possibility of Laine coming to the Nation’s Capital. If Laine can come back from a tough, injury-filled season in 2025-26 and contribute meaningfully, why not? The Senators need all the firepower they can get.
Teams can cash in on players looking to prove everyone wrong. That could be Laine’s case. And if the price is right, the Senators could have themselves one heck of a player with plenty left in the tank.
Anyhow, let’s see what happens. The grind of the rumor mill will be slowing down as we head into August. But it wouldn’t be surprising to hear the chatter pick up again as September draws closer and training camps begin to open.
With the season set to open in late September this year, there is no question that late-summer moves could well be on the horizon.
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