Making the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in eight years can help draw players to want to play for a team. For the Ottawa Senators, they have a chance to do that with signing players and trading for players this free agency.
The Senators have already been rumored to draw interest from players before free agency has even started. From rumors of being linked to Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad in May, and to being linked to Dallas Stars superstar forward Jason Robertson earlier this month.
The Senators could start to draw big named players over the next couple of seasons. However, rumors are still swirling around in Dallas about another player that could be traded, but the Senators should avoid this one.
Ottawa shouldn't consider trading for Dallas' Marchment
Along with the rumors of trading away Jason Robertson, one more Stars forward who has been in rumors of being shopped around is Mason Marchment. The Uxbridge, Ontario, native is six days away from turning 30 years old.
Marchment will be entering the final year of his contract with a salary of $4.5 million and is set to become an unrestricted free agent. Dallas will need to free up cap space this Summer as the team has under $5 million in cap space at the moment. Marchment's salary can be a big contract to come off for the Stars, but it wouldn't be worth to take on for the Senators.
The Senators have over $15 million in cap space once they signed defenseman Tyler Kleven to a two-year extension. Marchment's cap would be a lot when the Senators may rather sign veteran and fan favorite Claude Giroux. It could be possible the Senators can re-sign Giroux for less money than Marchment's current contract.
Along with an attempt to re-sign Giroux this Summer, Marchment wouldn't be worth trading for as Dallas could have a steady value of Marchment around a draft pick or two in the middle rounds, and/or maybe a prospect as well.
Despite recording back-to-back 22-goal seasons and a combined 100 points for the Stars since 2023, Marchment's play has taken a drop when it mattered in the playoffs.
In 49 playoff games over the past three years with the Stars combined in which the Stars made the Western Conference Finals every year, Marchment recorded 16 points. In the 2025 playoffs, Marchment had his worst playoff performance as a Star by recording one goal and finishing with five points in 18 games played.
Marchment has also had some discipline issues and can take bad penalties at times. Marchment finished with 18 penalty minutes in the 2025 playoffs.
Marchment can be a player who is fiesty and can bring offensive production for a top-nine forward, but his contract and play dropping in the playoffs can be a huge risk to take on for a team like the Senators. At a steady salary of $4.5 million, the Senators can do better than trading for a player like Marchment.