The Ottawa Senators have been "shrewd" after their draft and free agency in 2025. From a solid selection of Wisconsin defenseman Logan Hensler with the 23rd overall pick, to not re-signing liabilities and to re-signing players that helped the team make the 2025 playoffs.
At the moment, the Senators might not need to do much more this Summer. The Senators do have over $4.2 million in cap space with 13 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders under contract for 2025-26 according to PuckPedia.
Even with seven defensemen under contract for 2025-26, the Senators could try and move one or two of them if they're interested in making a trade for a better defenseman Recently, New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton has been in trade talks, but it's best for the Senators to not consider trading for him.
Sens should stay away from Hamilton
Since 2021, Hamilton has been a Devil. Before playing in New Jersey, Hamilton played for the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes. Hamilton signed a seven-year, $63 million contract ($9 million per year) in 2021 with the Devils.
Hamilton's best season with the Devils was in the 2022-23 season when he recorded a career-high 74 points. Hamilton's season helped the Devils big to end a five-year playoff drought in 2023. However, Hamilton's other three seasons in New Jersey should make the Senators stay away from the 32-year-old.
A major issue with Hamilton is his health. In his four seasons in New Jersey, Hamilton has missed a combined 100 games. The only season in which Hamilton played in 65 games or more was in 2022-23 when he played in all 82 games.
Over the past two seasons since Hamilton's career year in 2022-23, Hamilton has missed 80 games. In the 2023-24 season, Hamilton missed 62 games. In the 2024-25 season, Hamilton missed 18 games.
Hamilton also hasn't been the same since his career year in 2022-23. In the 2024-25 season, Hamilton recorded 40 points in 64 games, which was 34 less points than his career year. Hamilton recorded two assists and a -3 rating in five games for the Devils in the 2025 playoffs.
Hamilton's salary is another thing that should make the Senators stay away from. If the Senators were to trade for Hamilton, his $9 million salary would become the highest salary on the roster. For his age, that can be a heavy concern.
An issue with Hamilton's contract is it runs out in the same year as Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk's contract each do. Chabot and Tkachuk are fan favorite and important players on the Senators roster, and the Senators could have bigger desire to re-sign both of them over Hamilton.
There wouldn't be a guarantee that Hamilton can come in and raise his game in Ottawa with the age he's at and being injured in three of his four seasons in New Jersey.
The Devils could also have a high asking price for Hamilton, which the Senators would need to be careful with. The Senators don't have their 2026 first-round draft pick, and the Devils could ask for a first-round draft pick, but the earliest first-round draft pick the Senators would have to give up is 2027's.
In the end, staying away from Hamilton might be in the best interest for the Senators considering Hamilton's age, injury concern, contract and the Devils' asking price.