Ottawa Senators general manager Steve Staios made a strategic trip to Montreal on Monday night, with his eyes firmly on potential trade targets from the visiting Vancouver Canucks. The scouting mission comes as the Senators, struggling in the standings, actively seek roster improvements.
Senators Actively Seeking Defensive and Offensive Help
The Senators' front office, led by Staios, is known to be working the phones to address specific needs. League executives have confirmed to the Ottawa Citizen that the team is scouring the market for a right-shot defenceman. This search has become a priority due to the struggles of veteran Nick Jensen, who is working his way back from off-season hip surgery.
Jensen, 35, has a concerning minus-13 rating this season, a stark contrast to his plus-18 finish last year. He has been a healthy scratch in two of the club's past seven games. Other options on the right side, like Jordan Spence, have settled into more limited roles, leaving a gap in the team's top-four defensive pairings.
In addition to blue-line help, the Senators have also been active in looking for a forward who can slot into their top six, a pursuit that Staios has been focused on since last spring. The team's 3-6-1 record in its last 10 games and 25th-overall league ranking heading into Tuesday's action underscore the urgency for change.
Vancouver Canucks: A Potential Trade Partner
Staios's decision to travel to Montreal instead of waiting to see the Canucks in Ottawa on Tuesday night signals serious interest. Vancouver has publicly declared they are "open for business," making them a logical team for the Senators to engage with.
Potential trade targets on the Canucks' roster that could interest Ottawa include defenceman Filip Hronek and forwards Connor Garland, Kiefer Sherwood, and Jake DeBrusk. Hronek, 28, is a particularly notable name; he was a key acquisition for Vancouver in 2023 and carries a $7.25 million cap hit through the 2031-32 season.
The availability of such players, however, hinges on the level of retooling Canucks management is willing to undertake. With Ottawa sitting seven points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference as of Tuesday, Staios's visit to the Bell Centre was a clear step in evaluating his options to bolster the lineup for a potential playoff push.
