Trading time is over! With the NHL trade deadline approaching, the Ottawa Senators are set to play their final 21 games with a slightly adjusted roster. Inside is Warren Foegele, outside is David Perron. Since the Sens are currently four points out of a playoff spot, did they do enough? Let's get into the details.
A look at two trades
For a full analysis of the two Senators trades, you can see here and here. These are the basics:
- In: Warren Foegele, conditional 2026 third-round pick, conditional 2026 fourth-round pick
- OUT: David Perron, 2026 second-round pick, conditional 2026 third-round pick
To simplify, the Senators went with some of their picks in the draft in exchange for an upgrade on Perron, signing Foegele for next season. With Perron out with injuries, adding a healthy winger to play the final quarter of the season would help with a playoff push. Of course, for Foegele to upgrade, he needs to return to last year's 24-goal form. This season has been a struggle, with Foegele scoring only 9 points in 47 games.
Steps that senators did not take
The Senators have long been linked to right-shot defenseman McKenzie Weegar, who ended up with the Utah Mammoth. "I suspect Ottawa was also involved in Rob Thomas," he said on Elliotte Freedman's 32 Thoughts podcast.
The problem for the Senators was that they didn't have a lot of trade chips. They have one of the weakest prospect pools in the NHL and no first-round picks. While Steve Staios has come out and said that it was the coach's decision to sit Stephen Holiday with the Flames, I wonder if he was being held out just in case. If senators had struck a bigger deal, it would most likely have been going the other way.
As things stand, the Senators' defense and goaltending remain the same. This is no real surprise on the net. There weren't exactly a ton of goalkeepers available. The good news is that Ullmark has played better recently. Since returning from his leave of absence he has gone 4-0-2 with a .909 SV%. Don't think that Levi Merilainen will be back any time soon. He is slashing .890 SV% in 14 games at Belleville. On defense, if they need a change they could add Nicholas Matinpalo to the lineup. They could also call up top prospect Carter Yakemchuk. His 27 points in 44 games are impressive. He doesn't have a minus 37 rating.
senators lineup
Here's how the Senators will look in their final 21 games:
- Batherson-Stutzle-Giroux
- Tkachuk-Cozens-Gregg
- Foegele-Pinto-Amadio
- cousins-or-zetterlund
- sanderson-zab
- Chabot-Jensen
- cleven-spence
final thoughts
The Senators have a playoff lineup. He has played at a playoff team level throughout the season, in addition to his goaltending and penalty kill. Ulmark has been better recently. It's the same with the penalty kill. Since Mike Yeo took over with the penalty kill, the Senators PKs are at 80%. Earlier, PK was in a pitiful state of 71.7%. They are currently on pace for 93 points. The Bruins, who hold the final wildcard spot, are on pace for 98. You can't forget about the Blue Jackets, who landed Connor Garland at the deadline and currently lead the Sens by three points.
In their final 21 games last season, the Senators went 14-5-2. If they can repeat this, they will finish the season with 99 points. This should be good enough to make the playoffs. Of course, there will be no bad effects from here on out. It's hard to do, but the Senators have what it takes.
Sure, the Senators didn't make any blockbuster moves at the deadline, but they didn't really have the assets, nor were they in a position to do so. Warren Foegele should help this team. If he can add another hard hit that can help on the penalty kill, that would be great. Another reason for optimism—the Senators' next two games are on the road. However, after that, they finish the season playing 12 of their remaining 19 games at home.
