The Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks, and Edmonton Oilers all have something in common right now: each is staring at a situation that feels unfinished.
In Ottawa, general manager Steve Staios tried to steady the waters after Brady Tkachuk was dealt to the Florida Panthers for a return built mostly around futures. He didn’t sugarcoat the impact.
Without Tkachuk, the Senators are worse. That part was plain.
But Staios also made clear the work isn’t done, and he said the club still has more moves ahead as it tries to keep building a winner in Ottawa.
One of the names at the center of that next step is Drake Batherson. Staios said talks are ongoing, and Batherson remains a priority.
He also addressed culture, taking a few shots at the Tkachuk situation while saying Ottawa is now a better place to draw players who fit the right character profile. Even if Batherson returns, the Senators are not expected to stop there.
Out in San Jose, Macklin Celebrini is turning a card auction into a full-blown chase. The Sharks’ 2024 first overall pick followed his breakout with a massive second NHL season at age 19, piling up 115 points with 45 goals and 70 assists. That production has only added fuel to the fire around a 2024-25 Upper Deck Young Guns Outburst Gold #451 1/1, which is now hovering around $488,000 on Goldin with the buyer’s premium included.
The auction still has roughly two days left and is set to end Saturday night, Aug. 15, but the climb has already been dramatic. The card opened near $15,000 and kept rising. With Gretzky comparisons now part of the conversation, the big question is whether the final number stalls out soon or keeps charging into territory that will be remembered for a long time.
For Edmonton, Trent Frederic is trying to put a rough stretch behind him and start fresh. The Oilers acquired him at the 2025 deadline, but a high-ankle sprain derailed everything.
He finally made his debut in April 2025, then hurt the ankle again on his first shift. From there, he never really got rolling.
The following season brought more frustration. After a longer recovery, Frederic got back into the lineup but struggled to produce, finishing with four goals and three assists in 74 games.
That’s why his eight-year deal carrying a $3.85 million AAV became such a talking point. Frederic says he didn’t feel close to 100% until after the Olympic break in February 2026, and now he’s heading into a new season with a full summer behind him and a reset under coach Mike Babcock.
He also said he wants more chances on the penalty kill. If Frederic can bring the big, fast, physical game that made him such an intriguing addition in the first place, Edmonton has a real chance to see a very different version of him this time around.
In Other News...
Oilers Fans Are About To See A Familiar Media Brand Look Different
Oilers Nation has been a familiar stop for Edmonton fans for years, but the site is headed for a new look. The longtime Oilers blog announced it will become Daily Faceoff Edmonton by January 2027, part of a wider rebrand across The Nation Network as the company works to bring its city-specific sites under one umbrella.
The change follows The Nation Network and Playmaker Capitals acquisition of Daily Faceoff, and the new branding is already showing up on social media accounts. For readers who have followed the site as part of the daily conversation around the Oilers, the shift is a notable one, even if the disclaimer remains the same: these platforms are not officially affiliated with the NHL team. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Face A Costly Question In Search For Hymans Successor
The search for a power forward who can eventually fill Zach Hymans shoes has already pushed the Oilers into the kind of market where patience and price both matter. Edmonton is being linked to one of the Maple Leafs young forwards as a possible long-term solution, a fit that makes sense on paper for a club that values size, speed and net-front work in its top six.
What makes the idea tricky is the cost, because any deal for that kind of player figures to be substantial and could force the Oilers to part with more than just future draft capital. Toronto is not in a hurry to give away a young piece with upside, so Edmonton would likely have to decide how aggressively it wants to chase a replacement before the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Babcock Could Create One Early Oilers Lineup Tension
Veteran coaches tend to bring familiar habits with them, and that is already part of the conversation around the Oilers as they sort out what their next lineup looks like. Looking back at the way Todd McLellan handled combinations in 2017 offers a useful reminder of how quickly role definition can shape a teams early identity, especially when a roster is still settling into how it wants to play.
Mike Babcocks history adds another layer of intrigue because his approach has long leaned toward clear usage patterns and defined responsibilities. For Edmonton, the question is not just which players fit where, but how quickly those choices could create tension around ice time, line deployment and the balance between established stars and the rest of the group. [Read more 🡒]