For years, Ottawa has worn the label of a place free agents supposedly don’t want to go. That idea doesn’t really hold up when you look at some of the names the Senators have landed in free agency. A few of their best pickups came because players chose Ottawa, and they left a real mark.
Start with Sergei Gonchar. He arrived in 2010, one year after a 50-point season in Pittsburgh during the Penguins’ first Cup run with Sidney Crosby.
Ottawa gave the aging defender a three-year, $16.5 million deal with a $5.5 million AAV, and he still had plenty left in the tank. Gonchar delivered several solid seasons, regularly posting 20- to 30-point campaigns.
He also brought plenty of value away from the puck, blocking 274 shots and recording 127 hits during his time with the Senators.
Claude Giroux is another major win. The Ottawa native came home in the 2023 offseason and signed a three-year, $19.5 million deal with a $6.5 million AAV that July.
The investment paid off. Giroux produced 242 points in 327 games and remained a key figure even as his game began to slow.
His hockey IQ and leadership stayed front and center, and he became one of the pillars of the new culture in Ottawa. Since that first contract, he has re-signed twice and taken the hometown discount both times.
Then there’s Vladimir Tarasenko, who joined the Senators in the 2024 offseason after a playoff run with the Rangers. He was one of the more sought-after names on the market, and he picked Ottawa on a one-year, $5 million deal with the goal of helping push the team into the playoff picture.
The Senators didn’t make it, but Tarasenko still gave them useful production. He finished with 41 points in 57 games before being traded to Florida at the deadline, and he was a strong middle-six contributor while he was there.
In Other News...
Senators Still Have One Big Top Six Question At Camp
Training camp opens Sept. 16 with the Senators already looking a little different up front after Steve Staios spent the summer reshaping the forward group. The expected mix on the top two lines now includes names like Andre Burakovsky, Claude Giroux and Fabian Zetterlund, while Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens, William Eklund and Tim Stutzle should all be in the top six conversation as Ottawa tries to settle on a look that has more balance and more finishing than a year ago.
What remains unsettled is the last major piece of that puzzle. Ottawa has explored the idea of adding another proven winger to give the group even more punch, but the market is not exactly offering easy answers and the club still has to decide whether internal options are enough. For a team that wants its top six to carry the offense, camp is less about sorting out the obvious names than figuring out who ultimately earns the final spot and how aggressive the Senators want to be before the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Goalie Situation Just Got More Complicated Than Fans Expected
The Canadiens goaltending picture is already feeling more crowded than expected, with Montreal having explored a move for Sam Montembeault without finding an acceptable offer and Edmonton now looming as a possible suitor after Frederik Andersens injury. On top of that, Kevin Woodley noted that Thatcher Demko still has not offered a return timetable in Vancouver, and the recent signing of Driedger has only added another layer of uncertainty around how quickly Demkos recovery is truly moving.
For Ottawa, the bigger long-term question sits a little farther up the lineup, where Drake Batherson and the Senators still have time to work toward an eight-year extension. Both sides reportedly want to keep the partnership going, but the talks are not settled yet, and the remaining gap is centered on the financial terms and bonus structure. With the calendar ticking toward Sept. 15, this is the kind of negotiation that can sit quietly for a while and then suddenly become one of the teams most important storylines. [Read more 🡒]
Zayne Parekh Is Suddenly Central To A Huge Flames Question
Zayne Parekh spent his first full NHL season learning the hard way what life looks like for a young defenseman trying to stick at the highest level. The ninth-overall pick from the 2024 draft entered 2025-26 at 19, and like so many players that age, he had to navigate the pace, strength and decision-making that come with the jump. Still, the overall arc of his year gave Calgary plenty to think about, because the talent that made him such a high-end draft choice began to show through as the season wore on.
Parekhs best stretch came late, when his confidence and puck-moving started to look more in line with the offensive defender the Flames hoped they were getting. He even capped the year with a memorable goal against the Los Angeles Kings, the kind of moment that can linger when a team is trying to project what comes next. With 2026-27 approaching, the bigger question is no longer whether he has skill, but how quickly he can turn that skill into a real force from the blue line. [Read more 🡒]