The Ottawa Senators are still shopping for another scoring punch, even after making solid additions this offseason.
According to insider David Pagnotta, Ottawa remains in the mix for a top-six forward, and the search was already underway before the William Eklund addition.
“Even when they pulled off the William Eklund addition...they had already been looking for another top six winger, another goalscorer… they're clearly still looking.”
That July 22 comment on the Tom Gazzola show fits the bigger picture in the Atlantic Division, where teams are trying to load up and keep pace with clubs like the Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Buffalo Sabres. For the Senators, the mission is clear: keep building a forward group with more bite.
The challenge is finding the right fit. The trade market does not appear to be overflowing with top-six forwards, which could force Ottawa to get creative if it wants to make another move.
At this point, free agency may be the most realistic path. Ottawa has already made a major splash via trade, and as July winds down, the options on the open market are thinning out.
Patrik Laine remains one of the names that continues to surface. The 28-year-old is a UFA and still does not have a new team.
Whether he ends up in Ottawa could come down to timing and money. Laine is coming off a difficult, injury-filled season in 2025-26, but the idea of betting on a player trying to prove people wrong is part of the appeal. If he can bounce back and provide real production, he would give the Senators exactly the kind of firepower they are chasing.
For now, the rumor mill is expected to slow as August approaches, but the conversation may heat back up again once September gets closer and training camps start opening. With the season set to begin in late September, late-summer movement still feels very much in play.
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Senators Face A Familiar Trade Dilemma As Staios Protects The Core
The Senators keep circling the same kind of trade conversation they have been in for a while now, and the outline is familiar: add more scoring on the wing, find a right-handed defenseman who can play in the top four, and do it without touching the center group. That means Ottawa is still shopping from the edges of its roster picture rather than the middle of it, with Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig all staying out of the discussion as the front office tries to improve the lineup without upsetting the core.
That approach also helps explain why the club has kept a close eye on defense options it has considered before, including Rasmus Ristolainen, while still weighing a broader market that can shift quickly once teams decide who is actually available. The Flyers have their own feelers out, with interest in Vince Dunn and Matty Beniers if Seattle were ever to make those names available, which is part of the same league-wide squeeze Ottawa is navigating as it looks for the right fit without paying the wrong price. [Read more 🡒]
Blackhawks Fans May Finally Get The Farewell They Wanted
Erik Karlsson is heading into the final year of his contract with the Penguins, and the sense around the league is that Pittsburgh is not planning to push for an extension once this season ends. If the Penguins fall out of the race, a trade would become a real possibility, and Ottawa has already been mentioned as one of the teams that could be in the mix as it looks to strengthen the right side of its blue line.
There is also a second layer to the defense market that could matter if the Senators decide to stay active. Vladislav Gavrikov has been the subject of whispers about his frustration with the Rangers' direction, and while nothing official has surfaced, any sign he wants out would add another name to a list that Ottawa will be watching closely. For a team trying to keep building back into a contender, these are the kinds of situations that can change quickly. [Read more 🡒]