Ottawa Senators RFA forward Alex DeBrincat has been featured in the NHL trade rumor mill, but any possible moves have appeared to hit snags.

The future of Alex DeBrincat has been a topic of speculation since the end of the regular season. The 25-year-old winger has been a fixture in the rumor mill since informing the Ottawa Senators of his unwillingness to sign a long-term contract extension with the team.

A two-time 40-goal scorer, DeBrincat seemed a prime trade target leading up to last week's NHL draft in Nashville. There was talk the Detroit Red Wings were high on the Michigan native's list of preferred trade destinations. The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun felt the Wings were a logical landing spot for DeBrincat.

However, the draft came and went with DeBrincat still a Senator. Entering the first full week of the NHL's annual free-agent period, he seems no closer to a trade.

The Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch reported the Senators spent the previous three weeks attempting to move DeBrincat. While his agent had permission to speak with other teams, he was unable to land a suitable contract for his client, bringing an end to the trade discussions.

Senators GM Pierre Dorion said there were varying degrees of interest around the league in DeBrincat. Nevertheless, Garrioch believes it's up to the winger's camp to work with the club to help facilitate a trade. He lists the Red Wings, Stars and Ducks among the interested clubs. However, their recent free-agent signings likely take them out of the bidding.

Garrioch also listed the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals, Seattle Kraken, St. Louis Blues, New York Islanders and New York Rangers among the clubs in need of some scoring help. Whether any of them have the cap space or willingness to invest in DeBrincat remains to be seen. 

The Hockey News Ottawa's Steve Warne noted Dorion saying DeBrincat had not outright asked to be traded just before the draft. Warne also cited a source saying DeBrincat is deferring to his agent, and they don't want to forego the forward's first year of UFA eligibility next season with a multi-season contract on any team unless it's worth their while.

Meanwhile, The Hockey News Islanders' Stefen Rosner mentioned that former Senator and current New York Islander Jean-Gabriel Pageau could've been one of the pieces in a trade return for DeBrincat. But there's not enough cap space at the moment for the Islanders to take on a worthwhile DeBrincat contract, and they might not have the right assets to trade to the Senators as other teams might.