With a glance at the roster and their current cap space, it might appear the Ottawa Senators won't be reeling any big fish into the boat today on the start of the annual free agent frenzy.

But never say never.

GM Steve Staios's motto is simple. If he sees an opportunity to improve the team, and it makes sense from all perspectives, he'll do it. While some of the bigger names available today may seem overpriced or inaccessible, nothing is stopping them from making corresponding moves to make something happen.

It just has to make sense.

More likely, while everyone is drooling over UFAs like Brock Boeser or Nikolaj Ehlers, perhaps a role player like Connor Brown, who can be effective up and down your lineup, might make more sense.

Buckle up. It's going to be a fun ride. Unless it isn't. I mean, who the hell knows?

Qualifying Offers

Qualifying offers had to be submitted yesterday, and the storyline is always the players who don't get them and suddenly become UFAs.

Two players who were traded by the Senators at the deadline last season are now UFAs. Both Jacob Bernard-Docker (BUF) and Noah Gregor (SJ) failed to get qualifying offers. The Sens do need help on their fourth line. Would they circle back on Gregor?

What about JBD? They've spent the past week saying you can never have enough right defense, right?

Arthur Kaliyev is also a UFA after not getting an offer from the Rangers. He's one of what we like to call the Bulldog Brigade—players who played in junior for Steve Staios and Michael Andlauer. The Sens already have Jan Jenik. Maybe if the NHL opportunities run dry, there's a Belleville fit for Kaliyev, his old Hamilton teammate, to provide some organizational depth.

Pittsburgh's Philip Tomasino is another non-qualified player of interest. He's a former first-rounder, played for Team Canada at the World Juniors, still just 23, and had 23 points in 50 games for the Penguins.

The Senators re-signed pending UFA Nick Cousins and RFA Leevi Merilainen on Monday.

Senators currently scheduled to head to UFA on Tuesday:

• Wyatt Bongiovanni (Group 6)
• Angus Crookshank (Group 6)
• Philippe Daoust (did not receive qualifying offer)
• Jeremy Davies
• Anton Forsberg
• Adam Gaudette
• Dennis Gilbert
• Travis Hamonic
• Matthew Highmore
• Hayden Hodgson
• Jamieson Rees (did not receive qualifying offer)
• Cole Reinhart (Group 6)
• Filip Roos (Group 6)
• Tristen Robins (RFA did not receive qualifying offer)

Senators' current RFAs:

• Xavier Bourgault (received qualifying offer)
• Maxence Guenette (received qualifying offer)
• Jan Jenik (received qualifying offer)
• Donovan Sebrango (received qualifying offer)

Available Spending Money

According to Puckpedia, the Sens enter the day with $7,369,286 in cap space.

That doesn't include the cap hit of either Leevi Merilainen or Mads Sogaard, should one of them win the backup role this fall. Both are on one-way NHL contracts for the coming season, but there's certainly some merit to the idea of signing a goalie with more NHL experience. As good as he was last year, Merilainen is only 22.

Happy Canada Day, everyone! Let's see what Staios has up his sleeve this year.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News/Ottawa

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