As Steve Staios jumps into the NHL free agent pool for the first time, he has some intriguing forwards to target, but he'll have to overpay.
The Ottawa Senators are heading into the 2024 off-season with more question marks than answers regarding the team they will ice next season.
After another disappointing and tumultuous season, it will be the first time that Steve Staios, the GM and President of Hockey Operations, will be able to imprint his own stamp on the club.
Ottawa has become more of a free-agent destination in the past few years, with the likes of Claude Giroux and Vladimir Tarasenko signing in Ottawa in back-to-back off-seasons. The Senators might once again try to lure an impactful player to Ottawa. If so, they'll address defence, wingers, and potentially another goaltender if moves are made to ship out Anton Forsberg or Joonas Korpisalo.
The Senators currently have just over $12 million in cap space. Here are six potential free-agent forward options:
Jonathan Marchessault:
Marchessault is coming off a career year in Vegas, scoring 42 goals after winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2023 when he won the Stanley Cup in Vegas. An Original Vegas Misfit, he would provide an immediate top-six forward with tenacity, scoring punch, and experience that the forward group desperately needs.
He is a fantastic player on the ice and a beloved teammate who has always stepped his game up in the playoffs. The problem for the Staios and company is that Marchessault, at 33, will be commanding a large payday and raise after making $5 million for the past six seasons.
Projection: 5 x $7 million contract
Teuvo Teravainen:
The Finnish forward scored a career-high 25 goals this season for the Carolina Hurricanes. He would instantly drop onto Ottawa's second line on the left wing. Vladamir Tarasenko's departure left a hole that Ottawa must fill, and Teravainen might cost less than other forwards.
Projection: 6 x $6 million contract
Viktor Arvidsson:
Arvidsson is another veteran, a forward who has played 72 playoff games in his career. With Staios emphasizing the need to add veterans, Arvidsson would fill that void while also adding speed, skill, and production.
Arvidsson missed the majority of last season due to back surgery, only being able to suit up in 18 games, yet he was still productive with 15 points. Because of his injury history, could Ottawa get Arvidsson for a cheap price?
Projection: 2 x $6 million contract
Jake DeBrusk:
It feels like every season, Jake DeBrusk scores a backbreaking goal against the Senators. DeBrusk has also been a Leafs killer over the years, and imagine him joining the Senators, where he could show the ropes to a young protégé like Ridly Greig, who also doesn't mind poking the Leafs.
DeBrusk brings speed and size, and he's a consistent 20-goal scorer. He could be another Vladimir Tarasenko replacement, and at 27 years old, a free-agent contract would be for the majority of his prime rather than some of the other players on this list who are well into their 30s.
Projection: 5 x $6 million contract
Jordan Martinook
Martinook is not a flashy name, but the Senators have sorely missed great defensive forwards on their team for the past two years as the team has consistently struggled to keep the puck out of their net. Martinook, like the other forwards on this list, has a breadth of playoff experience with Carolina. As a great defensive winger, he could slide into the Senators' third or fourth line as a defensive ace. It might be a slight overpay, but would a deal in the ballpark of $3 million for three seasons bring Martinook to Ottawa?
Projection: 3 x $3 million contract
Next up: Free agent options on defence and in goal.