Alex DeBrincat is an RFA on July 1st. The Sens would like an answer from him as soon as possible, but he apparently wants to wait for the sale of the franchise to be finished. So now what?

The drawn-out Senators' ownership saga has not only become a tedious affair, there's a chance it may end up forcing their hand in negotiations with Alex DeBrincat. 

In a report today from Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, multiple sources are saying that "DeBrincat recently indicated he wished to wait until the completion of the Senators’ ownership saga before thinking of committing to a long-term extension."

That's a perfectly reasonable stance in every way, but the Sens have been on the record as saying they'd like to know what DeBrincat's long-term plans are by draft day on June 28th. That's the draft in Nashville where, at the moment, the Sens don't have a single pick in the first, second or third rounds.

With the sale still in limbo for the foreseeable future, the Sens now have to start preparing for every scenario, including a trade. Because if DeBrincat isn't staying beyond this year, the Sens would like to get something decent for him – maybe even get some of their 2023 draft picks back. 

“There’s a situation where we sign him to a long-term deal,” GM Pierre Dorion told TSN 1200 last week. “There’s a situation where we qualify him at $9 million next year on a one-year deal. There’s a situation where we see if we’re not making any progress, we’re going to do our due diligence.

The Sens ownership deliberations seem to be the thing that's not making any process, but it amounts to the same delay, and now Ottawa's due diligence has apparently begun. 

That's not to say a trade is close or that they're even working on one. But it's now officially one of the cards on the table that Dorion could choose to play. Dorion needs to be ready with something up in sleeve in case DeBrincat can't or won't give him an answer by draft day.

DeBrincat has two 40 goal seasons and finished third in NHL goal scoring two years ago during the COVID-shortened year (32 goals in 52 games). Overall, he has 187 goals and 373 points in 450 career NHL games. As an RFA, DeBrincat is still under Sens control for one more year but he's eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2024.