The Ottawa Senators are open for business, but GM Steve Staios isn’t looking to mortgage the future. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, while the Senators are actively scouring the market for a forward and a defenseman to stabilize the roster, the “big game hunter” narrative is officially dead.
Here is the key takeaway for Sens fans: Staios wants to improve the team now, but he is categorically refusing to include top defensive prospect Carter Yakemchuk in any conversations. If you were hoping for a blockbuster that sends the 7th overall pick packing for immediate help, don’t hold your breath. Staios is playing the long game.
Why Keeping Carter Yakemchuk is the Only Option
As someone who has watched the Ottawa Senators cycle through rebuilds and “unparalleled success” promises, the discipline Steve Staios is showing here is refreshing. In previous years, there might have been a temptation to package a blue-chip prospect like Yakemchuk to save a season or make a desperate push for a wildcard spot.
Staios is right to shut down those trade rumors immediately. Yakemchuk isn’t just a prospect; he is a unicorn—a big, right-shot defenseman with offensive upside. You don’t trade those. You build around them. The Senators have spent too much draft capital in the past on “quick fixes.” Staios drawing a line in the sand regarding his top prospect signals a shift in culture: development matters more than optics.
While the team needs depth on the blue line and up front, finding it via “hockey trades”—moving money for money or mid-tier assets—is the prudent move. The Senators need steadying presences, not superstars that cost the farm.
On the other side of asset management, the Alex Formenton saga appears to be ending with a whimper. With reports indicating “virtually no chance” of a trade partner being found before today’s deadline, the Senators are poised to lose the asset for nothing. While frustrating from a sheer value perspective, closing this chapter allows the management group to focus entirely on the players currently in the room and the prospects, like Yakemchuk, who represent the actual future of this franchise.
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The post Why The Ottawa Senators Are Refusing to Trade Their Top Prospect appeared first on NHL Trade Rumors.
