3 Players Senators Could Trade Next

The Ottawa Senators have made the moves to get them back in the playoff picture, but it won't be easy. They look strong, but some of their players struggled last season. If that happens again and they are weighing the team down, certain members could easily be traded. The Senators have been patient enough and have lots of talented prospects waiting for their opportunity if space opens up. Let's take a look at who could be headed out next.

Mathieu Joseph

Mathieu Joseph really popped off when he came over to the Senators at the 2021-22 trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Lightning and was put into a bigger role. Playing nearly 17 minutes a game for the remainder of that season, he put up 12 points in 11 games. When he was dropped to the third, where he should be playing, Joseph scored three goals and 18 points in 56 games last season. He's not cheap for a bottom-six player and if he doesn't bounce back or show improvement, the Senators could move on from him fairly quickly.

Anton Forsberg

The Senators are stocked in the goaltending department. They signed Joonas Korpisalo to be their starter, but Anton Forsberg has two years left as their backup. He has shown at times that he can hold down the net, but if he doesn't put up better numbers, the Senators could opt to save some money and call up Mads Soogard, Kevin Mandolese, or Leevi Merilainen. All saw action in the NHL last season, but for now, they are all exempt from waivers and are protected. While the Senators get better, they won't have a ton of cap space to work with and will need the best out of players earning millions per year.

Erik Brannstrom

Erik Brannstrom will be 24 years old very soon and hasn't shown that he will become the player many expected him to be. With defensemen like Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, Jakub Chychrun, and Artem Zub on the team, Brannstrom will see no top-four minutes. He hasn't necessarily excelled in any area, and now that he's been given a one-year, $2 million contract, the Senators expect him to take a bigger step forward. If he doesn't, he is a RFA after this season and the team could trade his signing rights instead of signing him to another deal.