Senators Expected To Trade Max Guenette

After re-signing Donovan Sebrango earlier this week, the Senators are down to one remaining restricted free agent, defenseman Max Guenette.  However, it doesn’t appear as if he’ll actually be signing with Ottawa.  Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the expectation is that the Sens will move the blueliner before training camp begins.

The 24-year-old was a seventh-round pick by Ottawa back in 2019, going 187th overall and he has carved out a respectable career thus far for someone picked that late.  He has gotten into eight NHL games between 2022-23 and 2023-24 where he has been held off the scoresheet in a little over 13 minutes per night of playing time.  Between that time, he has been a key contributor in the minors, including a 40-point campaign with AHL Belleville in 2022-23.

Last season, Guenette was waiver-eligible for the first time and passed through unclaimed in late September, allowing him to return to Belleville.  He suited up in 58 games for them, picking up nine goals and 14 assists.  He received a recall to Ottawa in early January but didn’t see any action with them over the week he was with the team.

The Senators have reshaped the right side of their AHL back end for the upcoming season.  Top prospect Carter Yakemchuk is now AHL-eligible, prospect Lassi Thomson was brought back after he spent last season in Sweden, and Cameron Crotty received a two-year deal in late August.  Those three will likely comprise the right side of Belleville’s back end, leaving Guenette without a spot.

Given his status as a depth defender who will once again have to pass through waivers to return to the AHL, Guenette isn’t likely to command much of a return in a trade.  Instead, a swap for a player at a different position in a similar situation seems like the logical conclusion here.  Given that the teams would want their players to be at camp to learn their systems, it stands to reason that a resolution on this front should come over the next ten days or so.