Hours after acquiring left winger Warren Foegele for a combination of draft picks, the Senators alleviated their logjam of depth forwards.
With news that Stephen Halliday was an extra forward and that Kurtis MacDermid was drawing into the lineup against the Calgary Flames, there was speculation that his future could be clouded ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline.
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Instead, it is veteran forward David Perron who is headed out the door.
The organization announced that they had moved the impending unrestricted free agent to the division rival Detroit Red Wings for a conditional fourth-round pick. The conditions of the pick are outlined as follows: provided Perron plays in a regular season game for the Wings before the end of the year, Ottawa will receive a 2026 fourth-round pick. If the Red Wings advance to the second round of the postseason and Perron plays in more than 50 percent of the games, that fourth-round pick will become a 2026 third.
Perron has not played since the Senators’ January 20th game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The winger has missed the past 12 games after undergoing sports hernia surgery.
When healthy, the 37-year-old proved he still was an effective player. In 49 games with the Senators this season, he scored 10 goals and had 25 points while providing the strong underlying metrics that have traditionally followed the veteran across his 19-year career.
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Unfortunately, injuries and a 2024 family issue limited Perron to 92 games across two seasons for the Senators, contributing 19 goals and 41 points.
Interestingly, general managers Steve Staios and Steve Yzerman were engaged in a lengthy conversation in the press box at the Canadian Tire Centre during an intermission of their teams’ matchup on Thursday, February 26th. And now, we know what they were likely discussing.
This trade affords Perron the opportunity to return to Detroit, where he spent two seasons before joining the Senators as a free agent during the 2024 offseason.
The trade leaves the Senators with $12,779,484 in accrued cap space, per PuckPedia. It leaves the organization with considerable room if it intends to make another deal (or two) to improve its roster at tomorrow’s trade deadline.
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And, following tonight’s 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames that left the Senators four points back of the Boston Bruins and the Eastern Conference’s second wild card seed, there is the potential for things to get very interesting.
The addition of Warren Foegele earlier in the day certainly made Perron expendable. His acquisition allows the organization to return Nick Cousins to a fourth line role, which better suits him.
It does, however, raise questions about Stephen Halliday’s future. The young 23-year-old has played and produced well in his limited minutes this season, but Foegele’s presence could push him to the outside, provided the organization does not move another veteran like Lars Eller or Fabian Zetterlund.
Given his age and production, there should be considerable interest in Halliday as a prospective trade chip.
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Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News
Are The Senators About To Trade Stephen Halliday?
Are The Senators About To Trade Stephen Halliday? Kurtis MacDermid being in Stephen Halliday’s spot at practice on the eve of the NHL trade deadline signals potential roster moves.
Read the full article here
