The NHL trade deadline may have passed, but the rumors surrounding potential deals haven’t slowed down. The Ottawa Senators have been playing well since the Olympic break, posting a 3-1-1 record and moving within five points of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
With the team pushing to stay in the playoff race, speculation has surfaced that Ottawa may have been ready to make a major move, potentially targeting a $65 million center to strengthen its lineup for a postseason push.
Senators Linked to $65M Center
The player at the center of the speculation was Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues. He is currently in the third year of an eight-year, $65 million contract and holds a no-trade clause.
Thomas became one of the most talked-about names leading up to the March 6 trade deadline. Multiple teams were believed to have interest, including the Buffalo Sabres and the Utah Mammoth.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman added fuel to the rumors during his 32 Thoughts podcast, suggesting, “I suspect Ottawa was in on Robert Thomas.”
Friedman believed the Senators were one of the teams interested in Thomas and could have been prepared to make a significant offer to acquire him.
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Ultimately, no deal came close to materializing. Thomas later clarified that the Blues never approached him about waiving his no-move clause, despite the steady stream of rumors circulating around the league.
“No, no, I was never asked anything from the Blues. There was everything that I heard was coming from the insiders and different things online. I just want to be clear: I was never asked, and nor did I ever ask for a trade,” Thomas said.
The comments made it clear that, while his name surfaced frequently in trade talk, the situation never reached the point where he needed to make a decision about his future.
Senators Still Active at the Deadline
Even without landing a marquee player like Robert Thomas, Ottawa still made several moves before the deadline. On March 5, the Senators acquired Warren Foegele and a conditional 2026 third-round pick from the Los Angeles Kings. In return for a 2026 second-round pick and a conditional third-rounder.
Later that day, veteran forward David Perron was traded to the Detroit Red Wings for a conditional 2026 fourth-round pick. Ottawa also picked up Graeme Clarke from the Washington Capitals on March 6 in exchange for Wyatt Bongiovanni.
While the big splash never happened, the Senators still made roster adjustments. As they continue their push for a playoff spot. Ottawa will look to keep its momentum going when it faces the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.
