The Ottawa Senators saw their 2024-25 season end at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs in what was the very first “Battle of Ontario” postseason series since 2004.
Ironically, for the Maple Leafs, their postseason victory over Ottawa was just the second since that series against Ottawa over two decades ago. The offseason is now in full swing for the franchise that made it back to the playoffs for the first time since coming within a goal of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in 2017.
As Ottawa general manager Steve Staios assesses his options for who stays and who goes, which of these five players on expiring contracts may have played their final game in a Senators uniform?
Claude Giroux
One of the top veteran leaders on the Senators, Giroux has just wrapped up what was a three-year pact that gave him the chance to suit up for his hometown NHL team.
During the regular season, he scored 15 goals with 35 assists, showing that he was still capable of playing at a high level even at the age of 37.
Depending on what Senators management is hoping for in the long-term, Giroux could either be offered a short-term contract or have to seek opportunities elsewhere if he doesn’t fit into their plans.
While he brings offense and leadership, there’s also no denying that he’s not getting any younger.
Fabian Zetterlund
Acquired from the San Jose Sharks at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, Zetterlund fit in nicely with the Senators in a bottom-six role.
He’s slated to become a restricted free agent; his contract carried a $1.45 million cap hit.
Nick Cousins
Cousins was a first-year member of the Senators, having signed a one-year, $800K contract with the club after helping the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup last season.
He can become an unrestricted free-agent in the summer, and is likely to be playing elsewhere next season.
Travis Hamonic
One of the most experienced members of the Senators with exactly 900 games of NHL experience in his career, Hamonic has played in Ottawa since the 2021-22 NHL season when he was acquired in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks.
He had a relatively inexpensive $1.1 million cap hit while scoring a goal with six assists in 59 games; his campaign was limited due to injury.
Anton Forsberg
The career backup goaltender is a pending unrestricted free agent this offseason after posting a record of 11-12-3 with a decent 2.72 goals-against average, a .901 save percentage, and three shutouts.
His cap hit for the Senators was $2.75 million.
