Senators News & Rumours: Kaliyev Gone, Ersson Update & Giroux or Cousins?

In this roundup of the latest Ottawa Senators news and rumours, we have a few things to look at as the sun winds down on the eve of free agency. First, the Senators announced Arthur Kaliyev did not receive a qualifying offer, but neither did Samuel Ersson, who could be in a different situation.

There is also talk about the Senators looking at both Claude Giroux and Nick Cousins, and they may only be able to bring one back.

Kaliyev Not Qualified, Will Become UFA

After an impressive season in the American Hockey League where Kaliyev recorded 40 goals and 68 points, the Senators opted not to retain his rights.

Even with such a dominant season, Kaliyev was only given two games of NHL time, and wasn’t utilized when the Senators needed goals the most.

Part of the issue was that early in the season, the Senators were unable to recall him due to an NHL investigation. On top of that, he doesn’t have the defensive play to fit into a Travis Green system very well.

Was it shocking? Not at all. It was clear that Kaliyev was going to move on, however, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed it, as did Bruce Garrioch.

Ersson Not Qualified Either, But Negotiations Continue

The Senators came into the offseason looking for a goaltender. There had been a few names linked to the team, but after deliberating with Justin Peters and Maciej Szwoch, general manager Steve Staios leaned on them and their decision to acquire Ersson from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As a restricted free agent who was unlikely to be qualified by the Maple Leafs, the Senators took a chance to acquire his rights and negotiate early.

Ersson’s qualifying offer would have been a $1.6 million salary, and that was too steep for the Senators. They still have some of the conversations to have, but they are already underway and should give the Senators an advantage in retaining him for at least the 2026-27 season, where he will battle with Leevi Merilainen for the backup job.

The Senators are likely looking at a deal closer to the $1 million mark, and while the $600,000 doesn’t seem big, every dollar counts when teams are looking at bringing in free agents and building a competitive team.

Senators Last-Minute Push for Giroux, Cousins

Teams are going through their lists of unrestricted free agents, and for those they want to come back, are making an 11th-hour pitch. For the Senators, it seems like everybody wants to see him back in Ottawa, but as Garrioch reported, “[The Senators] have made getting forward Claude Giroux signed a priority before noon tomorrow. If he becomes a UFA, he will have interest.”

Giroux might go down as one of the greatest UFA signings in the Senators’ modern history, and a goodbye at this point would be tough.

Giroux came in during a rough patch for the Senators, who were in the middle of a lengthy playoff drought. He came into town, took a big leadership role, and brought production, defensive responsibility, and was a key faceoff-taker.

The 38-year-old has started showing signs of slowing down, but he is certainly still a positive asset.

A third-line role would be great for Giroux, though the Senators have quite a few players under contract who also fit that role.

Shane Pinto is certainly the third-line centre, and with Warren Foegele, Michael Amadio, Fabian Zetterlund, Andrei Burakovsky, and Ridly Greig all projected as bottom-sixers next season, where does Giroux fit?

In a perfect world, the Senators would have none of those players in the top-six. There is some upside with some of them, but Staios is still pushing for top-six upgrades.

Through all of that, there was no mention of Cousins.

There were conversations earlier in the month, but up to this point, nothing has been determined between Cousins and the Senators.

If the Senators are going to bring either Giroux or Cousins back, there wouldn’t be too many people upset about that. They are both good assets to the team. They don’t have room to bring in both, and it appears that Giroux is the primary goal, and Cousins could be a fallback option.