Ottawa Senators forward Tyler Motte won't play in Sunday afternoon's clash against the St. Louis Blues for trade-related reasons, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Motte, 27, carries a cap hit of $1.35 million and can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He's put up three goals, six assists, 88 hits, and 43 blocks in 38 games this season while seeing 13:32 minutes of ice time per contest.

The Michigan native was also on the move during last year's trade deadline when the Vancouver Canucks shipped him to the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round pick. Motte scored twice in 15 playoff games during the Rangers' run to the Eastern Conference Final.

Motte is the latest player to sit out because of the impending March 3 deadline, joining Arizona Coyotes star Jakob Chychrun and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov.

The Senators sit seventh in the Atlantic Division with a 26-24-4 record and are seven points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

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