The offseason is in full swing, free agency has started to slow down, and Ottawa Senators fans are turning their attention to what next season’s roster might look like. But Sens fans will always have a soft spot for players who once battled for Ottawa, or at least some curiosity about how they're making out these days.

In that spirit, here's a list of 11 ex-Senators who found new NHL homes this past week and where they’re headed next. Remarkably, the list includes no less than five players the Sens chose in the first round of the NHL Draft.

Shane Bowers

Shane Bowers never actually played for the Senators, but was drafted in the first round in 2017. That fall, Brady Tkachuk joined Bowers at Boston University. But during that season, five months after he was drafted, Bowers was sent to Colorado in the Matt Duchene deal. Bowers has played in 13 NHL games and was traded by the New Jersey Devils this week to the San Jose Sharks for forward Thomas Bordeleau.

Connor Brown

Connor Brown played three seasons for the Ottawa Senators before being traded to the Washington Capitals in 2022. After suffering a major knee injury that sidelined him for much of that season, his offense dipped, and he managed just four goals and 12 points in 71 games with the Edmonton Oilers the following year. However, Brown bounced back last season with a 30-point campaign, enough to earn a four-year, $12 million contract with the New Jersey Devils.

Logan Brown

Ottawa’s 2016 first-round draft pick, Logan Brown has struggled to find a consistent role in the NHL. Plagued by injuries since he was drafted, Brown has played only 35 games in the league. Despite this, after he parted ways with the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, the LA Kings took a chance on the talented but injury-prone center, signing him to a one-year, two-way contract.

Jacob Bernard-Docker

Jacob Bernard-Docker, 25, never fully found his footing in Ottawa and was traded along with Josh Norris to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Dylan Cozens and Dennis Gilbert. After playing 15 games for Buffalo, he was not offered a qualifying contract and became a free agent. He signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings worth $875,000.

Cody Ceci

Cody Ceci, another former Sens first-rounder, played six seasons with Ottawa from 2013 to 2019, and seems to get no shortage of flak from fans wherever he goes. But since leaving the Sens, he's been to the playoffs every year, so there's that. Ceci is now with his seventh NHL team after the LA Kings signed him to a four-year contract worth $18 million. He's been remarkably resilient, missing only 10 games in four years. Ceci even put in some overtime last season, appearing in 85 NHL games.

Evgenii Dadonov

Evgenii Dadonov played for the Senators in the 2020–21 season before being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. That trade later led to controversy, as the details of Dadonov’s contract were not properly communicated, ultimately costing the Senators their 2026 first-round pick. Or at leats it's scheduled to. Dadonov went on to play two and a half seasons with the Dallas Stars, reaching the playoffs each year. He was a solid contributor with 20 goals and 20 assists this past season. He’s now signed a one-year contract with the New Jersey Devils worth $1 million plus performance bonuses.

Parker Kelly

Parker Kelly signed with the Colorado Avalanche last summer and posted nearly identical numbers to his previous season in Ottawa. For the Senators, he had 8 goals and 10 assists and didn't even get a qualifying offer; in Colorado, he notched 8 goals and 11 assists and got a four-year contract worth $1.4 million (AAV). Go figure...

Curtis Lazar

The fifth Ottawa first-rounder on this list, Curtis Lazar played two and a half seasons with the Senators before being traded in 2017. Though he never lived up to his draft billing, Lazar has carved out a steady NHL career. After two seasons with the New Jersey Devils, he's now joined the Edmonton Oilers on a one-year contract worth $750,000.

Matt Murray

Goalie Matt Murray signed a four-year contract with Ottawa in 2020, a deal that ended up being one of the worst in franchise history. After playing just two games last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Murray was signed by the Seattle Kraken to a one-year, $1 million contract. He’ll look to revive his career in the Pacific Northwest.

Mike Reilly

Now 31, Mike Reilly played 70 games over two seasons with the Senators between 2019 and 2021. He recently signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. Reilly appeared in just 18 games last season with the New York Islanders. We're just glad to see him able to carry on his career after undergoing a heart procedure in November of last year.

Vladimir Tarasenko

Tarasenko, who had 33 points in 80 games last season with the Detroit Red Wings, has joined his third NHL team since leaving the Senators at the 2024 trasde deadline. With one year remaining on his contract, Detroit traded him to the Minnesota Wild for future considerations. Tarasenko acknowledged the need for change, and now looks to revitalize his game in Minnesota.

And there you have it — 10 former Senators who’ve found new homes this summer. Looking up and down the list, there honestly aren’t many names that would make Sens fans feel much regret.

Maybe that's another sign the team has indeed turned a corner and is heading into better days.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News/Ottawa
Image Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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