NHL insider Rick Dhaliwal revealed that the Vancouver Canucks have checked in on controversial forward Alex Formenton of the Ottawa Senators. The Ottawa Senators will look to improve from last year and prove they are a legitimate playoff contender. <a href='https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/national-sports/ottawa-gm-staios-says-formenton-wont-return-to-senators-after-acquittal-11226356' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>One person who will not be getting on board</a>, though, is controversial forward Alex Formenton. Senators general manager Steve Staios said that he and Formenton's agent made it seem like the best situation for both players was to start fresh, and the team has been trying to have trade discussions. Formenton, 26, is a restricted free agent with Ottawa, so the club holds his rights even though he hasn't been in the NHL since 2021-22, as he was sidelined during the court case involving Hockey Canada. <h3>With the right environment, Alex Formenton could blossom into a top-six forward</h3> During his time with the Senators, Formenton would sometimes exhibit first-line speed and goal-scoring ability, adding 23 goals and 39 points in 109 games across his NHL career. He spent the rest of his final few seasons overseas in Switzerland, but there is hope that he may be able to return to the NHL if an opportunity comes along. NHL insider Rick Dhaliwal said he would not be surprised if the Vancouver Canucks inquired about the status of Formenton. The <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/vancouver-canucks/insider-believes-the-canucks-are-one-of-three-teams-exploring-a-major-trade-early-in-the-season' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Canucks have been exploring the marketplace for depth players</a> as they continue to experiment with their roster. Wouldn't be surprised if Canucks have checked in on Alex Formenton. - Rick Dhaliwal <div align='center' class='pl20 pr20'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/taj1944/status/1979205369160208528'><div style='border:1px solid #CCCCCC;border-radius:10px;padding:20px;width:300px;'>Loading from Twitter ...</div></a></blockquote></div> And as for the Senators, they're ahead of the game. Despite captain Brady Tkachuk being injured for the next six to eight weeks, the team does have a young, hungry core with additions Jordan Spence and Lars Eller bringing some weight to the table. The chance to move Formenton and, as a trade-off, maybe pick up a player who can bridge the gap while Tkachuk is sidelined, could speed the process along and result in a trade. Ottawa is motivated entering the early part of the season to show that they can do more than just get into the playoffs; they wish to demonstrate to the globe they're going to be around near the top for a while.