Ottawa Senators bet on Riley Kidney upside after depth swap with Canadiens

Update: The Sens and Habs have just made a second trade. Details in the tweet below:

Kidney is a left-shot forward whose deal carries an $836,667 cap hit through 2025-26, with RFA control after that. Jake Chiasson, a former 2021 fourth-round Edmonton Oilers pick, is also on an expiring ELC at $843,333.

Hunter Shepard came over on a one-year, $775,000 contract and can walk as a UFA this summer. There were no major clause or retention wrinkles here, which makes this a pure asset shuffle.

That matters because Ottawa did not buy an NHL fix. It bought one more look at a playmaking project who still has team control past this season.

Kidney's 2025-26 line was modest in Laval, 0-1-1 in six AHL games, but stronger in Trois-Rivières at 11-22-33 in 46 ECHL games. Chiasson managed 0-1-1 in 20 AHL games and 2-6-8 in 14 ECHL games.

Sens fans will read this as a quiet front-office swing, not a headline grabber, and that is fair.

But the fit is easy to see. Ottawa gets a pass-first forward who can help a man advantage at the AHL level, while Montreal adds crease insurance and a right-shot flier.

The standings context sharpens it. Laval sat first in the North at 36-18-2-3, while Belleville was 22-28-8-0 and chasing air.

So for the next game and the stretch drive, this is more about Belleville touches than Ottawa minutes. Kidney is the only piece here who feels like a development bet worth extending into July.

That is why this trade still reads smart in March. Ottawa turned short-term depth into a slightly better chance at finding a bottom-six NHL answer later.