Ottawa Senators Cut Ties with Alex Formenton, Making Him Unrestricted Free Agent

The Ottawa Senators have cut ties with Alex Formenton, a winger who was part of the 2018 Canadian World Junior hockey team, making him an unrestricted free agent. Formenton was one of five members of the team charged with sexual assault and later acquitted. The Senators removed the 26-year-old winger from their free agent list last month, which has allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent. Steve Staios, the club's president of hockey operations and general manager, and Formenton's Toronto-based agent, Darren Ferris of Quartexx Management, agreed last summer that the best bet for Formenton was to give him a change of scenery. Formenton has spent the past three seasons with HC Ambri-Piotta in the Swiss league, posting 13 goals and 23 points in 42 games this past season. He was drafted by the Senators in 2017 and has posted 23 goals and 39 points in 109 games in his NHL career. The Senators held his rights because he didn’t sign a qualifying offer as an RFA in July 2022. Formenton is now free to find work in the National Hockey League, and his agent will likely be exploring options for him. The move comes after the Senators tried to trade his rights early last season, but the interest was limited. Formenton's situation has been closely watched, and his departure from the Senators marks a new chapter in his career. The Senators are moving forward, and Formenton will look to find a new team where he can contribute to the lineup. The NHL offseason is underway, and the Senators are expected to make more moves in the coming weeks.