Deadline passes, Senators forward Alex Formenton ineligible to play this season

Thursday evening’s signing deadline came and went, leaving Ottawa Senators forward Alex Formenton as the first restricted free agent in the NHL’s salary cap era to sit out an entire season as a result. By not inking a contract with the Sens or another NHL team ahead of the 5 o’clock deadline, he was ruled ineligible to play in the league for the remainder of the season.

Buffalo Sabres captain Michael Peca was the last RFA to sit out a full season back in 2000-01, but that was before the cap was instituted in 2005, and that occurred under entirely different circumstances.

The Senators seemingly moved with little intention to negotiate and/or sign Formenton to a new deal once he declined his qualifying offer last summer.

That left the other 31 clubs wondering why an Ottawa team with plenty of cap space and in need of more depth would bypass their homegrown, penalty kill minute-logging forward? The speculation that followed in league circles was that Formenton may be facing discipline for potential involvement in the Team Canada 2018 World Junior Championship team’s sexual assault case.

Formenton, now 23, is one of the few players from that World Junior team who did not respond to the allegations from media members either directly or through his representative.

Nonetheless, the Senators were in touch with a number of teams who inquired about a possible trade. Sources indicated the Sens were in talks with one club, believed to be the Vegas Golden Knights, in the last hours before Thursday’s 5 o’clock deadline – but a deal never materialized.

Sources said the Senators were originally seeking a second-round pick in return for Formenton, who was a second-round selection (47th overall) by the Sens in 2017. He collected 18 goals and 32 points last season, but his potential off-ice involvement made him a complete nonstarter for many front offices.

“Too much risk at this time,” one NHL GM said on Thursday.

What’s next for Formenton? Though he is ruled ineligible to play in the NHL this season, his rights could still be traded, or he could sign an offer sheet with another club, though he’d have to wait until next season to play again. Formenton has reportedly continued to train in the Toronto area. It’s believed he could sign an AHL-only contract to play in the American Hockey League this season. He is also free to sign a contract with a European-based club to play this season; the Senators would continue to hold his NHL rights. Messages left for Formenton’s agent on Thursday went unreturned.

Some NHL managers and agents whispered on Thursday about the potentiality of a case for Formenton to pursue against the Senators for failure to negotiate in good faith. Many believed that possible course of action would not be successful based on the fact that the Senators issued Formenton a qualifying offer and he declined to sign it, choosing instead to negotiate for a higher salary, as is custom. That it was even talked about speaks to the unprecedented nature of Formenton’s situation.

Of course, the narrative may change again whenever the results of the NHL’s investigation and that of the London (Ont.) Police Service are rendered. TSN reported that the NHL’s investigation is “substantially complete” and the league is waiting on the London Police Service to compare notes before meting out any potential discipline. There also remains the possibility that criminal charges may be laid.

To this point, other NHL players potentially involved in the sexual assault case have continued to play without prejudice this season while the wheels of justice churn.