Anyone following hockey news and social media rumors will notice that Ottawa Senators forward Alex DeBrincat is trending. Recently, the two-time 40-goal scorer declined to sign an eight-year extension with the team, prompting general manager Pierre Dorian to pick up the phone.

After turning down a significant raise and extension, further details have yet to emerge about why DeBrincat doesn’t want to stay in Ottawa past this summer. As a restricted free agent with arbitration rights, he’s not in control of this situation; the Senators are. However, if he wishes to continue his NHL career, there may need to be some concessions on his salary expectations to find a new home. 

Alex DeBrincat stats (2022-’23): 66 points (27 goals, 39 assists), -31 plus/minus

Examining Alex DeBrincat’s trade value

As mentioned, DeBrincat is just 25 years old and has already scored 40 goals in two seasons. Statistically, David Pastrnak just finished his ninth season in the league, and he’s only surpassed the 40 mark on three occasions. Ultimately, while playing five seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, he was fortunate to play alongside Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, two of this generation’s elite players.