Quick Read
- The Ottawa Senators acquired forward Riley Kidney from the Montreal Canadiens in a multi-player trade.
- Ottawa sent goaltender Hunter Shepard and forward Jake Chiasson to Montreal as part of the exchange.
- The move comes as teams across the AHL aggressively finalize rosters before the league-wide trade deadline.
The Ottawa Senators have completed a strategic roster shift ahead of the American Hockey League (AHL) trade deadline, acquiring forward Riley Kidney from the Montreal Canadiens. In exchange for the 22-year-old forward, the Senators sent goaltender Hunter Shepard and forward Jake Chiasson to the Montreal organization.
Impact of the Riley Kidney Acquisition on Ottawa
The trade, finalized on Friday, marks a significant change for Kidney, who has spent the majority of the 2025-26 season with the Trois-Rivières Lions of the ECHL. During his time in the ECHL this campaign, the Halifax, Nova Scotia native recorded 33 points, including 11 goals and 22 assists, across 46 games. His professional development has included stints with the Laval Rocket, where he has appeared in 127 AHL games over the past three years, accumulating 37 points. Ottawa management appears to be banking on the potential of the former 63rd overall draft pick, hoping a change in the organization will help him regain the momentum he displayed during his prolific QMJHL career, where he tallied 281 points in 218 games.
Details of the Multi-Player Deal
As part of the package moving to Montreal, the Canadiens acquired veteran goaltender Hunter Shepard and forward Jake Chiasson. Shepard, 30, brings experience to the Laval Rocket, having posted a 6-7-2 record in 15 AHL games with Belleville this season, alongside NHL experience with both the Washington Capitals and the Senators. Chiasson, 22, was a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and has struggled to find consistent offensive production, registering one assist in 20 appearances for Belleville this year. The trade also included the Senators acquiring defenseman Ryan O’Rourke in a separate transaction, further reshaping their defensive depth as they push toward the end of the season.
Strategic Shifts Before the AHL Deadline
The movement of personnel reflects a broader effort by the Senators to retool their minor-league roster before the league-wide trade deadline. By moving Shepard and Chiasson, Ottawa has cleared space for new assets while attempting to provide a fresh start for players like Kidney. According to reports from NHL.com and Belleville Sens, the organization is looking to integrate these new pieces immediately as they finalize their roster for the remaining home games of the 2025-26 season. The transaction underscores the ongoing volatility of AHL rosters during the final stretch of the regular season, where teams prioritize depth and potential long-term development over immediate veteran stability.
The acquisition of Kidney serves as a high-upside gamble for the Senators; by prioritizing a younger, draft-pedigree forward over the established but limited production of the outgoing package, Ottawa is signaling a shift toward developing internal talent to address persistent offensive struggles in their prospect pipeline.