As the Ottawa Senators host the San Jose Sharks on Sunday afternoon, the conversation turns again to fabian zetterlund — the centerpiece who moved from San Jose to Ottawa at last year’s trade deadline. On the ice at the arena, a quiet bench shuffle and a fourth-line change can look small; behind it, a multi-piece deal with draft capital is still unfolding in ways that matter to both clubs.
Scene and stakes: a trade that spread risk and time
The trade sent Zetterlund, minor-league forward Tristen Robins and a 2025 fourth-round pick from the Sharks to the Senators in exchange for Zack Ostapchuk, Noah Gregor and a 2025 second-round pick. At the moment the swap was completed, it aimed to reshape forward groups and leave both teams with different assets: a skilled, higher-paid forward for Ottawa and a big, physical youth project for San Jose, plus future draft choices whose value will only be clear with time.
How Fabian Zetterlund has been used
Fabian Zetterlund arrived with offensive history: 24 goals in the prior season for San Jose and 17 at the time of the trade. His production cooled after the move; he finished that regular season with five points in 20 games and then went scoreless in six playoff games. In his first full season with Ottawa he produced 12 goals and 12 assists in 65 games. Deployment has often been limited — roughly 9–11 minutes a night on the fourth line — leaving him as a depth option who can move up when needed. Zetterlund is signed to a three-year contract at a $4. 275 million cap hit and has two years remaining on that deal.
Comparative outcomes: Ostapchuk, Gregor, Robins, and the picks
On the other side, Zack Ostapchuk brought a contrasting profile: a 6-foot-4, 212-pound forward noted for skating, physicality and the ability to fight. Offence has not yet been a major feature of his game, with five points in 41 games and a cap hit of $825, 000. Interestingly, his recent deployment mirrors Zetterlund’s ice time, both seeing fourth-line minutes in their respective clubs.
Noah Gregor and Tristen Robins did not remain long-term pieces in the new environments they moved to. Both failed to receive qualifying offers the following summer; Gregor is now with the Florida Panthers, while Robins plays in Czechia.
Draft picks from the swap have already begun to take shape. The Sharks used the 2025 second-round pick to select Cole McKinney, who represented the United States at the World Junior Hockey Championships and has been producing at the University of Michigan with 19 points in 36 games. The Senators’ 2025 fourth-round pick — often viewed as modest value at the time — was used to select goaltender Lucas Beckman. Beckman is currently posting strong numbers with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens of the QMJHL, playing 12 games after a midseason move from Baie-Comeau, recording three shutouts and a 1. 53 goals-against average.
What this means now and ahead
Because picks and young players develop on different timetables, the trade resists a quick verdict. Zetterlund’s contract and skill profile mean he can still move up the lineup when circumstances demand, leaving room for Ottawa to extract more value over the remaining two years of his deal. The size-and-speed profile of Ostapchuk makes him a longer-term project whose physical play fills a different team need. The draft selections are concrete early returns: a college forward gaining experience and a junior goaltender with standout recent numbers.
On the ice Sunday afternoon, simple substitutions and a scoreboard will offer a snapshot. Off it, the trade remains a layered exchange — balancing present minutes, salary structure and future potential through picks and prospects. For now, the balance sheet is incomplete: each side has both winners and questions, and the final accounting will take seasons to settle.
Image caption (alt text): Fabian Zetterlund on the bench during a game
