DeBrincat shuts the door on signing an extension in Ottawa this season, wants to play out the final year of his deal

The Ottawa Senators made arguably the biggest splash on draft day, landing two-time 40-goal man Alex DeBrincat for a trio of draft picks. DeBrincat is entering the final year of his deal, which carries a $6.4M cap hit and there's no question that the Sens would like to retain him long-term.

According to Ian Mendes, DeBrincat is not in any rush to extend in Ottawa and will play out the final year of his deal before weighing his options in the summer. DeBrincat will be a restricted free agent when his current deal expires in July and will have a $9M qualifying offer coming his way if he and the Sens don't agree to a deal before then. If he does not wish to remain in Ottawa long-term, DeBrincat would be able to take his 1-year qualifying offer and then head to free agency in the summer of 2024.

I'm sure that's not something that Sens fans are too excited to hear, but if they can put together a strong season with their revamped lineup and show DeBrincat that they are well on their way to becoming a contender, perhaps that might sway him into extending. If not, the Sens would have effectively dealt a trio of picks for a top end player who will be gone before they'll have a chance to make some noise in the postseason.