Prior to the 2025-26 season starting, the Ottawa Senators made a trade to acquire Kurtis MacDermid from the New Jersey Devils. Trading for MacDermid upgraded the Senators' toughness.
At 31 years old, the Senators were MacDermid's fourth different NHL team. The Senators knew they were going to get a big enforcer, but may have been unsure how he would fit into the team's system.
Early into the season, the Senators weren't getting much out of MacDermid for his salary and style of play. There may have been some prospects in Belleville that may have been worth playing more over MacDermid.