Senators' Alex Formenton: Can't play in NHL in 2022-23

Formenton didn't sign with Ottawa before the 5 p.m. EST deadline Thursday, which makes him ineligible to play in the NHL for the rest of the 2022-23 campaign, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Formenton is a restricted free agent, which is why there was a deadline for him to agree to a contract. Ottawa can still re-sign Formenton or trade his negotiating rights to another team, but because the deadline has passed, he still wouldn't be able to play in the NHL until next season. The 23-year-old forward had 18 goals, 32 points, 59 PIM and 101 hits in 79 games in 2021-22.