What happened: The Ottawa Senators turned the No. 9 pick into William Eklund and prospects, then added Andre Burakovsky and Samuel Ersson. Montreal extended Ivan Demidov for eight years and largely limited its outside additions to depth moves.
Why it matters: Eklund and Burakovsky must help replace Brady Tkachuk's offense, while Ersson is positioned to ease Linus Ullmark's workload. Montreal can build around Demidov, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson without a comparable overhaul.
By the numbers: Montreal recorded 106 points, seven more than Ottawa, before advancing to the Eastern Conference Final. Demidov's extension carries a $9.125 million annual value, while the Tkachuk return included the Nos.
What to watch: The next test comes in 2026-27, when Ottawa's new forwards must close the gap on Montreal. Ersson's performance behind Ullmark will also shape the Senators' ceiling.