Agent denies DeBrincat's contract demands are holding up trade

Alex DeBrincat's agent, Jeff Jackson, says there's no truth to a report that his client's contract demands are holding up a trade from the Ottawa Senators.

Jackson told The Athletic's Ian Mendes the claim is "entirely false and without merit."

DeBrincat is a restricted free agent and is widely expected to be traded this offseason after telling the Senators he isn't interested in signing a long-term extension to remain in Ottawa. General manager Pierre Dorion said recently a sign-and-trade to get max value for the two-time 40-goal scorer would be ideal, but a move doesn't appear to be close.

"As far as I have been advised, there has been no agreement of any kind on an actual trade involving Alex, and I would require that before entering into an actual negotiation," Jackson said. "We are waiting patiently for that to happen."

He added: "Agents and players don't make trades. … That's the GM's job."

TSN's Darren Dreger said he believes the forward's camp is looking for a deal similar to Timo Meier's extension with the New Jersey Devils, but interested teams think DeBrincat's value is closer to that of Jesper Bratt. Meier inked an eight-year pact with an average annual value of $8.8 million, while Bratt signed an eight-year contract with a cap hit of $7.875 million.

The Senators filed for arbitration with DeBrincat in June. If a trade doesn't materialize, the two sides could agree on a short-term contract. Ottawa has approximately $9.17 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.

DeBrincat is eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024 if he signs for one year.

Ottawa acquired DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks at the 2022 draft for the seventh and 39th overall picks, as well as a 2024 third-round selection. The 25-year-old recorded 27 goals and 39 assists across 82 games this past season.