With the Nashville Predators on the verge of being sold for a staggering $775 million, another NHL franchise could soon be preparing for a sale of its own. According to reports from Sportico, the Ottawa Senators are expected to be the next NHL franchise put up for sale and have taken steps toward getting the process started. Sportico indicates that the Senators have interviewed sell-side bankers in order to kickstart the potential sale process.

Sportico indicates that the Senators are “widely expected” to be the next NHL franchise sold, though the Senators refused to comment on the matter.

The Senators are currently owned by the Melnyk family. Eugene Melnyk, who passed away in March of 2022, left the franchise to his daughters Anna and Olivia. The Senators won the rights to build a new stadium in LeBreton Flats, Ottawa and will have until September of 2023 to get the ball rolling on that process.

Sportico's report included a shockingly low valuation of the Senators, suggesting the current franchise value is around $655 million. Any sale of the team would almost certainly trump that figure, given the recent history of the league. With the Predators selling for $775 million and the Seattle Kraken expanding into the league at a cost of $650 million, it stands to reason that the Senators would be worth more than the estimated $655 million, especially if their new stadium plans come to fruition.

It remains unclear when a potential sale of the franchise would go down, nor who would be purchasing the Ottawa Senators, but there should be significant interest in the NHL franchise if the decision to sell the team comes through.