San Jose Sharks' goaltender Laurent Brossoit (93) makes a save on Ottawa Senators' Warren Foegele (37) as San Jose Sharks' Mario Ferraro (38) looks on during first period NHL hockey action in Ottawa on Sunday, March 15, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle

By The Canadian Press

Foegele making a positive first impression with surging Senators

Mar 16, 2026 | 2:00 AM

OTTAWA — Five games in, two goals and an assist have been enough to make a strong first impression.

Just over a week ago the Ottawa Senators acquired Warren Foegele from the Los Angeles Kings and despite having little time to settle in the 29-year-old is looking right at home with his new teammates.

Foegele scored in his debut with the Senators on March 7 and Sunday night he picked up a goal and an assist in a 7-4 win over the San Jose Sharks.

“You know, contributing on the scoresheet definitely adds some confidence,” Foegele said. “And you know, I’m just hoping I can build off that with my linemates, and keep trying to play the right way.”

A native of Markham, Ont., Foegele is looking forward to having more opportunities for family and friends to see him play. His parents have already made the trip to Ottawa to watch him perform, and he expects they’ll be able to get there far more often than when he was in Los Angeles.

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Foegele has been playing on Ottawa’s fourth line with Lars Eller and Fabian Zetterlund and they were solid against the Sharks.

Zetterlund, who had a goal and an assist, feels the trio has found chemistry and likes how they have contributed of late.

“He’s a great player,” Zetterlund said of Foegele. “He knows the game really well and he’s a fast guy out there and has the nose for the net too, which is great. Great player.”

Zetterlund says the adjustment has been made all the easier thanks to Foegele being a vocal communicator on the ice.

“I think with the way the Olympic schedule was there really isn’t much time to practice, so you’re kind of just thrown out there,” Foegele said. “They’ve been awesome on the bench talking to me and then on the ice, you know, the more we can communicate with each other, the easier to get reads and things like that. So, I think we’re building our game and just getting better each game.”

Getting traded isn’t new to Foegele. Drafted by Carolina in 2014, he played three seasons with the Hurricanes before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in the summer of 2021 and then signed with the Kings as a free agent in 2024.

“Any time you get traded midseason, it’s a little different for a player,” said head coach Travis Green. “I don’t think he’s ever been traded midseason, so he doesn’t get a training camp to figure out a lot of little terminologies, even our system, but he’s been in the league long enough that we have trust that he’ll figure it out.”

Having a fourth line that can contribute is a huge benefit for the Senators as they continue to try and close in on a playoff spot.

In an Eastern Conference that’s as tight as it’s ever been finding ways to win is key.

“Yeah, I mean, this time of year, it gets a little tighter, obviously, and tougher to score,” said Drake Batherson. “And they were arguably our best line (Sunday). I thought all three of them were great.”

The trio averaged just over 13 minutes, but their impact was substantial. Green knows the importance of having four lines that can contribute and if this line can come together in the final weeks of the regular season it could pay huge dividends.

“They may not be playing quite as much as they’d like to,” admitted Green. “We talk to them a lot. There’s going to be a time when they’re going to need to come up for us and we have faith in them.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 16, 2026.

Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press