The Montreal Canadiens acquired goaltender Hunter Shepard and forward Jake Chiasson from the Ottawa Senators while the Senators received forward riley kidney in the swap. How do the Canadiens’ additions compare with what Ottawa gained, and what question does that trade answer about each club’s short-term depth versus longer-term upside?
Montreal Canadiens: Hunter Shepard’s recent playing record and Jake Chiasson’s pro minutes
Hunter Shepard has played 15 AHL games with Belleville, posting a 6-7-2 record, and he also has a 2-3-1 record in six career NHL games with the Washington Capitals and Senators. Jake Chiasson, 22, has registered one assist in 20 games this season with the Belleville Senators in the AHL and has produced eight points (2G, 6A) in 16 ECHL games with the Allen Americans. Both additions give Montreal an immediate pool of professional minutes: Shepard provides recent AHL goaltending workload while Chiasson adds depth in the forwards with ECHL scoring to his name.
Ottawa Senators: Riley Kidney’s scoring track record in the ECHL and AHL
Riley Kidney was a second-round pick to Montreal, 63rd overall in 2021, and he has spent the majority of the 2025-26 season with the Trois-Rivieres Lions (ECHL), collecting 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 46 games. He has also picked up one assist in six games with the Laval Rocket in the AHL this season. Over a three-year pro career, Kidney has skated in 127 AHL games and registered 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) with Laval, establishing a consistent AHL presence that Ottawa acquired in the deal.
Canadiens vs. Senators: parallels in draft pedigree, recent production and immediate role
Both sides exchanged players with 2021 draft pedigrees: Jake Chiasson was selected in the fourth round, 116th overall, in 2021, while Riley Kidney was taken 63rd overall the same year. In terms of recent production, Montreal added a goaltender with 15 AHL games this season and a forward with one assist in 20 AHL games plus eight ECHL points in 16 games; Ottawa added a forward who has 33 points in 46 ECHL games and one assist in six AHL games this season. To evaluate immediate role, apply the same standard—recent on-ice output at the professional level: Shepard offers AHL goaltending experience and limited NHL exposure, Chiasson provides low AHL scoring but ECHL productivity, and Kidney brings larger ECHL scoring totals plus an established three-year AHL game total of 127 games and 37 points.
Analysis: Montreal’s transaction prioritizes adding a goaltender with recent AHL workload and a young forward with ECHL scoring and draftable size, while Ottawa’s return prioritizes a forward with a longer AHL game history and a higher ECHL scoring rate. This assessment treats draft position, seasonal production, and accumulated pro games as the common evaluative criteria for both sides.
The finding from this comparison is clear: Montreal exchanged a forward with sustained AHL experience and ECHL scoring for immediate goaltending depth and a younger forward with limited AHL impact. The next confirmed data point that will test this finding is player performance over the remainder of the 2025-26 season, when each player’s usage and production at AHL or ECHL levels will reveal whether Montreal’s emphasis on goalie depth or Ottawa’s emphasis on AHL-proven offense yields greater short-term benefit. If Riley Kidney maintains his ECHL scoring pace and increases his AHL contributions, the comparison suggests Ottawa secured longer-term offensive upside; if Shepard sustains AHL minutes and posts wins, the comparison suggests Montreal addressed immediate depth at goaltender.
