 On July 1, 2012, Methot was traded to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forward Nick Foligno.Ottawa had reportedly on multiple occasions attempted to acquire the defenceman during the 2011–12 season, but were unable to finalize the transaction.The loss of two of Ottawa's starting six defencemen via free-agency meant that acquiring a defenceman became a major priority, and the team again set their sights on Methot, an Ottawa native.