The Ottawa Senators have found one of their cap-floor targets, acquiring Erik Gudbranson from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2021 fifth-round pick. The veteran defenseman comes with a $4MM cap hit, though is only actually owed $3MM in salary this season, the last on his current contract. Senators GM Pierre Dorion has released a statement on his newest defenseman:
Erik Gudbranson provides another sizable presence to our defence corps. He’s a reliable veteran who plays an intimidating style of game and someone who will add a combination of grit, energy and, most importantly, leadership to our lineup.
The Senators have obviously made a decision that they want to get more physical on defense this season as they continue to push young players into the lineup. After losing Mark Borowiecki to free agency, the team has now added Josh Brown and Gudbranson in the span of a week, giving them two behemoths on the back end. With the team not expected to compete for the playoffs this season, instead using it as a development year for their young core, bringing in an experienced leader like Gudbranson (who also happens to be very willing to stand up for his teammates) makes sense.
It also helps Ottawa get towards the salary cap floor without taking on any long-term money. Gudbranson will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and would likely not even cost much to retain at that point. Once one of the most hyped defensive prospects in the world, Gudbranson was picked third behind Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin in the 2010 draft. He was a monstrous player in junior who could skate well and was expected to take a step forward offensively, but never did once he reached the NHL. Now 28, Gudbranson has just 73 career points in 518 games.
Still, this is a nice moment for Gudbranson, who is from Ottawa and will get a chance to embrace his hometown team for the first time in his career. In a year where the scoreboard outcomes don’t matter as much as the on-ice development, he’ll be an easy player for Senators fans to cheer for with his rough style. If he can somehow find the level of play that he flashed during a short period with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019, he could even become a core piece.
For Anaheim, they get out from a bad contract and free up some space to play with in free agency. The team has no restricted free agents left to sign and had previously been right up against the cap. Now, with $4MM out the door, they could potentially get in on someone they believe can make a difference.
They’re supposed to bring in assets with crappy players to reach the floor, not give them up what the hell.
It’s a 5th rd pick dude, relax
It’s ok to have one or two players like this, but we’ll probably have four by the time the season starts. It just guarantees some combination of Brannstrom, Wolanin, Jaros, Lajoie, or Zub will be squeezed of playing time. Some of these guys won’t be good, but it’d be nice to at least let them play and let them prove they aren’t NHL defencemen. There was no need to give up a pick for a guy who might not be an upgrade, there’s enough toughness on the back end.
OTT now goes to being 10 years away from being 10 long years away. @JD – do you get the feeling that Uncle Eugene & Pierre are trying to get to the destination with a handcar, instead of a *real* locomotive?
Quiet, you! Don’t give it away!
You might be right. Maybe just a quarter.
I think GMPD moves them in the right direction (for the most part, this deal isn’t doing much either way), and then Melnyk uses the handcar to lead them off a cliff.
Oh, sure, *now* you tell me! ;)
There should be no reason to give up more than a 7th round pick for this plug.
I think the pick came from the wrong team and was a round or two too high
I wonder if he has a beard. It will be gray by the time his time is up for the sens. Crazy trade by the sen’s. I will give someone a dollar to be the Gm of the sen’s. Any honest hockey fan could do better.
this seems like a move to cover Hainsey leaving and to reach the floor.
as for the pick, it’s not a big overpay plus they are so loaded in the 2nd round again next year that a 5th really doesn’t mean anything. it’s pennies to Dorion right now.
Don’t quite sleep on the 5th rounder. Jamie Benn and John Klingberg were 5th rounders. So was Jake Muzzin.I think they turn out ok.
Maybe with some more ice time this guy will show something, like Duclaire did. And I hope they resign him.
And relax, at best most 5th rounders turn into career minor leaguers.