The Arizona Coyotes have shipped out one of their veteran leaders, sending Derek Stepan to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2021 second-round pick (originally belonging to the Columbus Blue Jackets). Ottawa will take on the entire $6.5MM cap hit for the final season of Stepan’s contract, though notably, the forward is owed just $2MM in actual salary this season.
Stepan, 30, was one of the big moves that former Coyotes GM John Chayka pulled off in the 2017 offseason, coming to Arizona from the New York Rangers along with Antti Raanta in exchange for Tony DeAngelo and the seventh-overall pick (which turned out to be Lias Andersson). In an attempt to get more competitive that summer the Coyotes added the two Rangers, Nick Cousins, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Jason Demers. Though it won’t be remembered as a supremely successful summer, it’s not like Stepan didn’t do exactly what he was brought in for. In his first year in Arizona, Stepan scored 56 points, trailing only Clayton Keller for the team lead. His consistent presence in the middle of the ice is valuable and it’s exactly what the Senators were after.
Stepan is just the latest move by Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion to try and surround his young core with more veteran names. Evgenii Dadonov, Alex Galchenyuk, Erik Gudbranson, and Matt Murray all have plenty of NHL experience and could make the Senators a sneaky competitive team in the All-Canadian division. That said, it’s not clear exactly where Stepan fits into a lineup that already had several options down the middle.
For both clubs, this is a nice move, as the Coyotes desperately needed some cap room and the Senators are just hoping to start turning a few losses into wins. Arizona now figures to have a little more than $3MM in space even before moving Marian Hossa to long-term injured reserve and could potentially have more moves coming. In Ottawa, after several years of turmoil, a respected leader like Stepan can provide some stability not only on the ice but in the locker room as well.
The Coyotes had to move somebody to get cap compliant. They failed trying to move OEL & Hjalmarsson. So, Stepan is the one they have to lose. The trade hurts their center depth
Has a number two center, by virtue of happenstance, ever spent his ENTIRE career as a number one center?
Stepan is a good two and a great three, but with the Rangers, Yotes and now, the Sens, he has been the top center on each of those teams just because they didn’t have anyone better at the time.
Also, good trade for both sides.*
*Terrible for the Yotes, except in the context of them tearing it down and tanking again, then…good job.
Yotes need high draft picks. Ottawa only likes to get players who have been paid at least 50% of their salary. Defiantly a win for both teams. Ottawa gets a player they can flip at the deadline as their 90% chance of not making playoffs. Who knows what the market is going to be like in a few months especially considering the free agents still out there, definitely think it was a no brainer for the Yotes as it gives them flexibility with the cap this year and allows them to guarantee a return for Stepan instead of him potentially getting injured game one and not getting a thing
Stepan hasn’t been a number 2 for the last two seasons, he has turned into a solid 3rd line center. He will fill a valuable role for Ottawa, hopefully he has a solid season and they can flip him at the deadline. The last 2 years he’s been skating in mud and had a lot of injuries. He’s an old 30.
I don’t like giving up a second round pick for a rental in a season where they’ll have to really be a surprise to do anything. They should have just signed Haula or Granlund.
Well there is also the fact that Haula or Grandlund would have to want to sign in Ottawa? Sometimes players don’t want to sign to lose .
Your highly touted young wingers need centers to aid their development.
Also, they can likely extend him cheap if they want. If not, flip him and get a second back at the deadline.
Yes and even if it’s just a third or depth prospect they acquire, the experience he brings might be worth the slight drop off in asset. I just think they could’ve easily signed a veteran, even if it’s a lesser player for just money. They still have two, but that second round pick could’ve been packaged with others or prospects to bring back a player who has a future with the team (Stepan might but at this point it’s hard to say).
I think the real value to Melnyk is the 2 million in actual money. It makes sense but it’s frustrating that almost every single trade is strictly because of money and not for the future.
classic Sens