While many teams have been active in re-signing their restricted free agents, the Senators still have a lot of work to do on that front. They have a total of six RFAs in need of new deals, headlined by winger Brady Tkachuk. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes that Ottawa has exchanged several different term and salary ideas with Tkachuk’s camp which suggests they’re not necessarily fixated on working out only a short-term or long-term deal. Matthew Tkachuk’s three-year, $21MM pact has long been speculated as a possible price tag for a bridge deal while one that buys out some UFA eligibility would be more expensive than that.
Another RFA still needing a new deal is center Logan Brown. Garrioch reports that GM Pierre Dorion is still trying to move the 23-year-old who was limited to just 14 games last season (only one of which was in Ottawa) due to injury. The 2016 first-rounder could certainly benefit from a change of scenery but Garrioch adds that the Sens are looking to make a hockey deal and not just give him away. In that context, it would appear as if they’re looking for a similar prospect that could benefit from a fresh start with another organization.
More from Garrioch’s column on the Sens:
- The team would like to add an impact forward still, likely a winger and with the free agent market pretty much bereft of those now once the Islanders make their expected signings official, Garrioch suggests that defenseman Erik Brannstrom could be dangled in trade talks. The 21-year-old was the centerpiece of the Mark Stone trade back in 2019 after being the 15th overall pick by Vegas two years earlier but has yet to really establish himself at the NHL level. Last season, he played in 30 games with Ottawa, recording two goals and 11 assists.
- The Senators are believed to be among the teams that have inquired about Blackhawks forward Dylan Strome. The 24-year-old has been a speculative trade candidate for the better part of a year now and is coming off a tough year that saw him put up 17 points in 40 games while spending time between center and the wing. Strome is young enough to still fit in as part of Ottawa’s core and his $3MM cap hit ($3.6MM salary) should keep the acquisition cost low.