Senators Notes: Defense, Brannstrom, Tryouts

Senators GM Pierre Dorion spoke with TSN 1200 (audio link) on Friday to discuss the upcoming season.  While the team has been active in their additions (forwards Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat plus goalie Cam Talbot), the same can’t be said for the back end.  Dorion indicated they’re still hoping to add a top-four defenseman but are comfortable going into training camp with what they have and seeing if a youngster like Lassi Thomson or Jacob Bernard-Docker is ready after spending last season with AHL Belleville or Jake Sanderson can make the jump right from college.

To that end, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Ottawa has held trade discussions with the Coyotes regarding Jakob Chychrun.  However, the reported asking price of two first-rounders plus a top prospect is one that no one is willing to meet just yet.  Chychrun would certainly fit within the Sens’ core group in terms of age and with three years left at a below-market $4.6MM, he’d help on the financial side of things as well as their top players start to get more expensive.  Of course, that’s a big part of the reason why Arizona’s asking price is so high so Dorion will have to decide whether it’s one he’s going to be okay paying before too long.

More from Ottawa:

• One of the remaining RFAs that they need to re-sign is blueliner Erik Brannstrom. Garrioch reports that part of the holdup has been that the youngster’s camp has been seeking a deal with some term instead of a typical bridge contract.  He has 116 career NHL contests under his belt but has also been in the AHL in each of his first four professional seasons which would make a longer-term deal a little trickier to hammer out.  The 22-year-old had 14 assists in 53 games last season while averaging just shy of 20 minutes a night of ice time.
• While their forward group seems pretty full already (especially once RFA Alex Formenton re-signs), Dorion indicated that he has been in discussions with some agents for players that are looking to come to camp on PTO agreements but no decisions have been made on that front yet. He did, however, indicate that if one is brought in, it will be someone with a legitimate chance to make the team.  While that might sound a little obvious at first glance, teams often being veterans in on PTOs simply to ensure they can meet the veteran minimum requirements for the early preseason games to allow their own veterans to skip some early action.