The trade market will only heat up over the next few weeks, and Ottawa Senators winger Alex DeBrincat is expected to be high on the list of most trade bait boards. Reports late last week suggested Ottawa will want to get a move in place by next week’s draft, as the 25-year-old sniper isn’t willing to sign a long-term extension with the Sens after heading to the Canadian capital via trade at this time last year. Today, we have some more clarity on where DeBrincat could end up by the end of the month: the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, and the Detroit Red Wings are on his preferred list of teams where he’d sign a long-term extension, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports.
Ottawa acquired DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks just before the first round of last year’s draft, conceding the seventh overall pick (used on Kevin Korchinski), the 39th overall pick (used on Paul Ludwinski), and a third-round pick in 2024. How much of that value Ottawa can recoup in a secondary trade remains to be seen.
Garrioch mentioned last year’s Kevin Fiala trade between the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings as a comparable, with the Kings sending high-end defense prospect Brock Faber and the 19th overall pick in the 2022 draft in return for Fiala’s RFA rights (he then signed a long-term extension). Garrioch argues that Senators general manager Pierre Dorion should be in a position to get a better return, given DeBrincat is a two-time 40-goal scorer at the time of the deal.
Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli seemed to pour cold water on that today, however, suggesting an offer from the Detroit Red Wings of winger Filip Zadina (whose time to develop into a full-time NHLer is quickly running out) and futures as a likely return in terms of value for DeBrincat. What does seem clear is that Ottawa likely won’t be receiving a significant roster player in this deal – nor will they be getting the value of picks they gave up for DeBrincat in the first place.
If Ottawa is able to get a prospect closer to Faber’s caliber in return for DeBrincat, though, they should be aiming for a winger who could replace DeBrincat’s spot long-term. The team’s gamble on Tyler Boucher at 10th overall in 2021 doesn’t look like it will pay off, and the team is quickly running out of forward prospects with top-six ceilings with Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig graduating to full-time NHL roles. That could be someone like Mavrik Bourque from Dallas, Fedor Svechkov from Nashville, Mackie Samoskevich from Florida, or Brendan Brisson from Vegas.
Expecting a first-round pick along with Brisson from Vegas may be too much to ask, but the team is slated to pick with the last selection of the first round after winning the Stanley Cup, so it doesn’t quite hold as much value. Dallas and Florida do not have their first-round picks in this year’s draft, while Detroit holds the ninth overall selection, and Nashville holds the 15th and 24th overall picks.
So Seravilli thinks a failed prospect and a couple of later (ie not Top Ten) draft picks will net a 40 goal scorer? Good luck with that.
Still not sure why so many people think that GMs will to give good value for another team’s garbage.
Sorry, made a mistake, Detroit is at #9. Still a bit later than what Ottawa gave up to get him.
Is the draft deeper this year than last? Going from 7th last year to a proposed 9th, isn’t horrible.
Futures don’t scream “ninth overall” to me. I’d say Frank was more likely referring to DET’s 17th overall pick or multiple later picks.
When Ottawa traded for him he had 2 years of team control and was a 40 goal scorer. Now he has 1 year of control and is a 25-30 goal scorer. He has less value now than he did a year ago.
@dswaim
One year of slightly reduced numbers (12 fewer points) , when his metrics were still good, shouldn’t reduce his worth that much. An off year doesn’t mean he should be traded for a failed prospect.
It’s not so much that he had a down year but 1 year at 7 million and an RFA staus is worth infinitely more than ZERO years at 7 million and having to sign him long term for his asking price of 8.5
@ dswaim: arguably, but the counter is that this is a 25 year old consistent high scorer who on an OFF year bagged 27. Jesper Bratt is just one year younger, has just two good years under his belt, and only scored 5 more goals than DeBrincat, and the Devils just handed him the keys to the bank. It’s not crazy for people to think that DeBrincat is at LEAST that valuable.
How’s this trade idea work?
If the Rangers can get Panarin to waive his no trade he has 3 years remaining on his contract which includes this upcoming season with a cap hit of $11 mill.
Rangers send Panarin with two top prospects in Defenseman Zac Jones and LW Adam Sykora. Rangers cannot afford to give up draft picks at this point because they are in the win now or completely rebuild mode so if they are in win now and have another disappointing season than giving up picks really sets that back. I think Ottawa is also ready to be in din now and adding Panarin gives them a high scoring winger to make up for DeBrincat and two young top 5 prospects in Rangers organization.
Anyways it’s a pipe dream because the Ottawas will want a player back that can produce now to fill in for DeBrincat which Panarin is plus picks and Panarin will probably not waive his no trade to go to Ottawa.
There’s no chance in hell Panarin waived his NTC.
Rangers are not giving that up for DeBrincat.
Detroit has #9 AND #17.
Along with #’s 41, 42 & 43. A package of # 17, Velano and Wallwinder may be interesting. Anyway, if there is a deal to be done here I have faith Stevie Y can make it happen
Detroit? IDK, Detroit needs a bigger, tougher power forward than Mighty Mouse. But why give their best pick? They need centers in their system more than they need the Cat!
#17 and Fabbri and a prospect LD not named Edvinsson. Let someone else overpay.
Ottawa doesn’t want Fabbri. The guy sneezes and he gets hurt.
Sens have very little leverage, they overpaid, doesn’t mean someone else has to.
Anybody who thinks Panarin would wave his no trade to go to Ottawa should check into rehab immediately. I mean like right now. And that isn’t the only thing wrong with that trade either.