Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Senators Rumors

Trade Deadline Primer: Ottawa Senators

at CDT | by 6 Comments

With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Ottawa Senators.

It’s been a improved season for the Ottawa Senators. New head coach D.J. Smith seems to be having some success and the franchise finally seems to be heading in an upwards trajectory. That doesn’t mean the team is winning that much, however, as they have the 29th best record, but no longer are they the worst in the NHL. However, the rebuild continues and while many of their prospects are developing nicely, the team still has plenty of assets they could move to continue their full rebuild.

Record

18-26-11, seventh in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$26.13MM in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: OTT 1st, SJ 1st, OTT 2nd, CLB 2nd, DAL 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 4th, TB 5th, SJ 6th, STL 6th, OTT 7th
2021: OTT 1st, OTT 2nd, CLB 2nd, SJ 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 6th, OTT 7th

Trade Chips

The most coveted player is center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who has had a breakout year, scoring a career-high 21 goals already and not letting up. The 27-year-old is highly coveted and while it might make sense to lock up the center as a piece of the team’s future, recent reports suggest that there has been little to no negotiations between the two sides so far, suggesting that a trade is highly likely. In total, Pageau has 21 goals, 34 points, 102 hits and a 52.8 face-off percentage. He also is quite affordable at $3.1MM, but will hit unrestricted free agency and hasn’t indicated that he would be willing to sign an extension with another team upon a trade, meaning he could just be a rental option for a playoff team.

The team also has other intriguing options as the Senators have quite a few pending unrestricted free agents. While it’s likely they will re-sign some of them, there are a number of players like Vladislav Namestnikov and Tyler Ennis that could attract some attention.

If teams are interested in defense, the Senators have a few options as well with veteran Ron Hainsey standing at the top of the list. Hainsey has been a solid top-four option on Ottawa’s defense since signing with them this summer on a one-year deal. The Senators have quite a few young defensemen looking for playing time. Therefore it would make sense for Ottawa to move out Hainsey, who averages 20:07 ATOI at $3.5MM. While he doesn’t provide a significant amount of offense (one goal, 11 points), he provides solid defense, including a plus-four rating and 75 blocks. Throw in Dylan DeMelo and Mark Borowiecki as potential trade targets as well.

Five Players To Watch For: D Mark Borowiecki, D Dylan DeMelo, D Ron Hainsey, F Vladislav Namestnikov, F Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks: You don’t have to look farther than the draft chart above to see that the Senators are already loaded with picks, but the more you have, the more successful you will be. The team already is armed with two potential lottery picks for 2020, loaded with draft talent, and have three second-rounders after that. The team has another three second-round picks for the 2021 draft. So, adding more could be the key to this team’s long-term future.

2) NHL-Ready Youth: The team is already loaded with prospects, although many of them have struggled to make the transition from the minors to the NHL. However, especially with the Senators looking to move on from several players, the team could use some more prospects who are either already in the NHL or have started to make that transition which could give the team some buffer room so they can avoid throwing their prospects into a situation they may not be ready for yet.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Rumors: Canucks, Tatar, Petry, Maple Leafs, Pageau

at CDT | by 2 Comments

With little cap space anyway, many were not expecting the Vancouver Canucks to be particularly active at the trade deadline. However, that viewpoint may have changed after forward Brock Boeser suffered an upper-body injury Saturday against the Calgary. While the extent of the injury is unknown, head coach Travis Green said after the game that Boeser would be out “for a bit.”

NHL.com’s Tracey Myers writes that the Canucks may be looking for a forward at the trade deadline, especially with the team hanging on to first place in the Pacific Division by just one point with four teams breathing down their necks. The team is expecting to get back forward Micheal Ferland soon, but Ferland isn’t likely to provide the offense the team gets from Boeser, who has 16 goals and 45 points, third on the team in scoring.

  • Plenty of rumors have come up regarding two players with the Montreal Canadiens, including defenseman Jeff Petry and forward Tomas Tatar. Both Petry and Tatar would be valuable trade chips for the Canadiens as they both have one year remaining after this one with reasonable contracts ($5.5MM for Petry; $4.8MM for Tatar). Both are having impressive seasons as well, making them even more intriguing. However, TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that he has been told that neither player is being shopped and the team will wait until they are closer to the deadline to see whether they are any closer in the standings to competing for a playoff spot before deciding on whether they would move any of their unrestricted free agents, which could include Ilya Kovalchuk, Nate Thompson or Marco Scandella.
  • Now that the backup goaltender position has been taken care of, the Toronto Maple Leafs are thought to need to add to their defense before the deadline. However, Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada reports that the Maple Leafs intend to wait until closer to the deadline before they consider making another move. The team currently has Cody Ceci on long-term injured reserve and the team wants to wait to see his status in a couple weeks before making a final decision. “Toronto is going to wait,” Friedman said. “Morgan Rielly has a doctor’s appointment next week, they still want to see what his future is, also the health of Cody Ceci, which they’ll know more about probably in a couple of weeks.”
  • On the same Hockey Night in Canada last night, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that while the New York Rangers have started negotiating with soon-to-be unrestricted free-agent Chris Kreider to see if a reasonable deal can be worked out, the Ottawa Senators have not started to negotiate with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, suggesting that he is a strong candidate to be dealt at the trade deadline with several suitors likely lining up to acquire him.

Pierre Dorion Comments On The Current Trade Market

at CDT | by 4 Comments

With quite a few pending unrestricted free agents, the Senators are certainly a team to keep tabs on over the coming weeks on the trade front.  However, GM Pierre Dorion told TSN that the trade market has been relatively quiet so far:

Of their ten UFAs, Dorion acknowledged that they do have some interest in keeping some of them but he has no intention on publicly commenting on who those may be or the status of talks after what transpired last season with the Mark Stone and Matt Duchene situations.  The GM also indicated that they would like to keep some veterans in the mix so it’s far from a guarantee that those that don’t receive new deals will be dealt by the Senators by the February 24th trade deadline.

Trade Candidate: Jean-Gabriel Pageau

at CDT | by 2 Comments

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

Quite a few players that will be on the move are having quiet years with the acquiring team hoping that a change of scenery would get them going.  That is not the case when it comes to Senators center Jean-Gabriel Pageau.  He’s in the middle of a career season and if he doesn’t agree to an extension with Ottawa in the coming weeks, he’ll become one of the more sought after forwards around the league.

Contract

Pageau is in the final season of a three-year, $9.3MM deal.  The contract is a little back-loaded as his $3.4MM salary is a little higher than his $3.1MM cap hit.  Pageau does not have any form of trade protection in his deal and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

2019-20

After scoring just four goals in an injury-plagued 2018-19 campaign, expectations were about as low as they could be for the 27-year-old.  However, with Colin White struggling early on, Pageau was pressed into a big role and instead of merely holding his own, he thrived.  He has already established new a career high in goals with 20 and his point-per-game average is the best of his career at 0.63.  He also has been above average at the faceoff dot for the fifth year in a row and his offensive output hasn’t slowed down his defensive ability.  Coming into the season, Pageau looked like he could be a depth defensive forward for a contending team but now, he could be counted on to provide a lot more than that.

Season Stats

52 GP, 20 goals, 13 assists, 33 points, +11 rating, 20 PIMS, 117 shots, 19:19 TOI, 47.4 CF%, 52.7% faceoffs

Potential Suitors

It is a fairly weak market in terms of impact centers to the point where Pageau is arguably the best one available.  Accordingly, any team looking for help down the middle is going to have at least some level of interest.

In the East, the Islanders have been looking for upgrades down the middle dating back to the summer.  Pageau would give them another penalty killing option while providing a secondary scoring upgrade as well which is an area of need.  The Blue Jackets banged up down the middle with Alexander Wennberg and Brandon Dubinsky out and it’s not like Columbus and Ottawa haven’t made these types of deals before.  If the Bruins strike out in their search for help on the wing, they could turn around and add Pageau which would allow them to move Charlie Coyle to the right wing for the stretch run.  They’d need some assistance to make the money work though.

Out West, the Oilers have been looking for center help all season long and with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins spending a lot of time on the wing, there’s an opening for Pageau on their third line.  Colorado has a well-balanced group of secondary scoring but could certainly add to that and shift J.T. Compher back to the wing.  Dallas has strong depth down the middle already but considering that Pageau would be their leading goal-getter, that alone could get their attention as they look to add some scoring punch.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Compared to some other rentals out there, this one isn’t a guarantee.  The Senators do have legitimate interest in giving Pageau an extension and there have been recent discussions to that end.  If they can reach an agreement, they’ll forego trading him; a trade and return scenario isn’t likely.  If an extension isn’t reached, then it’s all but a certainty that he’ll be on the move and the biggest question will be what the Senators will get in return.  A guaranteed first-round pick could be tricky but a second-rounder that upgrades to a first if the acquiring team wins a couple of playoff rounds could be doable.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Craig Anderson Would Prefer To Not Be Traded

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While Senators goaltender Craig Anderson has been discussed as a speculative trade candidate in what is likely his final NHL season, the netminder told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that his preference would be to not get traded.  The 38-year-old has been with Ottawa since the 2010-11 campaign and is having a bit of a tough season with a 3.19 GAA and a .901 SV% while losing starts to Marcus Hogberg in recent weeks.  With Anders Nilsson getting closer to returning as well, it could be a crowded crease if Anderson isn’t moved.  The veteran has a $4.75MM cap hit and a 10-team no-trade clause which could make any potential move tricky.

Minor Transactions: 02/07/20

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Just four games grace the NHL schedule this evening, but there are sure to be some whoppers. The Buffalo Sabres head into Madison Square Garden to try and find some tiny bit of success in what has been a trying time for everyone involved with the team. The Sabres lost yesterday to the historically-bad Detroit Red Wings and are now 23-23-8 on the year. Meanwhile, the reeling Toronto Maple Leafs will throw Jack Campbell into the net right away against the Anaheim Ducks to try and save their season. As they and the rest of the league get ready, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled Andreas Englund from the minor leagues, as Mark Borowiecki prepares for the birth of his first child. Borowiecki won’t be with the team as they travel to Winnipeg for tomorrow’s afternoon tilt against the Jets.
  • Jeremy Lauzon and Karson Kuhlman have been recalled by the Boston Bruins, who welcome in Phil Kessel and the Arizona Coyotes tomorrow night. Brandon Carlo will not be playing for the team as he is dealing with a personal matter, but is expected to re-join them in time for Sunday’s game.
  • Antti Suomela has been returned to the AHL after sitting out the last few games for the San Jose Sharks. The 25-year old center has played 12 games this season, recording three assists.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Kiefer Sherwood from the minor leagues, sending Daniel Sprong down in his place. Sprong, 22, has played most of the season in the AHL for the San Diego Gulls, scoring 24 points in 31 games.
  • After losing Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta recently, the Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Cameron Gaunce from the minor leagues. The team will need to find a way to keep their blue line in order after the recent losses.
  • Morgan Frost is on his way back to the NHL, recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers after a month in the minors. In total, the young forward has played 30 games in the AHL this season, scoring 20 points. Andy Andreoff has been sent back down.
  • Guillaume Brisebois has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks, coming up for just the second time this season. The 22-year old defenseman hasn’t played a game at the NHL level this year, but does have 14 points in 43 games for the Utica Comets.

Trade Candidate: Ron Hainsey

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

From the moment he signed in Ottawa at the beginning of free agency in July, the countdown towards Ron Hainsey’s next trade has been underway.  The veteran blueliner played an important role in the postseason for Toronto the last two years but with the Senators well out of the playoff picture already with an expiring contract, there isn’t much of a case to keep him around for the stretch run which makes the question of a trade a matter of when and not if.

Contract

Hainsey is on a one-year, $3.5MM contract and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency once again in July.  The deal contains a 10-team no-trade clause.

2019-20

The 38-year-old was brought in to be a veteran mentor for a young Ottawa core while taking some pressure off a relatively untested back end.  He has done exactly that.  Hainsey is serving as an alternate captain already and has moved back and forth on the top two pairings and is once again logging more than 20 minutes a night for the ninth straight season.  He also has spent time playing on both the left and right sides which has only boosted his value to the Sens.  Generally speaking, he hasn’t done anything to get himself traded (it wouldn’t be shocking if Senators GM Pierre Dorion has already kicked the tires on what it might cost for an extension) but with Ottawa well out of the playoffs, there isn’t a compelling case to keep him around.

Season Stats

46 GP, 1 goal, 10 assists, 11 points, +6 rating, 8 PIMS, 32 shots, 20:11 TOI, 43.7 CF%

Potential Suitors

While Hainsey has shown that he can handle minutes in the top four, most teams will probably view him as a third pairing option.  Veteran defenders is something that practically every contender looks to add to shore up their depth but here are a few teams that stand out as potentially strong fits.

In the East, Hainsey’s former employer in Toronto makes some sense if they can make the finances work (and that could prove to be too difficult).  But the Maple Leafs could certainly stand to add someone who has some familiarity with the roster already and a proven ability to play with their top blueliner in Morgan Rielly.  Another of his former teams in Carolina could make sense.  The Hurricanes are believed to be looking for extra depth in the wake of the Dougie Hamilton injury and while Hainsey isn’t a natural righty, he has played that side enough in recent years to be a legitimate option on that side and they have enough cap room to fit him in.  Washington is going to be shopping at the lower end of the market for depth but Hainsey would give them a nice upgrade on their third pairing.  They would need Ottawa to retain some salary though.

Out West, Winnipeg has had a tough season when it comes to their back end with their key departures and several injuries among those that are there.  Hainsey could potentially step into a spot in their top four if they’re willing to go the rental route.  Calgary could be forced to pivot to defense depending on what happens with Mark Giordano‘s injury from Tuesday night and they freed up enough money to add him with their move last month.  Edmonton’s preference at this point is likely depth down the middle but if they can’t get that, they’ll likely pivot to strengthening their back end where Hainsey would give their third pairing a boost.

Likelihood Of A Trade

All things considered, the likelihood is quite high that Hainsey will be on the move here.  Unless he’s willing to sign a very team-friendly extension that is worth more than whatever mid-tier draft pick or prospect they’d get in return, the smart play for Ottawa is to move him out and if they’re so inclined, try to bring him back in free agency.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bobby Ryan Returns To Practice

at CDT | by 3 Comments

  • Bobby Ryan returned to the ice at Ottawa Senators practice today for the first time since taking an indefinite leave of absence to enter the player assistance program in late November. Head coach D.J. Smith told reporters that Ryan is still “a ways away” from returning to the lineup, but expressed his support for the veteran forward and explained how the rest of the team welcomed him back.

Eastern Notes: Mantha, Johansson, Dobson, Paul

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Detroit Red Wings lost Filip Zadina for two to three weeks, but the team did get a boost of good news as winger Anthony Mantha practiced with the first time since he suffered a mid-body injury on Dec. 21 against Toronto when Jake Muzzin slammed him to the ice, according to NHL.com’s Dana Wakiji. The 25-year-old was wearing an orange no-contact jersey, but it’s step in the right direction for the winger who has appeared in just 29 games this season.

“I’m feeling better,” Mantha said. “Obviously today was the first practice with the team, so it feels good mentally. Physically, I’ve been getting better over the last couple of weeks. I can’t complain.”

Mantha was playing well, posting 12 goals and 24 points in those 29 games and was looking to potentially post career highs, but now will look to help the Red Wings offense, which has struggled for most of the year.

  • In his most recent mailbag, the Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski writes that the Buffalo Sabres might be interested in taking a long look at 24-year-old prospect goaltender Jonas Johansson, who will be a restricted free agent next year and could be a candidate to replace Carter Hutton next season if he fares well, assuming they can move Hutton. Johansson has played well with the Rochester Americans this year, posting a 2.19 GAA and a .925 save percentage in 20 games. The team might also want to avoid keeping Johansson in Rochester next year, which could block the path when top goalie prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen becomes a full-time AHL goalie.
  • When the New York Islanders lost defenseman Adam Pelech for the season due to an Achilles’ tendon injury, many thought that rookie Noah Dobson would be the recipient of the extra minutes that the team lost. Instead, Newsday’s Andrew Gross writes that head coach Barry Trotz has relied on his five veteran blueliners and continues to hold Dobson out of key moments in games. Dobson doesn’t play in the third period at all in tight games. The five veterans are forced to take extra shifts in order to replace Dobson, who refers to the situation as five and a half defenders, but doesn’t feel the extra ice time is having a negative effect on the other five defenders.
  • Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Ottawa Senators forward Nick Paul is skating again and should be able to return at some point this week. The 24-year-old suffered a high ankle sprain on Jan. 7 against the Capitals and deemed to be out for four weeks, which is right on schedule. Paul has six goals and 13 points in 38 games this season.

 

Christian Wolanin Cleared For Contact, Will Be Sent To Belleville On Wednesday

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • Senators defenseman Christian Wolanin has been cleared for contact as he works his way back from shoulder surgery, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. He was injured just before training camp got underway and has yet to play this season.  Ottawa plans to assign him to Belleville of the AHL on Wednesday and should make his season debut a week or so after that.  With the Sens likely to move a blueliner or two by the trade deadline, there’s a good chance that Wolanin’s AHL time will be limited.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top