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Edmonton Oilers Discussing Connor Brown Trade

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If you were a fan of the Erie Otters in 2014, you might want to consider becoming an Edmonton Oilers fan today. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN the Oilers are working on a deal that would bring Ottawa Senators forward Connor Brown to Edmonton, reuniting him with junior teammate Connor McDavid.

The Senators have recently added Alex DeBrincat to the forward group and are the front-runners for Claude Giroux in free agency, which would push Brown down the lineup and out of a spot where he can really bring enough value to make his $3.6MM worthwhile.

That isn’t the case in Edmonton, where he could probably find space next to McDavid or Leon Draisaitl in the top six. Even as a third-line option he would be a nice addition for the Oilers, who can use him and former Toronto Maple Leaf teammate Zach Hyman as two penalty-killing anchors.

After signing Evander Kane for a deal well below what would normally be his market value and moving Zack Kassian’s contract out of the way, the Oilers suddenly have a forward group that looks a lot deeper than in years past.

More to come…

Ottawa Senators Acquire Cam Talbot

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The Minnesota Wild have officially traded goalie Cam Talbot to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for goalie Filip Gustavsson.

Senators general manager Pierre Dorion gave a statement on the deal in a team release:

Cam is experienced and provides us with greater goaltending stability heading into next season. He was instrumental in helping Minnesota reach the playoffs in each of his two seasons with the Wild. The tandem of he and Anton Forsberg sets us up nicely for the upcoming year.

The trade is an important one financially for Minnesota. It’s a net cap hit decrease of $2.9MM, giving the Wild and general manager Bill Guerin some (small) flexibility heading into the opening of free agency tomorrow.

It was clear Talbot wasn’t happy with Minnesota’s decision to retain Marc-Andre Fleury on a two-year deal, and now he’ll get another job as a clear-cut 1A goalie (at worst) with the Senators. The Senators now have a more experienced and upgraded goalie tandem taking them into next season as they aim to make some noise in the Eastern Conference, essentially swapping out the oft-injured Matt Murray with Talbot for the cost of Gustavsson, a third-round pick, and a seventh-round pick. In 49 games with the Wild last year, the 35-year-old Talbot had a 32-12-4 record, three shutouts, 2.76 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.

The deal isn’t without on-ice merit for the Wild, either. Gustavsson is young and has decent upside, and while he doesn’t steal the “goalie of the future” tag claimed by Jesper Wallstedt, he fills the void in the organization left by Kaapo Kahkonen as a long-term tandem or backup option. Originally a second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016, Gustavsson now finds himself with his third NHL organization by no fault of his own. He’s stepped in 27 games as a Senator over the past two years, maintaining a career 10-13-3 record and a .905 save percentage. Those numbers are bound to improve with increased development and more stout defense in the State of Hockey.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes was the first to report Talbot heading to Ottawa.

Michael Del Zotto, Rudolfs Balcers To Be Bought Out

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In addition to Janne Kuokkanen and Oskar Lindblom, who were announced earlier today, two more players are on waivers today for the purpose of a buyout. The Ottawa Senators will buy out Michael Del Zotto, while the San Jose Sharks will be buying out Rudolfs Balcers, according to Chris Johnston of TSN.

For Del Zotto and the Senators, a buyout will result in a $500K cap penalty in 2022-23 and a $750K penalty in 2023-24, but saves the team some money and cap space for the upcoming season. It never really did work out for the veteran defensemen there, and after clearing waivers he ended up playing most of the 2021-22 season in the minor leagues.

He’ll now be a free agent, able to try and secure an NHL deal somewhere else, while still earning a $750K paycheck from the Senators for each of the next two years. Not a bad deal for the 32-year-old, who could be looking at his ninth NHL team, should he sign with someone other than the Senators, New York Rangers, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, St. Louis Blues, or Columbus Blue Jackets.

Balcers meanwhile will be almost completely wiped off the books for San Jose, as his age means they are only on the hook for one-third of his remaining $1.85MM salary. For 2022-23, the Sharks will face a penalty of just $8,334 and in 2023-24, just $308,334. Those are certainly worthwhile prices to pay to clear his contract off the books as they look to other players for bottom-six contributions.

Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Matt Murray

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In a trade that had been anticipated for a couple of days now, the Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired goaltender Matt Murray from the Ottawa Senators, both teams announced. Heading to Toronto as well will be a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and a seventh-round pick in 2024. Ottawa is also retaining 25% of Murray’s salary. In exchange for Murray, Toronto will send “future considerations” to Ottawa. Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff was the first to report that an agreement was in place.

A Murray trade this offseason had almost seemed to be a given, with the question being when and to who. A deal that would send Murray to the Buffalo Sabres appeared to be in place last week until Murray declined via his no-trade clause. The deal now helps to alleviate some of the cap concerns Murray’s contract placed on the Senators, especially in the wake of acquiring Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks who carries a $6.4MM cap hit, but will be due at least a $9MM qualifying offer after next season, and perhaps more if Ottawa wants to keep the sniper long-term. Not only DeBrincat, but Ottawa has been rumored to be interested in playing the free agent market, and shedding even 75% of Murray’s $6.25MM cap hit over the next two seasons will make things easier on Ottawa.

For the Maple Leafs, this acquisition appears to put the Jack Campbell era in Toronto to a close, the team needing a goaltender under tight cap circumstances, absorbing a cap hit just under $4.69MM now. Campbell had been rumored to be asking for at least a $5MM AAV on his next contract, if not more, over four or five years. With the price seemingly too rich for the Maple Leafs, they opted to go for Murray, who has just two years left on his contract. For now, Murray projects to be the number one goaltender for the Maple Leafs, with Erik Kallgren and Joseph Woll behind him. Given Murray’s injury issues and recent struggles in net, Torotno will either have to rely on Kallgren and Woll as support, or may have to find themselves another goaltender either through trade or free agency.

Murray’s career has come a long way since his impeccable run to back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a rookie. After the Cups, Murray continued to impress in Pittsburgh, compiling a .913 save-percentage and 2.80 goals-against average in 99 games over the proceeding two seasons. But, the goaltender hit a wall in 2019-20, posting a subpar .899 save-percentage and 2.87 goals-against average before being traded to the Senators that offseason. Things, ultimately, got worse in Ottawa, Murray struggling to an .893 save-percentage and 3.38 goals-against average in 2020-21. Ottawa and Murray hoped for a fresh start in 2021-22, but injuries and poor play plagued him. The Senators would place Murray on waivers on November 27th, clearing the next day, and would not call him back up until December 28th. Murray would eventually head back to IR for the final time on March 6th, not playing another game for Ottawa. All told, the goaltender played just 20 games this season, though his numbers did improve slightly, with a .906 save-percentage and 3.05 goals-against average.

For the deal to work for Toronto, they will need Murray to rebound back to the player he was his first few seasons with the Penguins. Then, Murray was a budding star who not only won two Stanley Cups as a rookie, but did so usurping future Hall-of-Famer Marc-Andre Fleury in net. The impressive performance was so great, in fact, that when deciding which goaltender to protect ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2017 expansion draft, Pittsburgh opted to protect Murray, exposing, and losing, one of the best players in the franchise’s history. Gambling on Murray over Campbell, who represented the Maple Leafs at this year’s All Star Game, could pay dividends for Toronto, who likely saves significantly on contract term by going this route, but in order to do so, Murray will need to return to at least close to the player he was previously.

Ottawa Senators Hire Wade Redden

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The Ottawa Senators have brought back a familiar face to help the organization, adding Wade Redden as a development coach. The long-time Senators defenseman will join the team at development camp, which begins today. General manager Pierre Dorion released a statement:

Wade’s addition is a significant one for our development staff. He’ll be especially integral in helping mold our prospects on defense. A leader throughout his playing career, we know the same qualities will translate very well in this new role.

Having played more than 900 games in a Senators uniform, including 94 playoff contests, Redden is uniquely qualified to help the young prospects trying to start their careers. Only Chris Phillips has played more for the franchise among defensemen, despite Redden actually not being drafted by Ottawa. He was picked second overall by the New York Islanders in 1995 but traded less than a year later in a massive three-team deal that included players like Bryan Berard, Martin Straka, and Kirk Muller.

Redden served as the assistant director of player development with the Nashville Predators for a few years between 2016-19 but has no coaching experience at a high level. Perhaps this is the start of that journey, or just an old friend helping out the organization he spent so much time playing for.

Talks Between Ottawa And Toronto On Matt Murray Intensify

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  • According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, talks between the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs on goaltender Matt Murray have intensified, though nothing is done just yet. Murray has been one of the most frequently discussed names of the young offseason, with a deal to the Buffalo Sabres seeming to materialize before Murray killed it via his no-trade clause. The goaltender has two more years carrying a $6.25MM cap hit left on his contract, and any trade would likely require Ottawa to retain some salary while also potentially including an asset as well.

Latest On Matt Murray

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  • Earlier this week, we covered the trade that would have sent Ottawa Senators goalie Matt Murray to the Buffalo Sabres, before being nixed by Murray himself. Murray scuttling that trade possibility hasn’t stopped the Senators in their attempts to move him, and according to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, Senators GM Pierre Dorion is “trying to get creative” in order to solve his current goalie logjam that currently has the team rostering three goalies on one-way contracts. Per Garrioch, the Toronto Maple Leafs are “involved in talks” with the Senators about Murray, and the Edmonton Oilers and Arizona Coyotes are two teams “studying the option” of taking on Murray. Murray, 28, carries a $6.25MM cap hit for the next two seasons and has not performed like a quality NHL goalie since 2018-19. Murray does, however, have two Stanley Cup rings on his resume and a career .911 save percentage, making him a potentially intriguing reclamation project for a team willing to take on his contract along with some sweetener assets as well.

Connor Brown And Nikita Zaitsev Could Be Traded; Matt Murray Trade Talks Intensifying

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While the Senators made a big splash yesterday with the acquisition of winger Alex DeBrincat, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relays (Twitter links) that there are still a pair of priorities for Ottawa – adding a defenseman and moving Matt Murray with talks intensifying on that front.  He adds that winger Connor Brown and blueliner Nikita Zaitsev could be players on the move.

Brown isn’t likely to sign an extension after suggesting he’d like to test free agency when he’s eligible next summer and at $3.6MM, he’d carry some trade value after being a key two-way player.  Zaitsev, meanwhile, has two years left at a $4.5MM AAV and might be used to match salaries in a move for a defender.  Murray blocked a trade to Buffalo on Thursday but the Senators are still looking to get out from the two years at $6.25MM per season left on his deal but will almost certainly need to pay down a fair-sized portion of that to facilitate a move.

Ottawa Senators Acquire Alex DeBrincat

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Just a few hours before the draft, we have a massive trade. The Ottawa Senators have announced that they are acquiring superstar winger Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks for the seventh-overall pick, the 39th overall pick, and a 2024 third-round pick.

As relayed by Mark Lazerus of The Athletic, Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said the following regarding the deal:

It was an incredibly difficult decision to trade a player of Alex’s caliber. We feel as if this move sets the Blackhawks up for future success by giving us additional flexibility and future talent.

DeBrincat, 24, has one year remaining on his contract before he becomes a restricted free agent entitled to a $9MM qualifying offer. After that point, barring an extension, DeBrincat will become an unrestricted free agent. There is currently no word on any possible extension for DeBrincat, but one has to assume that the Senators will make every attempt to keep him in Ottawa beyond the two years of team control they have just acquired.

For the Senators, acquiring DeBrincat is a major coup as the team looks to escape their rebuild and finally return to contention. DeBrincat is a superstar forward in a relatively similar age range to the Senators’ other core pieces. He is close to the same age as Thomas Chabot and only a few years older than players such as Josh Norris and Brady Tkachuk. DeBrincat is an elite offensive player, having scored over 40 goals twice in his career, including this past season. His 78 points would have led the Senators in 2021-22, and the Senators have to be extremely excited about the possibility of DeBrincat playing with Tkachuk and Norris.

The contract situation is definitely something for Ottawa to monitor, as the Senators have had issues in the past with players not wanting to sign there long-term. But at the cost of their first-rounder, second-rounder, and a 2024 third, the chance to add a player of DeBrincat’s caliber for at least the next two years (and potentially longer) is definitely a risk worth taking.

For the Blackhawks, this trade is on one hand shocking and on the other wholly unsurprising. Davidson has made it no secret that he’d be stripping the roster bare in order to pursue a rebuild, and DeBrincat’s name had been floating in trade rumors for weeks. So the fact that he was ultimately dealt is not a surprise, especially when one considers the fact that the Blackhawks did not have a 2022 first-round pick until this trade. And having that seventh-overall pick is definitely a boon for a team looking to add more prospects to a depleted prospect pool.

That being said, there is a general sentiment that the return the Blackhawks received was a bit light when one takes into account DeBrincat’s age and talent level. A top-ten pick and a high second-rounder are two valuable assets, but only six players have scored more goals than DeBrincat over the last four years. He’s a superstar player who hasn’t even turned 25 years old. The last superstar-level player to be traded, Jack Eichel, net the Sabres a package that included NHL-ready talent such as Peyton Krebs and Alex Tuch as well as draft picks. While Eichel did have more years left on his contract, he also had some medical uncertainty, the kind of uncertainty the rarely-injured DeBrincat does not carry.

This trade is certainly going to be widely celebrated among Senators fans, but whether this trade is ultimately successful for Ottawa could depend on if they manage to sign DeBrincat to a long-term extension. For the Blackhawks, this trade is a major one, setting the tone for what could be a difficult few years as Davidson attempts to find the next set of core Blackhawks players. Finding one of those core players tonight, with the seventh-overall selection they just acquired, will be essential.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff was first on the deal. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Senators, Sabres Discussed Matt Murray Trade

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12:15pm: Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the deal would have included the Senators retaining some of the salary, and Buffalo moving up from No. 16 to No. 7 in today’s first round.

11:10am: With the shallow free agent goaltending market this year, teams are trying to get a bit more creative. One name that has popped up a few times is Matt Murray, the Ottawa Senators netminder who fell out of favor with the team and spent a good chunk of last season in the minor leagues. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Senators and Buffalo Sabres were “deep into conversations” about Murray.

Unfortunately for both teams, Murray has Buffalo on his 10-team no-trade list and, as Friedman puts it, “stuck to his list.” That would suggest the talks got far enough along to ask him about whether he would waive, as the Senators try to rid themselves of his contract. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia notes that Ottawa wouldn’t face the same issue with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are also “in the mix”, as Murray would agree to a move there.

It’s easy to understand why the Senators want to move on. Not only does Murray have a $6.25MM cap hit, but the actual salary owed is higher in the last two years of his deal, with a $7MM salary in 2022-23 and $8MM in 2023-24. Combine those escalating costs with inconsistent play and a handful of exciting goaltending prospects, and you have a player that needs to be shipped out of town.

The Sabres are looking for a veteran goaltender to help Craig Anderson carry the NHL load while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen continues to develop in the minor leagues, and given Murray’s experience–two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins–he certainly fits that bill, despite being just 28. For Buffalo, taking on a cap hit like that wouldn’t be an issue (the same can’t be said for Toronto), meaning they could likely have landed another asset along with Murray from the Senators.

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