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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.

Ottawa Senators Expected To Push For Claude Giroux

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With the Florida Panthers still hoping to try and re-sign him and several other teams waiting for their chance, Claude Giroux is a wanted man. One team that most might not have expected is the usually tight-budgeted Ottawa Senators, who have emerged as a “legitimate option” for the veteran forward according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

Not expected, until one is reminded that Giroux grew up and played his minor hockey in the area, and still has strong ties to Ottawa. The 34-year-old would be a huge splash for an organization that is trying to claw its way out of the rebuilding stage and contend for a playoff spot once again.

After buying out Colin White, the team has plenty of money and cap space to go after someone like Giroux, and could offer him a chance to play with young talents like Brady Tkachuk or Tim Stutzle. The veteran forward has played mostly wing the last few years but also has tons of experience in the middle, meaning he and Stutzle–just learning the center position himself–could share responsibilities, as right and left-handed options on the same line.

They won’t be the only team after Giroux though. He still put up 65 points in 75 games this season, including an outstanding 23-point run with the Florida Panthers after a midseason trade. There’s enough skill there to be a difference-maker for the Senators or any team at both even-strength and on the powerplay, even if he’s not going to be the 100-point player he was in his prime.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ottawa Senators Sign Dillon Heatherington

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The Ottawa Senators have completed a bit of work on draft day, signing Dillon Heatherington to a two-year, two-way extension. The deal will carry an average annual value of $762.5K, paying him $750K at the NHL level in 2022-23, and $775K in 2023-24. The contract also includes minor league salaries of $325K in both years.

Senators general manager Pierre Dorion released the following statement:

Dillon’s leadership this season was key to helping our defensive prospects in Belleville grow as players. He was a player we quickly identified that would be key to Belleville’s success moving forward. He filled in capably for us in Ottawa last year and showed us he has the smarts and high hockey IQ necessary to be an NHL defenceman.

Heatherington, 27, has just 20 games of NHL experience under his belt and would have been an unrestricted free agent in a few days. Instead, he’ll stick around in Belleville, where he racked up 13 points in 45 games this season. While he may also get a handful of games with the NHL club, there are a number of players ahead of him on the depth chart, meaning this is a move for AHL depth more than anything.

Though he’s never had a one-way deal in his career, the two-year term of this new contract will provide Heatherington with some career stability. It also comes with a very healthy minor league salary, a raise over the $250K he made last season.

Ottawa Senators To Buy Out Colin White

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July 6: White has cleared waivers, meaning the Senators can now exercise the buyout.

July 5: The Ottawa Senators have placed Colin White on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout, ending his time with the team. Because White is still just 25, the Senators will be on the hook for just one-third of the salary remaining on his contract. It will result in the following cap charges:

  • 2022-23: $875K
  • 2023-24: $875K
  • 2024-25: $-$625K*
  • 2025-26: $875K
  • 2026-27: $875K
  • 2027-28: $875K

*Because of the way the contract is structured, the team will actually receive a cap credit in the 2024-25 season.

White had three years remaining on the six-year, $28.5MM deal he signed in 2019 after his first full season in the NHL. When he scored 41 points that year, it appeared as though he was going to be a long-term option in the top-six, potentially even as a future first-line center for the team. Things were never the same after that, with just 51 points in the 130 games since, and plenty of time on injured reserve.

Once the buyout goes through tomorrow, the 2015 first-round pick will sit with more than 220 games of NHL experience and no team, meaning he could be a nice buy-low candidate for a contender looking to add skill around the margins. White has put up strong possession numbers his entire career, though that usually hasn’t resulted in actual offensive success. He also has almost no playoff experience, playing in just one postseason game during the team’s 2017 run.

For the Senators, who operate on an internal budget, a move like this represents savings of $10.5MM in actual salary. The cap change isn’t really all that meaningful for this year, though the Senators could very well be pushing up close to the cap ceiling in the next few years if players like Alex Formenton, Joshua Norris, and Tim Stutzle all sign long-term deals as restricted free agents.

Clearing White’s money off the books not only allows the team to spend more on their other young forwards but also opens up a roster spot for some of their prospects to battle over. It had become very clear that White had played his way out of the team’s long-term plans, meaning a split now was the obvious choice. Had they waited until next year, when he will be 26, they would have had to pay two-thirds of the remaining salary instead.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Offseason Notes: Chychrun, White, Dallas

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It’s been a while since we’ve heard Jakob Chychrun’s name atop trade rumors, especially when considering how he was viewed as one of the hottest commodities ahead of the Trade Deadline. It’s not often an under-25 defenseman with top-pairing pedigree becomes available, but the Arizona Coyotes decided not to move him just yet. That could change, however, as the Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger reports that the Blue Jackets and Coyotes are talking about a deal. While he couldn’t offer Chychrun’s name specifically, he also reminds that Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has said that the team could move their 12th overall pick at the 2022 draft in exchange for a young NHL player with term.

Chychrun certainly fits that bill, signed at just $4.6MM through 2025. It also matches up with the rumblings that Columbus is looking to add aggressively on defense, as multiple reports suggested they were in discussions with the Tampa Bay Lightning about landing Ryan McDonagh. If Arizona acquired the 12th overall selection, it would give them a jaw-dropping four first-round picks in addition to their five second-round picks.

  • There’s significant interest in soon-to-be free agent Colin White after he was placed on waivers for the purpose of a buyout today by the Ottawa Senators. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that up to 14 NHL teams have shown interest in White over the past few months, which could lead to a significant bidding war for his services once free agency opens. TSN’s Darren Dreger specifically names the Montreal Canadiens as a team that could be a fit, as general manager Kent Hughes was his agent prior to getting hired in Montreal.
  • The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta says the Dallas Stars are looking to add a significant punch at forward this offseason, specifically to add a jump to a line with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Dallas will reportedly be active on both the trade and free-agent markets, looking to be aggressive and squeeze out whatever this core has left in them to try and win a championship. Neither Benn nor Seguin, who are making above $9MM per season each, cracked the 50-point mark last year.

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