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Trade Deadline Primer: Ottawa Senators

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With the All-Star break in the rearview, the trade deadline looms large and is now just two weeks away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Ottawa Senators.

This season has not gone according to plan for the Sens.  A popular pick to push for a playoff spot, they have instead languished for most of the year and find themselves at the basement of the Atlantic Division even after a coaching and GM change.  Despite that, there is still a capable young core to try to build around so GM Steve Staios might not necessarily operate as a true seller in his first trade deadline at the helm.

Record

24-27-3, 8th in the Atlantic

Deadline Status

Seller and Light Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$109.9K on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2024: BOS/DET 1st* OTT 1st^, OTT 2nd, DET 4th, OTT 4th, TB 4th, OTT 5th, OTT 6th
2025: OTT 1st^, OTT 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 4th, OTT 5th, OTT 6th, OTT 7th

*-Ottawa will receive the lowest of Boston and Detroit’s first-round picks as part of the Alex DeBrincat trade.

^-Ottawa must forfeit its own first-round pick in either 2024, 2025, or 2026 as punishment for failure to disclose Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade list in a voided 2022 trade.

Trade Chips

From the moment that they signed Vladimir Tarasenko to a one-year, $5MM contract, speculation began regarding a possible trade if Ottawa found itself out of the playoff race as it clearly is.  After being one of the prizes of the deadline a year ago, he could be a key pickup again for someone this time around as he has 37 points in 52 games so far.  However, he does have a full no-move clause so he can control where he goes and he has recently changed agents.  The Sens are believed to value his off-ice contributions with their young core group so it’s not a guarantee that he moves.  If he does, Ottawa will likely need to retain the maximum 50% of his contract to maximize their return, one that should get them a fairly high draft pick.

The Senators added Dominik Kubalik from Detroit as part of the DeBrincat trade but he has struggled.  After putting up 20 goals and 45 points last season, he has been limited to just nine tallies and a dozen points overall.  At a $2.5MM price tag, the Sens likely won’t be able to get much for him but he could be a buy-low candidate with a bit of upside for a team looking for depth.

On the non-rental side, Jakob Chychrun’s name has come up in plenty of speculation as well.  The Senators have made it clear that they’re not shopping him but with the 25-year-old having another year of team control at an affordable $4.6MM, they’re going to get plenty of calls.  Chychrun has 30 points so far, the second-most of his career while he’s averaging nearly 23 minutes a night.  If a team strikes out on landing Calgary’s Noah Hanifin, Chychrun could very well be a fallback plan although the price to get him should be high; it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they match the return they gave up for him a year ago (a first-round pick and two second-rounders).

Another non-rental option is blueliner Erik Brannstrom.  While he’s on an expiring contract, he’s controllable through restricted free agency through the 2026-27 campaign.  An offensive defenseman at the lower levels, Brannstrom has failed to make a significant impact on that front, notching just 12 in 48 games so far while he’s averaging just 15:43 per game.  Owed a $2MM qualifying offer, it feels like he’s trending toward non-tender territory if he stays in Ottawa so he’d be a potential buy-low candidate if a team wants to take an early look to see if he’d fit better in another system.

Other Potential Trade Chips: F Mathieu Joseph, F Mark Kastelic, F Jiri Smejkal, D Lassi Thomson

Team Needs

1) Cap Space – If Ottawa wants to try to add a piece, they need to free up cap room.  If they need to call up a player for the stretch run, they need cap room.  Basically, the Sens need to move out someone first to give themselves some much-needed flexibility before they can attempt to do much of anything else.

2) Veteran Leadership – This has been a long-reported goal since Staios took over for former GM Pierre Dorion.  While the Senators have some veterans including Claude Giroux and Travis Hamonic, this is still a fairly young core for the most part.  They believe that bringing in the right veteran piece or two could help this team take a step forward.  They’re known to have interest in Chris Tanev as the type of veteran addition they want for the back end but that would make more sense for an offseason move than an in-season one.  But if they can find a bottom-six forward that fits the bill, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them try to add that piece now.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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The trade deadline is less than three weeks away, and the rumor cycle continues to ramp up. The Blue Jackets’ recent firing of GM Jarmo Kekäläinen means interim GM John Davidson will manage their deadline approach as a major seller. At the same time, an injury to Penguins winger Jake Guentzel may have taken one of the top potential rental options off the table.

With much more to come in the next few weeks, it’s time for more answers to your questions from our Brian La Rose in the #PHRMailbag. Our last edition ran in two parts during the All-Star break. Part one focused on the Kings’ struggles, Calder Trophy challengers, and some recent coaching changes, while Part Two discussed the Sabres’ crash-and-burn year, a potential deadline haul for Ducks forward Adam Henrique, and what the Red Wings could do with Patrick Kane.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.

Devils Place Nathan Bastian On IR

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Devils winger Nathan Bastian landed on IR Friday after he was on the receiving end of a hit from Rangers rookie Matt Rempe in last night’s contest, per the team. New Jersey recalled winger Brian Halonen from AHL Utica in a corresponding transaction.

Officials assessed Rempe a match penalty on the play, which occurred 2:25 into the game. He will not be subject to supplemental discipline. Bastian took only two shifts later in the contest and did not play at all in the third period.

The IR placement indicates Bastian will miss at least one week with his lower-body injury, ruling him out of the Devils’ next three games. The 26-year-old has appeared in 54 of 56 games for New Jersey, posting five goals, seven assists, and a -10 rating while averaging 10:09 per game. The 6-foot-4, 205-lb winger signed a two-year, $2.7MM deal to return to the Devils last summer after briefly hitting free agency and will be a UFA again in 2025.

The 25-year-old Halonen gets his first NHL recall after signing with New Jersey as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan Tech in 2022. In the back half of his entry-level deal, the Delano, Minnesota native has missed a good chunk of 2023-24 with injuries but has been Utica’s best goal-scorer when healthy, potting 13 markers in only 21 games.

Halonen is unlikely to dress for tomorrow’s game against Montreal while the Devils opt for a more veteran fourth-line complement of Tomáš Nosek and Chris Tierney to youngster Alexander Holtz. He’ll be available to the team as a 13th forward in case of an additional injury or unexpected scratches among their forward group.

 

Capitals Recall Hendrix Lapierre

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The Capitals summoned 2020 first-round pick Hendrix Lapierre from AHL Hershey on Friday, per a team release. Washington must open a roster spot to execute this recall, meaning either Nic Dowd or T.J. Oshie has likely been placed on IR. Dowd has been out for the last three days with an upper-body injury, while Oshie sustained a non-contact lower-body injury against the Lightning yesterday and is still undergoing evaluation, head coach Spencer Carbery said. Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports that Dowd will be the one heading to IR, ruling him out of Washington’s next two games.

Lapierre, 22, skated in 25 games for the Capitals earlier this season, scoring twice and adding five assists with a -3 rating while averaging a paltry 9:34 per game. He’s been in Hershey for the last month, where he’s taken a leap forward in his development with 17 points in 21 on the AHL’s best team.

Viewed as a top prospect heading into the 2020 draft, serious injuries limited his draft stock and allowed him to slip out of the top 15. He’s rebounded nicely, averaging over a point-per-game in juniors after his draft and demonstrating linear growth with Hershey.

Lapierre is a projected scratch for tomorrow’s game against the Panthers, although he may slot into the lineup in a bottom-six role if the Capitals opt not to have another recent call-up, Pierrick Dubé, make his NHL debut.

The Gatineau, Québec, native remains waivers-exempt in the second season of his entry-level deal. He carries a cap hit of $863.3K and will be an RFA in 2025.

Capitals, Predators Undecided On Deadline Strategy

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Both the Capitals and Predators remain within striking distance of a playoff spot two weeks away from the trade deadline. However, the pair of former and current Barry Trotz-staffed teams aren’t exactly underperforming their already mediocre expectations. As such, stretches of inconsistent play for both teams have them undecided on whether to sell off their pending UFAs, Pierre LeBrun reports for The Athletic on Friday.

The Capitals and Predators are ninth in their respective conferences and have no teams to leapfrog to get into the last Wild Card spot. Nashville has a greater chance of making it in – they’re tied with the eighth-place Blues at 62 points but have played one more game than their Central Division rivals. Washington is five points behind the Lightning and has three games in hand, still giving them a decent shot to make up ground over the next two weeks despite a -30 goal differential that ranks seventh in the Metropolitan Division.

As LeBrun reports, it’ll be a waiting game for each front office as they hold off for as long as possible before deciding whether or not to acquire assets or make a run for the postseason. Two of the Capitals’ next four games are against key divisional and Wild Card rivals in Detroit and Philadelphia – a pair of wins there, plus a victory over the division-worst Senators, put them in a favorable position to make it a battle down the stretch for captain Alex Ovechkin to make his return to playoff hockey.

Nashville’s next three games all come against bottom-feeder teams before an all-too-important clash with the Wild, another Wild Card challenger, to close out the month. The Blues have a much more difficult schedule to close out February, facing three teams in playoff position in Detroit, Winnipeg and Edmonton – all on the road.

Joel Edmundson, Anthony Mantha and Max Pacioretty would be the primary trade targets from Washington, and LeBrun reports GM Brian MacLellan is willing to retain salary if they opt to sell. All three of their retention slots are open. Edmundson, in particular, would be a doable add for any contender – the Capitals already have him at half his original cap hit after a retained salary trade from the Canadiens. They could further slash his cap hit to $875K if they retain half in a second deal. He has a 10-team no-trade clause as part of his deal, however.

Pacioretty fully controls his destiny with a no-movement clause. However, at age 35 and coming off back-to-back Achilles tendon injuries, he’d likely want a chance at a Stanley Cup elsewhere if Washington decides to sell. The six-time 30-goal scorer has just one marker in 20 games this season.

The 29-year-old Mantha is having somewhat of a resurgence under first-year head coach Spencer Carbery with 18 goals in 51 games, his highest goal total since back-to-back 20-goal campaigns with the Red Wings five years ago. The Capitals can reduce his cap hit as low as $2.85MM without involving a third party.

Nashville’s pending UFAs carry a little less prestige and trade value – even once-renowned power-play quarterback Tyson Barrie has been a healthy scratch at times this season and is having his worst offensive campaign in over a decade. 26-year-old center Thomas Novak is an interesting proposition for contenders if he becomes available, especially in a thin market at just $800K against the cap. He has 29 points in 46 games this season, tied for fifth on the team while averaging 14:19 per game.

The shiny object in Trotz’s arsenal is starting netminder Juuse Saros. While he carries term on his deal, his name has been popping up in trade talks more frequently, and it’ll only appear more if Nashville falters and enters sell mode.

Unlike Washington, the Predators don’t have the ability to retain the salary of multiple players. Two of their three slots are taken up by Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Johansen, each through at least 2025. They’re also carrying significant dead cap in the form of the buyouts of Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris through 2028.

Golden Knights Recall Jakub Demek, Place Brett Howden On IR

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The Golden Knights recalled forward Jakub Demek from AHL Henderson on Friday, per a team announcement. Forward Brett Howden was moved to IR in a corresponding transaction, per CapFriendly.

Howden, 25, was scratched for last night’s 7-3 loss to the Maple Leafs and is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. As a result of today’s IR placement, he has been ruled out of the first two games of Vegas’ upcoming road trip and is eligible to return on Feb. 29 in Boston.

The 20-year-old Demek has never been recalled in his professional career. Selected by Vegas in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, the Slovak winger could be in line to make his NHL debut against the Senators on Saturday.

He’s currently listed as a projected scratch on CapFriendly’s depth chart for Vegas, but an already banged-up forward core got injured further when Paul Cotter took a hard hit from Toronto rookie Matthew Knies last night. Cotter finished the game, however, meaning Demek’s recall may be precautionary in case any other Vegas forwards come down with the injury bug in the next 48 hours.

Selected out of HC Kosice in the Slovak Extraliga, Demek came to North America after being picked up by Vegas in the Entry Draft and spent the following two seasons with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings and Kamloops Blazers, playing in back-to-back Memorial Cups. He didn’t quite crack the point-per-game mark at the junior level but hovered near it and remains on track to deliver the expected value for his draft billing.

Now in his first professional season, Demek has five goals and 13 points through 44 games with the Silver Knights, along with a -5 rating. Vegas would rather let the 6-foot-4, 210-lb forward continue working with development staff in Henderson. However, injuries to five regular forwards (William Carrier, Pavel Dorofeyev, Jack Eichel, Howden, and captain Mark Stone) have forced them to reach deep into their pool of minor-league players.

Demek is in the first season of his three-year, entry-level contract with a cap hit of $851,683. He remains waivers-exempt and will be an RFA in 2026.

Jean-Guy Talbot Passes Away

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Longtime Canadiens defenseman Jean-Guy Talbot passed away Thursday, per an obituary from NHL.com columnist Dave Stubbs. Talbot was 91 years old.

Born in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Québec, in 1932, Talbot was the second-last surviving member of the group of 12 players who remained with the Canadiens during their NHL-record five consecutive championships from 1956 to 1960. Those were the first five full seasons of Talbot’s NHL career – he would go on to win the Cup twice more with Montreal in 1965 and 1966.

Talbot was among the Habs’ many key figures of the late Original Six era, playing over 800 games in a Montreal sweater between 1955 and 1967. While his career-best 1961-62 campaign didn’t result in an eighth Stanley Cup win, Talbot’s five goals, 42 assists, 47 points, and +30 rating in 70 games placed him third in Norris Trophy voting behind the Blackhawks’ Pierre Pilote and the Rangers’ Doug Harvey. He was also named to the year-end All-Star team for the only time in his career.

His Montreal tenure ended when the Canadiens left him unprotected in the 1967 Expansion Draft, where the Minnesota North Stars selected him. He was traded to the Red Wings just four games into the 1967-68 season, though, and switched teams for a second time that year when the Blues claimed him off waivers from Detroit in January. Talbot remained in St. Louis for most of the remainder of his career, closing out his playing days briefly with the Sabres after a trade in 1970-71.

After retirement, Talbot stayed in the game as a coach, taking over behind the Blues bench in 1972-73 after the team fired Al Arbour, who would win four straight Stanley Cups with the Islanders between 1980 and 1983. Talbot resigned from his post with the Blues late in the 1973-74 season and would coach the WHA’s Denver Spurs in 1975-76, which relocated to Ottawa mid-season before folding. He returned to the NHL as the coach of the Rangers in 1977-78 but only spent one season behind the bench.

Talbot resided in Trois-Rivières, Québec, and is survived by his wife of over 70 years, Pierrette, two sons, a daughter, and five granddaughters. PHR extends its deepest condolences to Talbot’s family and the Canadiens organization.

Lightning Place Alex Barre-Boulet On Waivers

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Feb. 23: Barre-Boulet cleared waivers on Friday, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Lightning may now assign him to AHL Syracuse at their discretion.

Feb. 22: The Tampa Bay Lightning have placed forward Alex Barre-Boulet on waivers, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. This move corresponds with their recalling of Cole Koepke this morning. Barre-Boulet has appeared in 36 games with Tampa this season, scoring six goals and nine points. It’s the first time that the 26-year-old has played in 20 or more NHL games in one season, with much of his career being spent in the minor leagues up to this point.

Barre-Boulet has earned an NHL role after an explosive season in the AHL last year that saw him score 24 goals and 84 points in 69 games. That mark ranked second among all AHL skaters in scoring, just one point behind Arizona Coyote Michael Carcone, who managed 31 goals and 85 points in 65 games. Barre-Boulet’s career-high productivity last year maintained a trend of scoring he’s established in the minors, totaling 283 points across 271 career AHL games.

This includes 68 points, split evenly, in 74 games during the 2018-19 season, Barre-Boulet’s first season as a pro. No AHL rookie has topped his rookie year production, though Buffalo Sabres forward John-Jason Peterka managed to tie the scoring in four fewer games in 2021-22. But unlike Peterka, who has 19 goals and 37 points in 56 NHL games this season, Barre-Boulet has yet to find his scoring groove at the top level. He’s managed just 18 points in his first 68 career games, dating back to his debut in the 2020-21 season.

Barre-Boulet is no stranger to waivers, with this move marking the fifth time he’s been waived in his career. He’s also not a stranger to changing teams as a result, joining the Seattle Kraken as a waiver claim for a brief two games before the Kraken waived him as well and Tampa reclaimed him.

Canadiens Claim Colin White, Assign Brandon Gignac To AHL

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Feb. 23: Gignac cleared waivers Friday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The AHL’s Laval Rocket confirmed that Gignac had been reassigned to them by Montreal.

Feb. 22: The Montreal Canadiens have claimed forward Colin White off of waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team has placed Brandon Gignac on waivers in order to make space for White’s arrival. This move marks a reunion between White and general manager Kent Hughes, who represented White as a player agent before moving into a team role.

White will be moving to his fourth NHL franchise with this move, after just 11 games with the Penguins. The 27-year-old centerman signed a one-year, two-way, $775K contract with the Penguins before the season, earning the deal after signing a professional try-out. But his only scoring this season has come in the AHL, where he’s scored 10 points, split evenly, in 21 games. White was placed on waivers on October 8th and remained in the minor leagues until January 13th.

White has fallen a long way since being drafted 21st overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He lived up to the high selection quickly, scoring 76 points across 72 games with Boston College before playing his rookie season in the 2018-19 season. And he looked the part in his rookie season as well, scoring 14 goals and 41 points in 71 games. But he has only broken 20 points one time since then, seeing a gradual decrease in his production every season since. He will likely step immediately into the Montreal lineup, in place of Gignac who was operating as the team’s fourth-line center, though injuries to Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Christian Dvorak could offer a chance for White to see expanded opportunity.

Montreal faces the Penguins on Thursday evening, giving White the rare chance for a revenge game on the same day as his team-change. The Canadiens also have Michael Pezzetta recalled to the NHL roster, offering depth in the event that White isn’t ready to go. Either way, he’ll kick off his search for the first point of his season, and his Canadiens career, when he slots into the lineup.

Afternoon Notes: Pouliot, Jankowski, Johnson

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The Dallas Stars made a move today as they’ve assigned defenseman Derrick Pouliot to the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League. Pouliot was called up earlier in the week and dressed in three games for Dallas, posting no points while averaging 13:15 of ice time per game. Pouliot’s demotion could mean that one of Jani Hakanpää or Nils Lundkvist is set to return.

The 30-year-old Pouliot was the eighth overall pick in the 2012 NHL entry draft and has never been able to establish himself as a full-time NHLer. At this point in his career, he continues to be a productive AHL defenseman and a good depth option for NHL teams. Pouliot has eight goals and 23 assists in 44 AHL games this season.

In other afternoon notes:

  • The Nashville Predators have reassigned Mark Jankowski to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. Jankowski had a goal in the Predators’ 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings last night and has two goals in seven NHL games this season. The 29-year-old was also a first-round pick in the 2012 NHL entry draft and is having a terrific AHL season with 15 goals and 32 assists in 40 games. Jankowski will rejoin a Milwaukee team that has won 18 games in a row.
  • Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reported that Buffalo Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson missed practice this morning due to an illness. Johnson joined the likes of Victor Olofsson and Eric Comrie who have also been dealing with an illness. Johnson will not play tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets and will likely be replaced on the third pairing by Ryan Johnson. The Sabres will be without several regular defensemen as Owen Power also remains sidelined with a hand injury. Johnson has had his name in trade rumors as of late and will likely continue to hear that as the trade deadline nears.

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