‘Tis the season to be trading (no, not hockey cards). Amid all the rumours of the trade deadline season, the Ottawa Senators need to shore up their roster if they want to make a concerted effort to reach Lord Stanley’s 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. We will add, based on their current roster, there is the potential to do this internally if the stars align. However, the Ottawa Senators are taking the necessary steps in becoming a very responsible organization. And with the trade deadline fast approaching, it’ll be interesting to see which moves general manager Steve Staios is ultimately willing to pull the trigger on.
Ottawa Senators Trade Target Rumours
The Senators are a team that is known to lack in one pool in particular, and an important one in that when it comes to the trade deadline season, draft picks. This is okay in some sense, you know, based on the team’s success in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. They are just now seeing the dividends of that important draft. This time through each of their players’ career trajectory, should be and is, that they maintain high levels of consistency and still at a good price.
As it were, that is actually one of the Senators difficulties. That is, the fact that the Sens are a team that is up against the salary cap. Currently, they have $1.655 million of anticipated deadline cap space. However, that assumes that Jacob Bernard-Docker stays on long-term injury reserve. Beyond the trade deadline itself, the Sens actually have a different problem on their hands. Once JBD is healthy, they will need to figure out how to stay under the cap, as the players to be sent down will have to clear waivers in order to do so. The top candidates being Matthew Highmore or Nikolas Matinpalo for that honour. Not an easy decision.
Trying to Decide What to Do
Staios may have to think outside the box at some point regarding the Ottawa Senators trade rumours. It is very difficult to know who to move on from, if the Senators want to be active at the trade deadline. In some ways, it really points to Anton Forsberg as the one to give up. He is a pending unrestricted free agent, currently making $2.75 million. Ordinarily, guys like David Perron or Michael Amadio would be options, but those are the kind of guys powering this team along through the grind.
But, if we do really want to dream for a minute, just what is Steve Staios looking to add to this group? Scoring. They have proven to be very good defensively with players like Perron and Shane Pinto to fill out the lineup. With Pinto practicing in a non-contact jersey as of yesterday, that is why the injuries of recent have been so noticeable in the team’s performance. However, we’re just coming off a two week break and before the two week break, the Senators were very hot. They need to find some rhythm and find the rhythm quickly in order to establish their dominance amongst those battling for the Eastern Conference wild card position in the postseason.
It’s real. It’s there for the Sens, as they haven’t been there the last few years. They need to figure out how to flip the switch. Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, Josh Norris, and others, these guys should be winners. They should be able to make the playoffs. So, what’s left to discuss? It is who is available in terms of snipers that the Sens could pick up that would be an upgrade. Let’s just forget about the salary cap for a second. The justification is, just look at the return for guys like J.T. Miller or Mikko Rantanen thus far, there are trades to be made. You know, if they can make it work financially.
The Wish List of Acquisitions for the Ottawa Senators Trade Rumours
First of all, it would be Brock Boeser. Here is a tough winger with a proven track record of goal scoring and he’s able to be responsible. Another type of alternative would be Jordan Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues. When you think of a player of his speed and skill, you began to realize who really benefits the Ottawa Senators. It just goes to show that they are a very deep and well-structured team. Thus, keeping themselves in the playoff picture this late in the season.
In any sense, the Ottawa Senators are team that would love to add some scoring depth for the postseason. However, they do have a few aspects that really hamper their ability to get things done. First of all, it is their depth beyond their top six when it comes to putting in the puck in the net. Yes, they are very good players, but they need to get the job done. Secondly, it does seem like injury problems have snuck up on the Senators when you have a two-week break and names like Jacob Bernard-Docker, Shane Pinto, Joshua Norris and Brady Tkachuk are (at least initially) missing from the lineup. We’re not saying that it is a problem, but it could be a problem. So, how is management going to fix and address such an issue. That will be to be decided.
Main Photo Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
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