It appears that the Ottawa Senators and Alex DeBrincat are preparing to go their separate ways.
Just a few days after Pierre Dorion talked about the need to explore options and a day after Elliotte Friedman confirmed that Ottawa was indeed gauging the market, we now know that the process has taken another small step towards a potential trade.
According to Pierre LeBrun on Inside Trading, DeBrincat’s Camp has provided the Senators with a list of preferred destinations.
It’s worth pointing out that this isn’t the same as a no-trade clause situation. Dorion can trade him wherever the heck he wants. But what this does do is provide the Senators with a little additional leverage in that they now know destinations where DeBrincat may be open to a contract extension.
LeBrun didn’t officially disclose the teams that might be on said list but he did guess that it might include the likes of Nashville, Vegas, Dallas and Detroit. Carolina seems to make some sense too.
This certainly wasn’t Dorion’s ideal scenario heading into the summer but it was always a possibility from the moment DeBrincat was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks last off-season.
It goes without saying but the Senators will be looking for impact players in any potential trade. At the same time, even with the heightened speculation over the last week or so, they really don’t need to move him yet if the return isn’t where it needs to be.
It’s disappointing that the Senators haven’t been able to sell Alex DeBrincat on what is pretty clear a path to something special in Ottawa. At the same time, this could open up all sorts of opportunities for Dorion to acquire pieces that can help this team get over the hump and reallocate DeBrincat’s money elsewhere.
Onward and upward.
