A little over 24 hours until the NHL’s trade deadline. Plenty of rumours surrounding the Senators right now. A quick run through the rumour mill below…
-Still think Chris Stewart is the primary target for the Senators but that doesn’t necessarily mean something gets done. When Tim Murray acquired Stewart from St. Louis it was certainly with the intention of flipping him to Ottawa. But now that Timmy has Stewart, I suspect he’s trying to get a little more out of Bryan than originally discussed. Uncle Bryan isn’t taking the bait. Shane Prince was held out of the line up in Bingamton recently and seems like a candidate to be involved in those discussions. You can be certain the Murrays will talk about Stewart again before tomorrow’s deadline.
-PA Parenteau is another option that remains in play for Ottawa. I believe the Senators were close to acquiring him before the deadline but some injuries up front forced the Avs into a situation where they had to hold on to him. Now Parenteau isn’t exactly the “power forward” Murray has been talking about but the Sens have certainly had interest in him in the past.
-The Chris Phillips situation is coming down to the wire. The two sides have exchanged deals and both seem optimistic there is time to get something done. The Senators would prefer to sign Phillips to a one year extension while Phillips is hoping for two. Murray addressed the situation yesterday and suggested that just because he can’t sign Phillips before the deadline, does not necessarily mean he’ll deal him. Suggestions that the return would be a top prospect and a pick seem a little ambitious. Boston, Colorado and Detroit have all been mentioned as teams that might have interest.
-The Senators also have a little over 24 hours to make a decision on Milan Michalek. I don’t think there’s a ton of interest but there have been a couple teams at least kicking tires. Have mentioned it a few times but Phoenix is definitely an option. Again, Murray really doesn’t seem interested in just trading away roster players for draft picks. His comment yesterday emphasized that fact. ““My role is, in all of this, at this time of year is to show the players and the group that if they are in the race, we’re going to try to help them stay in the race,”
-Spezza rumours- It would not be trade deadline day without some Spezza rumours. Murray was quick to deny the speculation yesterday but I would not be at all surprised if Spezza’s name did come up in trade discussions at some point. Although a comment from Spezza’s agent suggests this has not gone beyond informal discussions. The Senators will have to seriously explore trade options this summer and probably would like to get a sense of what the market is like right now. Mentioned this on Twitter yesterday but I really can’t see teams lining up for Spezza right now. The list of potential suitors would certainly be longer in the off season.
