The NHL Trade Deadline is now just 12 days away.
On February 24th, General Managers across the National Hockey League will lock themselves in a room, have a few drinks and make a bunch of really questionable and entirely panic-driven trades.
It’s one of the best days of the year.
And once again, at the centre of it all, will be Senators General Manager Pierre Dorion. Although unlike previous years, Dorion is in the driver’s seat. There will be no last-minute trades of star players this time around. The Ottawa Senators are in a clear rebuilding phase and that should make things a little more straightforward in the Nation’s Capital.
Ottawa’s roster is littered with expiring contracts and tradeable assets. And at the same time, the Senators are nowhere near a playoff spot. The “seller” label is fairly apparent around these parts.
The Senators approach the deadline with an incredible 10 players on expiring UFA contracts. Another six guys will be RFAs this summer. In fact, only 8 players on the active roster have contracts beyond this season.
No team in the NHL has the kind of contract flexibility the Senators have heading into the deadline. When you add in the fact that the Senators also have a league-high five draft picks in the first two rounds, it’s safe to assume that Pierre’s phone will be ringing off the hook.
Exciting times ahead, folks.
And as we prepare for the deadline, here’s a new table I like to call, The Tradeables. It’s a fairly arbitrary ranking of who might be on the move in the next couple weeks. I will update it every 15 minutes until deadline day or whenever I actually remember (likely never).
Disagree with the list? Tell me why. Have your own predictions to share? Let’s hear ’em. Just admiring the expert table-making abilities? I don’t blame you.
| PLAYER |
STATUS | PREDICTION |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jean-Gabriel Pageau | Having a career-year and probably the best centre available. No contract talks to date. EDM, COL, PHI, NYI, TB will all have interest. | Traded at the deadline. |
| 2. Dylan DeMelo | One of the few right-shot defenceman available. CAR, WPG, PIT all looking for D help. | Traded at the deadline. |
| 3. Chris Tierney | An RFA this summer, could generate some interest. Likely sticks around if Pageau goes. | Signs with Ottawa this summer. |
| 4. Tyler Ennis | Steady offensive production this year that could be of interest to a team looking for veteran depth up front. | Traded at the deadline. |
| 5. Mark Borowiecki | Heart and soul player in the midst of a career year. Likely to generate some interest at the deadline but Senators considering an extension. | Signs extension with Ottawa. |
| 6. Ron Hainsey | Could provide veteran depth for a playoff bound team. Senators will listen to offer but may be open to bringing Hainsey back next year. | Finishes the season in Ottawa. |
| 7. Craig Anderson | UFA this summer and unlikely to return to Ottawa. Has struggled lately. Available but limited interest to this point. Florida, Colorado may have interest. | Finishes the season in Ottawa. |
| 8. Vladislav Namestnikov | Could be of interest to a playoff-bound team looking for cheap forward depth. Senators would listen but unlikely to generate much interest. | Signs elsewhere this summer. |
| 9. Connor Brown | Has been one of Ottawa’s most consistent forwards and a favourite of DJ Smith. No trade speculation | Signs with Ottawa this summer. |
| 10. Anthony Duclair | Duclair has cooled off after a hot start. No trade speculation. | Signs with Ottawa this summer. |
-In case you missed it, Jim Little, the new CEO of the Ottawa Senators, made his first radio appearance this morning. The interview covers a number of topics and gives an initial sense of the off-ice priorities of the organization going forward. Spoiler alert- selling tickets is a big part of it. What’s encouraging about Little is he seems to have a good sense of where the team has come up short recently and he also seems to understand the importance of having an actual plan to turn things around. If he can last longer than six months, the Senators might actually be on to something with this hire.
