Pierre Dorion is going to be busy this summer.
He has two key RFAs to sign in Brady Tkachuk and Drake Batherson. He has an Expansion Draft to navigate. And unless he trades them, he has six draft picks lined up in this year’s Entry Draft. Lots to figure out.
And on top of all of that, it sounds like he has a bit of off-season shopping planned.
Whether it’s through trade or free agency, it seems like the Ottawa Senators are in the market for a centre. Specifically, someone that can play on one of the team’s top two lines.
While Josh Norris took a huge step forward this off-season and Shane Pinto appears poised for a similar breakout, the Senators feel that a little more depth at the position is required.
Of course adding a productive centre is easier said than done. Every team in the NHL would like to add depth down the middle and it’s pretty rare that truly useful centres become available. On the free agent market, you have to be prepared to overpay and if you go that trade route, it could be costly.
But it’s clear that this is an area the Senators have prioritized this off-season. Bruce Garrioch had been dropping hints to that effect in his columns over the last couple weeks and Eugene Melnyk came right out and said it during his appearance on the Bob McCown podcast.
“There are two things we need: A good defensive defenceman and we almost need a veteran-type first-line centre and those aren’t easy to come by. “
Having a particular position in mind is a good start but figuring out how you want to go about it is another challenge entirely. They could go the free agent route although they won’t be the only team bidding on the open market. Trade is an option too, obviously. And then there is the question of whether they are looking for a long-term option that fits with the rebuilding plan or more of stop-gap solution.
So who could they target?
The pending UFA list is a bit of a mixed bag. There are some previously productive guys on the back end of their career. Guys like Ryan Getzlaf, Paul Statsny and David Krejci, for example. It’s slim pickings if you’re looking for a guy under 30 though. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins might be available but will likely command top dollar. Nick Bjugstad? Mikael Granlund? Phillip Danault? Not sure any of these guys really fit the mold of what Ottawa is looking for.
The trade route is where things start to get interesting.
You may have heard that Jack Eichel is available. Good luck in that bidding war, Pierre. Claude Giroux is entering the final year of his deal in Philadelphia and has a pretty Sens-looking contract (cap hit of 8.75 mil, salary of $5 mil). Quite local too. What about Nazem Kadri? Has a history with Head Coach DJ Smith, is entering the final year of his deal and has a base salary of just $2 million.
Both those guys have some form of trade protection though. Modified NTC for Kadri and a full no-move for Giroux.
The league’s announcement of a flat cap for the next couple seasons could create some interesting options too. We may hear some surprising names on the trade market this summer, especially among the cap crunched teams. Would Vegas move William Karlsson? Could Tampa Bay be forced to move Steven Stamkos? Maybe the Penguins finally bite the bullet and move on from Evgeni Malkin?
As you can see, targeting a particular position is one thing but finding the right fit at a price that makes sense is another challenge entirely.
Maybe just sign Eric O’Dell and call it a summer.
Who would you like to see the Senators target?
