Once again the Ottawa Senators appear poised to be sellers at the NHL trade deadline.
The Senators (21-34-5) are nowhere near playoff contention and are set to have their fifth straight losing record.
This was supposed to be the start of the Senators turning things around. Back in 2019 owner Eugene Melnyk had said 2021 would be the start of a “five-year run of unparalleled success.”
Things haven’t exactly gone as planned and so once again Senators general manager Pierre Dorion has the “For Sale” sign hanging out.
While the Senators have a number of unrestricted free agents they could part ways with, the most interesting at this point could be the future of Nick Paul.
The 26-year-old left winger was drafted and developed by the organization and has become a solid third-line player for the Senators.
Negotiations have been ongoing, but the fact a deal hasn’t been finalized yet doesn’t bode well.
The Senators have games Friday and Saturday and it could be telling should Paul not play.
When Dorion met with reporters last Friday he admitted his phone wasn’t ringing off the hook, but a lot can change in a week and it has for the Senators.
Last week, Dorion said his preference was for Matt Murray and Anton Forsberg, also set to become an unrestricted free agent, to finish out the season as a tandem.
This week we learned there’s a chance Murray may not be able to return to action this season. The question is will the Senators attempt to resign Forsberg before the deadline or just ride out the season?
It doesn’t appear Forsberg is overly concerned one way or another.
“Everybody knows my history,” Forsberg said. “I’ve been moving around a lot and I’m kind of used to it. I really don’t try and think about it at all. I’m here to do my job.”
Chris Tierney, Zach Sanford, Tyler Ennis and Josh Brown are also pending unrestricted free agents and could be on the move.
Sanford might be the most attractive of the four as he has Stanley Cup championship experience with the St. Louis Blues and could be a solid addition to someone’s bottom six.
It should be noted that earlier this month TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Victor Mete’s agent had been granted permission to seek a trade for his client. You have to wonder if the Senators will reconsider that offer now that star defenceman Thomas Chabot’s season has come to an end due to a broken hand suffered in Wednesday’s game against Columbus.
There’s no doubt the Senators have a number of key pieces in place for success with players like Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, Tim Stutzle and Chabot, but there remain some big holes to fill in order for them to become a true Stanley Cup contender.
Dorion admitted the team has some specific needs moving forward.
“It’s no secret for us to get to the next level we need another top-six forward and a top-four defenceman, but those don’t just grow on trees,” Dorion said. “We definitely have a top four ‘D’ in Jake Sanderson once he reaches maturity and he might be a top-two defenceman on our team.
“We’ve got a few top-six forwards but they’re not there yet. Getting a top-six forward and top-four defencemen, other GMs and organizations don’t just hand them out.”
It’s not likely Dorion is going to make that kind of deal at the trade deadline, but this summer will be a very big one if this team has any aspirations of moving from a seller to a buyer next season.
At the same time, you can guarantee Dorion will temper expectations. Earlier this season he had proudly announced the rebuild was over and later had to take back his words after the team faltered.
He was much more cautious when asked about next year’s potential success.
“We want to be a competitive team and we want to be a team that fights for a playoff spot as soon as next year,” Dorion said. “Once you get into the playoffs then anything can happen. We’ll take it step-by-step.”
For now, Dorion needs to get through this trade deadline before he can evaluate his needs for next season.