Ottawa Senators Continue Their Search For a D-Man

Is it October yet? Heck, it’s not even September.

However, as much as general manager Pierre Dorion has improved his roster this off-season with prized acquisitions of forwards Alex DeBrincat, Claude Giroux and goaltender Cam Talbot, he hasn’t been able to complete his summer wish list by adding a top-flight defenseman.

Dorion, himself expressed his desire on multiple occasions to add a top-four d-man, but ask any NHL GM and they will tell you, there aren’t many dance partners willing to move such a player.

Chatter surrounding the Draft had the Senators interested in a pair of right-shot D, Penguins John Marino and Panthers MacKenzie Weegar, and of course Coyotes Jakob Chychrun.

Marino and Weegar have since been dealt. Marino to New Jersey in exchange for promising defender Ty Smith and 2023 third-rounder. While, Weegar, an Ottawa area resident, landed in Calgary as part of the blockbuster swap which saw Matthew Tkachuk and Jonathan Huberdeau trade places.

As for Chychrun, the subject of trade rumours for the better part of the past six-seven months, the Coyotes can elect to keep him. The 24-year old has three years remaining on his friendly contract, containing a $4.6 million average annual value. And they need his cap hit to stay above the $61M floor.

If Arizona general manager Bill Armstrong is to move him, it’ll be a dollars in, dollars out type deal with the addition of a prospect and a high draft pick.

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If the Senators are to play Let’s Make a Deal for Chychrun, Dorion would have to tie outgoing salary to the deal. Enter Nikita Zaitsev. At $4.5M for the next two seasons, Zaitsev’s cap hit is slightly less than that of Chychrun but is adequate for the Coyotes to stay above water.

The Senators’ prospect cupboard is full, and if there’s a requirement to add another player, they have the capability to do this too.

However, Draft capital comes at a premium. The 2023 Entry Draft is slated to be the first whereby most junior age players will have two full campaigns under their belt. This Draft in particular already has high expectations.

The Senators currently possess a 2023 first and second-round pick but do not have a third-round selection, having shipped it to Toronto along with goalie Matt Murray, and may wish to hang on to their picks.

The team is in a better position to swap 2024 picks, and will have extended time to recoup them – providing Dorion chooses to go this route in any possible deal.

Barring any late summer surprises, six weeks shy of training camp, Chychrun is the league’s premier blue-liner that’s available for the right price.

Free agency doesn’t hold any top four names.

P.K. Subban leads a veteran group that includes Calvin de Haan, Jack Johnson, Kris Russell, Michael Stone, Anton Stralman.

There are several clubs needing to clear cap space and others with an abundance of d-men seeking to deal.

Possibilities include:

Ethan Bear – Carolina – age 25 – RD – contract remaining – one year, $2.2M AAV.

Scott Mayfield – Islanders – age 29 – RD – contract remaining – one year, $1.45M AAV.

Marcus Pettersson – Pittsburgh – age 26 – LD – contract remaining – four years, $4.025M AAV.

Radim Simek – San Jose – age 29 – LD – contract remaining – two years, $2.25M AAV.

Carson Soucy – Seattle – age 28 – LD/RD – contract remaining – one year, $2.75M AAV.

Chris Tanev – Calgary – age 32 – RD – contract remaining – two years, $4.5M AAV.

If the Senators’ defense remains status quo heading into camp, their depth chart may appear some facsimile of this with interchanging parts:

Thomas Chabot – Artem Zub

Jake Sanderson – Travis Hamonic

Nick Holden/Erik Brannstrom – Nikita Zaitsev

Right-shot youngsters Jacob Bernard-Docker and Lassi Thomson, named Belleville’s top d-man last season are on the cusp of cracking the roster.

One bonus for the Senators’ blue line; Brannstrom, Holden, Sanderson all have the ability to shift to the right side if necessary.

Brannstrom, currently a restricted free agent, remains unsigned as the days nudge closer to main camp.

Pierre Dorion has pulled off a few surprises already this off-season, does he have another one up his sleeve?