The Skinny: Senators send Pending UFA Tyler Motte to the Rangers

After it was learned pregame the Ottawa Senators would sit Tyler Motte for trade-related reasons, it didn’t take long for the club to announce they dealt the pending unrestricted free agent to the New York Rangers.

Trade announcement: The #Sens have acquired forward Julien Gauthier and a conditional seventh-round draft pick in 2023 from the @NYRangers in exchange for forward Tyler Motte. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/rTXRCUWUH1

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— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) February 19, 2023

Senators Trade Tyler Motte To The Rangers

In exchange, the Senators receive forward Julien Gauthier and a conditional 2023 seventh-round pick. If the Rangers get through the opening round of the playoffs, the pick improves to the lower of the Rangers 2023 sixth-round-selection or a Winnipeg Jets sixth which the Rangers own in a previous deal.

Per Senators’ general manager Pierre Dorion;  “Julien Gauthier is a hard-working, good skating winger with a big body who routinely goes to the opponent’s net. His north/south game should be a nice addition to our lineup.”

Gauthier, a 2016 21st overall selection by the Carolina Hurricanes is a big-bodied player who skates well but is still finding his way at the NHL level per a league executive.

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Dealt to the Rangers at the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline, the six-foot-four, 227-pound right wing has registered six goals, and three assists in 40 games for the Blueshirts this, his fourth NHL season.

The 25-year-old has played 136 regular season games plus three in the postseason, garnering 11 goals, and 16 assists.

Gauthier has a winning pedigree. Among his accolades, earning a Calder Cup victory with the American League Charlotte Checkers in 2019.

The native of Pointe-Aux-Trembles, QC has two Quebec Junior League championships to his name; one while playing with Val D’Or in 2014 and another with the 2017 Saint-Jean Sea Dogs where he was acquired after playing for Canada at the World Junior tourney. His teammates at Saint-Jean and with the Canadian Junior team – current Senators, Thomas Chabot and Mathieu Joseph.

On a one-year, $800,000 contract, Gauthier is a pending restricted free agent at season’s end.

Senators’ head coach D.J. Smith is looking forward to inserting Gauthier immediately into lineup Monday afternoon in Boston, “He’s a big strong guy that’s in phenomenal shape that can skate and you know he’s looking for a fresh start and you know, we’ll get them right in the lineup tomorrow.”

Signed as a stop-gap by the Senators prior to training camp to fill the void of unsigned RFA Alex Formenton. The Rangers re-acquire Tyler Motte whom they traded for at last season’s trade deadline. They receive a versatile forward who’s a solid bottom-six forward and penalty killer.

Motte has three goals, and six assists in 38 games this season. He missed 15 games due to a broken finger.

Smith told Full Press Hockey, Motte did everything asked of him in his short tenure with the team, “In his short time “Motter” was an unbelievable pro here. Unfortunately got hurt. You know, he’s way more physical than I think people give him credit for. He’s a kind of guy you’re gonna need in the playoffs for New York. They had him last year and they want him to be that guy for them. For us, you know, he did everything we asked of him.”