Ottawa Senators: Top 5 players they must move at the trade deadline
The Ottawa Senators are expected to be one of the NHL’s most aggressive sellers at the 2020 NHL trade deadline. Which players should they trade?
In 2019, the Ottawa Senators were the biggest sellers at the trade deadline. They traded Mark Stone, Matt Duchene, and Ryan Dzingel, getting quite the haul for all three players. This season should be no different, as the Senators, much like last season, are among the worst teams in the NHL.
While the Sens don’t have anyone like Duchene or Stone to trade, they do have some interesting trade candidates. General Manager Pierre Dorion has done quite well recently in trades and he should be able to get a nice haul of picks and prospects at the deadline if he plays his cards right.
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The Senators should listen to offers for just about any player other than Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Colin White, along with their top prospects. They simply don’t have that many building block pieces, so why not be open to trading anyone for the right price?
Let’s take a look at the five players the Senators should, and most likely will, move at the 2020 trade deadline.
5. Tyler Ennis
Years Left: 1 (UFA)
Cap hit: $800,000
The Senators did a mighty fine job in free agency during the 2019 offseason. They wisely signed a few veterans to cheap one-year deals, hoping to effectively buy some picks and prospects. Tyler Ennis has been a success, as he has eight goals and 15 points through 31 games.
Ennis has been a nice guy for the young players to learn from and he’s been a positive force in their locker room. However, he is far more valuable to them as a trade chip at this point. Ennis should fetch the Senators a decent haul if he keeps up his production.
There certainly won’t be a shortage of suitors for him either. A lot of contenders don’t have that much cap space. This should make Ennis and his $800,000 cap hit very appealing. Teams are always looking to add depth forwards at the deadline. Ennis is one of the better ones who will be available.
Potential suitors: Just about every contender will likely at least check on the price for Ennis. But a few contenders stand out to me. Ennis fits the bill for the Edmonton Oilers – he’s cheap, he won’t cost much to add, and he’s a wing who has a pulse. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals are two other teams I could see him having success with.
4. Chris Tierney
Years Left: 1 (RFA)
Cap hit: $2.9375 million
Technically, Chris Tierney isn’t a rental forward. But with one year left on his deal, the Senators should listen to offers for him. Tierney is a fine top-nine forward, but he’s probably not going to be a long-term piece for them.
That said, the Senators shouldn’t feel forced to move him. As I said, Tierney’s a perfectly capable top-nine forward who can keep spots warm for young players. However, he’s an RFA after this season and he could be due a fairly substantial raise.
The Senators should start talking to him about an extension and see where it goes. If the price is too high, they should explore moving on from him. Tierney can play during all situations and would be a nice addition to just about anyone’s top-nine forward group.
With the rental market being fairly weak, teams who lose out on guys like Taylor Hall and Chris Kreider could be interested in Tierney. This is what smart teams do – they read the market and sell high when an asset’s perceived value is higher than their actual value.
Potential suitors: The Oilers would make sense for Tierney because, well, he’s a forward who has a pulse. He’d be a mighty fine third-line center for them or he could play in a top-six wing role if needed. The Boston Bruins would be a nice fit for him as well, as they value a lot of the things that he does well.
3. Ron Hainsey
Years left: 1 (UFA)
Cap hit: $3.5 million
Defenseman Ron Hainsey was the other major addition the Senators made in free agency. Much like Ennis, he has done fairly well, though not quite as well as Ennis. Hainsey is someone whose perceived value is higher than their actual value, especially for a contending team.
Teams are always looking to add defensive depth at the deadline. Hainsey fits the description of what teams are looking for. He can kill penalties and is actually fairly good at it. Hainsey is a third-pairing defenseman, but if you paired him with the right guy, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d be a passable top-four defenseman.
However, there are two issues with trading him. First of all, Hainsey has a 10-team no-trade list, though he could just put 10 non-contenders on that list and could still allow a trade to a team on that list. The more pressing issue is his $3.5 million cap hit. That’s a tad bit rich for someone like Hainsey. However, the Senators could retain some money to make the finances work.
Potential suitors: The Winnipeg Jets would make sense for Hainsey, given their lack of defensive depth. Likewise for the Montreal Canadiens. The San Jose Sharks could use some help on defense and they have a history of trading with the Senators.
2. Vladislav Namestnikov
Years Left: 1 (UFA)
Cap hit: $3.25 million
If you’re an Ottawa Senators fan and you’re looking for a reason to be optimistic about your team, Dorion’s a very capable general manager. I think the Vladislav Namsetnikov trade is a reason why. Dorion got him at a very reasonable price and he was a good player to buy low on, given his resume.
The Senators have watched his trade value improve, as he’s done surprisingly well with seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 26 games. Namestnikov hasn’t just been a top-six forward in terms of time on ice. He’s deserving of that role, albeit on a bad team.
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On a contender, I think Namestnikov would be a very solid top-nine forward. His versatility is huge, as he can play at center or on the wing, though he’s had more success at the latter. Namestnikov proved during his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning that he can play well with skilled players.
Much like Hainsey, his cap hit might be a bit rich for some contenders. But the Senators have the resources to retain salary, which could help facilitate a trade. Much like Tierney, I don’t think keeping Namestnikov around would be an awful idea. But he has more value to a contender than he does to the Senators.
Potential suitors: The Arizona Coyotes could use someone like Namestnikov. Also, keep an eye on the Colorado Avalanche. They’ve had success with similar players, such as Joonas Donskoi. Namestnikov seems like someone the Carolina Hurricanes would value.
1. Jean-Gabriel Pageau
Years Left: 1 (UFA)
Cap hit: $3.1 million
If the Senators can’t work something out with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, they need to trade him. He’d be one of the best, if not the best, centers available at the 2020 NHL trade deadline. Pageau is having a career year with 16 goals and seven assists for 23 points through 31 games.
It might be best for the Senators to sell quickly on Pageau. His current shooting percentage is 21.9%, which is well above his career average of 10.6%. Furthermore, the Senators have a 10.31% on-ice shooting percentage with Pageau on the ice. That ranks 54th among forwards, minimum 200 minutes.
Pageau can play during all situations and would be a good second-line center on just about any contender. And since he’s the best center available, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Senators get a 2020 first-round pick for him.
His cap hit is perfectly reasonable for someone of his caliber. However, as I said earlier, a lot of contenders don’t have much cap space. That’s fine because the Senators could easily help make the finances work.
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Potential suitors: I could see the Vegas Golden Knights being interested if Cody Glass doesn’t get back soon. However, they’d have to get a bit creative, thanks to their dire salary cap situation. Pageau would make a lot of sense for the New York Islanders, as they could use an upgrade down the middle.