Is there a Canucks trade to be made with the Ottawa Senators?
The Ottawa Senators made a blockbuster trade they preferred not to make on Sunday.
Their hand was forced by Brady Tkachuk, who reportedly made it known that he wasn’t interested in staying in Ottawa long term. So the Senators traded their captain to the Florida Panthers, reuniting him with older brother Matthew Tkachuk, in exchange for three first-round draft picks and a second-round selection.
“This was not a decision we took lightly, but ultimately we did what we felt was best for the long-term future of our hockey club,” said Sens GM Steve Staios. “We now possess cap space and draft capital and will be actively working to improve our roster.”
Ottawa is now loaded with draft picks, including picks No. 9, 25, and 32 in the first round of this Friday’s draft. But having made the playoffs in back-to-back years, the Senators aren’t interested in rebuilding. They’re expected to be active, willing to trade draft picks for immediate help.
That’s where the Vancouver Canucks may come in.
The Sens were already reportedly interested in Jake DeBrusk. Is there another player on Vancouver’s roster that might pique their interest?
As a team that struggles to keep its own players and isn’t a popular free agent destination, even when they’re good, would the Senators be willing to take on Elias Pettersson’s contract? It would reunite the 27-year-old with Travis Green, who coached Pettersson for the first three and a half seasons of his career.
Even if Ottawa had interest, Pettersson would need to sign off on a deal, given that he has a full no-movement clause in his contract. That’s also the case with DeBrusk, Brock Boeser, Filip Hronek and Marcus Pettersson, in addition to both of Vancouver’s goaltenders, Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen.
“I’ve talked to some teams over the last few days that say he’s definitely available,” NHL insider Pierre LeBrun said recently about Elias Pettersson. “So is Boeser, obviously, so is DeBrusk. I mean, the Canucks, they want to tear it all down, continue the rebuild.”
There aren’t a ton of obvious veteran players to trade otherwise, assuming Canucks GM Ryan Johnson would like to hold onto younger players like Marco Rossi, who is just 24.
They could deal Nils Höglander, who turned 25 in December, though his value is at rock bottom following a career-low five-point season. They could also trade 28-year-old winger Drew O’Connor, who is coming off a career-best season in goals (17), if Ottawa isn’t among the 12 teams on his no-trade list.
DeBrusk does seem like the best fit for the Senators, and Johnson should be doing cartwheels if Staios offers a first-round pick for him. It’ll be interesting to see what DeBrusk’s trade value is, following a 42-point season. While his power-play production was elite with 24 points on the man advantage, DeBrusk’s 18 even-strength points ranked 390th league-wide.
This week promises to be a busy one for the Canucks, as the Sedins and Johnson continue putting their stamp on the franchise. The Canucks are currently armed with 10 picks in this year’s draft, including four in the first 41 selections.
While Johnson is not expected to trade away picks like his predecessors, we could see more veteran players moved as the Canucks attempt to reset their culture. We might also see if the Canucks make a move for Brendan Gallagher, who is expected to be traded by the Montreal Canadiens this offseason.