With a stunning 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators not too long ago, the Ottawa Senators appeared to have sorted out their scoring points that had been plaguing them at the start of the month. Tim Stutzle is on a five-game level streak, Ridly Greig lastly broke his 12-game goalless streak and now has three targets in his final 4 video games, and Jake Sanderson has taken over because the Senators’ high offensive defenceman with three targets and 9 factors in 5 video games. Ottawa now sits third within the Atlantic Division, and whereas there are a number of areas that would use some tweaking, the wins simply hold piling up.
Nonetheless, with the 2025 Commerce Deadline quick approaching, the Senators could have a possibility to deal with one in all their weaknesses, particularly their lack of a top-six scoring ahead. The Vancouver Canucks have been coping with the general public fallout between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson, and whereas it was all however assured that one in all them could be traded, it’s attainable they might resolve to maneuver on from each. With Miller already gone, the Senators ought to look into buying Pettersson as he would make Ottawa’s high six way more formidable, and probably, a playoff menace.
After the general public row between the Canucks two largest ahead stars, it was a matter of time earlier than the workforce moved one in all them. That seemingly ended when Vancouver traded the latter to the New York Rangers together with Erik Brannstrom for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini, and a protected 2025 first-round decide. Nonetheless, it was admittedly an underwhelming return for a participant who put up 103 factors final season; Chytil is a stable middle-six centre with harm issues, Mancini is proficient however unproven, and the first-round decide is top-13 protected; the Canucks already flipped that to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a bundle for Marcus Pettersson.
That’s not quite a bit for a workforce that needs to be in its Stanley Cup window. Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek give the Canucks one of many higher defensive pairings within the NHL, and each Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser are within the primes of their careers. However, on high of dropping goalie Thatcher Demko to fixed accidents, Pettersson’s manufacturing has plummeted since signing his eight-year, $92.8 million deal final season. After scoring 39 targets and recording 102 factors in 2022-23, he’s solely on tempo to hit 18 targets and 54 factors this season and followers will probably be watching him like a hawk now that Miller can not be used because the scapegoat for his subpar play.
There have been potential trades within the works for Pettersson earlier, too. In accordance with Chris Johnston, “The Canucks could desire to maneuver Miller, the older of their two star forwards, however they’ve stored an open thoughts (and open telephone line) in relation to Pettersson. They went properly down the street in talks with Carolina earlier than the Hurricanes landed Mikko Rantanen.” (from ‘NHL commerce board 5.0: The place the market stands after the Rantanen blockbuster,’ The Athletic – 31/01/2025).
Even with all of the drama, the Canucks are at a major drawback in relation to competing within the Western Convention with out Miller, and the addition of Chytil doesn’t change that. Until Pettersson someway turns into the All-Star he was two seasons in the past, he can also be on the best way out so Vancouver can recoup some extra beneficial property and retool on the fly.
Senators May Make a Aggressive Supply
Whereas the Senators are one of many extra asset-poor groups within the NHL, they might have simply sufficient items to entice the Canucks to maneuver their star ahead. Usually, gamers like Pettersson don’t get traded, however lower than two weeks in the past, Mikko Rantanen was traded from the Colorado Avalanche to the Hurricanes for Martin Necas, Jack Drury, a 2025 second-round decide, and a 2026 fourth-round decide. Carolina additionally added Taylor Corridor from the Chicago Blackhawks, who agreed to retain 50% of Rantanen’s wage.
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Whereas there have been wage issues between Rantanen and the Avalanche, it appeared attainable that the 2 sides may attain an settlement earlier than the season ended. In any case, he’s a two-time 100-point participant and scored 55 targets in 2022-23. Most groups would do something to maintain a participant like that, and with the wage cap anticipated to extend considerably over the subsequent three seasons, you’d suppose the Avalanche may make it work. Alas, they determined to maneuver on from him for Necas, who’s by no means hit over 71 factors in a season (though he’s on tempo to get 89 this season), and Drury, who’s an intriguing depth ahead with upside.
So, given Pettersson is only a one-time 100-point participant, has a career-high of 39 targets, and makes a median of $11.6 million per season, the return must be lower than Carolina gave up and Ottawa can undoubtedly accommodate that.
Any commerce Ottawa makes must embody Josh Norris. The 25-year-old has been wonderful recently, scoring two targets and 4 factors in his final two video games, placing him on tempo to attain 30 targets for the second time in his profession. Nonetheless, he’s additionally on tempo to document simply 49 factors and accidents are nonetheless a priority; he’s projected to overlook a few weeks following his most up-to-date ailment. Given his almost $8 million cap hit, that’s somebody who might be moved for an improve at centre.
In fact, Norris alone wouldn’t lower it and the Senators would wish to sweeten the deal, which is able to probably value them prospect Carter Yakemchuk. He’s a highly-skilled scorer who initiatives to be a top-pairing defenceman, and given his proper shot, he has a a lot larger worth. Nonetheless, Vancouver will not be after buying Mancini, one other highly-skilled right-shot defenceman, and so they have already got Tom Willander of their system.
As a substitute, the Canucks might want Blake Montgomery, who has damaged out in his first season with the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights and might be a possible top-six producer within the NHL. The one caveat is that the Senators would probably should pay a first-round decide together with Montgomery, but when they make the playoffs, that’s manageable. These three property are fairly near what the Avalanche obtained for Rantanen, and with out wage retention, it’s a good provide each side.
Cup Profitable Groups Have A number of Stars
There isn’t a rush for the Senators to make a transfer. They’re successful regardless of the shortage of a scoring winger to assist drive the play however gained’t have that luxurious for lengthy. The Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Purple Wings aren’t removed from being aggressive and they’re drawing from a lot deeper prospect swimming pools. The Hockey Writers’ Logan Horn positioned the Purple Wings fifth and the Canadiens third among the many NHL’s farm programs, whereas Ottawa sat method again at twenty fourth. With out further help arising, the Senators are on observe to be surpassed by their closest rivals within the subsequent few seasons.
Moreover, to win the Stanley Cup, groups have to depend on extra than simply a few stars. The Florida Panthers had Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and Matthew Tkachuk scoring over a degree per sport with Carter Verhaeghe simply behind them, and as soon as they had been within the playoffs, Anton Lundell, Evan Rodrigues, and Sam Bennett stepped up their offensive video games. That’s simply taking a look at factors, too, which ignores the impression of goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, Aaron Ekblad, and different defensive stars.
Earlier than them, the Vegas Golden Knights noticed Jack Eichel, Jonathan Marchessault, and Mark Stone rating at a point-per-game clip within the playoffs with help from Chandler Stephenson, Ivan Barbashev, and Alex Pietrangelo. Though they weren’t essentially the most offensive workforce within the common season, that they had quite a lot of expertise on their roster that helped them rating in droves as soon as the Stanley Cup was inside their sights.
Then there was the 2021-22 Avalanche. Not solely did they’ve two of the perfect gamers at their place in Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar however they had been supported by Gabriel Landeskog, Rantanen, and Nazem Kadri, all of whom operated at greater than a point-per-game clip within the common season. Additionally they noticed incredible performances from Devon Toews and Valeri Nichushkin, and as soon as within the playoffs, Artturi Lehkonen turned one in all their finest producers.
Te Senators’ present lineup can’t evaluate to any of these groups. They’ve a good assortment of secondary scorers equivalent to Drake Batherson, however outdoors of their 4 core members, they only don’t have the firepower to thrive in at this time’s NHL. They’re not far, however they’ll want to search out not less than yet one more high six ahead like Pettersson who can push them into the identical realm as different Stanley Cup champions and, hopefully, assist them win one in all their very own.
