FOCUS SHARPENS ON SENS IN SPOTLIGHT
The calm before the storm?
All was quiet Sunday as the Ottawa Senators enjoyed a day off after a 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets at Canadian Tire Centre Saturday afternoon with a performance led by goals from pending unrestricted free agents Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel.
With the NHL trade deadline set for Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. now only two weeks away, there will be clarity this week on whether the Senators are going to sign any or all three players or if general manager Pierre Dorion will begin listening to offers to see what he can get in return.
A fan base is waiting with bated breath to see what’s going to happen with Stone, Duchene and Dzingel. However, if they’re not going to sign with Ottawa, then the Senators can’t lose them for nothing. The organization has to get assets in return.
While the Sens have put their best foot forward to try to keep Stone and Duchene as building blocks during this rebuild, their optimism surrounding the duo is tempered. More discussions are planned before the players and the club make a final decision on what the next move will be.
As for Dzingel, the Senators may decide to try to keep him after learning what Stone and Duchene are going to do, but there’s a good chance the 26-yearold winger will be moved, especially if he’s looking for a longterm deal in the to $6-million range, as has been speculated. At this point, it’s anybody’s guess what may happen and don’t forget anything can change. But if the Senators do decide to move any of the trio before the deadline then Dorion may want to charge up his cellphone and buy an extra battery or two because there is going to be no shortage of interest from the contenders who want to bulk up for a run to the Stanley Cup in the spring. “Pretty much any playoff team could use them,” a league executive said Sunday. “The cost (in return) and signing potential will be the (determining factor) for most teams.”
The asking price for Stone and Duchene is going to be big if the Senators get to that point. Both could be difference-makers for a team looking to go a long way this spring and there’s going to be a bidding war as teams try to prevent each other from loading up for the stretch drive.
The Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, New York Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins are among the teams that are going to be shopping. Actually, just put all of the playoff contenders on this list because they’re all going to make a pitch. The Senators will likely want three pieces in return for each of Stone and Duchene — including a first-round pick.
There are also lots of clubs looking for help on the blue-line and teams have called about pending restricted free agent defenceman Cody Ceci.
Though Stone has been tightlipped about his negotiations and Duchene has maintained he hasn’t made a decision on whether he wants to stay or not, if they go to the market it won’t take long before word leaks out that Dorion and the hockey department are listening to offers.