Senators may move some veterans
Senators taking stock before trade deadline
The Ottawa Senators opted for rest and relaxation Friday before the next round of the Battle of Ontario.
Instead of going for a twirl at the Canadian Tire Centre, the Senators boarded their Air Canada Jetz charter and made the short trek to the Big Smoke to prepare for Saturday's visit to Scotiabank Arena to face the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But not everybody had a quiet day. General manager Pierre Dorion spent a good part of the day talking to several of 30 counterparts around the league, with the NHL trade deadline set for Monday at 3 p.m.
No, the Senators don't have big pieces to move like they have in the past, but as they move into the next phase of this rebuild, they do have veterans who may be able to provide depth for a contender. Among the unrestricted free agents available are defencemen Erik Gudbranson, Braydon Coburn and Mike Reilly, along with forwards Artem Anisimov and Ryan Dzingel.
The club also has goalie Anton Forsberg, who was picked up on waivers last month from the Winnipeg Jets.
Given the fact it's a shortened 56-game season, some teams may decide it's worth it to have depth in case they have injuries, which is where acquiring guys like Coburn and Gudbranson may make sense. As for Reilly, he's been a solid top-four D in Ottawa this season, but that's not where he'd fit on a contender's depth chart if he's moved.
A couple of blueliners could be moved, but nobody can predict what kind of deadline the likes of Dorion and the rest of his counterparts are going to have. A flat salary cap and empty seats have made it difficult for teams to move money.
The Senators wouldn't mind keeping Reilly, 27, in the fold and more discussions with his camp are planned on the weekend following preliminary talks this week. Reilly has been given a good role by coach D.J. Smith, playing alongside Artem Zub and improving his defensive game.
“I'm not really sure what's going to happen here, honestly,” Reilly said after the club's 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday at home. “There's been some talks, but I'm not sure where it's going to go. I love it here, I love playing for D.J., and I think we've got a great group of guys here.
“We'll see what happens here. I'd definitely love to entertain staying, but we'll see what transpires over the course of the next couple of days and go from there.”
If the Senators are to keep Reilly, they don't want to overpay or give him too much term. Defence is an area where the Senators have prospects coming along. Defenceman Erik Brannstrom suited up Thursday and Smith has indicated the 21-yearold will play more to develop his skills when the trade deadline is over.
He's not the only one. The Senators also have defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker from the University of North Dakota joining the team Monday after serving his 14-day quarantine with centre Shane Pinto. Bernard-Docker and Pinto may not play immediately, but they're both going to be given the opportunity to show what they can do at this level down the stretch.
Blueliner Jake Sanderson, selected No. 5 overall in the NHL draft in October, is expected to join the club in July 2022, and Lassi Thomson, the club's No. 19 overall selection in 2019, has shown good upside playing for Ottawa's AHL affiliate, Belleville. If Reilly wants a long-term deal, that's not likely to happen here.
Acquired at the trade deadline last year from the Montreal Canadiens, Reilly has no goals and 19 assists in 39 games.
“The biggest thing for Mike, and it's strange to say, is he took that offensive mindset and turned it into defending and competing,” Smith said. “All of a sudden, his offensive numbers have gone up. He's really dug into learning the penalty kill and learning to defend.
“And then the offence just comes naturally. One of the things he does is he shoots it on net and he joins in the rush, so he's been really good for us. In a shortened season, he's done a nice job, and the thing I'm most impressed with is his ability to defend compared to where he was maybe a year ago.”
There's been some talks but I'm not sure where it's going to go.I love it here, I love playing for D.J.
The Senators did make one roster move Friday, putting centre Clark Bishop on waivers. That doesn't mean the Senators want to lose Bishop, because he's been an effective player for this team. They just need to clear a roster spot so they're able to move him freely to the taxi squad whenever necessary.
After missing Thursday's visit by the Oilers with a sore neck — suffered when he got slammed into the glass Wednesday by Jesse Puljujarvi — Ryan Dzingel is expected to return to the lineup. Not sure who will be out because the Senators were impressed with the play of centre Mike Amadio in his Ottawa debut after being dealt here from the Los Angeles Kings on March 31.