A few team needs for the Ottawa Senators heading into the NHL trade deadline
The Chris Johnston Show: Chris Johnston and Julian McKenzie talking in regards to the Ottawa Senators about their two team needs, a top-four right-handed defenseman and a depth winger.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
McKenzie: “Jimmy has a Senator’s query for you, if that’s okay, since we…”
Johnston: “I don’t get an option, man, you simply ask them. I answer him as best I can.”
McKenzie: “Since everyone knows Ottawa Senators, GM Steve Staios has been studying, evaluating, monitoring, keeping an in depth eye in the marketplace. Could you make clear who or what he’s been mulling over so seriously and the way he hopes to enhance his roster, please? He added a please to this query.”
Johnston. “What’s your answer to that? I mean, you’re much closer.”
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McKenzie: “I believe they’re, I, look, I believe they need a right shot defenseman for that top 4. So it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s who they were targeting. They might probably use one other depth winger for scoring. Those have been just like the two biggest things that this team is required for on that front.”
Johnston: “Problem with the correct shot defenseman, once I’m not ruling them out, but that’s an expensive acquisition, often. right?”
McKenzie: ” Absolutely.”
Johnston: “I mean, we’ve, we’ve talked in these parts, where I live here in Toronto, about and the Leafs and overpaying for Brandon Carlo. Well, what was Brandon Carlo? A right-shot defenseman who had two years beyond that on his contract. That’s what made him so appealing to the Leafs. They gave up a first-round pick that would change into pretty high pick this yr and Fraser Minten. So you realize, the early scoring of that trade doesn’t look good from Leafs end.
However the a part of the explanation they got there, by way of what they gave up, is that it’s, it’s hard to get right shot D’s and make a difference. So, you realize, be interesting to see if Ottawa can get that done. Obviously, they don’t own the first-round pick in 2026.
Now, nothing to say you possibly can’t trade the primary in 2027, especially in case you’re getting a player, perhaps that’s going to be around for a bit of while. It’s not only a rental situation.
But you realize, I’m not going to take a seat here and apologize for the GMs, but I do think it’s a troublesome league at times to make deals in. And, you realize, Steve Staios, I believe he probably feels pretty good about that Cozens move he made ultimately yr’s deadline. That one wasn’t widely rumored either. So perhaps, perhaps all this time that, that you just’re getting growing frustrated, you realize, he’s working on something a bit of larger to drop before March sixth.”
McKenzie: “I believe just, similar to last yr, he’s probably working in stealth mode, but yeah, this yr might be a little bit of a challenge. Because you don’t have the first-round pick coming this summer and never too many assets. It looks like you either have or need to move, prefer it’s been said all year long that Carter Yaremchuk, their top prospect, probably isn’t going to be available in these trades.
So, I mean, this might change, but I’d be surprised in the event that they ended up going big game hunting, in the event that they’re not going to maneuver, probably their best asset that they’ve right away.”
Johnston “Do you’re thinking that they go get a goalie by any likelihood, or has that ship sailed?”
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McKenzie: “I mean, you’d think with what they’ve right away, that ought to be okay.”
Johnston: “Right.”
McKenzie: “I don’t know if, I mean, Linus Ullmark, I mean, he didn’t play the last game against Philadelphia, but presumably coming out of the break, you’re Ullmark and (James) Reimer as your tandem.”
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