This offseason is important for the Ottawa Senators as they regroup and hope to finally make a playoff push in 2023-24. Management found ways to improve the roster throughout the year, but it wasn’t enough to propel them to the postseason, which they’ve missed since last making it in 2017. Compared to many other teams, general manager (GM) Pierre Dorion had a busy year in the trade department. In a recent article, I analyzed the different signings Dorion has made in the past year. Now, I will look back at the different trades he made and how they impacted the team.
Addressing the Top-Six
The first big move Dorion made in the past year was acquiring Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks in return for the 2022 seventh-overall pick, the 39th-overall pick, and a 2024 third-round pick. The goal of this move was to solidify the team’s top-six and give them additional help to make a playoff push.
Overall, this move made sense for Sens management at the time. The price to pay for the 24-year-old seemed fair given he was already a two-time 40-goal-scorer. This season, DeBrincat put up 27 goals and 66 points in 82 games. The totals themselves aren’t bad, but it was below the expectations set for him given that he was surrounded by a better and more dynamic offense than the previous year in Chicago.
To add to the pain for the Senators is the contract extension situation. The team has opted to bring DeBrincat to arbitration given he is owed $9 million on his qualifying offer as a restricted free agent (RFA). So only a year after the trade, he could already possibly be on his way elsewhere, as he doesn’t seem to see himself in Ottawa long-term. Dorion will very likely receive less than what he gave up to acquire him. Not the best move in the end, but I think the blame isn’t all on management here as they tried to give their team a boost going into the season.
The Goalie Swap
A few days following the start of the 2022 Free Agency, Dorion sent young goalie Filip Gustavsson to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for veteran Cam Talbot. This move came as a surprise to many, but the goal of the trade was to have a solid veteran goalie to split starts with Anton Forsberg, who just had a career year and proved he could take on a bigger role.
Related: Revisiting the Senators’ Trade for Cam Talbot
Overall, despite the good intentions, this move wound up arguably being the worst trade Dorion has made in the past year. In his first season in Minnesota, Gustavsson had a breakout season while being mentored by veteran Marc-Andre Fleury. He put up a .931 save percentage (SV%) and 2.33 goals-against average (GAA) in the 39 games he suited up in. On top of that, he started most of the games in the Wild’s playoff run and put up an impressive 2.33 GAA and .921 SV% despite losing to the Dallas Stars in the first round.
When it comes to Talbot, the results were underwhelming. While injuries likely played a role in his performance, he put up a .898 SV% with a 2.93 GAA in 36 games this season. The Senators had a difficult year in net, whether it be because of injuries or performances, as seven different goalies suited up for the team. Look for Dorion to make a goaltending move this offseason.
The Cap Dumps
This past year, Dorion made two notable cap dump trades by dealing away goalie Matt Murray and defenseman Nikita Zaitsev. The first trade came when the Senators offloaded Murray to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Alongside the two-time Stanley Cup-winning goalie, he gave up a 2023 third-round pick and a 2024 seventh-round pick. This wound up being a great deal for the Senators, as the Maple Leafs’ gamble on Murray was cut short with injuries. In the process, they shipped away the final two years of his four-year, $25 million contract while only having to retain just under $1.6 million each season. Great move to manage the cap here.
The second cap dump trade came at the beginning of 2023 when Dorion once again dealt with the Blackhawks to get rid of $4.5 million in cap space. Zaitsev was packaged alongside a 2023 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick in a trade that was alright for both teams. Zaitsev helped Chicago get to the salary cap floor while the money it freed up for the Sens helped them acquire another big name not long after.
Help on Defense
On March 1, Dorion made arguably his biggest move in the past year by acquiring Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes. In return, he gave up the 12th overall pick in the 2023 Draft, a 2024 conditional second-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick. While the return may seem big, it’s definitely worth it for a player of Chychrun’s caliber.
Overall, there hasn’t been much time to judge this trade, but so far it looks like a good deal. The Coyotes received assets to rebuild their team for a player they had been holding onto for a long time. In return, the Sens received a top-pairing defenseman that gives them a lethal top-four in Chychrun, Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson, and Artem Zub. On top of that, not only is Chychrun happy to be in Ottawa, but he also has a cheap contract at only $4.6 million per season for the next two years (from ‘Family Ties: The Chychruns couldn’t be happier that Jakob has been dealt to the Senators’, Ottawa Sun, 3/1/23). This is a move that shows fans a GM that believes in his team and what he has built.
Looking Ahead
Dorion’s trades reflect the past season perfectly 一 he had his ups and he had his downs. But overall, he did the best he could and he deserves to stay at least another season to watch the team he’s built make a push for the playoffs.
Looking ahead, Dorion has some big decisions to make when it comes to addressing the DeBrincat situation and their needs in goaltending and the bottom-six forwards. He has shown that he isn’t afraid to take risks, which could make the next few weeks very intriguing.
