The talk in league circles is that the Senators would like to acquire a proven top-six forward who can score either through a trade or on the unrestricted free agent market
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The calendar has turned to June, and the trade discussions around the National Hockey League have started to heat up.
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The Ottawa Senators made the playoffs for the first time in eight years this spring, but that doesn’t mean Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, will sit still in the off-season.
League executives told Postmedia the Senators have been scouring the market for scoring help after the club averaged 2.67 goals per game last season and finished ranked No. 18 in scoring in 82 games.
The talk in league circles is that the Senators would like to acquire a proven top-six forward who can score either through a trade or on the unrestricted free agent market.
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“Those aren’t easy to find,” a league executive said last week. “The teams that have those players want to keep them, and the ones available in free agency will come at a high price.”
We’re also told the club is looking for a right-shot defenceman because veteran Nick Jensen is believed to have had hip surgery last month, which will require a lengthy recovery. There is no timeline for his return but, by all accounts, he won’t be ready to start the regular season.
Three league executives say a name to keep an eye on with the National Hockey League draft set for June 28-29 is winger Drake Batherson. There was talk at the trade deadline in March that the Senators were listening on Batherson and his name has surfaced on the market again.
Batherson, 27, has two years left on a deal that pays him $4.975 million US per season. He finished with 26 goals and 68 points in 82 games with the Senators last season, but we’re led to believe some within the organization are frustrated with his lack of consistency.
But it would be fair to say that the Senators will proceed with caution where Batherson is concerned because his contributions shouldn’t be ignored, and someone with more production may come at a high price, so this file is a slippery slope for Staios.
Batherson posted only one goal and one assist in the club’s first-round series loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games in the spring. But it was Batherson’s third straight season with more than 20 goals, which is why he’s an attractive option for teams that are seeking help.
Batherson initially had good chemistry with centre Dylan Cozens, who was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres at the deadline for centre Josh Norris, but that line didn’t perform with any consistency during the playoffs and that was a cause for concern.
Moving Batherson would also open up a spot for Fabian Zetterlund in the top six. He was acquired from the San Jose Sharks at the deadline and is a restricted free agent who requires a deal.
A fourth-round pick in the 2017 NHL draft, if Staios does move Batherson, that would be another significant piece from the club’s core on the move in less than a year. The decision to move Norris sent ripples through the dressing room, and this wouldn’t be any different.
Discussions will get feverish in the coming days with the off-season shifting into high gear. The Stanley Cup final between the Oilers and the Florida Panthers will get underway on Wednesday in Edmonton, but all 32 teams are represented at the NHL Combine in Buffalo this week.
Since the draft won’t be held in person, the Combine is an opportunity for all the general managers to get together in one place. Most agents are also on hand because they’ve got prospects in the draft, and also want to talk with GMs about possible contracts or movement.
Postmedia reported last Friday that serious discussions regarding the future of winger Claude Giroux will be held this week.
Those who suggest the Senators will be able to find scoring help on the free agent market might want to temper their expectations.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner will become a UFA on July 1 and likely will hit the market because of his lack of playoff success. That won’t affect his asking price because a league executive suggested Marner will command $14 million per year on a new deal.
Marner’s name has been connected to the Senators because he does fit the need for offence.
The belief is that the Chicago Blackhawks would be thrilled to have Marner sign with them so he can play with Connor Bedard. They won’t be alone because the Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Mammoth and Carolina Hurricanes will all make a pitch.
The point is, if Marner gets to that kind of number, he won’t be getting that term or cash from the Senators.
Then there is Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers. He has suited up for 674 career games with Winnipeg and has scored 225 goals in that stretch with 500 points. He will be highly sought after if he opts to go to the market.
We’re told Ehlers will get $9.5 million on a long-term deal in the open market. That’s a big ticket, and you have to wonder if the Senators are comfortable with that number.
bgarrioch@postmedia.com
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