Senators deal core players in shocking trade suggestion following insider’s comments!
Can this be what happens next in Ottawa?
HockeyFeed
There is a strong sense at this point in the season that the Ottawa Senators will be sellers at the March 8 trade deadline thanks to a woeful record of 14-19-0, good for 28 points and the last place in the standings of the Atlantic division. Ahead of Friday’s action, the Senators are 15 points away from the last Wild Card playoff spot in the Eastern conference.
Rumours have already mentioned Vladimir Tarasenko and Dominik Kubalik as possible trade chips, but then on Friday’s 32 Thoughts podcast with Jeff Marek, insider Elliotte Friedman went a step further, wondering if the Senators could look at breaking apart the team’s core, which includes captain Brady Tkachuk, star forward Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Josh Norris, Ridly Greig, Drake Batherson and possibly Jacob Chychrun, if he re-signs before the end of next season.
Friedman has echoed what has been said by fans and pundits recently in that the Senators might need to make a deal and send a message to the core of top players on this team to completely change the losing culture in Ottawa.
Now what did Friedman mean by this (around the 27th minute of the podcast):
“I’m wondering if now what the organisation is saying is ‘these guys are too comfortable’… I think they want to send a lightning bolt through their roster and see how their players react to it.”
When you see what’s trending online, in podcasts and during broadcasts analysis, only Tkachuk, Stutzle, Sanderson and Greig have not been mentioned in possible trades happening closer to the deadline. There is even a sense a full on rebuild could take place in Ottawa.
This feels like the Senators could be pressing the panic button a little too fast for some, especially if they are truly considering moving core players like Chabot, Norris, Batherson or Chychrun.
The four of them have been key players this season and have, most times, met expectations. The Senators cannot give up on them. If the team believes in them, they need to be more patient and find other ways at improving the roster in the coming months.
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