A few staff wants for the Ottawa Senators heading into the NHL commerce deadline
The Chris Johnston Present: Chris Johnston and Julian McKenzie speaking in regards to the Ottawa Senators about their two staff wants, 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 possibility, man, you simply ask them. I reply him as greatest I can.”
McKenzie: “Since everyone knows Ottawa Senators, GM Steve Staios has been finding out, evaluating, monitoring, maintaining an in depth eye available on the market. May you make clear who or what he’s been mulling over so significantly and the way he hopes to enhance his roster, please? He added a please to this query.”
Johnston. “What’s your reply to that? I imply, you’re a lot nearer.”
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McKenzie: “I feel they’re, I, look, I feel they want a proper shot defenseman for that prime 4. So it wouldn’t shock me if that’s who they had been focusing on. They may in all probability use one other depth winger for scoring. These have been like the 2 greatest issues that this staff is required for on that entrance.”
Johnston: “Downside with the proper shot defenseman, once I’m not ruling them out, however that’s an costly acquisition, normally. proper?”
McKenzie: ” Completely.”
Johnston: “I imply, we’ve, we’ve talked in these components, the place I stay right here in Toronto, about and the Leafs and overpaying for Brandon Carlo. Effectively, what was Brandon Carlo? A right-shot defenseman who had two years past that on his contract. That’s what made him so interesting to the Leafs. They gave up a first-round choose that would grow to be fairly excessive choose this yr and Fraser Minten. So , the early scoring of that commerce doesn’t look good from Leafs finish.
However the a part of the explanation they received there, by way of what they gave up, is that it’s, it’s exhausting to get proper shot D’s and make a distinction. So, , be attention-grabbing to see if Ottawa can get that finished. Clearly, they don’t personal the first-round choose in 2026.
Now, nothing to say you may’t commerce the primary in 2027, particularly for those who’re getting a participant, possibly that’s going to be round for a short time. It’s not only a rental state of affairs.
However , I’m not going to sit down right here and apologize for the GMs, however I do assume it’s a troublesome league at occasions to make offers in. And, , Steve Staios, I feel he in all probability feels fairly good about that Cozens transfer he made eventually yr’s deadline. That one wasn’t broadly rumored both. So possibly, possibly all this time that, that you just’re getting rising pissed off, , he’s engaged on one thing somewhat greater to drop earlier than March sixth.”
McKenzie: “I feel simply, identical to final yr, he’s in all probability working in stealth mode, however yeah, this yr will likely be a little bit of a problem. Because you don’t have the first-round choose coming this summer season and never too many property. It looks like you both have or need to transfer, prefer it’s been stated all year long that Carter Yaremchuk, their prime prospect, in all probability isn’t going to be out there in these trades.
So, I imply, this might change, however I’d be shocked in the event that they ended up going massive sport looking, in the event that they’re not going to maneuver, in all probability their greatest asset that they’ve proper now.”
Johnston “Do you assume they go get a goalie by any likelihood, or has that ship sailed?”
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McKenzie: “I imply, you’d assume with what they’ve proper now, that needs to be okay.”
Johnston: “Proper.”
McKenzie: “I don’t know if, I imply, Linus Ullmark, I imply, he didn’t play the final sport in opposition to Philadelphia, however presumably popping out of the break, you’re taking a look at Ullmark and (James) Reimer as your tandem.”
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