Senators' impending ownership change could complicate moves

On Tuesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff Live, hosts Frank Seravalli and Mike McKenna followed up on rumors that the Ottawa Senators could be in on St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko at the trade deadline.  The duo agreed that until the dust clears on the Senators’ impending sale, the team is unlikely to be a buyer.

Frank Seravalli: Let’s talk about the Ottawa Senators, Mike. I mentioned them yesterday as one of the teams that inquired about St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko in recent days. I felt it was important to clarify that the Ottawa Senators are going to have a really hard time trying to add anything of substance, particularly with a player that has term like Colton Parayko does. He’s in the first year of an eight-year deal that pays him $50 million. 

I think the Sens are in a holding pattern at this deadline, I think they can make their books a little bit leaner by trading off a pending free agent like Cam Talbot or even moving on from Nikita Zaitsev. I would say that’s the type of path that the Sens are going to go down. I don’t see them being major trade deadline buyers.

Mike McKenna: It’s kind of frustrating in some ways when you think about how this season was supposed to go for the Sens with the additions of Talbot and Giroux after they brought in Debrincat last year; this team was supposed to be improved. 

They’re not going to get better in Ottawa until they get the defense going. Chabot, Sanderson, and Zub are there for good, but even Jacob Bernard-Docker is not guaranteed to be a top-four or top-six NHL defenseman at this point.  They have to improve it, but when you’re dealing with a sale and you can’t really add players, it’s just kicking the can further. 

If you’re a player or you’re Pierre Dorion, the GM, it has to be frustrating to see a sale holding anything up. To me, that club in Ottawa still isn’t very far away, but when you’re in an acquisition phase and you don’t really know what’s going to happen it makes life tough doesn’t it, Frank? There’s players they would find attractive, but do they have the pieces to give up? Murky waters in Ottawa.

Frank Seravalli: What happens if you’re a pending free agent and you would like some clarity on whether you can negotiate a contract in Ottawa? I believe the Sens and GM Pierre Dorion’s hands are tied at this moment.  The sale process should be wrapped up in 4-6 weeks, it’s just unfortunate that they could not get that nailed down sooner and perhaps be more aggressive at this deadline. 

Another point when you look at someone like Colton Parayko with that eight-year deal is that if he doesn’t go anywhere at the deadline, there’s no reason to believe the Blues cannot have similar trade conversations this summer.

You can watch the entire episode here …