Products You May Like
Bob Frid-Imagn Images
As the Ottawa Senators gear up for a push toward the Stanley Cup playoffs, there’s debate among fans as to whether the wild-card team should be a buyer before the March 7 NHL trade deadline. But if it were up to Keith Tkachuk, the choice would be clear.
“They’re in the (playoff) mix,” Tkachuk told the Missin Curfew podcast around the 26-minute mark. “I think Ottawa has to be in a position to be a buyer, to help these guys out, to get them some more help. And that’s what I expect from them. And I expect them to be in the playoffs.”
Tkachuk is speaking as a hockey dad. His son, Brady, is the Senators’ captain. But he is also speaking for all Ottawa fans.
The last time the Senators were in the playoffs was in 2016-17. Only the Sabres (13 years) and Red Wings (eight years) have endured longer droughts. In other words, hanging onto their first-round pick does not make sense for a team that has spent seven years without a playoff game.
Even if they did want to keep this year’s first-round pick, the fact that the Senators are in the mix for a playoff spot means that the pick will be outside the top 10 — certainly not the area in which you’re likely to find a difference-maker. So it’s time for the Sens to spend some of that draft capital on a player who can have an impact right away this season. And that impact is on the offensive, not defensive end.
While Ottawa is ranked 10th in the NHL in goals-against average (2.77 per game), the team is 21st in goals per game (2.80).
Related: Do The Ottawa Senators Need Help To Win The Wild-Card Battle?
The Senators need help scoring. And the good news is that there are veterans out there who can help in that regard. Whether it’s Pittsburgh’s Rickard Rakell, the New York Islanders’ Brock Nelson, the Blackhawks’ Ryan Donato, Montreal’s Jake Evans, or Anaheim’s Ryan Strome, there’s a good deal of experienced talent on the trade block.
Adding any of those players could come at a significant cost, and the Senators need to clear cap space to make any of those moves. They only have about $105,000 in cap space, but they do have their first-rounder this year and three third-rounders in the next three seasons.
But if Ottawa doesn’t grab one of those options, you have to figure that Columbus, Boston or Detroit, which are all battling for the final wild-card spots, will.
As Keith Tkachuk said, the expectation is that Ottawa should be a playoff team. With that in mind, the expectation is that the team needs to go all-in to ensure it happens.
Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.