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Ottawa Gets Matt Gilroy; Trade Deadline Notes

February 27, 2012, 1:19 PM ET [50 Comments]
Travis Yost
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UPDATE(2:00 PM ET): Looks like the Ottawa Senators have pulled off a trade deadline deal. They've sent Brian Lee the way of the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Matt Gilroy. On the season, Gilroy's tallied 2G/15A (17PTS) in 53 games played.

The one downside? It appears Matt Gilroy could be a classic trade deadline rental. His $1M per deal expires at the end of the season.

Still, an offensive upgrade over Brian Lee/Matt Carkner. Capable in his own end, and can chip in offensively.



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Although the Ottawa Senators made their biggest move earlier in the season, acquiring center Kyle Turris from the Phoenix Coyotes, there remains an outside chance that the team does pull the trigger on a deal in the coming hours.

Ottawa's not a big player in the slightest right now, but Bryan Murray's remain adamant through the media that the team is still looking for ways to improve. As recent as Sunday, Murray suggested that should a depth piece - whether inside of the top six or on the blue line - present itself, he'd be willing to make a deal.

Yep, it's really that vague and ambiguous in the nation's capital. Still, there's a few notable poins worth addressing as the deadline draws near:

---Two players receiving interest off of the Ottawa Senators roster include Matt Carkner(dissipating post-Lee deal) and Zenon Konopka. To my knowledge, a low-round pick has already been offered for Konopka's services, but I can't see Ottawa pulling a trigger on this deal considering their position. Konopka's not a talented player, but moving him for essentially nothing in the middle of a playoff race does seem a bit ludicrous.

---With respect to yesterday's trade, the St. Louis Blues and Ottawa Senators both emerged victorious. The Blues were able to secure a solid draft pick for a player who was set to become a Group 6 UFA, victimized by a logjam of talented goaltenders at the NHL level. Many analysts have estimated that Ben Bishop is already NHL ready, and from the limited action I've seen, I'd largely agree.

From an Ottawa perspective, the backlash - albeit spotty - regarding the deal was alarming, if not downright disturbing. I'm going to address each negative point I heard regarding the deal, hopefully to paint the bigger picture of why Bryan Murray should be praised - and not bashed - for his latest move.

1.) The cost was too high for a twenty-five year old goalie!

Allegedly. See, it's important to note that the Ottawa Senators gave up their second round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, not 2012. This remains a pivotal rebuilding year, and Bryan Murray knows it.

And, more importantly, all Ottawa did was find another way to the end-goal: Secure a high-end goaltending prospect in the system. Many thought they'd do it through the draft. Surprise, surprise.

Fact: Ottawa would've had to burn one of their better draft picks in the coming NHL Entry Draft on a goaltender due to the depleted ranks in their system. By acquiring Ben Bishop, the team essentially 'used' their draft pick on a goaltender that's a far more proven commodity than any of the potential names coming through the draft in the next couple of years.

A second-round pick does have real value, but with it, you simply hope to draft a goalie the caliber of Ben Bishop. The guy is a 6'8" monster between the pipes, and has posted wildly impressive splits with the Peoria Rivermen in the AHL this season.

Oh, and in the real scenario that both goalies develop, one can easily be flipped back for an even greater return a few years down the road. You know - perfect asset management. At the absolute least, the 'cost' of the 2013 second-round pick becomes moot via future trade, and the goaltending depth for the next year and change vastly improves.

Yes, what a doomsday scenario.

2.) Ben Bishop's a good goalie, but it's going to damage the mental state of Robin Lehner!

Apparently not, as long as you watched the young Swede's performance against the New York Islanders on Sunday afternoon.

Look, I get that Robin Lehner probably would've preferred a cakewalk to the starting job after Craig Anderson's work is done as the residing Ottawa Senators starting goaltender. Yet, as a professional athlete, there's no doubt in my mind that Robin Lehner will rise to the occasion and encourage the competition. In the rare chance that he's not mentally prepared to do so - well, is this the man you want logging 60-65 games played for your National Hockey League franchise?

After watching Twitter meltdown yesterday, I came to a singular conclusion: Largely, the fans who opposed the Ben Bishop trade on behalf of Robin Lehner are more concerned with one player's well-being than the organization's. That's their perogative, but it really is a ridiculous take.

If you're worried about where Robin Lehner's head will be, that's fine. But, it's a business, and the team must remain cutthroat. Getting complacent and expecting everything to simply work out is an asinine model, one that largely fails in a world where remaining proactive is imperative.

3.) Lehner v. Bishop is not good for the organization!

In what way is this even remotely true? In professional sports, competition breeds success. You need guys to push one another. Once they become too comfortable in their position, a malaise sets in. Didn't we learn this with Cory Clouston's veteran team of just one year ago?

Further, this notion that it has to be one or another is ridiculous. Great organizations pride themselves on depth in the system, mostly because - believe it or not - prospects pan out differently. Hopefully, many realize that there's no guarantee both of Robin Lehner and Ben Bishop will become starting goaltender caliber at the NHL level. Hell, it's probably more likely that just one of the two fully develops and takes over the reins.

Bryan Murray made a conscious business decision to increase the talent in the system without sacrificing a serious asset. Instead of that black hole behind Craig Anderson, he now has two goalies more than capable - at least right now - of working their way into the starting job.

---I'll end the blog with a humoring statistic: Combine the playoff percentages for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Montreal Canadiens. The mega-team is 90.3% likely to reach the post-season.

The Ottawa Senators? 91.2%.

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Largely, I could go on, and on, and on about the positives of this deal, but I don't want to sound like some Ottawa Senators company man, nor am I really talking to the majority here. Ottawa's fan base reacted pretty well to the deal in general, so this is probably choir speak.

As for Ben Bishop, he'll report to the AHL affiliate Binghamton Senators on a two-way contract. His one-year extension for the 2012-2013 season is a one-way deal.

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