First off, we have all had a chance to sleep on the surprise deal that sent Mika Zibanejad and a 2018 2nd rd pick to the Rangers for Derick Brassard and a 2018 7th rounder.

I was pretty surprised at the negativity surrounding the deal. The reaction was as if the Senators had traded for a 35 year old on the downside of his career that carried a massive cap hit (again!).

The Senators got a 28 year old center in the prime of his career, carrying an appropriate cap hit of $5M, but due to front-loading and signing bonuses, the Senators will pay essentially 66 cents on the dollar for the next 3 years. They are actually saving money as well, as Zibanejad is making $3.25M this year heading into RFA while they will pay Brassard $3M after the Rangers picked up $2M as the signing bonus.

Brassard, for the most part is a guy who should make those around him better as well, which is something I am not sure Zibanejad, for all his potential, will ever do.

Brassard is also a left handed shot, which should bode well for Bobby Ryan and that fact alone should increase Ryan's production. Brassard also played for Guy Boucher during his last year of junior so there is some familiarity there and obviously Boucher had some input into acquiring a player who he knows and I would assume trusts.

Zibanejad would have been a RFA next summer, and due a pay raise. Has he reached his ceiling? Probably not, and in 3 years he might have more to offer than Brassard. But the Senators, for once, seem to be focusing on the "now" instead of the future, also knowing that in 3 years, if their projections are correct, the Senators will also have Logan Brown and Colin White down the middle, both of whom I would project to be as good or better than Zibanejad's ceiling in terms of overall contribution.

Also, he has been probably the Rangers' best playoff performer over the past 4 seasons with 44 points in 59 playoff games.

So yes, in 3 years Zibanejad might turn out to be the better player, but then again he might not, time will tell on that one. Plus, the anticipated quality of Brown and/or White probably would have made Zibanejad and his anticipated salary redundant.

The Senators got the better player for the now and the near future. The reason why Zibanejad-Ryan-Hoffman was so inconsistent last season is because none of the three was truly a playmaker. There were moments, but eventually all three trended back to their norm. Its not about being selfish, but each can create for themselves but have a hard time creating for others consistently.

Brassard adds options for Boucher. He could even play Brassaard with Ryan, move Hoffman to Turris' wing and keep Stone - Pageau - Smith together to give 3 lines that are a threat to score on any given night. Brassard is not the piece that will put the Senators over the top, but I think he makes the Sens a much better TEAM than Zibanejad did or would have. The truth is that the fan base had hopes for what Zibanejad could be, but nobody is certain that he can or realistically will really get there.

It was certainly a gamble by Pierre Dorion, and he took a lot of heat for it in the comments section after the trade was announced yesterday, but lets let things play out (including Hoffman and Ceci's contracts) before burning him at the stake three months into his tenure as GM.

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