Well, nobody can say this came out of nowhere. However, it's shocking to see the Blue Jackets acquire another Senators forward. This time, it's Ryan Dzingel on his way to Columbus:
The two Columbus seconds are in 2020 and 2021
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 24, 2019
I have to say, Pierre Dorion did very well on this deal. Giving up a 7th round pick in this deal isn't too much, and getting two 2nd round picks is quite significant, as I'd usually rather have that than a late first round pick. It's too bad that the draft picks are in 2020 and 2021, although it might be better to spread out their picks anyway. Anthony Duclair has lost his lustre and probably doesn't have the same ceiling people once thought he had, but he might actually be able to be a top-nine contributor as well, so he's not just a throw-in. He has 19 points in 52 games this season while averaging just 12:21 of TOI per game.
At the same time, he is an RFA at the end of the season, so perhaps Ottawa doesn't even want to keep him past this season. After all, he went unqualified by the Chicago Blackhawks last summer and was signed for only $650k by the Blue Jackets, so there might be a belief around the league that he isn't good enough. Either way, I like the gamble on him, because even getting just two 2nd round picks for a rental Dzingel would be a decent trade for Ottawa.
Dzingel ends his tenure in Ottawa with 126 points in 247 games, with 44 in 57 this season. He has a chance to to hit the 60-point mark this year, and he has gotten better in each of his four NHL seasons. However, it's fair to expect this to be a high point for him, as the soon-to-be 27-year-old is shooting 16.5% on the season. He has also always been sub-par defensively, so losing him isn't nearly as big of a deal as losing Matt Duchene or Mark Stone:
Ryan Dzingel (to Columbus) gives up a lot defensively but drives offence and has a wicked shot and is curiously useless on the power-play. Anthony Duclair (to Ottawa in return) looks pretty average, all up. He's never gotten the minutes you'd expect, given that. pic.twitter.com/EoqUTY16sZ
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) February 24, 2019
He is still a good player overall and it will hurt to lose him, but considering the return they got, it was worth it to move him during this rebuild. Ideally, they would be able to keep him while they are still competitive, but it doesn't make a ton of sense to sign him for more than $5M, especially if he reverts back to a ~40 point winger.
I was a big fan of him these past three seasons, and it was easy to get attached to a guy who continuously improved his game with the Senators. He went from a bit too overhyped heading into 2016-17, to underrated by the end of the season, to properly appreciated last year, to a fan favourite this season. It's been quite the ride for Dzingel, and now he has a chance to make an impact on a good Columbus team that has a legitimate chance to go far in the playoffs. And hey, he has his old friend Duchene on the team too!
I'll miss watching his speed every game, but this deal makes a lot of sense for the Senators. Another good thing about this trade is that Dorion now has just under two days to figure out a trade for Mark Stone and/or anybody else.