Ever since ownership suggested that the Ottawa Senators won’t be making all of their selections in the 2020 NHL draft, speculation about what they might do has been a regular part of the social media dialogue around the team. Between trading up and trading out to acquire a young player, there are lots of options on the table.
From my perspective, the Senators taking their draft capital and trading some of it for an established young player makes infinitely more sense than trying to trade up in the draft. If a move is going to be made, the opportunity to take advantage of a capped-out team provides a lot more certainty than gambling on a slightly higher draft pick. With that in mind, frequent readers know that I have often tagged Vancouver and Tampa Bay as prime targets. Both have cap problems. Both have young players worth looking at. Earlier in the weekend, the Canucks angle got a whole lot more interesting:
Matt Sekeres: I'm told the Canucks are exploring the possibility of trading Brock Boeser.#TSN1040
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) July 10, 2020
While there’s no indication that the Canucks are actively shopping Boeser, the fact that they are reportedly listening means Pierre Dorion should be picking up the phone. Reaching out on a pure, elite finisher like Boeser makes sense at any time. Doing it when the potential trade partner is in cap trouble makes it a no-brainer, especially for a team like Ottawa with cap room to spare and assets to spend.
So, where does the conversation with Vancouver start? With the Islanders' first-round pick and a plethora of second-round picks in hand, Ottawa has plenty of cost-attractive assets that would help to "solve" Vancouver's problems. If Boeser doesn't end up in Ottawa, it won't be because the Senators don't have the assets to make it happen. The fact that the Senators are in a position like that is a testament to the great work Dorion has done, tearing the team down and beginning the rebuild.
As a disclaimer, it's important to remember that the odds of Boeser landing in Ottawa are still incredibly slim. There's no guarantee that the Canucks are going to move him, and there's likely 30 teams with some level of interest if he's on the market at all. Even so, it's nice to put a tangible face to some of the conversations we've been having in this space over the last few months.
As always, thanks for reading.