As the calendar turns to May, it’s no surprise that the Ottawa Senators aren’t playing playoff hockey. It is surprising that no other team is though. With that, we can continue to carry on with the Pierre Dorion’s Best Trade Tournament. In the last blog, the Alex Burrows acquisition carried the day, with the general consensus being that the contract extension was a bigger problem than the trade itself. Here is today’s matchup:
Trade: Chiasson --> CAL Out: Alex Chiasson In: Patrick Sieloff
Money was the problem here. The Senators and Chiasson could never agree, and that resulted in Dorion shipping the forward out the door. Patrick Sieloff didn’t do much with the Senators organization before being traded for Brian Gibbons, so it’s tough to say that this deal provided the team with much benefit. It really was just a matter of dollars and cents. It’s a shame that the Senators balked at what was really a paltry salary dispute, as Chiasson has continued to be a reasonably productive bottom-six option in the years since this trade.
Trade: McCormick --> COL Out: Max McCormick In: J.C. Beaudin
McCormick had been a long-time journeyman with the Senators organization when he was traded to the Avalanche in 2019. He was never a particularly prolific offensive producer with the Baby Senators, and certainly not with the Big Senators during his few cups of coffee, but he was someone who had spent a bit of time with the organization. Perhaps looking to get younger and add a bit more size and potential, Dorion traded McCormick for J.C. Beaudin. While Beaudin’s transition to the pro game hasn’t been all that easy, his junior totals as late as 2016-17 give reason for optimism. The Senators clearly feel like he has potential to be at least a contributing tweener on the depth chart, as he received a bit of NHL playing time this year.
As always, thanks for reading.