The Sens Marketplace is back! Before jumping into the next deal with the Buffalo Sabres, here are the results of the last proposed trade:
The Last Proposed Trade
To Boston: Logan Brown, 2020 Ottawa Senators 3rd Round Pick
To Ottawa: Jack Studnicka, 2020 Boston Bruins 3rd Round Pick
Poll Summary:
Do the Senators accept this trade? No – (40/60)
Do the Bruins accept this trade? No – (47/53)
Trade Result: REJECTED
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Here is tonight’s trade:
The Trade
To Buffalo: Mike Reilly, Filip Chlapik
To Ottawa: Colin Miller
Why the Sabres Make the Trade…
Because they have a history of making less-than-beneficial deals? Perhaps the Senators can sell them on the cap savings they’d generate by taking Mike Reilly over Colin Miller, and the “potential” that Chlapik has displayed at various levels. The Sabres are a basement team that made a rental acquisition at the trade deadline. Taking advantage of them shouldn’t be a huge task.
The other reality is that Miller hasn’t been very good in Buffalo. With pressure mounting to actually accomplish something, the Sabres need to make moves this summer that signal a readiness to compete. Shipping out a player who has underperformed could be part of that plan.
Why the Senators Make the Trade…
Having cleared salary space with the Zaitsev deal, the Senators can now look to add. Picking up Colin Miller to fill the gap left by Dylan DeMelo on Thomas Chabot’s right side is an opportunity to do that. Prior to joining the Sabres and getting Buffalo’d, Miller was one of Vegas’ go-to guys on defense. He’s shown an ability to play an underrated game that generates results, all at a very affordable $3.875M cap hit. His struggles with the Sabres suggest that there’s an opportunity to buy low, which the Senators do here by trading Reilly and Chlapik’s remaining stock.
Not only does this provide an opportunity for the Senators to gamble on Miller bouncing back with a partner like Chabot, but it also helps them reach the cap floor after moving Zaitsev. While it’s true that acquiring Miller would mean a roster spot gone for a prospect, penciling him in next to Chabot alleviates those concerns; it’s unlikely that one of the team’s prospects was going to fill that role anyways. Swapping out Reilly for Miller actually opens up a spot on the part of the rotation that is more likely to integrate a young player. If things go sideways and Miller doesn't bounce back, the downside is only a two-year commitment.
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