We have a great first semi-final matchup in the Pierre Dorion’s Best Trade Tournament! With only three instalments left until a winner is crowned, the stakes have never been higher:
Dorion’s number-on goal in 2019-20 was to trade pending free agents for picks, and he did exactly that by sending Pageau to the Islanders. Pageau was having a wonderfully hot season before the deal, which allowed the GM to derive extreme value from the exchange. Having three first-round picks in this year’s draft, one of which is courtesy of this trade, makes this a franchise defining time in Senators history. Any trade that plays a part in creating such a moment will be considered a favorite in a tournament like this. This trade already looks good, but imagine how good it might look if New York falls off early in the play-in round?
A lot of outside observers probably thought the Karlsson deal was a clear frontrunner in the tournament, but this is another subtly fantastic deal that non-Ottawa fans might have forgotten about. Dominant victories in each of the first two rounds of this contest suggest that it’s probably here to stay.
The Columbus Blue Jackets went all in last year, and this was one of the moves they made to do it. Dzingel was one of the most sought-after commodities on the trade market, which resulted in Ottawa being able to charge them a premium to acquire him. The payoff was huge. Anthony Duclair immediately came in and became a first-line offensive threat for the Senators, and the addition of two second round picks provided an immense amount of draft capital for Dorion’s rebuild. While Duclair’s emergence makes this trade look even better now than it did when it was made, the fact remains that this return looked good from the start.
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