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Senators Clear Space on the Blue Line with Two Trades

April 12, 2021, 12:57 AM ET [38 Comments]
Michael Stuart
Ottawa Senators Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Pierre Dorion got a jumpstart on the NHL’s trade deadline tonight, completing a couple trades that further thin the Ottawa Senators blue line.

First up, the Senators dealt Mike Reilly to the Boston Bruins in exchange for a 2022 third-round draft pick. They then followed it up by sending Braydon Coburn to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2022 seventh-round draft pick.

While the loss of Coburn is more of an addition by subtraction sort of thing, the loss of Reilly might have a significant impact on the on-ice fortunes for this hockey club. Reilly has quietly been a very solid contributor for the Senators this season, generating positive results in the play-driving department:

Ottawa and Reilly were reportedly in discussions about a contract extension during the last few weeks, but it’s clear that an agreement couldn’t be reached. That leaves a major question about Dorion’s plans for his defence moving forward for the rest of this season and into next. It certainly looks like the team is going to have no choice but to trust Erik Brannstrom with more minutes down the stretch, which is obviously a positive, but it also looks like there’s going to be an inordinate amount of pressure on young players like Jacob Bernard-Docker to contribute as soon as they get into the lineup.

If the Senators aren’t confident that their own prospects are ready to handle the added responsibility, the waiver wire has gifted them a premium opportunity to acquire a stopgap measure that could turn into more than that. The Montreal Canadiens waived Victor Mete today, a 22-year-old defender who has put up very solid results to start his career:

Trading their own assets for picks and then landing Mete for free could work out to be a tidy bit of business for Dorion, if it happens. Regardless, though, the door is wide open for an internal or external young player to come in and make an impact. That's all anyone following the Senators has wanted this season.

As always, thanks for reading.
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