Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

A Masterclass in Asset Management

April 13, 2021, 12:26 AM ET [26 Comments]
Michael Stuart
Ottawa Senators Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
After dealing Braydon Coburn and Mike Reilly in separate deals yesterday, Pierre Dorion kept up the pace today and cleared more space on the Ottawa Senators blue line by shipping Erik Gudbranson to the Nashville Predators. The return came in the form of Brandon Fortunato and a 2023 seventh-round pick.

If you treat the original acquisition of Gudbranson as a sunk cost, today’s deadline deal caps an impressive bit of asset management for Dorion and his management team. Convincing anyone to take Gudbranson and Coburn in exchange for actual assets (albeit, low-value assets) is a win for this franchise on so many fronts. It’s an addition by subtraction sort of situation.

Dorion was able to match that addition by subtraction with some addition by addition. As hypothesized in last night’s blog, the Senators claimed Victor Mete off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens today. So, in summary, they dealt away one competent defender and two anchors for a number of draft picks and a younger replacement competent defender. It’s a masterclass in asset management.

Perhaps the biggest boon for the Senators coming out of this deadline is the opportunity that has been created for young players like Erik Brannstrom and Jacob Bernard-Docker. Head coach DJ Smith’s favorite roster-spot-blocking toys have been dealt away, leaving the coach with no choice but to give promising young players a chance to show what they can do at the NHL level. All of a sudden, the future is now.

While names like Chris Tierney, Artem Anisimov, and Ryan Dzingel were not dealt in advance of today’s deadline, it’s still hard for me to classify the last two days as anything but a win for the Senators. Maybe not a homerun, but a stand-up double to be sure. Let me know your thoughts:

Grade the Ottawa Senators' Trade Deadline
A+
A
B+
B
C+
C
D
F

Created with QuizMaker
Join the Discussion: » 26 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Michael Stuart
» Brown, Paul Combine for Canada's Golden Goal at World Championship
» Senators to Select 10th Overall; What Should They Do with the Pick?
» Finding the Right Centerpiece
» Senators Team Awards Ballot
» Melnyk Speaks