The Sens Marketplace is back! Before jumping into the next deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, here are the results of the last proposed trade:
The Last Proposed Trade
To Buffalo: Mike Reilly, Filip Chlapik
To Ottawa: Colin Miller
Poll Summary:
Do the Senators accept this trade? Yes – (77/23)
Do the Sabres accept this trade? No – (40/60)
Trade Result: REJECTED
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Here is tonight’s trade:
The Trade
To Toronto: Erik Brannstrom, Islanders 2020 1st Round Pick, Blue Jackets 2020 2nd Round Pick
To Ottawa: William Nylander
Why the Maple Leafs Make the Trade…
It’s no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs have issues on the defensive side of the puck. Adding Erik Brannstrom gives them another blue-chip prospect - one who can likely play in the NHL as early as next year - to slot in with Rasmus Sandin.
Beyond the obvious benefits that Brannstrom would provide, Toronto clears out its favorite media target to alleviate some of the pending cap issues that the team is set to face. With only 16 on the roster, CapFriendly pegs Toronto’s projected cap hit for 2020-21 at approximately $77M. There’s not a lot of room to fill spots on the roster. Clearing Nylander’s $6.9M salary helps.
Granted, Nylander isn’t a salary dump in the traditional sense, mainly because he’s really quite good. However, the Maple Leafs already have Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and Mitch Marner making more than $10M each up front. They need room to fix other holes in the lineup. By pulling the trigger on this deal, they get one of the game’s most promising defense prospects, they recoup a first round pick in this year’s draft, and they obtain an additional second round pick for fun. It's a package worth considering.
Why the Senators Make the Trade…
Zaitsev’s cap space needs to be filled, and this trade does so by adding a really good player entering his age 24 season. Despite taking the brunt of an excess amount of media criticism, Nylander is a fantastic player who brings a lot to the table. The Senators have plenty of prospects who are projected to slot into the middle-six forward spots, but Nylander gives them someone who can play on and lead a top line quite comfortably right now and into the future. The names around him in Toronto prevent him from getting the credit he deserves. His underlying numbers show that he drives scoring chances, shot attempts, expected goals, and most everything else associated with raw offensive production. And, despite all the criticism about his defensive play, Natural Stat Trick shows that the Leafs gave up fewer expected goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five with him out on the ice than they did with Tavares on the ice in 2019-20.
Further to all those tangible benefits, the Senators organization seems to have a desire to add veteran presences to its lineup whenever possible. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, as long as the “veteran” pieces are still young enough to contribute in two or three years and good enough to be worthy of a roster spot. Nylander checks both boxes. The fact that he does it with a cap hit that’s higher than his salary for the remainder of his long-term contract is just a bonus for Eugene Melnyk.
Giving up Brannstrom and the picks hurts, but with Thomas Chabot, Jacob Bernard-Docker, and Lassi Thomson either in the NHL now or in the pipeline, Ottawa's future on the blue line isn't hopeless. If there is concern, Ottawa has plenty of other forward prospects it could package in a deal for defensive help - e.g. targeting Mikhail Sergachev in Tampa. It's worth the risk considering Nylander's abilities and relatively affordable long-term cap hit.
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