Ottawa Senators Seeking Picks, Prospects for Goalie

Everyone in the hockey world knows the Ottawa Senators are going to trade a goaltender this off season. They signed Andrew Hammond following his run late in the regular season and into the playoffs. They also signed recent Boston University grad Matt O’Connor.

That means one of Craig Anderson or Robin Lehner will be traded.

This season’s goalie market is intriguing because so many could be on the move. Eddie Lack and Jacob Markstrom in Vancouver have seen their names be floated plenty. San Jose, Buffalo, and St. Louis are in the market for a trade.

We heard last week that the Canucks would seek a second round pick for Lack. That means Ottawa has to decide the market for their goalies, and it seems like they finally have.

According to SportsNet in Canada, about five teams have called the Senators regarding one of their goalies. The report cites St. Louis, Buffalo, San Jose, the Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames as the teams likely interested.

Bruce Garroioch of the Ottawa Sun reported yesterday that the Senators are seeking a young player, one who could become a top six forward, and a high draft pick for one of their goaltenders.

“That could be tough,” a league executive told Garrioch, via SportsNet. “When you make goalie trades do you actually get full value?”

A top draft pick? Well, interestingly enough, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Arizona Coyotes are willing to move their top draft picks. Those teams might not be in play for a goalie, however.

Robin Lehner is by far the more attractive piece as a 24 year old goalie and much cheaper. Anderson, a veteran, makes north of $4 million per season. It all depends on team needs, but the Sens would likely get more for Lehner.

A team that could make a serious play is the Edmonton Oilers, who hold another first round pick besides their first overall and have plenty of young players, including Leon Draisaitl, who has been on the rumor block for the Oilers.

Ottawa could also trade another player, and the Ottawa Sun mentioned David Legwand, as a part of a deal in order to get a higher return.

Via the Ottawa Sun:

“It’s going to be a distraction (if a trade isn’t made) and it’s going to be the talk all of camp (if they go with three). You kind of want to deal with it, get some closure and move on. You can say, ‘These are the two guys we’re going to go with and let’s get ready for opening night.'”

It will be intriguing to see what returns they get in young players and draft picks in what could be a very trade heavy draft this year.