Housekeeping: Sens tidying up business before the fun starts

The Senators’ last offseason was the Pavol Demitra for Christer Olsson of offseasons.

It was a dog’s breakfast.

The franchise’s ownership sale dragged on through its entirety putting it in an uncomfortable position of letting the incumbents control the decision-making process. Without much clarity on what kind of additions or changes the new ownership had planned for the front office, it created this helpless feeling that we could be headed toward another lost season as evaluations were made.

Every transaction last summer felt cut-and-paste, lacking a well-structured plan. After Vladimir Tarasenko signed, the organization went into scramble mode. They had run out of cap space and still had an important restricted free agent in Shane Pinto to sign. Rumours dogged Mathieu Joseph as being a cap casualty, but Pinto’s gambling scandal suspension ultimately saved the Senators from themselves.

This offseason feels different.

Everything feels measured.

Ahead of this summer’s most important dates in terms of activity, the Senators are systematically checking all of their smaller boxes before moving onto bigger business.

Angus Crookshank’s signing was announced at a season seat holder event this week. Belleville Senators head coach David Bell was signed to a two-year extension. Cole Reinhardt re-signed and Max Guenette inked a new one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 earlier today.

Bigger business does seem to be taking off, however.

On yesterday’s ‘32 Thoughts Podcast’, Elliotte Friedman led with the Ottawa Senators as one of the teams he was most interested in monitoring this offseason.

“I think Ottawa is a really interesting team. I definitely think they are looking around in goal. I think they are looking at defence. Someone was sending me… or wondering if… Ottawa’s had a lot of interest in Chris Tanev over the year and they were wondering if they would try to… there was a report the other day about Mathieu Joseph maybe being available. I was talking to someone about like… would they ever do or would they ever think about a Brandon Tanev kind of player to try and unite the Tanevs in Ottawa. It was an interesting thing or concept that someone was talking about. So, that’s a team I’m really curious about there.”

Brandon Tanev is a Seattle Kraken left winger who has one year left on a contract carrying a $3.5 million cap hit. The 32-year-old’s cap hit matches his real earnings, but $1.0 million of that will be paid July 1st as a signing bonus. The rest is earned through a base salary of $2.5 million.

In 66 games for the Kraken, Tanev produced seven goals and 16 points. It represents a significant drop from the 16 goals and 35 points he produced the season before.

If Tanev can return to his pre-2023/2024 levels, his salary will be more palatable. Friedman did not mention whether a Brandon Tanev deal would involve Mathieu Joseph directly, but Joseph does have two years left on a deal that averages $2.95 million. Maybe that extra year and lower salary could be attractive to Seattle, but unless other assets are moved to make the money more equitable (or in the Senators’ favour), Ottawa would be taking on extra money in this hypothetical.

From the moment Joseph’s name hit the rumour mill, the widely held assumption was he was a cap casualty whose salary would be reallocated towards a position of need. More specifically, the blue line.

It is worth reminding everyone that this rumour was just suggested to Friedman, so it may not be grounded in any reality. Between Tanev’s salary and waning production, there are some obvious concerns. His underlying numbers and isolated impacts in Seattle last season add emphasis to how ineffective he was.

From HockeyViz:

Historically, Tanev has always been a strong defensive performer, but last season went off the rails for him. Perhaps some of that could be attributed to the Kraken’s poor performance as a team. Tanev also missed the first four weeks of the season with a lower-body injury, so perhaps it negatively impacted his play throughout the campaign.

Taking a chance would be a gamble because I believe there are enough genuine concerns to be wary of. In saying that, maybe the Senators believe he is a candidate for a rebound or he’s a poison pill they are willing to stomach if it means that his brother Chris, an invaluable defensive right defenceman, is to join the fold.

The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta linked the Chicago Blackhawks to defenceman Jakob Chychrun.

“One under-the-radar team I would look at right now is Chicago. The Blackhawks are looking to make a couple of additions this summer... I do believe that (they are) one of the teams that has been, or will be, poking around on Jakob Chychrun.”

The Blackhawks are reportedly trying to insulate phenom Connor Bedard with more talent, so it makes sense that the team would be kicking tires on a veteran like Chychrun. He has years of playing experience but is still young at only 26 years of age. As an in-his-prime player, he is a piece that the Blackhawks could certainly use as a stabilizing building block.

Pagnotta mentioned the family connection between head coach Luke Richardson and Chychrun, but he never disclosed what kind of return the Senators were looking for.

If the Senators are targeting the Blackhawks, they should be emphasizing adding futures. That may rankle fans who believe the Senators need to make a hockey deal involving players already on the NHL roster, but the Senators can kill two birds with one stone here. The Blackhawks are probably a poor fit for targeting NHL-ready players who could step into the lineup and contribute for Ottawa. They do have a well-regarded farm system, so it stands to reason the Senators could target a prospect or two who are closer to the NHL than the Blackhawks’ 18th overall selection (acquired from the New York Islanders) in 2024.

Prospects like Oliver Moore (centre) and Sam Rinzel (right defence) step to the forefront as prospects the Senators would likely target.

If the Senators can move Chychrun for futures and then reallocate his salary towards addressing another position of need like right defence, the organization can address and bolster two weaknesses by moving one asset.

Of course, it’s easier in theory than it is in practice to say that the team should move Chychrun and sign an efficient right defenceman. The pressure is going to be on general manager Steve Staios and his staff to navigate and make the best of the situation.

Other News and Notes:

• Jiri Smejkal signed a five-year contract to join HC Dynamo Pardubice.

• Brian Elliott, a ninth-round selection of the Senators from their 2003 NHL Draft announced his retirement yesterday. The Senators have drafted 26 goaltenders in the franchise’s history, but Elliott currently sits as the all-time winningest goaltender they have drafted. Elliott retires with a 279-167-54 record in 542 appearances. According to Evolving-Hockey’s data, Robin Lehner has produced more value (‘wins above replacement, WAR) throughout his career, but today’s news serves as a reminder of how the organization has failed to draft and develop a number one starter of its own. Elliott retires to join the St. Louis Blues’ front office.

• The Senators did a pre-draft interview with London Knights prospect Sam Dickinson. He discussed the experience with TSN’s Mark Masters.

• Earlier today on the Cam & Strick Podcast host Andy Strickland reflected on the pervasiveness of the Brady Tkachuk rumours and their refusal to go away. Strickland acknowledged that people keep asking him about the possibility Brady could want out, but provided no evidence to substantiate that they are real. Instead, he posited that it was in the Senators’ interest to gauge whether or not Brady wanted to remain with the organization. If he wanted to move, he suggested that it was in Ottawa’s best interests to move their captain before his no-movement clause kicked in after the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.