Two Weeks Till Deadline Day SensChirp

We are exactly two weeks away from the NHL Trade Deadline.

And based on some of the chatter leading up to the big day, it sounds like the Ottawa Senators could be one of the most active teams.

Their General Manager is armed with a three year contract extension and a new mandate from Ownership. It’s no longer about getting in the playoffs at all costs but rather a renewed focus on drafting and player development which for now likely means trimming pay roll and stockpiling draft picks and prospects.

It could be a wild 14 days in the Nation’s Capital.

And based on a conversation I had with a source over the weekend, the fun could start as early as this week.

It’s an exciting and yet terrifying time to be a fan of the Senators. Primarily because nobody really knows how far they’ll go at this deadline. Bruce Garrioch, via the Senators organization, continues to say that Mark Stone, Thomas Chabot and Erik Karlsson are the primary untouchables.

Makes sense.

But that certainly doesn’t mean Dorion is hanging up the phone when teams call about the Captain. And make no mistake, teams have been calling. So a Karlsson deal remains a long-shot but saying it’s impossible probably wouldn’t be accurate at this point.

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But there are a handful of other guys that could have new homes in the next couple weeks. Based on the talk that’s out there right now, a list of ten players in the rumour mill, ranked by their likelihood to move.

1) Zack Smith- Can be acquired for relatively cheap and there is legitimate interest from the Calgary Flames and Las Vegas Golden Knights. Has three years left at $3.25 mil a season.

2) Derick Brassard- His name came up on the weekend during Saturday Headlines with both San Jose and Pittsburgh in the mix. Cap hit of $5 mil this season and next but a total salary of just $3.5 in each year. LeBrun has the price at a 1st RD pick, top prospect plus 3rd piece.

3) Johnny Oduya- Probably the easiest to acquire and apparently there are a couple of teams looking for veteran depth heading into the playoffs.

4) Mike Hoffman- Has probably been in the rumour mill longer than any other player but the cost to acquire him has been and remains high.

5) Jean Gabriel Pageau- Dorion would prefer not to move his favourite player but he’s another player that teams are interested in. The Penguins being one of those teams. Can’t move Brassard and Pageau but will likely move one of them.

6) Cody Ceci- An RFA at the end of the season, there are teams showing some interest. The Senators are clearly reluctant to move him but this would be a great time to avoid a potentially crippling contract extension.

7) Erik Karlsson- Tried to leave him off the list completely but the reality is, teams are calling. And the Senators are listening. Tough deal to pull off at a deadline but a team like Tampa Bay makes a lot of sense.

8) Dion Phaneuf- They have been trying to move Phaneuf since the summer but his contract is basically poison. Any deal would involve taking a bad contract back. Los Angeles remains a possibility.

9) Ryan Dzingel- Garrioch says they have interest in Dzingel but moving him makes very little sense. He’s young, cheap and in the middle of a career season.

10) Paajarvi, Thompson, Pyatt, Burrows, Dumont- I think they would be open to moving any of these guys but it’s unlikely they’ll get any interest.

How would you rank them leading up to the deadline?