Ottawa Senators Lucky to Get Clutch Player Like Brassard

By Ian Smith | Jul 21, 2016

Feb 14, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers center Derick Brassard (16) carries the puck during the third period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden. New York Rangers won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

The Ottawa Senators trading Mika Zibanejad for Derick Brassard has elicited strong response on each end of the spectrum.

I truly understand both sides of the argument. It’s the type of trade that features convincing points both for and against.

To those who are against the trade, I agree that Zibanejad still has the potential to be a star in this league, and the Senators not wanting to give him a pay raise next offseason as a restricted free agent is a frustrating example of the penny pinching tactics the organization is becoming known for employing.

For those in support of this trade, I also concede that Zibanejad had shown too much frustrating inconsistencies and a tendency to play soft, and was not going to be worth the pay raise he will soon command. He still had the allure to attract a sizable return via trade, and Brassard is a quality top line center.

It’s impossible to hand down any concrete indictments on this trade until a couple of seasons from now. Short term, the Senators won this trade, because Brassard is better than Zibanejad at this moment in time.

That may not hold true a couple of seasons down the road, though. It all depends on whether Zibanejad takes that next step in New York.

Any major trade is bound to cause some anxiety on each side, and we talked to our friends over at Blue Line Station about the type of player Brassard is. It eased some of my concerns, because Zibanejad was an intriguing piece that you don’t want to get a lackluster player for.

“While I think it was a great trade for the Rangers, it hurts to make it because Brassard was one of my and many other Rangers fans’ favorite players,” said site editor John Williams. “He always brings it game in and game out, and is a great performer in the clutch.”

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It’s a strange paradox that such a clutch performer struggles with confidence issues. His playoff stats back up his his label as a great big-game performer, yet one that battles insecurity with his shooting.

“I have said for years that he had the best shot on the team, but he almost seemed afraid to use it,” Williams said. “He scored 27 goals this year, which was a nice surprise, and I can definitely see him doing that again in the future.”

The Senators are getting Brassard coming off his best season to date, and perhaps his great season can give him more confidence to increase his shot totals.

“Brassard is an unbelievable playmaker. He and Mats Zuccarello were able to make some passes that were at another level over the past few seasons,” said Williams. “He is a big game player as well. He has lead the Rangers in playoff points since he joined the team three and a half years ago.”

The Senators could certainly use a stable presence like this, and it sounds like he has the ability to make players around him better.

“He is a great locker room guy and will bring lots of leadership to a team of younger players in Ottawa, and help teach them how to succeed in a playoff environment and atmosphere,” said Williams.

The Senators were in serious need of that leadership after missing the playoffs last year, and Brassard sounds like he could be the perfect addition to alleviate that problem.

“As for his weaknesses, Brassard is not a great defender out there. He’s about average on defense. He isn’t going to blow you away with his foot speed, and that hurt the team last season in the defensive zone,” said Williams.

Brassard had a +12 last season, so that’s an encouraging sign that his underwhelming defense can be mitigated with his offensive prowess.

“Another area where he struggles is inside his own head,” said Williams. “He does not shoot nearly enough and can be way too pass happy, missing golden opportunities to score by making the extra pass.”

Zibanejad sounds like a better defender than him, and a better skater. Brassard needs to gain the confidence to make use of that fantastic shot more often, because it seems like his timidness to unleash it could get very frustrating.

“Overall, I think he has the potential to be a 30+ goal scorer despite having only one 20+ goal season. I think he will help the Senators’ younger players out tremendously in the locker room,” said Williams.

This is a Senators team that does not want to go through the embarrassment of missing the postseason two years in a row.

“If they make the playoffs, he’ll make a huge impact on their postseason performance. All in all, he’ll become a fan favorite in Ottawa,” said Williams.

His 30 goal potential sounds like a bit of the same brand of optimism I have for Zibanejad becoming a star in New York, although he had the most shots on goal for himself last season since 2010-2011, so maybe it’s a sign of his increased confidence.

His 14.8 shooting percentage was also the highest in his career for any season where he registered at least 100 shots.

The Senators are getting him at the peak of his goal scoring abilities up to this point, and it sounds as though he can remain at that level if he keeps the mental edge necessary to keep shooting the puck.

This looks like a trade that will benefit both teams, and the Senators should be glad that they have a new player that can provide veteran leadership and is a proven playoff performer.

If Zibanejad eventually becomes a star, this trade can be lamented in the future. For now, though, the Senators appear to have acquired a great player in Brassard who can score goals and elevate the performances of players around him.

Next: Ottawa Senators Make Trade to Win Now

Thank you very much to Blue Line Station for your analysis of Brassard. It got me really excited about the type of player Brassard can be in Ottawa.

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