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Ottawa Senators Trade Rumours: Teams In Need Of A Goalie

By Johnny Eaton |

The debate rages on about which goalie should be traded–Robin Lehner or Craig Anderson–and it will continue to rage until a trade is made and people either praise or criticize Bryan Murray’s sense as a GM. Before any trade happens, though, a trade partner must be found. That is the rub for Mr. Murray:

Who Needs a Goalie?

Save percentage is paramount when it comes to goalies, whether or not the team is tight or loose defensively.

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Here is the bottom half of the league in SV%, starting with the most porous:

  • EDM (.888)
  • DAL (.895)
  • ARI, CAR (.902)
  • NYI (.903)
  • TOR (.906)
  • ANA, SJS (.907)
  • BUF (.908)
  • DET (.909)
  • CBJ, PHI, VAN, TBL (.910)
  • CGY, LAK (.911)

Do any of these teams need what Ottawa is offering—either an established starting goalie or a back-up who could potentially become a starting goalie?

Several of them can be counted out right away. PHI, FLA, LAK, CBJ, TBL, DET, and ANA all have a #1 picked out for the foreseeable future. VAN, NYI, TOR, and CGY have tandems, and would have to trade a goalie away before making a deal with OTT.

So that leaves EDM, DAL, ARI, CAR, SJS, and BUF as likely and convenient trade partners. Four have a #1 fallen from grace, and could be a good fit for Lehner. The other two disgrace the term ‘goaltending’, and would undoubtedly be happy to receive either Lehner or Anderson. But here’s the question, reasonably speaking,

What Can They Offer Ottawa in Return?

Edmonton

  • Nail Yakupov, RW. He had a dismal +/-, but his 14.59 iCorsi/60 was good for 3rd on the Oilers. He could be a good fit for Ottawa on the 3rd line with Zib and Lazar. Imagine the speed! One potential hiccup: Yakupov doesn’t exactly have a good reputation right now, and he could be a distraction to an otherwise very stable Sens dressing room.

Dec 1, 2014; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers defensemen

Nikita Nikitin

(86) skates against the Arizona Coyotes at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

  • Nikita Nikitin, D. Why not bring a pair of Russians over, for bonding comraderies’ sake? At the same time, the Sens would get a big (6’4”) defenseman who has a little flair for nice passes and was second among his team’s defensemen in iCorsi/60.

Dallas

  • John Klingberg, D. The offensively gifted rookie led his team in iCorsi/60 last season, but would Dallas be willing to let him go? Remember they only gave Murray Alex Chiasson for Jason Spezza last offseason.
  • Jason Demers, D. Same question. A top defender for Dallas. How stingy would they be?

Arizona

  • Mark Arcobello, C/RW. He’s a centre but could play on the right wing with Zib and Lazar. He’s a speedy, small forward, with a slick shot that converted into an impressive 13.2 Sh% last season.

Carolina

Ryan Murphy

(7) celebrates goal. Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

  • Ryan Murphy, D. In 37 games last season he scored 13 points and put up an iCorsi/60 of 11.26—very good for a defenseman.

San Jose

  • Matt Irwin, D. He’s a decent-sized kid from Brentwood Bay who doesn’t take too many stupid penalties, throws up a few points, and tends to keep himself in the + column. Would be a good bolster to the Sens’ D.

Buffalo

  • Brian Gionta, RW. He’s in the twilight of his career for sure, but the small, speedy veteran is still effective, and could be a very nice mentor to Zib and Lazar as a line-mate.

St. Louis has also been mentioned as a potential trade partner, but they’ve got that two goalies under contract problem too.

So tell me,

Who Would You Trade With, and For Whom?

If you were Bryan Murray, who would you be taking offers from or calling up? Who’s on your target list? Be realistic now. Goalies aren’t given as much value on the market as they’re actually worth.

If I had to choose from the above options, I think I’d try to trade Lehner and another piece (maybe Cowen?) to Edmonton for Yakupov and Nikitin. But GMs don’t often have the luxury of pulling off their preferred deal. If I were Murray, and I got calls from these teams with the names above involved, I’d be listening.

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