Ever since Andrew Hammond was re-signed by Ottawa, there has been talk about an asking price for Craig Anderson and Robin Lehner. They have too many goalies right now, and of course one of them has to go. Bryan Murray thinks he has a bit of leverage right now (although he most likely does not), and he will start off the bidding very high just like every other team (CC: Patrick Sharp).
As of now, this is what Murray and co. are looking for in return:
Mr. Murray also said a trade prior to the June 26 draft is possible. #Sens are looking for a top-six forward & high draft pick.
— Jordan Mady (@jordantmady) June 10, 2015
So whether fans want a defenseman or not, it probably won’t happen in a goalie trade. That means the only targets in fan trade proposals are forwards, and of course people’s imaginations go absolutely wild. Why can’t Ottawa trade Lehner, Lazar and a 1st for Connor McDavid? It’s comical looking at people’s proposals, but at the same time it’s also sobering.
Many expect to get a young player who can come into the Senators lineup right away and score 60+ points for them. But in reality, that would never happen. And I think fans will ultimately be disappointed with the return, just like most people were last year in the Jason Spezza trade. This same thing happens every year with different teams, but my thoughts on this bears repeating.
You would think that Ottawa fans would learn after last year, but that will never happen. It seems that lots of people don’t realize that Anderson/Lehner aren’t the most sought after goalies, and Murray can’t just get his opponents to sweeten the pot because he says so. The main reason why I thought about writing this article is that I read Sens Chirp’s more recent post where commenters had to predict a Senators goalie trade.
Here is the compilation of trades that were submitted:
Safe to say fans are gonna be disappointed with the return in the goalie trade. Here are some of the contest entries. pic.twitter.com/yKeYL4J9GR
— SensChirp (@SensChirp) June 19, 2015
I have to agree with Chirp here, as most of these proposals seem so unrealistic. Now I understand that a lot of people on the internet aren’t exactly the best at predicting trades and that this happens with every fan base. Still though, it feels like Ottawa fans really overrate their assets just like the Senators management does.
You have to look at it from the perspective from the other team. To the Senators, Anderson is a superb veteran goalie. But to others, he’s getting old and is a bit of a health risk, so why would they give up a ton for him? And Lehner to the Senators has tons of upside and has shown flashes of being an excellent goalie. However, teams may also be worried about his health, and he hasn’t been quite as good as many thought he would be at this point.
So others aren’t going to trade a top six forward and another young asset for a goalie that may decline very soon or may never reach his potential. I can tell you with 100% confidence that the Sharks aren’t giving up Marc-Edouard Vlasic, the Oilers aren’t giving up Taylor Hall or Leon Draisaitl, and the Panthers aren’t giving up Nick Bjugstad.
The only way a mega-deal like that would happen is if Ottawa included a piece of their core like Mika Zibanejad, Curtis Lazar, or Kyle Turris. And the deal would still be more complicated than that.
Don’t expect much at all, and that way you won’t be too disappointed with the end result
There are a few on that list that actually are sensible, and in fact very possible. But for the most part, it seems like in all places on the internet that Senators fans are expecting way too much. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun to wish and dream about obtaining certain star players, but you can’t expect that.
The only reason I try not to expect much in this goalie trade (or any Ottawa trades) is because most of the time they are a tad underwhelming. It will never be a massive win for the Senators, and even if it is we may not realize it until much later (like the Turris/Rundblad trade).
One other reason why I don’t think the return will be very big? Murray has said that he will try to attach a bad contract to Anderson or Lehner, which will minimize their return significantly. If Greening is also headed to Edmonton, I highly doubt Ottawa will be able to get Nail Yakupov. I do think it’s possible to trade for him, but the Senators will need to add an asset onto Anderson or Lehner to make that happen.
I think Ottawa fans should do what I do: don’t expect much at all, and that way you won’t be too disappointed with the end result. And if it’s much better than expected? Well that’s fantastic that they proved me wrong. But right now I think fans are overvaluing what we have and that’s creating unrealistic expectations.
Next: Cam Talbot Will Set The Stage For An Ottawa Trade