Ottawa Senators: The Lehner, Legwand, and Gryba Trades
By Johnny Eaton
Robin Lehner, David Legwand, and Eric Gryba have been traded away from the Ottawa Senators. Alright. That’s done. There seems to be no hard feelings. Now we can sit back and breathe, take stock, evaluate.
Were these good trades?
Hell yes.
Here’s why:
- $$$$ — Lehner, Legwand, and Gryba were shipped out for a 1st round pick (which turned out to be Colin White), pick #107, and Travis Ewanyk. The three ex-Sens contracts were worth a cap hit of $6,475,000. The new Sens have a cap hit of $0 as no NHL pieces were brought back. That frees up a lot of $ for a free-agent signing or a trade for the top-6 forward GMBM is after.
- Trimming the Fat — The Sens had 3 goalies; one too many. Legwand was standing in the way of a young forward stepping in, namely Puempel. Gryba was similar to Cowen and Borowiecki, and it must be assumed that a call-up, such as Wideman, is intended to take his place. Arguments can be had about whether these guys should’ve been shipped out or not, but there’s no arguing that room had to be made.
- What’s Left — The Sens still have a #1 goalie and a decent back-up, a strong core of forwards and defencemen, and some space for a signing or two. GMBM has flexibility, which is a good thing.
Hell no?
Maybe:
- Lehner could mature into a #1 goalie. That is a risk that is now the Sabres’ to take. If he does, there will be inevitable moaning among the Sens’ Army. It will be made worse if the Anderson/Hammond combo doesn’t pan out. BUT… if you’re a betting man, you have to agree that Hamm’n’Andy is the safe bet and Lehner is the long shot.
- Why Gryba? Many fans are already asking this when Cowen would be the more desirable D-man to move. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say that Cowen had no suitors on the trade market. I mean, who would you rather want, a stay-at-home D-man with some holes in his game and a tendency for taking penalties who costs a little over a million, or a stay-at-home D-man with some holes in his game and a tendency for taking penalties who costs a little over three million? Yep, I’d want Gryba too. Sad to see him go, actually. He provided a toughness that is valuable, especially come playoff time.
The Overlooked: Time Factor
It’s just past draft time, and many fans’ minds are justifiably on the future, but consider this:
QMI Agency File
Bryan Murray’s days as GM of the Ottawa Senators are numbered. He’s gotten older and battled cancer. It’s entirely possible he’s thinking about his legacy. Could this translate into a win now attitude? I sure think so.
He’s retained his most proven goalie, who, had the Sens beat the Canadiens, might’ve broken playoff records for SV% and GAA. He’s made room to bring in his coveted top-6 forward. If he can’t get one of those, he’s opened up a spot behind the blue line too. The signs point to a man who wants to get his team into a long playoff run position now.
He’s also apparently said, “We’ve got some surprises in store leading up to the season.”
As a fan, that has to get you excited. I know I am. As much as we get behind a GM when he’s trying to rebuild our beloved team into a winner, as much as we endure the pain of losing or middling seasons, all we really want is to eventually see our GM push all his chips into the middle and take a chance. Melnyk may have one of Murray’s hands handcuffed behind his back, but maybe GMBM can still use his good hand to make the moves that get our team to the playoffs.
So far, I like what he’s done. And I can’t wait for those surprises.
Next: How The Ottawa Senators Did In The Jason Spezza Trade