Ottawa Senators and Brassard Excited About Opportunity

This offseason for the Ottawa Senators is largely going to be defined by the Derick Brassard acquisition.

Yes, Mike Hoffman being signed long term is a huge development that will end up shaping the team going forward, but they didn’t have to lose Mika Zibanejad to get Hoffman back on this roster.

Zibanejad could still very well turn into a star player in this league, and if that happens, this Brassard addition won’t be looked at so favorably.

For the time being, though, Brassard gives the Senators a talented goal scorer and playmaker who is embracing the opportunity to return to his hometown team and play in front of family and friends.

“I’m a player that plays with a lot of emotions and I’ve played in some big games in the last three years and I’ve really enjoyed that,” said Brassard, referring to reveling in high pressure situations.

Brassard has never shied away from elevating his game in big moments, judging from his playoff performances.

Not all athletes embrace the added pressure of playing close to home. The presence of family and childhood friends at home games is often times an added tension that players don’t want to involve themselves with.

The support of loved ones is a positive, but it’s easy for a player to try to do too much in front of them. Performing at a high level is difficult enough in a professional sports league, and some athletes wish to distance themselves from that added pressure.

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Brassard doesn’t seem like that type of player at all, though, and playing in front of the bright lights of New York can desensitize a player to external adversity.

Of course, the pressure of New York can also crush players of a certain mentality, but Brassard upped his game in big moments.

Pierre Dorion undoubtedly noticed Brassard’s postseason trends, and adding a player with that type of leadership ability will only help an already talented team take that next leap forward.

Trading Zibanejad was a bold move for a new general manager, but not only does it make the Senators immediately better, but it sets up for increased economic flexibility after next season.

When Dorion first took over as general manager, this was one of the transactions that he immediately pursued.

A deal was almost completed at the draft, but ended up being delayed. It took a few more weeks, but Dorion ended up getting the player he targeted from the beginning.

Brassard has a great shot, but has often seemed hesitant to utilize it as much as he probably should.

While that could be frustrating, his passing skills ease that anxiety, and if he ends up getting a lot of ice time with Bobby Ryan, his playmaking abilities make Ryan poised to return to his goal scoring totals he registered in Anaheim.

Brassard is excited to not only be coming home to play hockey, but also be a crucial component to a team that looks like they’re on the rise.

If Zibanejad does become a premier player in New York, this optimism about the Brassard acquisition will look foolish in hindsight.

However, there’s always the argument that Zibanejad wouldn’t have been able to take that next leap forward as a player in Ottawa, and at least the team got a solid player like Brassard for him.

It’s the type of monumental move that could end up really altering the course of this franchise. Right now I’m optimistic about it, not just because of Brassard’s ability, but because of the economic benefits of the trade.

Zibanejad is a restricted free agent next season, and he’s in line for a pay raise. He already makes $3.25 million, while Brassard is set to be paid just slightly over that total per season until the 2019 offseason.

Brassard is at a set income for a team that doesn’t have the luxury of breaking the bank for assets. The money they save by shipping away Zibanejad can be used to re-sign important players next offseason like Zack Smith, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Curtis Lazar.

Not to mention it makes the Cody Ceci contract dispute less precarious. The Brassard addition can be argued as both a short-term motivated transaction as well as a long-term one, albeit from an economic perspective.

General managers can’t be afraid to take risks, and Dorion did what he thought was the right move to make the Senators a better team.

Next: Ottawa Senators Matt Puempel Seeks to Establish Himself

Brassard is a talented player, and the added component of him being born in Gatineau makes his arrival in Ottawa even more intriguing than it already was.

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