Ottawa Senators Hint at Adding Another Defenseman

The Ottawa Senators haven’t had huge roster turnover this offseason, but have made some crucial moves.

Mike Hoffman was re-signed to a long term deal, and avoided a second consecutive season of arbitration hearings with him in the process.

Derick Brassard was acquired from the New York Rangers in exchange for Mika Zibanejad, in a move that raised some eyebrows around the league.

Chris Kelly was reacquired as a free agent. The gritty forward previously played for the Senators from 2004-2011, and went on to win a Stanley Cup after being traded to the Boston Bruins in 2011.

Patrick Wiercioch signed with the Colorado Avalanche after the Senators declined to give him a qualifying offer, and it’s on that defensive unit that more changes in the lineup seem likely for the Senators.

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The obvious transaction yet to happen is re-signing Cody Ceci, which appears to be imminent, but without a clear indication of how long the contract will be.

In the midst of this dispute with Ceci, Pierre Dorion is hinting that the team isn’t done trying to fortify its defense.

“I’ve kept making calls to guys who are still on the market and are very good and capable depth defenseman,” said Dorion. “I’ve talked to quite a few GMs over the past month if they are looking to move pieces on the back end and that’s where we might look to add a piece.”

Whether this actually materializes remains to be seen. If Dorion keys in on a specific player he likes, it could be accomplished either via free agency or a trade.

Earlier in the offseason Dorion had insinuated that he wanted to acquire another depth defenseman, and that while he was happy with the top two pairings (assuming Ceci returns), the third pair was more fluid.

There’s a handful of players already vying for playing time in that role. The favorites as of now appear to be Mark Borowiecki and Chris Wideman.

Borowiecki is a lefty while Wideman is a righty. Other guys who could assert themselves are Michael Kostka, Fredrik Claesson, and highly touted up-and-comer Thomas Chabot.

Chabot and Claesson are lefties, while Kostka is a righty. In terms of optimum cohesion, if Dorion does add another defenseman to this mix, it’ll probably be a righty, just to even things out a bit.

Dorion hasn’t said as much about the forwards, instead directing his implications toward the blue-liners.

Although his top priority right now should definitely be getting a deal done with Ceci, depth signings help ensure flexibility when injuries or ineffectiveness hit, and adding another player to that defensive unit would be prudent.

Next: Ottawa Senators Prolong Contract Dispute With Cody Ceci

This lineup could look slightly different by the time the regular season starts. It’ll be interesting to see how the depth chart gets tinkered with.

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