Ottawa Senators: Why Not Boyle Over Burrows?

Yesterday, the Atlantic Division became trade city. Brian Boyle was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Oh, and the Ottawa Senators traded for Alexander Burrows. Here’s why Ottawa should’ve gone for Boyle instead of Burrows.

Yikes.

I’ve summed up my feelings to the farcical trade that occurred last night below.

With the mindset of the Ottawa Senators being ‘go for it now’, why didn’t they kick the tires on a better attacking outlet. Brian Boyle is no Steven Stamkos, but he would’ve made a good rental.

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The problem? The Ottawa Senators have been giving their second draft picks out like candy. Anyone wants a second round pick as part of a trade with the Sens, you get it, no question.

Boyle only took a second rounder and a dumped contract (Byron Froese). If the Sens still had their second round pick for 2017 would they have gone for Boyle? The Burrows trade, with an extension, is unbelievable. It was a huge price to pay.

$5,000,000 over the next two years, as he is laughing all the way to the bank. He will be 38 years old if the Sens make the playoffs in his final year, just let that settle in. This guy is not Jaromir Jagr.

Back to Boyle, he is not a vastly better player than Burrows but he adds a bit more playoff class to the organisation. The main problem for me, is Jonathan Dahlen, the Leafs have only lost a second round pick in a sub-standard draft. Whereas, the Sens have sacrificed a legitimate top-six forward for a player, Dorion, has viewed as a playoff necessity.

Boyle can move up and down the lineup, is Burrows of that same ability, I don’t think so. Boyle would’ve suited the system that little bit more than Burrows.

Penalty Minute Analysis

My next point is that Boyle is less likely to cost a team cheap penalties. Taking penalties is not a good thing, it sticks your team on the Penalty Kill, tires them out and leaves them vulnerable.

Alex Burrows averages 1.3 penalty minutes per game, so he is essentially nailed on box-time every single game.

Conversely, Brian Boyle averages 0.78 penalty minutes per game. You might be thinking that this is a moot point but it isn’t. Penalties are even more crucial in the post-season, where defending takes precedence.

Is the the system going to work if Ottawa keep taking penalties, no. They will be peppered from all angles, just like Tampa Bay did last night.

Agitating Agitators

Boyle is a physical player but not on the nuisance level that Burrows is. Furthermore, over the last few games, for me, the Sens have been taking part in too many scraps. It has gone past the level of what fighting should mean for a team. It’s been petulant and not needed. Alex Burrows, you can guarantee is going to add to those incidents.