Ottawa Senators should consider trading for Nikita Gusev

The Ottawa Senators are building a new-look roster for the 2019/20 season and Russian winger Nikita Gusev is a player the team should consider acquiring.

While the Ottawa Senators are likely to tank in the upcoming NHL season, the organisation will be keen to put out a competitive team that can show enough glimmers of hope for the future to regain some fans’ confidence.

While things have been fairly quiet from the Canadian capital since the significant trade and dealings on July 1st, there is a player that could be worth taking a gamble on.

The Vegas Golden Knights have well-documented issues with the cap, currently sitting $3,524,999 over the $81.5 million salary cap.

More from Editorials

• Ottawa Senators: Something’s Got to Give
• Hot Pierre Summer 2.0? Let’s Talk About The Ottawa Senators Offseason So Far!
• EXCLUSIVE: Making Moments With Senators Forward Egor Sokolov
• Joonas Korpisalo: The Solution To The Senators’ Goaltending Problem
• Ottawa Senators: To Build Or Demolish? New Arena Discussion

This leaves the NHL’s newest team with some difficult decisions to make, one of which includes potentially moving Russian winger Nikita Gusev.

Gusev, 27, has been one of the best players in the KHL over the past three seasons, scoring 63 goals and registering 215 points in 173 regular season games with SKA St. Petersburg.

The Moscow native also added a further 54 points in 51 playoff games, helping to lead the team to a Gagarin Cup in 2017.

After an 82-point season in his native Russia, Gusev signed an Entry-Level Contract with the Golden Knights and came over to North America with hopes of featuring in the playoffs.

This didn’t happen, leaving the Russian as a restricted free agent with hopes of securing a big deal this summer.

Reports have circulated that suggest Gusev is seeking a deal in the range of $4 million over the next two seasons, something the Senators could certainly accommodate.

Adding a player such as Gusev on such a deal would see the Senators add a real high-risk, high-reward type player during a window of low expectations, effectively taking away much of the risk outside of financial commitment.

The Golden Knights are reportedly entertaining offers involving a second-round pick and a prospect, which the Ottawa Senators could certainly part ways with – as long as the prospect in question is further down the pecking order.

Gusev has a number of years left in him and has the potential to become a legitimate top-six forward for the rebuilding Senators.

The biggest question in any deal, however, is ensuring the player would accept a deal with the club he could be traded to, with Gusev having experienced plenty of playoff hockey in the KHL over the past few seasons.

If Gusev is willing to join a rebuilding team and play a large role in helping the team get through the next couple of years, then the Senators should be making strong calls to the Golden Knights to get a deal done.

The Senators shouldn’t part ways with too much, but the benefits of adding a player of Gusev’s quality, with him having also earned two bronze medals in the IIHF World Championships and an Olympic gold medal, would be great for the team.

What do you think Sens fans? Would you be interested in seeing the team make a deal for Gusev? Would you be happy seeing him earn $4 million for two seasons while the team is rebuilding? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!