Number 2 – Ryan Dzingel & 2019 seventh-round pick to Columbus for Anthony Duclair, 2020 second-round pick & a 2021 second-round pick
Getting two second-round picks for a rental at the deadline is always a good result for a General Manager. Ryan Dzingel was offered a pretty substantial contract to remain with the Ottawa Senators, but the speedy forward decided that he wanted to test free agency.
One day after Ottawa Senators General Manager Pierre Dorion traded Matt Duchene to the Columbus Blue Jackets, he once again completed a trade with Jarmo Kekalainen and the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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At the time of the trade, the two main pieces of the return were the two second-round picks. Anthony Duclair was considered by many to be a throw-in, a contract to help reduce the number of contracts for the Blue Jackets, and a player that would take a roster spot to finish the season for the Ottawa Senators.
Duclair had a pretty good finish to the season, where he scored 8 goals and added 6 assists in 21 games played down the stretch. The 23-year-old (soon to be 24) played well enough to earn himself a one-year contract extension with the Ottawa Senators. He is already pencilled in by many to play in the team’s top-6 forward group this coming season.
For this trade to be evaluated properly we still need to wait and see what the team does with the two second-round draft picks. I have confidence in the Ottawa Senators’ scouting staff to find good players with those picks. The team could also use them as compensation to either move up in the draft or use them as part of a trade bringing in an established player. So many options!