Ottawa Senators get surprisingly low return for Dylan DeMelo
By James Reeve
The Ottawa Senators have today announced a trade that has sent right-handed defenceman Dylan DeMelo to the Winnipeg Jets.
Dylan DeMelo was one of the Ottawa Senators players most frequently linked with a move away ahead of the trade deadline, with Pierre Dorion cashing in on the impending UFA before potentially seeing him walk away for nothing in the summer.
In return for the right-handed blueliner, the Senators have received the Jets’ third round in the 2020 Draft, taking the team’s total number of picks to 12, with seven of those picks coming in the first three rounds.
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DeMelo had understandable value ahead of the deadline, being a right-shooting defenceman with decent production (19:55 average time on the ice, 63 blocked shots, 94 hits, 53.1% Corsi rating while starting in the offensive zone just 48.4% of the time) and a very low cap hit of just $900,000.
What is surprising about the trade, however, is how low the overall return is for the 26-year-old London, Ontario native.
Right-handed defencemen usually hold premium value across the NHL, with teams desperate for strength and depth on the right side of the blueline.
Earlier in the week, the New York Islanders made a trade of their own for defenceman Andy Greene, a 37-year-old left-handed veteran with a cap hit of $5 million.
In exchange for the impending UFA, the Islanders gave up a second-round pick as well as 21-year-old right-handed blueline prospect David Quenneville.
This package is significantly more than what the Senators received for DeMelo, despite his age and cap hit arguably making him a far more attractive asset for defence-needy teams to acquire.
With Dorion having had some great success in trades over the past year or so, many within the fanbase will be curious as to how he gave up DeMelo for so little a full six days before the deadline, a day which could have potentially driven up the asking price significantly.
Ottawa Senators claim Jayce Hawryluk. dark. Next
What do you think though Sens fans? What are your thoughts and feelings regarding this trade? Are you disappointed to see DeMelo leave? Are you pleased the team got something for the impending UFA? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!