Experienced UFA Targets For The Ottawa Senators This Off-season
Part (1/3): This week, I will be looking at different types of UFA targets for the Ottawa Senators during the 2020 offseason. Much of the focus for the team has rightfully been on the upcoming draft and crop of players likely to be promoted from Belleville. However, there are still many holes on the roster that need to be plugged.
In this series, I will be looking at players in three different groups based on the possibility of bringing back former players, experience and those that are possibly undervalued.
Most analysts would suggest that a young team on the upswing like the Ottawa Senators need to bring in some experienced ‘winners’ at some point during their rebuild. Typically, this player is billed as somebody who can “show the kids how to win.” This is likely an avenue the Senators will go this offseason, to take some of the leadership onus off of players like Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot.
Experience has proven to be a bit more expensive in the NHL. Therefore, what’s important in this hypothetical situation is that the Senators consider a player’s present value, and not bring in and play somebody based on their past. We’ve seen it recently with Alex Burrows and Chris Kelly among others.
Therefore, the criteria for these highlighted players must be a history of regular season and/or playoff success, they have to fit the Senators’ mold on players and realistic salary, as well as have the ability to presently contribute positively on the ice. Below are my best picks of the bunch.
Kyle Clifford’s resumé speaks for itself. The gritty winger has appeared in 55 playoff games throughout his career and is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Los Angeles Kings. His value was recognized by Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, who brought in Clifford ahead of the 2020 trade deadline to help his team down the stretch, and in the playoffs.
With 17 points across 69 games played this season, the Senators won’t be counting on Clifford to bring any offence. However, his comfortable play in the defensive end at 5v5 and on the penalty-kill make him a very useful bottom-six option. Additionally, his willingness to drop the gloves and stick up for teammates certainly fits the mold of players that D.J Smith and Pierre Dorion have previously been very high on.
Kyle Clifford is not a plug by any means, even if that's his reputation. He's one of the better 4th liners in the NHL, consistently average at even strength and quite good on the PK. He's also had an odd surge in the past two seasons. #Leafs pic.twitter.com/rlXoc34mDB
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) February 6, 2020
Clifford could quickly become unavailable with there being apparent mutual interest between him and the Leafs extending his contract. However, with the uncertainty of the league’s salary situation due to the COVID-19 shut down, Kyle Clifford certainly could find himself in need of work come this fall. With his proven quality and boatload of cap space the Senators have, this certainly could make sense for all parties.
Patrick Maroon
Patrick Maroon probably comes with the least amount of risk for any quality UFA with experience. He’s a solid player that can move up and down a lineup, and was recently a part of the St. Louis Blues’ Stanley Cup winning team. Maroon has taken two pay cuts on his recent contracts with St. Louis and Tampa Bay, but Ottawa could potentially be an option if he’s chasing any sort of term.
The Missouri native has been pretty consistent at 5v5 throughout his career, with good impacts on expected goals (only one full season below 50%) and special teams. He’s a similar type of player to Brady Tkachuk, where he relies on his ability to dominate the net front. Obviously the Senators will defer to Tkachuk on the man advantage, but having Maroon as an option would be beneficial.
Patrick Maroon has over 500 games of regular season experience, and has been a part of Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers and St. Louis Blues teams that have had solid playoff runs. He’s scored big goals across his career, and his tenacity and grit are both qualities that the Senators value. Based on recency, if the Senators can lure a player like Patrick Maroon to the team, they’ll be very pleased on and off of the ice.
It’s safe to say that Corey Perry’s rebound year in Dallas has had its ups and downs. The longtime Anaheim Ducks winger’s counting stats didn’t jump back up to level that we would’ve expected from him a decade ago, with just 5 goals and 16 assists in 57 games this season.
Perry’s best days are long behind him however, he did still prove to have solid underlying value for the Stars this season. His 53.20 xGF% and 51.72 HDCF% (via NaturalStatTrick) means he had one of the stronger offensive impacts on the team, despite having his game time limited to just 14 minutes per game. Perry also proved to be an integral part of the Stars’ powerplay, which finished in the top half of the league. Perhaps with some more opportunity at even strength, the soon to be 35 year-old still has some hockey left in his legs.
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Nobody on the free agent market will have as much experience as Corey Perry. He’s played in 1045 regular season games, plus another 118 in the playoffs. He’s won a Hart Trophy, Rocket Richard Trophy, 2 Olympic Gold Medals and a Stanley Cup (that Senators fans will unfortunately remember from 2006-07). There isn’t a thing in hockey that Corey Perry hasn’t done.
Convincing a player of his calibre to come to the Ottawa Senators at this point could prove a tough task. However, if Dorion and co. can sell him on the idea of being an integral part of the Ottawa Senators over the next few years and the possibility of playoff qualification at some point, it could be tempting. This sell-job would require a healthy sum of money, but the Ottawa Senators have space. If there’s one bit of experience to slightly overpay for, this is it.