Ottawa Senators: Low-risk high-reward trade options

Ottawa has plenty of draft capital heading into the 2020 NHL Draft, and could afford to throw one of their picks at an enticing prospect who might excel in a change of scenery

There are plenty of prospects every draft who don’t pan out for their teams, whether because of the situation or just lack of development to become an NHL talent. There are some teams who struggle in developing first-round talents to NHL players, the Edmonton Oilers were always ridiculed for how they handled their prospects. But they’re not the only ones, there are no guarantees that any player drafted into the pros will become an NHL player, whether with the team that drafted them or with another one. Also, some players fail to find success with their drafted team but thrive in a different environment, comparable to a recent case with Dylan Strome‘s struggle in Arizona and recent revival with Chicago.

With the position Ottawa is in, they can afford to take a risk with potentially one of their four second-rounders or even later picks, to take a chance on a once-promising prospect.

Jesse Puljujarvi

Edmonton apparently “stole” Puljujarvi at fourth overall in the 2016 NHL Draft, when the Columbus Blue Jackets selected Pierre-Luc Dubois instead of Puljujarvi who was ranked third by many draft institutions. With 28 points in 50 games in the Liiga in Finland, including 9 points in 10 games in the playoffs, he looked like a sure-fire NHL prospect.

Puljujarvi struggled in his first three years in North America playing a total of 139 games only producing 17 goals and 37 points, and also not standing out in the AHL. It just looked like a lost cause with Puljujarvi in Edmonton especially in 2019, Puljujarvi only put up 9 points in 49 games with Edmonton and wasn’t offering much to the team. Playing occasionally with McDavid and Draisaitl, Puljujarvi just couldn’t stick to a top 6 role.

Puljujarvi moved to the Liiga for the 2019-2020 season after holding out on the Oilers after demanding a trade and not getting granted that wish. He produced at a high pace in Karpat with 24 goals and 53 points in just 56 games and an outstanding plus 30 rating. Producing this well in Finland has for sure raised some eyebrows about the potential Puljujarvi still holds.

From Ottawa’s perspective, they shouldn’t consider trading a first for Puljujarvi, that would be a bit steep for a 22-year-old yet to prove he can play in the NHL. Ottawa should show no hesitation however in thinking about dealing one of their four second-rounders to take a chance on Puljujarvi. Puljujarvi would have more potential than any player Ottawa would draft in the second round. Ottawa should exploit the value in their draft capital by taking a chance on a once highly touted prospect who still has years to grow.

Julius Honka

Honka was the 14th overall pick of the 2014 NHL Draft and hasn’t quite panned out in Dallas. Honka came out of the WHL’s Swift Current Broncos with a ton of hype, which led him to being a mid-first-round pick. A little bit undersized at 5’11”, Honka uses his speed and skill to stand out on the ice surface. With how thin Ottawa is in the Right-Hand defence department they could use an influx of talent at the position.

Honka’s rights are still controlled by Dallas but he went unsigned last season and spent it playing in the Liiga in Finland with JYP totalling 15 points in 46 games. While not gaudy numbers, Honka is no slouch, Honka’s first three years with the Texas Stars in the AHL, he compiled 31,44 and 31 points respectively, which shows he can compete at the North American level. Honka struggled to crack the NHL roster only playing 87 games over three stints in the big league, with just 13 points. Passed by young defencemen John Klingberg, Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen, it looks unlikely Honka will be able to sneak on the roster.

With a trade being in the cards for Honka, some teams will look to take a chance on the skilled defenceman. Bob McKenzie reported in September, that a second, third or a young player could get a deal done since that was a while ago you would assume the asking price has decreased to a mid-round pick and lower-tier prospect. If the Senators swap a fourth or a fifth-round pick for Honka nobody should bat an eye, would be a low-risk move with the potential for a bargain for the Senators.