In a surprising turn of events, the Ottawa Senators have made a trade to bring forward Ryan Dzingel back to the Canadian capital.
The sudden trade between the Ottawa Senators and the Carolina Hurricanes, will see the Canadian club send forwards Alex Galchenyuk and Cédric Paquette down to North Carolina in exchange for former Sens forward Ryan Dzingel, with no salary retained by either organisation.
The deal sees the Senators take on an additional $675,000 in cap due to Dzingel’s current $3.375 million contract being more than both Pacquette ($1.65 million) and Galchenyuk ($1.05 million) combined.
One additional benefit is that it frees up more space on the Senators’ roster, allowing them some additional flexibility, especially with many talented young prospects knocking on the door looking for chances.
Dzingel was originally a seventh round (204th overall) selection by the Senators in the 2011 Draft, going on to make 247 regular season appearances (62G, 64A) in the Canadian capital before he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets on deadline day back in 2019.
He was packaged along with the Senators’ 2019 seventh round pick and in return, the Senators acquired Anthony Duclair as well as the Blue Jackets’ second round picks in both 2020 and 2021.
Now, after joining the Hurricanes as a free agent in the summer of 2019, the Wheaton, Illinois native is heading back north of the border, this time to don the new black and red jerseys.
Dzingel enjoyed his best hockey while playing in the Canadian capital, with back-to-back 20+ goal seasons prior to his trade, with his best total since leaving being the eight goals he scored during the 2019/20 campaign.
Meanwhile, the players heading out of Ottawa have combined for just two goals and zero assists in their nine and eight games respectively so far this season.
The biggest question now will be how soon can Dzingel feature for the Ottawa Senators, with his travel over the border needing him to quarantine in the same way as Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois after his trade.
If Dzingel can arrive in Canada by tomorrow, he may be available by March 1st if he indeed is required to quarantine for the full 14 days.
The deal appears to work for both teams on paper, but may favour the Senators, who will be happy that Dzingel is on an expiring deal, meaning he will have plenty to prove if he hopes to earn a long-term deal somewhere in the NHL this summer.
If things work out well, the Ottawa Senators could look to deal him at the deadline, or simply try to extend him beyond the 2021 season, giving them a familiar face veteran to help partner with their younger players in the short-term of the rebuild.