Potential Centre Targets For The Ottawa Senators

Last week, Ottawa Senators Owner Eugene Melnyk had a lengthy appearance on the Bob McCown podcast. 

Over the course of the interview, which took place on the sixth anniversary of Melnyk’s lifesaving liver transplant, McCown and John Shannon discussed many topics with the controversial owner. Some key topics discussed included future plans for the team’s arena and location, while also diving into the current state of the organization and expectations for next season after a positive end to the 2020-21 campaign.

While providing an overview of the Senators, Eugene Melnyk specifically mentioned two needs for the organization which will likely be addressed in the coming offseason. Those being the additions of a “defensive defenceman,” and a “veteran first-line centre.” This article will specifically examine the latter, and who the Senators could be looking at to fill this apparent void.

While the Senators already boast some quality and quantity at centre, there is a clear message coming from the top to accelerate this rebuild and provide some help to the many young players down the middle. The club already tried to address last offseason with the acquisition of Derek Stepan from the Arizona Coyotes, in exchange for a 2nd round pick. The veteran appeared in 20 forgettable games with the team scoring 1 goal and 6 points in that span.

The targets selected here are all a considerable improvement on a Stepan type player, as based on Eugene Melnyk’s comments it’s obvious that the Senators are likely seeking to make a bigger statement this summer, with the hopes of pushing for a playoff spot in 2021-22.

Sean Monahan – Calgary Flames (2 years, $6.375m AAV)

This proposition is entirely contingent on what the Calgary Flames determine their next step is as an organization this offseason. As of right now, all signs are pointing towards some kind of rebuild or at least a retool, similar to what the Senators went through over the past few years. Sean Monahan and the remaining couple of years on his current contract could be on the move as a result of this.

After consecutive down years with a 0.68 PPG (points per game) in 2019-20 and 0.56 PPG in 2020-21, Monahan’s value is likely at an all-time low. Prior to that, he was a fairly consistent 60+ point scorer. However, his offensive metrics have nosedived which do little to cover up some of his inefficiencies in the defensive zone.

Monahan is a native of Brampton, Ontario, but has connections to the city of Ottawa, dating back to his junior years he spent with the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL. The Senators have been known to love bringing in local guys or those with familiarity with the area, so Monahan definitely ticks that box.

The situation in Calgary combined with his low value and connections to Ottawa makes this a good fit on paper. Whether that means this will be a good fit on the ice though is up for serious debate.

Phillip Danault – Montreal Canadiens (UFA)

Between Mike Reilly and Victor Mete, the Senators have had considerable success mining players from the Montreal Canadiens, which would lead to believe that Danault would be an excellent fit with the Senators.

Danault has rightfully garnered the reputation of being one of the premier defensive centres in the National Hockey League. Few players in the NHL suppress opposition offence better than the Victoriaville native. His offensive results have also been decent the past few years, as he’s formed a strong trio with Thomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher. Like the Canadiens, the Senators boast plenty of wing depth with a variety of skill sets, which gives them lots of options to find the right fit for the player.

The 28-year-old reportedly rejected a 5-year $25m deal ($5m AAV) with the Canadiens before this season. Analytics group EvolvingWild project his next contract to be in the 7-year $44.8m ($6.4m) range. However, Danault’s weaker than expected offensive output this season (5 goals, 24 points in 53 games) may soften the market on him.

As seen in the tweet below, Danault is in the upper echelon of defensive centre-icemen in the NHL and provides a steady amount of offensive impact. Although, he’s not a player that would help the Senators’ special teams, which have now struggled for several years.

Danault is definitely a more underrated option, as he’s not typically recognized as a first-line player, and a risky one given his recent ups and downs. If the Senators really want to take another step forward in 2021-22, they’re going to need to gamble. Given Danault’s track record, this may be very worth it.