The Ottawa Senators are going into their third season in a row with the hopes of making the playoffs. The summer hasn’t been perfect, with the departure of Brady Tkachuk throwing a wrench into all the plans that general manager Steve Staios had. Staios has been able to bring in some talent that will help the roster right now in William Eklund and, to a much lesser extent, Andre Burakovsky.
There has never been a move that Staios has made that was telegraphed by any insider. Yes, there were trade rumours around Tkachuk for years, but when he was traded, it came out of the blue and happened in an instant. As Senators fans clamour for one more move to help them take that next step in their contention window, there is one that absolutely no one would see coming, though there may be signs.
Pettersson makes a lot of sense for the Senators
The Senators only had two Swedish players on their roster last season: Fabian Zetterlund and former Vezina winner Linus Ullmark. In the span of a week, they acquired three more, with the aforementioned Eklund and Burakovsky, but also new backup goaltender Samuel Ersson. It could all be a coincidence and the Senators' roster is completely set, but it’s more fun to assume there are deeper meanings. There just so happens to be a top Swedish player available on the Vancouver Canucks, and that’s Elias Pettersson.
The saga of the slow divorce between Pettersson and the Canucks has been drawn out for well over a year now. Between online speculation about his locker room issues with former Canuck JT Miller, a knee injury that may have had a more significant impact than first diagnosed, and multiple issues in his personal life, it hasn’t been an easy few years for Pettersson. The decline can be seen in his point totals. After signing his monster eight-year, $11.6 million contract, he scored 45 points and then 51 points in back-to-back seasons. This isn’t exactly the sell Sens fans might need, especially when the cost to acquire him would be high.
The better sell would be acquiring a forward who is a dual threat offensively and defensively, has multiple 30-plus-goal seasons, a 100-point season, and can play wing. At his best, Pettersson looks and plays like a top-10 player in the league. It’s a big gamble, going after a player with that cap hit who has produced as a second-line player for the last two seasons. Sometimes, though, in order to take that next step, some big swings need to be taken.
This is all contingent on whether or not Vancouver would retain any salary or if the Senators are acquiring him and his contract completely. If the Senators are acquiring him outright, then cashing out is a necessity. The most obvious move would be sending Burakovsky and his $5.5 million cap hit. Then at least $3 million more needs to be moved to make it work, and that either comes in the form of newly acquired Warren Foegele or Ridly Greig. The Canucks would obviously push for Greig, as he is younger and has more upside, whereas Foegele is more established and doesn’t help a rebuild scenario. Throw in the second-round pick acquired in the Tkachuk deal, and it could be close.
If Vancouver does retain salary, that’s when the price becomes higher. For argument's sake, assume $3 million in retention and Pettersson is now an $8.6 million player. The Senators, in this case, still need to open up cap space through Burakovsky and will need to include a trade chip like Greig. It would likely also include that second-round pick from Florida and, finally, a high-end prospect like Logan Hensler or newly drafted Jaxon Cover.
If the Senators are able to acquire Pettersson and give him the fresh start he seemingly so desperately needs, it has the potential to be one of the most high-risk, high-reward acquisitions the NHL has seen in a long time.
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