Ottawa Senators fans may have something else to worry about this upcoming season. No, it’s not the prospect of competing in the Atlantic Division.
It’s the uncertainty surrounding an impending UFA blueliner.
In a piece in the Ottawa Citizen, Bruce Garrioch discussed how the Sens and defenseman Artem Zub have not done much to work out a new contract. At least, that’s what Zub’s agent Dan Milstein has stated.
“We have not exchanged thoughts on contract at all. I would imagine we would speak about it in the coming weeks or in early fall.”
All right, so there’s a timeline there for talks. But that’s just a very rough outline of what fans can expect from the player and organization.
The bottom line is that the situation is mildly concerning at this point. If the Sens cannot lock up Zub, the narrative will invariably turn to a potential trade.
Would the Senators seek a trade for Zub? Well, if the asking price is too high, and the club and agent can’t really close the gap, there might be the temptation to explore the market.
Senators should get calls about Zub
Even if Steve Staios does not explore the market himself, it would be surprising to hear about the Senators getting calls regarding Zub. The 30-year-old has emerged as a solid top-four defenseman.
Plus, he can chip in offensively. Last season, he played a full season, scoring five goals and 30 points. That’s great from a defensive defenseman.
The issue will be figuring out how much it will cost to keep Zub. If his camp wants a significant raise from his current $4.6 million cap hit, the Senators may just start listening to calls about him.
While Zub has a 10-team no-trade list, that shouldn’t stop the club from exploring what other teams could pay for the right-shot D.
Let’s see. The Senators would only move Zub as a last resort. So, there will be an effort there to make something happen sooner rather than later. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Sens and the Russian blueliner come in somewhere between $5 million and $6 million AAV on a short-term deal.
That’s the key. Most players are not signing long-term because the salary cap will be going up. Most players want to cash in on the rising cap, with the market already pricing in that jump.
So, if and when the Senators re-up Zub, fans shouldn’t expect it to be on a long-term deal.
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