The Ottawa Senators were dealt some bad injury news earlier this week. This is because forward William Eklund will be out for the next 10 to 12 weeks after having surgery to repair a torn tendon in his ankle.
With Eklund being an important part of the Senators' forward group, there is no question that it is rough news that he is out long-term for Ottawa. Due to this, it would not be particularly surprising if the Senators looked to add a new forward early on this campaign. The Senators are now being linked to a notable trade candidate on the Vancouver Canucks because of it.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Adam Gretz named the Senators as one of the top potential trade destinations for Canucks sniper Jake DeBrusk.
"That said, they could still use a little more offense in the middle of their lineup, especially after losing William Eklund, one of their big offseason additions, to a major injury that is going to keep him out for several months," Gretz wrote. "DeBrusk wouldn't be a huge difference-maker, but he would be a nice addition to help add a little more scoring punch to a team that does need to replace a lot of goal-scoring."
With Eklund being out long-term and the Senators needing another impactful winger, it makes sense that they are being connected to DeBrusk. The Canucks winger would undoubtedly give the Senators more offense if brought in. In four out of his previous five seasons, DeBrusk has scored at least 23 goals. He also posted at least 40 points in each of his last five campaigns. With numbers like these, he would certainly be a solid pickup for Ottawa's top nine if brought in.
In 81 games last season for Vancouver, DeBrusk recorded 23 goals and 42 points. He is off to a decent start this season, too, posting three goals and five points in eight games.
DeBrusk would be long-term answer for Senators' forward group
DeBrusk would be a long-term addition for the Senators if acquired, too. This is because he has a $5.5 million cap hit through the 2030-31 season. With the NHL salary cap going up, DeBrusk's contract is a good one. This only adds to his appeal as a possible trade target for Ottawa.
Ultimately, it would not hurt for the Senators to bring in a player like DeBrusk. He could be a nice long-term part of their core and would be an intriguing option for their second line with Dylan Cozens and Drake Batherson. However, he would need to approve a trade, as he has a full no-movement clause until the end of this season. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if Ottawa targets him from here.
Add us as a preferred source on Google