Countdown to TradeCentre: Targets for the Senators

The NHL's March 7 Trade Deadline is approaching, and teams are making decisions on whether to buy or sell, and on which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out today's trade rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.

Sens set to buy?

The Ottawa Senators limped into the 4 Nations break with three straight losses, leaving the team in the top wild-card spot with the league on pause. 

Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that the Senators lack the cap space and assets to make a major trade, but president Steve Staios still intends to be a buyer at the trade deadline.

Garrioch reiterates that Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato and Seattle Kraken winger Brandon Tanev remain of interest to Staios and adds Nashville Predators centre Gustav Nyquist as another potential target. 

Donato, listed at No. 11 on the TSN Trade Bait board, is enjoying a career season with 19 goals and 37 points in 53 games. The 28-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent, carrying a cap hit of $2 million. 

Tanev, 33, has nine goal and 17 points in 55 games this season as he plays out an expiring deal with a cap hit of $3.5 million. 

Nyquist has nine goals and 20 points in 53 games as he carries a cap hit of $3.185 million on his expiring contract. Garrioch notes the Senators looked into signing the 35-year-old in free agency in 2023. 

The Senators appear set to focus on forward depth with just $880,000 in projected deadline cap space. Parting with a high draft pick appears to be unlikely for Ottawa, who must surrender a first-round pick in one of the next two drafts as a result of punishment for a failed 2022 trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Garrioch wonders if Staios could even stand pat at the deadline and send a message to his club that they're not sellers and hope the return of injured players such as Josh Norris and Shane Pinto can boost the team's playoff push. 

The Senators have a two-point cushion on the Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins, who are outside the playoff picture, as the team looks to reach the postseason for the first time since 2017. 

Evans on the block?

TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports the Montreal Canadiens are not close on a contract extension with Jake Evans after exchanging numbers with the forward. 

With that in mind, LeBrun adds that Evans could be a strong candidate to be dealt ahead of the March 7 trade deadline, noting the team has received more calls from NHL teams regarding Evans' availability as of late

The 28-year-old native of Toronto has scored 11 goals and 27 points over 56 games with the Canadiens this season, his sixth in Montreal after the organization selected him in the seventh round of the 2014 draft. 

Evans is in the final season of a three-year, $5.1 million contract, featuring an average annual value of $1.7 million. 

The Canadiens appear to be slipping towards becoming deadline sellers with just two wins in their past 10 games. The team sits six points back of the Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card spot with four teams sandwiched between them. 

In addition to Evans, forwards Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and Michael Pezzetta are also pending unrestricted free agents on the Canadiens roster, along with defenceman David Savard. 

Could Donato stay put?

The Senators are one of several teams who have been linked to Donato amid his breakout year. 

Seeing the the centre move on the trade market, though may not be a foregone conclusion, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. 

"I don’t believe the Blackhawks will move Donato unless it really makes sense," Powers writes. "He’s too valuable with the Blackhawks right now than shipping him away for a third-round pick or later. If the offer is for a higher pick, then it’s a different story."

While the Blackhawks are an obvious seller as the team sits second last in the Western Conference, the franchise may not be that active ahead of the deadline. 

Powers believes Donato is the most likely player to be traded and reports the Blackhawks are not expecting pending unrestricted free agents Pat Maroon or Alec Martinez to ask to be traded. Moving a bigger name such as Connor Murphy or Seth Jones remains a long shot, according to Powers.

Jones checked in at No. 7 on the latest TSN Trade Bait board, while Murphy was listed at No. 27. Jones is under contract for five more seasons at a lofty cap hit of $9.5 million, while Murphy's deal runs through next season at a cap hit of $4.4 million. 

Veteran centre Craig Smith is the only other pending UFA on Chicago's roster. The 35-year-old has seven goals and 12 points in 33 games this season while carrying a cap hit of $1 million.