Cap-needy Sens have held trade talks on Joseph, Brannstrom

With the season underway, Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion is continuing to try to make a deal to free cap to sign restricted free agent Shane Pinto.

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports that Dorion has continued to hold discussions on Mathieu Joseph and also discussed trading defenceman Erik Brannstrom

"The temperature is certainly rising in the city of Ottawa among the fanbase, certainly after the season opening loss to a top team, the Carolina Hurricanes," Dreger said on Insider Trading Thursday. "The Senators played that game without two of their top three centres, but ownership of the Ottawa Senators also appreciates that Pierre Dorion is trying to create cap space. He's trying to move Mathieu Joseph. He has had [conversations] about moving Erik Brannstrom.

"But until he can create that cap space, he can't engage and create the contract required to bring Shane Pinto back into the fold. So for the moment, Shane Pinto remains on the outside looking in, but there might be some good news for the Ottawa Senators as Josh Norris is expected to return to the lineup as early as this weekend."

Dreger reported last month that the Senators were looking into trading Joseph, who scored in the team's opening loss after also enjoying a strong preseason.

“I’m a guy who shows up every day, no matter what,” Joseph said after a two-goal performance in the preseason on Sept. 27. “I didn’t look at what was going on, and I haven’t really heard what they’re saying about our team, it’s really out of my control.

“So I show up to the arena every day, I work as hard as I can, and I try to win for the team whose jersey I’m wearing.”

Joseph posted three goals and 18 points in 56 games last season, his second with the Senators. He was acquired by Ottawa from the Tampa Bay Lightning ahead of the trade deadline in 2022 as part of their return for Nick Paul. 

The 26-year-old forward is under contract through the 2025-26 season at cap hit of $2.95 million as part of a four-year deal signed with the Senators last summer.
 

Brannstrom on the Trade Block

Brannstrom, 24, is new to the trade block, fresh off signing a one-year, $2 million contract with the Senators on July 1 as an RFA.

He went without a point in the team's opening loss to Carolina after posting two goals and 18 points in 74 games last season.

Selected 15th overall by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017, Brannstrom was a key piece in the deal that sent Mark Stone to Vegas in 2019.

Pinto still unsigned

Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch added on Wednesday that Pinto arrived in Ottawa on Sunday and has since been training at the team's Bell Sensplex facility.

Dreger noted that same day that cap space is the only thing standing between the two sides getting pen to paper.

"Both the Pinto camp and Sens are trying to find a resolution," Dreger wrote on X Wednesday. "There’s no stalemate, this is purely a cap issue"

Pinto is the highest-profile unsigned restricted free agent remaining in the league after the Anaheim Ducks signed Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale to three-year deals last week.

The 22-year-old centre recorded 20 goals and 35 points in 82 games last season, his first full year in the NHL. He appeared in just five games in 2021-22 due to a shoulder injury. 

Pinto was selected by the Senators at the top of the second round in the 2019 draft.

According to CapFriendly, the Senators have just $62,620 in cap space while carrying a roster of just 20 players.

Ottawa has more than $5 million in dead cap this season after retaining salary on Matt Murray and their previous buyouts of Bobby Ryan, Colin White, and Michael Del Zotto.