Addressing The Josh Anderson Rumours And Possible Trades
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Just when we thought the Ottawa Senators had turned a corner for the better we get hit with these Montreal Canadiens trade rumours. Less than 24 hours away from the NHL Entry Draft, it has been reported the Senators have interest in Canadiens’ winger Josh Anderson.
So obviously there’s more to these rumours than a simple Anderson for 7th overall pick swap. The issue I have with it is that the Montreal Canadiens really don’t have many valuable pieces that are tradeable.
Leaving Carey Price aside, they currently have two untouchables on their roster (Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki) and a bunch of overpaid middling talents. They do have a few solid prospects but the Sens don’t want prospects, they want actualized talent.
Along with Anderson, Christian Dvorak has been linked to the Ottawa Senators. Both of those players together can net a decent return but I would be very hesitant to trade a 7th overall pick for them. It is for these reasons that I highly doubt the Sens send the 7th overall pick to the Canadiens tomorrow.
But for argument’s sake, I’ve come up with a trade that could potentially satisfy both sides (although I still probably wouldn’t do it).
To Montreal: Matt Murray, Nikita Zaitsev, and the 7th overall pick.
To Ottawa: Josh Anderson, Christian Dvorak, Jeff Petry (50% retained), and Calgary’s first-round pick of 2022 (26th overall).
Trade Breakdown:
Murray, Anderson, and Zaitsev are cap dumps so their contracts are the most important part. The salary cap implications would be nearly identical for both teams after the trade. Montreal would be taking on a lot of salary for the next two seasons while Ottawa would have Anderson, Petry, and Dvorak for five and three years each, respectively.
The price for the 7th overall pick is taking on the Murray and Zaitsev contracts as well as giving up Dvorak, Petry, and a first-round pick. This is far from the best use of the 7th overall pick in my opinion but if Pierre Dorion is hell-bent on trading the pick to Montreal, this might be close to the best realistic offer.
A Better Option
It was recently reported by Andy Strickland that the Calgary Flames are listening to calls on Matthew Tkachuk. I agree trading for Matthew Tkachuk is extremely unlikely but if we’re going to trade the 7th pick we might as well go all the way.
Matthew Tkachuk is an RFA coming off of the best season in his career. He scored 42 goals and 104 points alongside linemates Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm, composing the best line in the league this past season.
The Flames are currently in heavy contract talks with Gaudreau and may be forced to choose between one of Gaudreau or Tkachuk. The only things going for Ottawa here are the fact that the Senators are a young, up-and-coming team and of course, the fact that Brady Tkachuk plays for them.
If I was in Dorion’s position I would like to know exactly what the asking price for Tkachuk is and how far the 7th overall pick will go in a trade like that. My offer for Tkachuk would go something along the lines of this:
Connor Brown, Alex Formenton, Ridly Grieg, Lassi Thomson, and the 7th overall pick. That right there is roughly the equivalent of five first-round picks, more than they would get in an offer sheet and likely more than most team’s trade offers.
This is all speculation, of course, I have no idea if Calgary will trade Tkachuk and what the asking price would be. One thing is very clear, what Pierre Dorion does in the next 24 hours will decide the fate of the next few years of the Ottawa Senators. It is imperative that he gets it right and doesn’t bungle it like we all are nervous he’ll do.
I feel that trading the pick or making the pick are both good ideas but only if done right.
Image Credit: AP Photo/Jay LaPrete