My list of how untouchable this roster down into tiers.
Tiers:
Don't Ask: self explanatory. Your absolute core, these guys are absolutely off limits. Tkachuk, Stützle and Sanderson are all obvious, but I've included Giroux and Pinto here as well. Giroux is as untouchable as he wishes to be. If he wants to be moved you move him, but he came here to finish career in his home, so unless he says otherwise you don't even consider it.
Not Available: Again, pretty self explanatory. These are mostly still your extended core, just not quite as important as the guys ahead of them. Two highly important young guys in Pinto and Greig. I'd actually debated having Pinto in the top tier because I think his upside is really high, and I think he's primed to sign a very team friendly long term deal given how the season has gone for him. Then you have one of the best defensive Dmen in the league and Ottawa's only RHD in Zub, and a top 6 winger making about 60% of what he should be. Joseph may feel out place here, but I really feel this is the right tier. Dude plays his game every single night, whether he's playing 1st line with Stützle or 3rd line with Rourke Chartier, he's arguably Ottawa's most consistent forward this season. On top of that his game is something Ottawa needs more of. Speed, grit, defensive commitment. He's not unreadable per se, but Ottawa's definitely not finding a better way to spend 2.95mil for the next 2⅓ seasons if you do move him.
Available, Big Hockey Trade: I'll start of by adding the caveat that it's either/or with Chychrun and Chabot. One of them should be dealt, and the other one should be in the tier above. Currently I'm leaning toward keeping Chabot. His contract is harder to move, he's a bigger part of the team's leadership group, he's been here forever and frankly he's having a better season. Norris is on here because there's been so much chatter about Andlauer looking at shaking up the forward core, and with Ottawa's two younger Cs looking so strong this season, Norris is the obvious choice. The goal of moving him or Chychrun is to address the two biggest areas of concern, getting a bonafide starter and a big minute responsible RHD. I have no interest in moving either guy for futures. The time starts now, we're done selling on promise, they need established guys who will deliver results if they're moving either.
Not Untouchable, But Not Valueable Assets: essentially guys who I'm not at all opposed to moving on from, but who probably provide the team more value than they would ever get from a trade. Do I love what Forsberg's done this season since returning from double knee surgery? (Thanks Hamonic btw) No, but he's been much better of late, and he's far from the primary concern in net. Is Parker Kelly some integral part of this team? No, but he's probably worth like a 6th, and he's been a very effective 4th liner for Jacques Martin, and the players all love him. Is JBD ever gonna develop into the top 4 defenseman he looked like in college? No, but he's a cheap 7th D, and we already know teams don't value him, he's been on waivers multiple times.
Trade Deadline Fodder: Again, self explanatory. Guys of varying levels of value, but they don't need to be here after this season. Tarasenko has been a great Sen, so idk maybe if he's taking a pay cut you look at keeping him, but I don't get the sense they will, and he'll fetch a great return. I'll die on the hill that Erik Brannstrom is a great 3rd pair defensive Dman with very strong underlying numbers, but I want Ottawa to rebuild that 3rd pair in the summer, and frankly I'm beyond sick of this fanbase rehashing the Brannstrom debate every time the team has more than 2 days off. He could easily be a guy you keep, I'm just sick of hearing the same arguments. Kastelic is a shell of the player he was last season. Last year he had fire, he was physical and engaged every night. This year he's felt so complacent and unmotivated. But he's still a 6'4 C who is elite in the faceoff dot and can punch decently well, Ottawa will get something. Such a shame he couldn't figure out his game here though, last year's Mark Kastelic was someone I'd have been excited to have in a playoff series. He'll probably go to Tampa and become awesome or whatever. Kubalik is one of the most useless hockey players I've ever seen wear a Sens jersey. I knew before they got him all he had to his game was a shot, but I was not prepared for how completely disinterested he would be about playing the sport he gets paid millions of dollars to play. He's shown less effort here than Derek Stepan, and Stepan literally dogged it on purpose because he was a massive baby about playing in Canada during the COVID season. hopefully they get some sucker to give them a pick, if not waive him on deadline day and never show me his face again.
Buyout Candidate: Very obvious. Go away, I hate you being on this team.
Also if they were ever considering moving Tkachuk , it would take a piece to build around with Stutzle and Sanderson meaning it would have to be Nemec or McTavish level piece. Or someone like Pettersson .
find a under 25 60+ point winger that makes under 5M that wont cost what or more than what you would get for Bath then you can think about trading Bath, untill them, trading Bath would make chiarelli look like a genius lvl GM.
McDavid, Connor
$250,000)
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