Vladimir Tarasenko is heading to south Florida to player with Sasha Barkov and Panthers

But no tank: Finishing lower in the standings would have been an advantage for the Ottawa Senators…

As part of the Tarasenko deal, the Senators received a 2024 third-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick (which would become a third-round pick if the Panthers win the Stanley Cup that season). . Headline: Ottawa Senators trade Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida Panthers.

ALTERNATIVE TITLE: Were the Ottawa Senators cheated in the Vladimir Tarasenko trade to the Florida Panthers? Another, different title: Do the Ottawa Senators want to throw in the towel and finish as low as possible in the standings?

The Senators traded Tarasenko to the Panthers on Wednesday, considering a very disappointing return. They are a third-round pick in the 2024 draft and a conditional fourth-round pick (which will become the No. 3 pick). round pick round). If the Panthers win). Stanley Cup this season). And the Senators paid half the cost of Tarasenko’s contract to ease the financial burden on the already very strong Panthers.

For comparison, the Las Vegas Golden Knights selected Anthony Mantha and dealt a second and fourth round pick to the Washington Capitals a few days earlier. Article content

Additionally, for comparison, the New York Rangers acquired Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola from the St. Louis Blues a year ago for a conditional 2023 first-round pick and a fourth-round pick, and then drafted them in 2024. They acquired forward Sammy Brace and promising prospect Hunter with a fourth-round pick. Freya.

Tarasenko, a forward who scored 82 points (34 rebounds) with the Blues two seasons ago, played well in Ottawa with 41 points (17 rebounds). What stopped him from reaching a deal at the trade deadline was the no-movement clause he received in his one-year, $5 million contract with the Senators.

No wonder he cornered the senators. Of course, I would agree to a deal with the place that owns the house next door. There’s nothing wrong with him. It was in his contract and it was his right. Any deal had to be subject to Tarasenko’s terms, limiting what Senators general manager Steve Staios could do and who he could do it with. What is the list of teams that the striker plays for? There were reports that there was. Florida. Good for Staios for doing something that benefits the player and gives him the opportunity to “be at home” with his wife and young children.

Ottawa can never use a draft pick. They have not embarked on a complete restructuring. They can choose the “present” over the “future.”

Coach Staois lobbied for possibly including a second round, but the Panthers remained adamant. Is this the moment where you shrug your shoulders and say, “Okay, thank you, but that doesn’t matter, we’ll leave [Tarasenko] behind”? Now we’ll wait and see if the Panthers blink and bring his second-rounder back into the game. play. Article content

It’s hard to point at Staios and say he should have gotten more, but…

Some will argue that signing Tarasenko made no sense. This puts them in dangerous salary cap territory with Shane Pinto still under contract for this season. This is just one of a series of amazing moves made by former grandmaster Pierre Dorion. There were other unmet needs as well. This is evident from the Senators’ current resting place in the NHL standings. Heading into Wednesday’s game in Anaheim, the Senators were the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets (with three games remaining), and the fifth-worst team in the league (also behind Chicago (above). ). ). , San Jose, Anaheim).

And that brings me to the next point. Is it a good thing for the Senators to lose their last 23 games?

Let’s take a look at last year’s NHL Draft. The Ducks, the worst team, failed to land an easy No. 1 pick, Connor Bedard. He gave the Blackhawks, the third-worst team in the NHL, just an 11.5% chance of winning the lottery. The Ducks had a 25.5% chance and the Blue Jackets had a 13.5% chance. However, the lottery went in favor of the Blackhawks and Bedard was awarded. Finishing in the bottom doesn’t guarantee the Senators will finish first overall, but it does make it more likely. San Jose, which ranked fourth a year ago, had a 9.5% chance of winning the lottery, while Montreal was fifth at 8.5% and Arizona was sixth at 7.5%. Article content

This year’s No. 1 pick seems certain to be Boston University center McLean Celebrini.

In fact, the Senators, who hold a five-point lead over Anaheim, could fall to third place out of the league’s 32 teams. Remember, the Blackhawks won the lottery at this location last year.

Although there are no guarantees, his 11.5% win rate is better than his 8.5%. To be clear, I in no way believe the Senators should stumble to finish as low as possible.

The players never play differently and never think about losing. And management never gets in the way of honesty, right?

Taking Tarasenko out of the lineup, after playing well for most of the season, would likely mean weakening an injured team. Article content

And at this point, should senators try to eliminate it further? Not about the draft, but about players who could be on the list next year? And if so, should anyone be traded?

Winger Dominik Kubalik probably won’t get much. But maybe some will give up a middle pick in favor of a former 30-point scorer.

And, again, this probably makes the team a little weaker this season, but it does give us some promising players who could fit into what we hope will be an improved team next season.

You will also be given the opportunity to check. The list appears to be flawed, so senators will have to do a lot of work to get it back on track. It may seem unlikely, but the No. 1 draft pick, dubbed “special” by knowledgeable hockey observers, could go a long way in improving this team.

Ottawa isn’t going to go all out to accomplish this, but adding Celebrini to a team with exceptional young players… Senators fans can dream, right?