The Ottawa Senators were a team to watch at this year’s deadline for Montreal Canadiens fans for several reasons. The recent development of the Canadiens earning 11 out of 12 points was the most significant reason, as the Senators are now a roadblock standing in the way of the Habs making the postseason. The Canadiens are currently one point behind the Senators, who sit in a tie for the second wild card.
The Senators were relatively quiet at the deadline, with the only noteworthy addition being Dylan Cozens. Cozens was a player we’ve talked about the Canadiens acquiring at this year’s deadline, but Hughes decided to stay the course and stay away from the trade market. It was a bold move on Hughes’ part to trust his players to make a playoff run without giving away any assets
For argument’s sake, we’ll look at the Senators trade and try to determine whether it was one the Canadiens should’ve made. Ottawa traded Buffalo Jacob Bernard-Docker and Josh Norris in the deal. Bernard-Docker was a defenseman in their system who was in and out of their lineup, while Norris is a centreman with too many injuries to the same shoulder, which was likely a red flag to the Senators.
So, who would the Canadiens have on their roster that could’ve matched the Senators’ deal? Kirby Dach is likely the comparable to Norris, while Logan Mailloux is probably the higher-end comparable to Bernard-Docker. If we are looking at JBD’s games and production this season, it’s closer to an Arber Xhekaj or Jayden Struble. Would Dach and Mailloux have put the Canadiens over the top and stole him from the Sabres?
It seems like Hughes was content to let the deadline pass without messing with his team. I think he’ll be content with whatever result is of this season, and the real thing he was searching for was the trust from his players that he believed in them to make a playoff push. He didn’t want to give away future assets to improve the team, but he also didn’t want to wave the white flag on the season and be a seller.
One underlooked factor of the Norris trade was Tkachuk’s reaction. Norris was one of his good friends and the loss of him could slowly drive a wedge between Tkachuk and his love of the team. Another interesting wrinkle was Tkachuk’s reaction to the fans booing the anthem last week, and we already know Ottawa isn’t the most desired destination. Is the Senators’ captain slowly growing some disdain for his team?
