The Ottawa Senators could have a replacement lined up if they manage winger Alex DeBrinkat in the near future.
Postmedia’s Bruce Gariuch wrote that “the expectation is that if the Senators can find a way to get DeBrincat and his $9 million salary out of the way next season, Ottawa can sign unrestricted free winger Vladimir Tarasenko.” »
Garrioch adds that the Anaheim Ducks and New York Islanders are among interested clubs, and suggests that talks with the Detroit Red Wings may have been revisited recently.
DeBrincat is on the trade block because he still doesn’t want to sign with the Senators long term. Despite being a restricted free agent, DeBrincat is ineligible for an offer sheet after the Senators sought salary arbitration that the club elected last month.
Tarasenko split the 2022-23 season between the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers, scoring 18 goals and 32 assists in 69 games.
The Rangers took control of Yaroslavl, Russia on February 9th.
The 31-year-old winger had three goals and one assist in seven playoff games as the Rangers fell to the New Jersey Devils in the first round.
Tarasenko is coming off an eight-year, $60 million contract extension he signed with St. Louis in 2015.
Debrinkat asks to suspend talks?
Garrioch reported earlier this week that the Senators have allowed DeBrincat’s agent to negotiate an extension with at least three teams, but the price seems too high for all of them.
Darren Dreger of TSN Hockey on the Ray and Driggs Podcast said this winger is looking for a contract similar to the one Timo Meyer signed with the New Jersey Devils last week — eight years, $70.2 million, with an average annual value of $8.775 million. Still, Dreger notes, acquisition teams see value in DeBrincat near Jesper Bratt, who signed an eight-year, $63 million contract with the Devils, and carried a cap of $7.875 million.
“If this is hindering commerce, and it appears it is, then it should be up to Alex DeBrinkat to reconsider where he lives in Ottawa,” Dreger said.
Debrinkat, 25, scored 27 goals and 66 points in 82 games last season. Senators general manager Pierre Dorion admitted before last week’s draft that he expects DeBrincat’s production to be closer to his career average next season.
“If he comes back to us, we know he’s scored 27 goals, but whether he’s playing for us or another team, we know he’s going to score 40 to 45,” Dorion said.
DeBrincat was acquired by the Senators in the July 2022 NHL draft from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for three draft picks, including seventh overall.
The 5-foot-7 winger was drafted 39th overall by the Blackhawks in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft and has 187 goals and 373 points in 450 career games split between the Blackhawks and Senators. He broke the 40-goal mark twice during his NHL career.
