DeBrincat can still help the Senators next season, even if he doesn't sign long-term.
With the NHL Draft set for Wednesday, all eyes this week are on Ottawa Senators' winger Alex DeBrincat, who's scheduled to become a restricted free agent this Saturday (July 1st).
Senators GM Pierre Dorion told TSN 1200 earlier this month he wanted to get something done long-term with DeBrincat and if he can't, he says he may have to make a move.
“If they indicate they maybe don’t want to sign (long-term) here, then we might have to look at a situation where we might have to trade him and see what’s out there on that market,” Dorion said.
One of the options that hasn't been talked about nearly enough is door number three: Maybe have Alex DeBrincat sign a one year contract to play right wing for the Ottawa Senators this fall.
Critics might label it poor asset management or protest that you can't just walk DeBrincat into unrestricted free agency next summer and get nothing in return. But obviously, playoff teams do it all the time, picking up rental players at the deadline, knowing the player will be gone at season's end.
For the Senators, what would they give to finally make the playoffs this season?
The club has missed the post-season for six straight years and their chances of shaking off that slump next spring are probably a lot better with DeBrincat staying put. That's not nothing.
If this were year one of the rebuild, things would be different. But fans are pretty much done with the mediocre goal of playing "meaningful games" in March. They have a seven-year playoff itch they'd like to scratch next spring. Meanwhile, for the next stage in its development, this young core needs to get a taste of the post-season as soon as possible.
So, unless someone offers them the moon for DeBrincat, what if the Sens just hang on to him for the first 60 games and then re-assess at the trade deadline in March?
If the Senators are rolling at that point, they can treat DeBrincat like a de facto rental and take their best shot. If they're not in the playoff mix, they should be able to flip him pretty easily to a team that is. If their timing is right, they might even end up with a better deal in March than the one they might pull off this summer.
And you never know when a team like the Senators might emerge as a contender. The New Jersey Devils, who finished ten points behind the Sens in 2021-22, needed just one year to go from 28th overall to third overall this season.
If the Sens keep DeBrincat for another season, they're not just improving their playoff chances with an entertaining, two-time 40 goal scorer. They'll also be getting an inspired player, probably at his best, auditioning for his next NHL contract.
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