A familiar face returns to Ottawa's blue line as the Senators trade Max Guenette for defenseman Dennis Gilbert.
In his cup of coffee with the Ottawa Senators last season, defenseman Dennis Gilbert must have made a good impression.
Gilbert came over to the Senators back in March, being traded by his hometown Buffalo Sabres as part of the blockbuster Dylan Cozens-Josh Norris deal. Gilbert only played four games with the Senators before signing in the offseason as a free agent with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Now, with Donovan Sebrango being claimed on waivers by the Florida Panthers, and then Thomas Chabot being injured, Senators GM Steve Staios was in the market again for a left-shot defenseman. Staios obviously wasn't totally comfortable turning to his left-shot options in Belleville at the moment – Scott Harrington (AHL contract), Jorian Donovan, and Tomas Hamara.
Meanwhile, the Senators also had an apparent contract dispute with restricted free agent Max Guenette, an unsigned, right-shot defenseman, who's been in Ottawa's organization for five seasons.
So on Monday afternoon, Staios addressed both issues, dealing Guenette to Philadelphia straight up for Gilbert's return.
Gilbert fits nicely with the club's general desire for size on the blue line, checking in at 6 foot-3, 216 pounds. In parts of six NHL seasons, Gilbert has appeared in 111 games, scoring three goals and 20 points. He's been playing with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League this season.
Gilbert was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks, 90th overall, in the 2015 NHL entry draft, and has also played for the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, and Buffalo Sabres.
He'll likely join the Senators as the seventh defenseman for their seven-game road trip, which begins with three games in California, starting Thursday night against the Anaheim Ducks.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News
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