The Senators traded away defenceman Jakob Chychrun on Monday for a right-shot defenceman and then signed three forwards.
Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios got his first taste of the July 1st NHL Free Agent Frenzy, and his performance so is drawing mixed reactions. Staios held court with the local media on Monday afternoon, three and a half hours after the market opened for business.
Trading Defenceman Jakob Chychrun and Balancing the Blue Line
Staios started the day by trading defenceman Jakob Chychrun to Washington for right-shot defenceman Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick. Staios explained that he had “a lot of interest” in Chychrun but put a premium on adding a top-four right-shot defenceman like Jensen.
“We're looking at an opportunity to be able to balance out our defence and we're able to do that with the acquisition of Nick Jensen,” said Staios. “He’s a hard-nosed player with some experience and a right shot. And he brings it and gives it everything he's got.”
Signing Veteran Winger David Perron
After the trade, Staios quickly pivoted to free agency and signed winger David Perron to a two-year, eight-million-dollar contract. Perron scored 17 goals and registered 47 points in 76 games last season with the Detroit Red Wings.
“I think he’s another player that's versatile, that can play both wings, and can play pretty much anywhere in the lineup,” said Staios.
Signing Former Leaf Forward Noah Gregor
Later, the Senators signed depth winger Noah Gregor on a one-year, 850k contract. Gregor had six goals and 12 points in 63 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs last season.
“Noah’s differentiating quality is his speed. We want to continue to improve on the penalty kill, and we feel like Noah can help.”
Signing Former Golden Knights' Winger Michael Amadio
Finally, Staios capped off his day by signing Michael Amadio to a three-year, 7.8 million-dollar contract. Amadio finished with 14 goals and 27 points in 73 games last season with the Vegas Golden Knights.
“We liked the versatility of Michael,” said Staios. “He is an experienced Cup Champion. As we went through and looked around at what he can provide for a season's play, he can move up and down the lineup and play multiple positions.”
Meanwhile, Staios provided updates on goalie Linus Ullmark, who's now eligible for an extension and RFA Shane Pinto. Staios says the team has not begun contract negotiations with Ullmark, and Pinto has not asked for a trade despite reports that he had.
The Senators also signed forwards Garrett Pilon and Jeremy Davies, who will both be go-to players in Belleville next season.
All in all, we're giving Staios's debut performance in the NHL free agent frenzy a B minus.
The Senators are a better team than they were yesterday. Talent-wise, the flipping of Chychrun for Jensen is not like for like. On paper, the Senators lost the trade. One wonders if Staios could have gotten more value for Chychrun by trading him at the draft. However, acquiring a steady top-four right-shot defenceman is no small feat.
Adding Perron improves the Senators' top-nine forward group while also adding some scoring punch and leadership, which this Senators team desperately needs. Four million dollars for each of the next two years is a relatively safe and measured contract.
However, perhaps that money could have been allocated in free agency for a better version of Nick Jensen – players like Brandon Montour, Sean Walker, Brett Pesce, or Matt Roy. One of them might have been attainable with money saved by not signing Perron or dealing Chychrun and his contract for picks. That said, not every UFA wants to come to Ottawa.
Amadio could be a home run signing at 2.6 million for each of the next three seasons. He thrived in Vegas. He killed penalties and showed a scoring touch, scoring 14 goals last season and 16 the year before.
The Senators' forward depth struggled to provide scoring last season, and they have improved in that area with Perron and Amadio, while Gregor improves speed on the fourth line.
Not everything needs to be taken care of on day one of free agency. But lingering issues include:
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In the end, the Senators should be better than last season. But the playoffs don't appear likely just yet, and Staios was careful today to manage media questions about expectations.
"When I think of expectations, I'm looking at more on the day to day, on the level of competitiveness, the level of professionalism, and the discipline. That's what I want to see. The results, I think, at the end of the day, will take care of themselves. But I'm not putting any expectations on it from a level of success when you talk about playoffs."