Senators Trade Vladimir Tarasenko to Florida, Forced to Settle for Two Mediocre Picks in Return

While GM Steve Staios's first trade was breathlessly underwhelming, Tarasenko's no-trade clause left him with very few options.

The Ottawa Senators have traded winger Vladimir Tarasenko, a pending UFA, to the defending Eastern Champion Florida Panthers. 

According to TSN's Pierre Lebrun, the deal looks like this.

At a glance, a third and (probably) a fourth rounder seems pretty light for a six-time 30 goal scorer, who's on pace for a 59 point season – especially when you're retaining 50 percent. Most fans figured that since St. Louis ended up with a first rounder at last year's deadline for Tarasenko, maybe the Sens could too.

So GM Steve Staios took some pretty heavy immediate criticism on social media for making the deal. 

But the reality is, the market for Tarasenko was extremely small. Not because other NHL teams don't value Tarasenko. The market was small simply because of his no-trade clause. To make any deal today, the Senators needed Tarasenko's blessing. He was calling the shots, not Staios. 

So the trade market was tiny, maybe even as small as one team – the Florida Panthers. Tarasenko’s family lives in the Fort Lauderdale area.

If Tarasenko only had eyes for Florida, he and the Panthers probably had Staios over a barrel. He wasn't in a position to slam down the phone and wait for better offers between now and Friday. His choice was probably pretty simple: get the two mediocre picks or get nothing but a few more meaningless games with Tarasenko before he walks.

Could Staios have rejected the offer, waited 48 more hours until the deadline, and put pressure on Tarasenko to open up his list to other contending teams? Perhaps, but maybe Tarasenko was completely okay with playing out the string in Ottawa. He has his Cup ring so he probably doesn't feel that "my time's running out" pressure that other veterans do.

Whether it was playing hardball and getting nothing at all or getting a handful of magic beans...sorry, a third and a fourth round draft pick, Tarasenko's exit was destined to be unpopular either way.

Tarasenko has 17 goals, 41 points in 57 games this season and adds even more firepower to the Panthers, already one of the game's true Stanley Cup contenders.

The Senators have recalled Matthew Highmore from Belleville.