With Ottawa's depth down the middle, several of them just entering their prime, it could be the key to pulling off a roster upgrade this summer.
If the Senators decide to make a move that would meaningfully improve their roster this summer, a significant price will obviously need to be paid.
It might be paid with hard dollars in free agency, but as we've said here before, Ottawa has rarely been a preferred destination for the very best NHL free agents. In all likelihood, their signings this summer will continue to be support staff.
A big, meaningful change, if it happens at all, would probably come by way of a trade.
So what would that look like?
With the Sens prospect cupboard being so bare right now, trading away a future first-round pick wouldn't be ideal at this juncture. Steve Staios did that in 2024 (Ullmark deal). Pierre Dorion did that in 2022 and 2023 (DeBrincat and Chychrun deals), and it's starting to show.
So to make this improvement, the Senators would most likely have to give up a valuable player from their roster. And the one area, maybe the only area, that they can afford to dip into right now is the centre ice position.
The Senators' four main centres this season were Tim Stutzle, Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto, and Lars Eller (pending UFA). But they also have Ridly Greig, Stephen Halliday, Nick Cousins (pending UFA), and even Claude Giroux (pending UFA) who can and have played centre in the league.
If the Senators opted to deal from this position of strength, who could they afford to lose from that group who, at the same time, would also draw serious interest around the league?
The answer is either Cozens or Pinto.
It feels like the Sens could survive nicely if either their current second or third line centre were shipped out for something good, with the ever-improving Ridly Greig probably sliding into the three spot.
But here's why Cozens is the more likely trade chip of the two.
There are similarities between the two centres: both are skilled 25-year-olds, born three months apart, and listed at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds.
But Pinto finished in the top six in the NHL Selke voting as the best defensive forward. Among Sens forwards, Pinto also had the second-highest average time on ice this season, 1:41 per game, better than Cozens.
Cozens has three obvious edges over Pinto, but they're all slight: he's a little more physical, a little less expensive (as of this fall), and produces more points.
In tackling the point disparity (Cozens 59 pts, Pinto 46 pts), it's a little deceptive. Cozens played with top players every night and had significantly more power-play time. Meanwhile, Pinto plays against other teams' top players and does so with less creative linemates.
Despite that, Pinto was the better scorer at even strength. In 10 fewer games, Pinto had 16 goals and 37 points at 5-on-5, while Cozens had 15 goals and 30 points. More than half of Cozens' 59 points came on the power play.
Pinto has made no secret of the fact that he'd love to have more power-play time; every NHL player not on their team's top unit would say the same.
So, when the Senators consider what they might be willing to give up to make their team better this summer, Dylan Cozens has to be near the top of that list.
And that's not because they dislike him in any way. He's an excellent player and teammate. It's just that he happens to play a position that other NHL teams covet and where the Sens have several other really good options.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News