DeBrincat DeBrief: What Have the Senators Learned?

Now that Alex DeBrincat is in the Senators rear view mirror, a lot of time will be spent analyzing who won or lost the deal.

Given that the winner and loser of most deals takes years to truly understand, organizations can spend time worrying about spilled milk or trying to prevent the next spill.

Regardless of who eventually wins or loses between the Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks, or Detroit Red Wings, this didn’t play out as the Sens had hoped. 

Senators GM Pierre Dorion would not have executed this trade if he'd known he'd have to move his prize acquisition after just one season. The long-term hope was to have him sign an extension.

So how did it come to this? Were there indicators that weren’t considered? Could Dorion have protected his interests more when he acquired DeBrincat? He was asked about it a couple of days after dealing DeBrincat away.

"We did a lot of homework. I can tell you, we did a lot of homework," Dorion told TSN 1200 radio. "I remember (Chicago GM) Kyle Davidson throwing that name (DeBrincat) at me at the trade deadline... So I started doing homework. Is he a bad kid? No... He's a good family man, loves hockey, practices hard, everything pointed in the right (direction).

"But we couldn't talk to him, couldn't talk to the agent, but just, in trying to talk to former teammates. Everything seemed to pan out well.

Considering what Dorion gave up to acquire DeBrinksTruck – first, second and third round picks – you would like to think that all angles were looked at.

In terms of indicators, DeBrincat is an American born and raised player. Even in the OHL, he played in Erie, Pennsylvania. He's also married to a Michigan woman and has a young child. Was it reasonable to assume that he would simply fall in love with the Senators so much he would forego his one and only chance at unrestricted free agency?

Had DeBrincat been Canadian-born or European, the circumstances might be different. Canadian-born players can certainly take their services south of the border in free agency. However, if they're rooted in Canada, there's a better chance they might want to extend with the Canadian team. This is especially true if their spouse happens to be Canadian. 

Chris Phillips and Chris Neil were both Senator lifers. John Tavares chose to come back to Canada to play for his childhood team rather than signing in a warmer, no-tax state south of the border.

For every Blake Wheeler who came up to Winnipeg in a trade from the Bruins and stayed for 12 years, there is a Connor Hellebuyck who has already indicated he won’t be extending.

Drafting and developing USA-born talent is a viable strategy. The Senators have  Tkachuk, Jake Sanderson, Shane Pinto and several others. But trading for star Americans to come north is something that should be done with caution or conditions.

* This article has been updated to account for a 2020 CBA rule change. Under this rule, additional or upgraded compensation cannot be tied to whether or not a traded player re-signs.