Alex DeBrincat is an RFA on July 1st and says he's open to anything. But he's extremely expensive and he sounded this week like the transition to Ottawa last year was a difficult one, on and off the ice.
When the Ottawa Senators acquired winger Alex DeBrincat from Chicago last July, he was the perfect fit for a skilled, emerging young team. Of course, a likeable 24-year-old sniper, who's already had two 41-goal seasons in the league, is probably a perfect fit for any NHL club.
Well, except maybe the Blackhawks.
Last summer, on the day of the deal, the one small concern was whether DeBrincat would want to re-sign with Ottawa long-term. But with all the excitement of the big trade, combined with Claude Giroux's signing, it was easy to kick all that down the road and put it off until tomorrow.
Tomorrow is here and that same concern is now a giant, flashing neon sign.
Now 25, DeBrincat just finished the final season of a three year contract that carried an average annual value of $6.4 million. But the deal was heavily backloaded, so not only did DeBrincat's salary spike to $9 million this past season (a princely sum for the league's 63rd best goal scorer), that's what the Senators' qualifying offer will now need to be.
The hope was that DeBrincat would flirt with 40 again and love his new team and city so much he'd sign a long-term deal that works for everyone. But instead, he scored just 27 times in 82 games, well off his usual pace.
Speaking of which, people do talk a lot about DeBrincat's two 41 goal seasons, but often neglected is a third season that might have been his best. Two years ago, he finished third in NHL goal scoring, on pace for 50 goals in that COVID-shortened year.
At the Senators' year-end media availability on Friday, DeBrincat was lobbed a very open-ended question and could have done anything with it. He was simply asked what he thought of his season. DeBrincat was honest and candid, and laid out the challenges of his transition to Ottawa, on and off the ice.
"There were some ups and downs," DeBrincat said. "It was obviously an adjustment coming here. Changed up pretty much everything, even outside the rink. A little different to move your whole family.
"I felt like toward the end of the year, I became a little more consistent in my game. I kind of found that even space to kind of play my game and still play within the system and be effective.
"So that was something I maybe struggled with at the beginning of the year, where that middle ground was. But yeah, "ups and downs" is the best way to describe it. I've learned a lot this year and hopefully it's something that can make me better going on to the next years."
It's important to be careful not to read too much into a player's words or tone at a press conference. Not every player is comfortable and clear behind a microphone. Even with that in mind, DeBrincat sure didn't sound like the happiest of campers.
And the question also needs to be asked: If you're capable of a 40 or 50 goal season, is a 27 goal season the best time to be signing the biggest, longest contract of your life? When asked about re-signing long-term, he did say he's open to anything.
"Yeah, I think, I mean, definitely open to anything. I think, you know, I'm gonna sit down with my family, and obviously my agent over the next weeks or months, and you know, kind of figure out what the best thing for us is. And as a family, try to figure that out. At this point, I'm definitely open to anything."
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If DeBrincat really is open to anything, GM Pierre Dorion has a lot to consider. He's already said he will qualify DeBrincat at $9 million. That allows the Sens to retain his rights for at least one more year. From there, they could either trade him between now and next summer or try and get something long-term done. Or perhaps they don't even get to free agency and trade him at the draft.
To get DeBrincat, the Senators gave up the 7th and 39th overall picks last year, along with a third rounder next year. They'd almost certainly prefer to avoid the risk of walking him into unrestricted free agency next summer and be left with nothing.
DeBrincat probably won't do anything until he sees what happens with ownership and then, by extension, coaching and management. But if he's hesitant about signing long term this summer, the Sens have little choice but to cut their losses and see what they can get for him in the trade market.