Ottawa Senators Reportedly Exploring Trade Options For Josh Norris Ahead of NHL Deadline
The Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli was on the Coming in Hot Podcast on Monday morning to discuss the NHL trade deadline and the implications that it could have on the Ottawa Senators.
Ottawa Senators centre Josh Norris (Imagn Images)When co-host and Senators alumni Jason York asked who the Senators could be willing to move, Seravalli did not hesitate to answer.
"Would Josh Norris count as a big move?" Seravalli asked. "That's the guy that they want to move. That's the guy that they've been in conversation with teams to move.
"They've gauged the interest level. Everyone has a clear understanding of the risk that would present with his injury. The cap hit and term have been significant deterrents. So, if you're talking pieces to pry off of this team to move, that's the guy that I would circle by a wide margin."
Hearing Norris' name be mentioned is not surprising.
The centre is in the third year of the eight-year contract he signed during the 2022 offseason. His average annual value of $7.95 million is costly but was awarded after the centre's career season in which he scored 35 goals and 55 points in 66 points during the 2021-22 campaign.
Unfortunately, because of two additional surgical procedures on his left shoulder that had already been operated on after the 2019 World Junior Championship, he has struggled to live up to the expectations of his contract.
None of that is any fault of his own, but Norris has maintained some productivity. In his last 101 games across the past two seasons, he has tallied 35 goals and 28 assists. Over an 82-game regular season, that production extrapolates to a 28-goal and 51-point pace - which is not significantly different from his 2021-22 numbers.
Thanks to the escalating cap system, next season's cap ceiling will go up $4 million to $95.5 million. By the 2027-28 season, that figure will be $113.5 million. Like many of the other pieces of the Senators' young core, who were locked up to long-term extensions, the money and the Senators' cap situation may be tight now, but their salaries will inevitably continue to look better as the years go by.
The risk with a player who has endured several surgeries to a specific part of the body will always be present, but when it comes to Norris and his ability to impact the game in a top-six capacity, almost all of his value comes from his ability to finish.
From HockeyViz:
Hockeyviz.comHe does do other things well. He has been a solid penalty killer, and his faceoff prowess has continued post-surgery. His physicality, willingness to deliver hits, and aggressiveness on the forecheck are transparent, but he is not a play-driving centre who can reliably tilt the ice in his team's favour. He also has a 10-team no-trade clause that kicks in on July 1, 2025.
My concern regarding Norris is that, despite his skill set potentially profiling better at the wing position, the Senators may move on from the player without affording him an opportunity to showcase as the goal-scoring winger they desperately need in the top-six.
When the Senators play Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle and Claude Giroux together, they load up the top line and put two of their biggest play drivers on the same line - leaving the others thin. If Norris centres Brady or plays alongside Stützle as a winger, it would help stagger the depth and diversity through the Senators' lines.
Another consideration that could get overlooked in a prospective deal is the relationships within that room. The move would be a significant blow to a tight-knit American core that has bonded over the past several years.
A quality return can soften any trade, but ignoring the human element and risking the disruption of chemistry and friendships within that room could potentially bear some unintended consequences. It may be a risk worth avoiding, especially when certain players have referenced a belief in this young group as being a central reason for choosing to continue playing here.
If the Senators do decide to move on, it is a move that may have to wait until the offseason.
By Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News Ottawa
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