Kubalik holds the title of "Senator most likely to be traded at the deadline," but the Sens aren't doing much to build value for him.

If you want to know what an NHL head coach thinks about a certain player, don't ask him about it. Just look at the ice time he gives the player, and how he's deployed during a game.

Senators winger Dominik Kubalik has just 12 points in 49 games this season and got just over seven minutes of ice time in the last game against the Florida Panthers. Kubalik is a UFA this summer and was the only active NHL player acquired in last summer's Alex DeBrincat deal with Detroit.

If you held a fan vote, Kubalik would be voted the Senator player who's most likely to be moved at the deadline. 

So, shouldn't the Senators be in showcase mode for the next two weeks instead of giving him seven minutes on the fourth line? It's not like the remaining games matter that much. 

Heck, maybe slap the guy on the power play as well. When you're 26th in the league, you can't get much worse. 

The Sens have eight games left before the deadline. If Kubalik happens to get a few points, they could boast that he's recently found his game and he's now a regular on their power play. Combine it with the fact he once scored 30 goals in the league, and maybe that's enough of a sell job for a team desperate to acquire more skill. 

A lot of GMs would see through it, of course, but all it takes is one. Maybe that fourth-round compensation offer turns into a third, or that third-rounder turns into a second.

Given the Senators standing, head coach Jacques Martin is free to experiment with all sorts of things for the rest of the season, including things that help his general manager manufacture value and make the best sales presentation possible.