Changes in Belleville: Head Coach David Bell Gets Two-Year Deal We're over two months into the Ottawa Senators' off-season, which is expected to be rife with change, so the fan base is more than ready for something big to happen. TSN's Travis Yost got Sens fans talking on social media on Wednesday afternoon, saying that he believes the Senators and Flyers have the framework of a trade in place. But Yost thinks it may not be finalized until closer to the draft, which is set for next Friday and Saturday (June 28-29) in Vegas. For the record, Yost was the first to break the Jacob Markstrom trade to New Jersey on Wednesday [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/goalie-jacob-markstrom-officially-comes-off-the-ottawa-senators-possible-wish-list], so maybe he's on a trade-breaking heater. No specifics were given about who might be involved or whether the deal is brewing into something big or small. But here's what we know about the two teams' possible trade ammo. Some of the potentially available Ottawa trade assets include Jakob Chychrun, Thomas Chabot, Erik Brannstrom, Mathieu Joseph, and the 7th and 25th overall draft picks. The 25th was a pick initially held by the Boston Bruins. It was sent to the Detroit Red Wings for Tyler Bertuzzi, and the Red Wings later flipped it to the Senators in the trade for Alex DeBrincat. As for attractive Philadelphia assets, GM Daniel Briere said back at the trade deadline in March that "everything is on the table." After going 5-10-3 to close out the season after the deadline, it's hard to imagine that anyone in Philly has come by to clean off the table. Travis Konecny is entering the final year of his contract and just posted a career-high 68 points. He's not big, but he does have a big compete level. His cap hit is $5.5 million, but his total salary (including bonuses) is $7 million. Like Chychrun, Konecny is set to be a UFA for the first time in his career next summer. If he agrees to an extension before that, whether it's Philadelphia or elsewhere, his team will have to make it worth his while to forego the riches of UFA. But Konecny is a former Ottawa 67 and tight with longtime Flyer teammate Claude Giroux, so he might be more amiable toward Ottawa than most. But without the potential for an extension, the Sens should steer clear. Scott Laughton is another forward who's come up in past trade rumours involving the Senators. But those were the Pierre Dorion days. Still, Laughton is one of those two-way guys who can get you 30-40 points and get under opponents' skin. Just the kind of support player the new regime would like to add. Getting the final year of Cam Atkinson's contract off the books would also be worth something to the Flyers. The 35-year-old's cap hit is nearly $5.9 million, which is way out of whack with his 28 points in 70 games this season. His 10 team no trade clause may prove to be an obstacle. The Flyers also have the 12th overall pick, and the Sens do need to restock their draft cupboard. Or perhaps the Sens are thinking about trading down – meaning, they believe the draft prospect they like best might still be on the board at 12. So they could trade their 7th for Philly's 12th, get a Flyers asset for their trouble, and draft the guy they wanted anyway. Trade season is here, my friends, filled with rumours and spitballin'. It's time to buckle up.
