Confirmed Trade: [OTT/ARI] Derek Stepan for 2021 2nd round pick

[Toene]

He's got one year left, Ottawa has no cap issues, and a young team. Stepan is a veteran at center who can shelter the young players while they develop for another year. I don't see the downside for this for the Sens. Good move.

 

[Big Muddy]

You think Soderberg would have signed with Ottawa? If he has family, bringing them to Canada during Covid would be a pain in the ass or he wouldn't be able to see them for months.

No one knows the circumstances, so narratives & assumptions are merging here I'd think.

The Senators season will be over in May, so don't think that was too much to endure and wasn't very likely to be part of the thinking.

 

[pld459666]

A leader by example. I guess you haven't watched him the last two years. He's anything but. The way he conducts himself off ice? Do some due diligence. I might be a bit biased, because I can not stand Stepan as a player and person. I wanted him traded for two years. I could care less what he does for Ottawa on ice or what his stats are, I'm just happy this fruit cake is traded.

Talk to me about the off ice issues you are alluding too?

I'm genuinely interested as his time here in NY was nothing but professional

 

[pld459666]

I agree which makes the situation even worse for him. He’d have to move away from his family completely for 6 months.

Not unusual for players in this sport. Has been that way for decades.

Suck it up buttercup

 

[HarrisonFord]

I understand the logic, but why not sign someone like Brian Boyle for no draft picks?

 

[Big Muddy]

Not unusual for players in this sport. Has been that way for decades.

Suck it up buttercup

Its not 6 months either unless the Senators end up making a deep playoff run.

 

[rt]

You’re framing this as if Ottawa was a competitive team with an intricate plan to build a playoff contender, LOL. The Senators are rebuilding team. Their job is to tank for the highest possible pick, develop their youth, and stockpile assets. You’re missing the forest for the trees. Soderberg is just one, current example among many. Neither he nor Stepan matter in the grand scheme of things. The point is what is the market right now and how should that inform the rebuilding strategy of the Senators? It’s about the senators overall management over a long period of time and how moves like this reinforce a certain perception of the organizational management.

That would be a terrible plan and they’re lucky you aren’t in charge. You aren’t describing a rebuild, you’re describing a perpetual rebuild.

 

[pld459666]

Its not 6 months either unless the Senators end up making a deep playoff run.

I know. Its less.

 

[Hellraising Senator]

My word, this place is hilarious. Ottawa is a team that is super misunderstood. Understandable given the blathering idiocy of the owner. That said, they have been implementing a very solid rebuild. The fact people are crying that this is such a bad deal for Ottawa, and how they have overpaid some insane amount, has no basis in actual senators related perspective. We still have 2 2nd picks in 2021. We cant just have draft picks and prospects. We are going to have another season of growing pains. We need a guy like Stepan to help insulate the young guns. We will be buried often still, and Stepan will bring great value to our PK, and bottom 6. The contract is not a bad contract, especially for us.

Stepan is Pagaeu light. He really is an ideal stop gap. No he is not the same player he was. We though did not acquire him to be. I may in fact be one of the very few that like this deal, but that's fine.

 

[Kranix]

You’re framing this as if Ottawa was a competitive team with an intricate plan to build a playoff contender, LOL. The Senators are rebuilding team. Their job is to tank for the highest possible pick, develop their youth, and stockpile assets. You’re missing the forest for the trees. Soderberg is just one, current example among many. Neither he nor Stepan matter in the grand scheme of things. The point is what is the market right now and how should that inform the rebuilding strategy of the Senators? It’s about the senators overall management over a long period of time and how moves like this reinforce a certain perception of the organizational management.

They've picked top 5 2 of the last 3 seasons, that's their rebuild. They have to move forward and try to compete. This year would be a good year to tank tho I acknowledge.

 

[Bond]

Totally thought the second was going to the Sens as well

 

[Volica]

I understand the logic, but why not sign someone like Brian Boyle for no draft picks?

Brian Boyle’s career point totals have passed Stepan’s worst season (last year) a total of... one time. Stepan can play up the lineup, Boyle is a 4C.

It’s like, why didn’t Toronto sign Karl Alzner instead of TJ Brodie? He’d be 20% of the price.

 

[pld459666]

He's a guy that everyone will love from the players to the media. What we didn't like here, other than the lack of scoring is he didn't seem to have any hustle or fire (and looked out of shape at times) in him which always came out in interviews after losses. He didn't seem to give a shit which was way more annoying when they'd get destroyed and that attitude seemed to flow through the rest of the team's leadership. I think most of us (Yotes fans here) didn't think that was a positive influence on the rest of the team. He's in the last year of his contract though so I'd be surprised if he doesn't come in motivated for what will probably be his last shot at a good contract.

Hes not a Rah Rah guy. He's even keeled and has been his whole career. It rubbed lost of NYR fans the wrong was as well, myself included.

I don't know that happened in AZ, but it seemed like a lot of guys didn't doo to well this past season.

He may not be the 50+point guy he was in NY, but I expect that last year was the outlier and he will be back to being at least a 40pt 3rd line center.

 

[Maurice of Orange]

Armstrong probably knew he’d lose Stepan at UFA so he got something of value (2nd RD pick) that is needed in Arizona, while bringing the teams cap down.

The 2021 draft looks so far to be somewhat deep in defensemen as Arizona cupboard is shallow on D after Soderstrom and Crotty make the roster full time.

 

[HSF]

I don’t think people realize how important depth is going to be this year. With covid and a compressed schedule lots of players will be missing time

 

[StreetHawk]

He's got one year left, Ottawa has no cap issues, and a young team. Stepan is a veteran at center who can shelter the young players while they develop for another year. I don't see the downside for this for the Sens. Good move.

$6.5 mill cap hit, but only $2 mill in salary, so from that POV I get why Ottawa would make the move. 2nd round pick seems like a high price given that Ottawa isn't expected to accomplish much this season and that's all that they are getting him for unless they feel that they can flip him at the TDL to recoup that pick or a 3rd, so just paying the price of 30 draft slots to add a veteran C.

But, his production has dropped massively the past 2 seasons. 56 points 3 years ago in 82 games, but a combined 63 points in 142 games the past 2 seasons.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

I doubt there is any "clearly" anything here and you (or anyone else for that matter) can talk like you know what was really happening.

Just like you’re talking about how if the Sens offered Soderberg a contract he would have immediately taken it, right?

 

[Golden_Jet]

Boy Arizona fleeced Ottawa. Especially considering that pick is basically going to be a 32-40 overall pic

Not really
They kept their second and the second from San Jose, traded away the second from Columbus, so likely the worst of the 3 seconds.

 

[Big Muddy]

Just like you’re talking about how if the Sens offered Soderberg a contract he would have immediately taken it, right?

Unlike you (you threw a theory out like it was fact), all I said was that players at this late date don't really have a lot of options, and that adding a little money to an offer might work for a player that has few options at this stage. Neither of us know for sure. The back & forth with you at this stage is getting tiresome & is futile.

 

[Luck 6]

He makes $2M in real money. Ottawa is not against the cap, so cap hit doesn’t matter.

They’re paying $2M for veteran depth on a very young team, and a guy who can provide some leadership.

With the amount of picks they had this year, and another 4 in the 1st 2 rounds next year, losing one doesn’t hurt. Especially since they can easily recoup mid-round picks by trading any of Stepan, Anisimov, Gudbranson, etc at the deadline.

You can only hoard so many prospects and picks. At some point, you need to fill out an NHL roster and try to be at least semi-competitive so you can develop young players. Ottawa is at that point.

If they want veteran depth we can offer any of Sutter, Eriksson, Roussel, Beagle, or Benn; we will also add draft picks instead of take them.

Under that metric, and just overall, I still don’t see this as a good trade for them at all.

 

[NHL Dude 120]

Boy Arizona fleeced Ottawa. Especially considering that pick is basically going to be a 32-40 overall pic

We gave them the pick we got from Columbus

 

[Futures Passed]

That would be a terrible plan and they’re lucky you aren’t in charge. You aren’t describing a rebuild, you’re describing a perpetual rebuild.

Yeah, what a solid critique. You added a lot of value to this conversation. You literally did not make a single point to support your analysis. Thanks for joining the message board. You’re really elevating the discourse.

Ottawa has hardly accumulated enough elite talent that their rebuild should be ended this season. They have accumulated some nice talent depth, for sure, but it’s not even clear that Stutzle will play center yet, let alone be an elite number one. Either way, the paid a second for a player they should have been to take on.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

Unlike you (you threw a theory out like it was fact), all I said was that players at this late date don't really have a lot of options, and that adding a little money to an offer might work for a player that has few options at this stage. Neither of us know for sure. The back & forth with you at this stage is getting tiresome & is futile.

MIGHT being the key word. But for a 2nd which Ottawa has multiple of, it DEFINITELY will bring back a defensively responsible two-way vet.

 

[HarrisonFord]

Brian Boyle’s career point totals have passed Stepan’s worst season (last year) a total of... one time. Stepan can play up the lineup, Boyle is a 4C.

It’s like, why didn’t Toronto sign Karl Alzner instead of TJ Brodie? He’d be 20% of the price.

We didn’t give a draft pick for Alzner lol

 

[StreetHawk]

If they want veteran depth we can offer any of Sutter, Eriksson, Roussel, Beagle, or Benn; we will also add draft picks instead of take them.

Under that metric, and just overall, I still don’t see this as a good trade for them at all.

Eriksson has $5 mill left. Rousell $4.4 million, Beagle $4.4 million, Sutter $3.5 million.

Plus the Canuck players have MNTC and likely Ottawa is on the list. Stepan had no trade protection.

If Ottawa can flip him at the TDL, they can recoup a 3rd or something. That would help to offset the pick they gave up. I don't see Ottawa making the playoffs.