Hockey Trade Rumors

As this season approaches, the Ottawa Senators want redemption after losing to the Anaheim Ducks in last years Stanley Cup Final. The reason why the Sens made it so far because they have star players like Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza. Both are among the top players available next summer and every team wanted to get their hands on one of the two.

Instead the Senators put a damper on the other teams hopes and locked up Dany Heatley to a new 6 year extension. The same is trying to be done with skilled Spezza. He is in his final year of his contract and is probably headed for a career year.

Some think the Senators just don’t have enough cap space to lock him up, but frankly they do.

The senators have 12 players signed for next year and about 5 or 6 who need to be locked up. Among those signed for next year are:

DANY HEATLEY
DANIEL ALFREDSSON
MIKE FISHER
CHRIS NEIL
DEAN MCAMMOND
NICK FOLIGNO

CHRIS PHILLIPS
JOE CORVO
ANTON VOLCHENKOV
CHRISTOPH SCHUBERT

RAY EMERY
BRIAN ELLIOT

Did you notice Martin Gerber wasn’t there. My tip would be to trade him to a team like Tampa Bay. He is overpaid for a backup goalie and they need the money for Jason Spezza. The key players who need to be locked up are:

JASON SPEZZA (should receive $7 m)
ANTOINE VERMETTE (should receive $1.7 m)
PATRICK EAVES (should receive $1 m)
JOSH HENNESSY (should receive $0.550)
BRIAN MCGRATTAN (should receive $0.550)
JIM O’BRIEN (should receive $0.660)
ANDREJ MESZAROS (should receive $2 m)

Lets players like Luke Richardson and Shean Donovan walk. Their cap would be just under $50.000. Also the Senators should trade Redden and Kelly at the trade deadline to get a veteran forward to take them deep in the playoffs. Also Redden and Kelly are UFA that te Senators can’t retain.