In this edition of the Senators News & Rumors we will be looking at the latest in the goaltending market as the Ottawa Senators push for Linus Ullmark, the Jakob Chychrun trade rumours are heating up, and a potential deal between the Senators and Philadelphia Flyers could be looming.
Markstrom Gone, Senators to Target Ullmark
The Senators are still in on any available goaltender, but the list is getting shorter by the day. On Wednesday, a pair of goaltenders moved with Jacob Markstrom being dealt to the New Jersey Devils and Darcy Kuemper heading to the LA Kings. While Ottawa wasn’t targeting Kuemper publically, it is safe to assume that any general manager willing to move a goalie has been in contact with Senators GM Steve Staios.
Bruce Garrioch confirmed that with Markstrom, the Devils, and the Kings out of the conversation, the Senators are now the front-runners for Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark (from ‘With Jacob Markstrom dealt to Devils, Senators step up efforts to land Boston’s Linus Ullmark,’ Ottawa Sun, June 19, 2024).
Related: Senators Should Deal Jakob Chychrun to Bruins for Linus Ullmark
Other teams are calling Boston about Ullmark, likely including the Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche, but Ottawa has been linked to this potential deal for months now. There has been no confirmation that Ullmark’s no-trade list has the Senators on it. There was a report at the deadline that he invoked his right to decline a trade, but that team was never identified. However, if Ottawa is on his no-trade list or had previously been denied a deal, trade talks and rumours would likely have ended by now.
Chychrun Trade Rumors Never End
It seems like Chychrun has been on the trading block his entire career. His time with the Arizona Coyotes seemed to hang by a string, and once he was finally dealt, he expressed relief. Well, less than 18 months later, Chychrun is headlining trade rumours yet again.
Whether or not he is part of a trade for Ullmark, it sounds like he will be on the move this offseason. Garrioch also noted that the Senators are in no rush to move the defenceman, but rumours have picked up after former NHLer Jordan Schmaltz posted the following on X:
Good afternoon folks, The People’s phones are buzzing .. hearing some rumblings regarding OTT 26 year old left handed shot defenseman Jacob Chicky Parm Chychrun.. nothing imminent but the situation is evolving .. We’ll see where this goes. Plan is to hopefully move him before the draft..
Jordan Schmaltz, X
He followed that post by saying that Staios has multiple defencemen in play and it shouldn’t be shocking if a big name leaves Ottawa very soon. While credible insiders have not mentioned any specific deals linked to Chychrun, some could make sense.
Senators and Flyers Cooking Up a Deal
Travis Yost of TSN reported that the Senators and Flyers have the framework of a deal ready, but it may not be done until closer to the draft.
The Flyers would certainly like the seventh overall pick in this draft, and a defenceman like Chychrun could be enticing as well. It has also been reported that Mathieu Joseph could be on his way out of Ottawa, and he could be of interest to Philadelphia.
As for the Senators, it’s been rumoured in the past that they like Scott Laughton, but that was under a different regime. Does Staios feel the same? If the Senators are moving Joseph and bringing in Laughton, that isn’t much of an upgrade. Staois could move down in the draft, trading the seventh pick for the twelfth, but it would take a pretty good incentive from the Flyers for that to happen.
Ottawa could also be targeting Travis Konecny – although it’s unlikely they’ll go for a splash that big – or Joel Farabee. Konecny would cost a lot, and he doesn’t necessarily fill a glaring hole on the Senators’ lineup. He would be a great addition, but that kind of player shouldn’t be the priority. Farabee, who has developed nicely into a $5 million player who scores 20 goals and 50 points, could be a good option to add depth on the wing. The Senators don’t need a super high-end player like Konecny, but a middle-six option like Farabee makes sense.
Whether any of these deals come to fruition, there is no doubt that Staios has been busy on the phone for a while now.
