Another Senators top player shoved on trade block to make cap room!
What a mess in Ottawa…
HockeyFeed
Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion has no other choice but to explore different ways to clear cap space with restricted free agent Shane Pinto still unsigned. There were recent reports that trade options had been explored for forward Mathieu Joseph, but now Darren Dreger explained on last night’s Insider Trading on TSN that the Senators have held talks involving defenseman Erik Brannstrom.
“(Dorion) is trying to move Mathieu Joseph. He has had (conversations) about moving Erik Brannstrom.”
Until Dorion can create that cap space, he can’t engage and create the contract required to bring Pinto back on his roster. According to Cap Friendly, the Senators have just $62,620 of cap space. Back in September, reports emerged that Pinto was upset with a low one-year offer and is allegedly seeking around $2.5 million.
When it comes to Brannstrom as a trade chip, the 24-year-old blue liner recorded 18 points in 74 contests last season. He’s played all 191 games of his career with Ottawa since being acquired prior to the 2019 trade deadline in the move that shipped Mark Stone to the Vegas Golden Knights.
He signed a one-year contract worth $2 million this summer and will be an restricted free agent this summer. He is now a possible trade chip and sacrificial lamb for Pinto in Ottawa.
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