On the Ottawa Senators …
Bruce Garrioch: Senators GM Pierre Dorion told their season ticket holders that coach Guy Boucher’s future with the team will be evaluated after the season.
Bruce Garrioch: Dorion said that they plan to make Erik Karlsson a contract extension offer on July 1st.
Jason Gregor: Steve Lloyd on TSN 1200 on Karlsson: “My gut tells me he is gone. I lean towards him being traded based on everything that has transpired the past year.”
Bruce Garrioch: The Senators will meet with Matt Duchene’s camp after July 1st to talk about a contract extension.
On the Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators …
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Bob McKenzie was on TSN 1200 and was asked by host Ian Mendes if the Oilers and Senators could come together on a trade that would benefit both teams.
“Just logic or whatever that when Pierre Dorion showed up for back-to-back Edmonton Oiler games a couple of weeks ago, everybody started drawing up the papers for the Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for Mike Hoffman trade. And I don’t think there was necessarily anything at all to that. Could you logically make a case that makes sense for the Oilers and/or the Sens? I suppose you could. But to my knowledge, there hasn’t been any talks in those regards.”
McKenzie adds that if the Senators were to trade Hoffman, they would be creating another hole in their lineup. They’d be filling (if traded for RNH) the hole they created by trading Derick Brassard and Kyle Turris.
Jason Gregor: “Oilers won’t trade a C, now LW, for a LW who is four years older. I’d assume Chiarelli has learned from his past mistakes. RNH gives Edm more flexibility. They won’t make that deal.”
Chris Nichols of FanRag Sports: Darren Dreger was on TSN 1260 radio in Edmonton and was talking about the Ottawa Senators. Host Dustin Nielson brings up Mike Hoffman, who was subject to some Oilers trade rumors before the trade deadline.
“Look, we talked about it long before the trade deadline why Mike Hoffman would be a great fit in Edmonton,” noted the Insider. “Of course. Because he can skate, shoots the puck. He’d be a nice complement to Connor McDavid.”
Dreger continues that the Oilers are going to do a complete rebuild as they still have some good players under contract – Hoffman, Matt Duchene, and Ryan Dzingel making up their top line.
“But if they can’t get Erik Karlsson signed – and they’re going to need to build that, I would think, before the draft in Dallas in June – then absolutely, maybe Hoffman does become a piece again that Ottawa wants to move off for assets and Edmonton would be foolish not to consider him.”