The sOttawa Senator should put up an “open for business” sign outside their draft headquarters on the Vegas strip this week.
Although it’s well-known that the Senators have been actively pursuing Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark, that isn’t the only business Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, is handling this week.
With the first round of the NHL draft set for Friday night at The Sphere in Las Vegas, league executives informed Postmedia on Sunday that Staios is working to revamp the club’s roster, with several players at the heart of trade discussions.
While defenceman Jakob Chychrun has been a key figure in trade talks, he’s not the only blueliner the Senators are considering moving as the market heats up with qualifying offers due on June 30 and unrestricted free agency opening on July 1 at noon.
League executives say the Senators are also exploring the market to gauge interest in defencemen Erik Brannstrom and Jacob Bernard-Docker.
Veteran Travis Hamonic, who has a full no-move clause, will likely have his $1 million deal bought out once the Stanley Cup final concludes on Monday. If that happens, the club would carry a $366,000 cap hit for the next two seasons.
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