SENSNEWS

The offseason is in full swing, and the Senators have been busy handling business with both organizations.

Steve Staios and the rest of the management team are working the phones 24/7 in the lead-up to the draft, and Ryan Bowness has checked another RFA off the list with a 1-year deal.

On top of this, the Belleville Senators head coaching position has been decided. Dave Bell will be returning to the organization after extending for another two years!

Steve Staios Busy Manning The Phones

It feels like any day now we could get a press release from the Senators regarding a trade ahead of the draft. The team has been in discussions with several other GMs around the league as the NHL draft approaches.

The Senators have mentioned that there has been a ton of interest in the team’s seventh overall pick in this draft. While they remain persistent in saying they want to keep the pick, they are at least answering calls from other GMs regarding any sort of trade.

One possibility that has been mentioned is that the team may trade down from their spot at seven.

Likely not far from there, but possibly down 2-3 spots. The team has mentioned that they find there is a group of players ranked in the area of #7-#10 that are incredibly close talent-wise.

So what’s the harm in trading down? After all, it has been established that the philosophy going into this year’s draft is to take the best player available. At least with the pick at #7.

So if the scouts have two or three options they are comfortable with, it only makes sense to gain the extra asset in a trade.

This is an idea that I talked about recently with the Senators. The proposed trade would see pick seven going to Calgary for pick nine as a part of a package to bring in Jacob Markström.

Knowing how interested the Senators are in the Flames’ goaltender, and knowing that Calgary and Iginla make so much sense as a match, the trade could make some sense.

Owner Michael Andlauer also added to how much trade talks have picked up.

“I’m excited about the next couple of weeks,” Andlauer said. “They’re working furiously. I got a call at 11 p.m. (Thursday) night, and at 6 a.m. when we’re flying (to Ottawa) today, Steve had a whole bunch of text messages from other GMs saying, ‘Please give me a call.”

Michael Andlauer – VIA Bruce Garrioch

It’s all but a guarantee that there are deals being worked on right now by Steve Staios. And it’s also worth noting that the incredible amount of communication likely means Ottawa should be in a good negotiating position.

With the high level of interest, hopefully they are able to create a bidding war for their assets. If Staios and co can do that, they should be able to get a good return for whatever they ship out.

And it’s not just the seventh overall pick on the block. It’s also been reported that the #25 pick is open for trade negotiations, likely too in a trade-down type of move.

Mathieu Joseph and Jakob Chychrun also find themselves on the block. Both goaltenders are available but likely not generating any interest.

Dave Bell Back As Belleville Senators Head Coach

After talks that he may be moving on from the organization, Dave Bell has re-signed for two more seasons with Belleville! Bell did a great job with the Senators this season, leading the team to their first-ever playoff appearance.

Falling in the second round to the Cleveland Monsters, Bell did an excellent job with a roster that was constantly changing throughout the season.

For long stretches of the year, Belleville’s most important players had to step into the NHL. Not enough credit has been given to Bell for getting the Senators to the playoffs, regardless of the turnover.

As someone that has been known to hold players accountable, Bell certainly fits the bill as the type of coach the organization likes. Ottawa is looking for accountability with their players, so it only makes sense to keep them accountable young during their development years.

With ownership preaching their “best in class” philosophy, and spending far more on the AHL roster, things should continue to improve with Belleville. The expectations next season have to be to go on another playoff run, and I’m sure Dave Bell will make that very clear to the players.

Congrats to Bellsy on his new deal! Big things are coming for the Belleville Senators next season, and they now have one less piece of business to take care of with the team.

Cole Reinhardt Re-Signs With Senators

Shortly following the Angus Crookshank extension, we got another update that forward Cole Reinhardt will be returning to the organization for another season.

Reinhardt is a high-character, high-motor player, and he will be a big part of the bottom six in Belleville.

Last season, Reinhardt scored eight goals and added 15 assists for 23 points in 56 games.

He also had one goal in seven playoff games with the Sens. The point totals were not exceptional, but the physicality and defensive effort Reinhardt brought to the table were quite important for Belleville.

The deal is for one season and will see Reinhardt make $775K at the NHL level, while making $95K in the AHL with Belleville. Needless to say, it is a two-way contract.

Awesome to see the Rhino back with Belleville! Hopefully, we will see Reinhardt have a big season with the Sens and ultimately help them make an even deeper playoff push in 2024/2025!