NHL trade rumors: Senators may target $60,000,000 pending UFA D-man, among other RHD options

The Ottawa Senators are reportedly in the market for a right-shot defenseman this offseason, with Florida Panthers pending UFA Aaron Ekblad to be their main target.

In a rumor piece published by the Fourth Period on May 21, NHL insider David Pagnotta linked the Senators to Aaron Ekblad.

Ekblad, who’s in the final season of his current eight-year, $60 million contract, is expected to go to market as this year’s top free-agent right-shot blue liner. As Pagnotta pointed out, the Sens will be looking to bolster the defense corps heading into next season.

Pagnotta also pointed out that the Sens could look into the availability of the Calgary Flames' Rasmus Andersson and the Philadelphia Flyers' Rasmus Ristolainen. Regardless of who that right-shot defenseman turns out to be, Ottawa is looking to land one.

The piece quoted an anonymous league executive as stating:

“Everybody is looking for that kind of defenseman. If you have them, you want to keep them, and if you’re looking for one, they’re hard to find.”

All told, Ekblad is reportedly the Senators’ main target. The 29-year-old will likely draw plenty of interest on the open market unless the Florida Panthers can ink him to a deal before he tests the free-agent waters this summer.

Nick Jensen’s surgery precipitates Ottawa Senators’ search for a right-shot defenseman

Nick Jensen's surgery has forced the Senators to look for another RHD this summer - Source: Imagn

The Ottawa Citizen reported that Sens’ veteran blue liner Nick Jensen had surgery for a lower-body ailment on Monday.

While Jensen hopes to be ready for training camp this fall, the situation has, nonetheless, precipitated the team’s search for a quality right-shot defenseman this summer. As the Citizen reported, there’s no guarantee that Jensen will be ready to hit the ice come this fall.

So, the Sens won’t be taking any chances.

Since the club has been quiet on the nature of Jensen’s procedure, it’s unclear how long he could be out. The Citizen speculated that Jensen could have had a procedure done on his hip or knee.

If the procedure is serious enough to keep Jensen from starting the season with the club, the team will be prioritizing a defense partner for Thomas Chabot, as he and Jensen played well together this season.

As such, finding someone to complement Chabot this summer will be atop the priority list. But as another anonymous league exec told the Citizen:

“If they’re going to get one, they’re going to have to play a heavy price.”

Those comments underscore how costly it could be for Ottawa to target a right-shot defenseman in the trade market. With the free-agent market relatively thin on high-end right-handed blue liners, it remains to be seen if the Sens can address their needs this upcoming offseason.