Upscale in Ottawa: Sens acquire Tatar, O'Reilly

The Senators reportedly remained mildly active in the trade market after completing a deal with the Winnipeg Jets sending Jonathan Drouin Mikhail Abramov and a 5th for Tomas Tatar. That, as it turned out, was an understatement.

A mega deal completed with the division rival Tampa Bay Lightning saw Selke caliber Center Ryan O’Reilly sent to Ottawa for Adam Gaudette, prospects Marco Rossi, Arthur Kaliyev, Eeli Tolvanen, and two 5th round picks. 

GM Bates on the O'Reilly trade:

“Acquiring a Selke-caliber Center like O'Reilly was a rare opportunity. You have to pay to play. It’s a scarce market with very few sellers. Relative to the league, our prospect pool is still in decent shape, even after moving out so much talent." Explained Bates.

"Our start proves that The East is wide open, and it’s going to be nice having Factor (O'Reilly) on our side. I'm confident he will remain elite into his 30's. Having some pending UFA’s, and Tony (Cirelli) in the final year of his ELC plays a part too. We're making the most of this season, but I feel were still in good shape moving forward."

There were select number of teams who could match the kind futures package sent out by Ottawa. Lightning GM Justin Hill cashed in, receiving plethora of value in the return. 

Marco Rossi was selected 5th overall in 2020 by Sens GM Cole Bates, who touts the Austrian Center as a potential star in the making. Rossi, 19, is a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic, sitting out for the remainder of this season due to complications from the having the virus back in November. The exact nature of the complications have not been confirmed by Rossi, or his agent. Rossi, and those around him remain confident he will make a full recovery.

Eeli Tolvanen and Arthur Kaliyev both have the upside to be bonafide top 6 goal-scoring wingers and power play specialists. Adam Gaudette has proven capable of a bottom 6 role with some limited upside. To top it off, the Lightning get two 5th round picks. 

GM Bates on the Tatar trade:

“Tatar brings another level to our top 6, and adds cap flexibility. Said Bates.

"He’s a perfect for what we needed up at five on five and on the Powerplay. Tomas is a dual threat winger whos a veteran player."

Tatar is an upgrade for the Sens for the remainder of 2021. The slippery Slovak put up 28 points in 26 games with The Jets so far this season. Tatar has 2 years remaining on his contract, with an AAV of $3,775,000. 

For Winnipeg, this is a no-brainer. The Jets an ultra skilled RFA-aged forward, with contract control and term. Drouin possess an element of upside that Tatar does not. Despite a higher cap hit, the 25 year old is expected to improve, and has 6 years of control to Tatar’s 2. Prospect Mikhail Abramov and the 5th round pick are the cherries on top that make this a lucrative return for GM Joe Tremblay.

What’s next for Ottawa?

The Senators sit tied for 2nd in the EHE with 50 points (22-8-6). The Factor (O'Reilly) lived up to his name in his debut, recording 4 points, with a +4 rating, playing 19:17 in a 5-3 win over Detroit. The moves are paying early dividends with both O’Reilly and Tatar producing.

O’Reilly - 2 G 4A 6PTS +4 4GP

Tatar - 5G 2A 7 PTS +7 7GP. 

Early returns are promising 36 games in, with 5 more to-go before the official 2nd half of the season begins. Ottawa still owns some quality assets in their pool. It’s been reported that that The Sens are could look to improve top 4 on Defense, and potentially their bottom 6 if the right deal falls in place. 

"Were always going to look at ways we can improve" said Sens GM Cole Bates. "We have room to make an addition in one or two spots, but our current group will stay intact through the second half and playoffs."

It's been quite the turnaround this season, currently 16 points shy of their 2019-2020 totals, with 46 games remaining.

"We've come a long way already, time to see what this team is really made of."