Senators stop at one trade on deadline day
As the NHL trade deadline ended at 3 p.m., Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray had made just one deal: trading Chris Campoli to the Chicago Blackhawks for centre Ryan Potulny and a second-round draft pick.
BY ALLEN PANZERI
As the NHL trade deadline ended at 3 p.m., Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray had made just one deal: trading Chris Campoli to the Chicago Blackhawks for centre Ryan Potulny and a second-round draft pick.
Murray also claimed goalie Curtis McElhinney off waivers from Tampa Bay. That allows the Senators to send Robin Lehner to Binghamton while McElhinney will be Craig Anderson’s backup.
With the trade period over, Murray has now traded six players: Mike Fisher, Brian Elliott, Chris Kelly, Alex Kovalev, Jarkko Ruutu, and Campoli and acquired three (goalie Craig Anderson, right wing Marek Svatos and McElhinney). Murray also collected six draft picks — five this year and one next.
Campoli was acquired on Feb. 20, 2009, from the New York Islanders with Mike Comrie for Dean McAmmond and San Jose’s first-round draft choice in 2009. It was hoped he’d be the puck-moving defenceman the team needed, but he never panned out.
The Senators re-signed him last summer to a $1.4 million contract in the hope that this would be his breakout season, but he had only three goals and 11 assists in 58 games.
He welcomed the chance to join a team that’s playoff-bound
“It’s a young core group that’s had a lot of success, so that’s exciting,” he said.
“My game is skating and moving the puck and chipping in on the offensive side. It looks like a good fit where I’ll eb able to do that and play to my strengths.”
Campoli thought there was a good chance he’d get traded. Once Chris Phillips was re-signed, the Senators had six defencemen under contract for next season: Phillips, Brian Lee, Filip Kuba, Sergei Gonchar, Erik Karlsson, Matt Carkner. With at least two rookies, David Rundblad and Jared Cowen, expected to make the team, Campoli became expendable.
“I thought it was a good possibility, especially after seeing (Chris Phillips) sign (on Sunday night),” he said.
“Once that happened, the writing was kind of on the wall. They found a suitor willing to trade for me, and for me personally I’m excited about that because I’m going somewhere where going forward I’m wanted.
“It’s an exciting situation. They’ve got a legitimate chance to do well in the playoffs.
So the Sens traded for a goalie in order to send Lehner back to Bingo to get some games in. Why bother? Clouston is ruining Bingo’s chance to make the playoffs, by bringing their best players up to the Sens, and in the case of Locke wasting his talent. The last game Locke had five minutes of icetime on the fourth checking line. What a waste. I am surprised that Clouston does not make Locke wear goalie pads while playing at his centre position. He surely does not want Locke to succeed. Come on Murray. Step in and bring some sanity to this situation. Why are we winning now? Do we want a first round pick or not?