The Ottawa Senators acquired veteran center Derek Stepan from the Arizona Coyotes this weekend. While the trade is being debated and the return questioned a bit from the Senators’ fan perspective — some are arguing a second-round pick was a lot of give up — the deal is done. There is one slight issue for the Senators, however.
Related: Senators Acquire Derek Stepan from Arizona Coyotes in Trade
It doesn’t sound like Stepan will be joining the team for the start of the season.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun notes that Stepan’s arrival to Ottawa will have to be delayed. While he’s excited to join his new team from a hockey perspective, not only does Stepan have to go through a 14-day quarantine that will require him to miss part of training camp, he and his wife are also expecting.
Stepan is waiting for the pending birth of his child and that likely means the 30-year-old could very well miss the start of the regular season. LeBrun writes:
Derek Stepan’s agent Matt Oates says the veteran centre is excited to join an up and coming team like the Senators. The pending birth of a child is the only little wrinkle, will likely delay his arrival into Ottawa. But hockey-wise, Stepan is excited.
Another Look at the Stepan Deal
Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch examined the trade a little more closely after it was made and tried to come at the deal from both angles. He notes that that the move is very Ottawa-like.
Stepan is a $6.5 million cap hit for the upcoming season, but because Arizona paid out his bonus, he is only due $2 million in salary for the 2020-21 campaign. Stepan also lacks trade protection which means he becomes a trade asset around the NHL Trade Deadline.
He’s got one final season on his current deal and if he plays well in the game he suits for the Senators, he could become a strong trade chip with the Senators willing to retain half his salary.
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