“We have to be ready for a number of different things, including a scenario where somebody wants to move up and take No. 5 as well.”. That was a comment from Ottawa Senators Chief Scout Trent Mann who said he believes, in the right deal, the Senators second pick in the first round of the NHL Draft is on the table.
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In other words, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion is open for business and he’s looking to make the right moves to better his team, even if it means swapping a very good pick in a very deep draft.
Mann spoke to media in a Zoom call Tuesday, just one week before the first round of the NHL draft gets under way. He discussed the three picks the Senators own in the first round and another four in the second round on Wednesday. Either way, the Senators will be a much better team when this draft is done. But, how soon will they be better?
Mann confirmed Dorion would be listening to offers to move back on the latter pick after the organization drafts either Quinton Byfield of Sudbury in the Ontario Hockey League or Tim Stuetzle of Mannheim in the German league. It’s believed the Senators want to stay in the top 10, which means they’re likely having discussions with teams like Anaheim, New Jersey, Buffalo, Minnesota and Winnipeg.
Mann admitted the Senators are in an enviable position this year. He’s been told by his GM that the picks could be moved so the scouting department needs to be ready for any scenario. “We have to see what happens ahead of us. We’ll have to be ready from that point on.”
The Senators Will Be Busy
It’s not just the first-round pick the Senators might move. Their four second-round selections could be used to acquire more immediate help and they have additional picks in the later rounds as well.
Mann said he’s told Dorion that there are going to be some really good finds in the second round so there’s no pressure to move the picks. “We feel strongly about that and we feel there’s still going to be a number of them on the board at that point in time,” he said. He also understands there could be a deal out there that helps the Senators now.
As for who the Senators will draft at No. 3? There’s no question the Senators need a centre. Mann said he felt Stuetzle was the closer of the two to being ready to play in the NHL next season.
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