Phaneuf traded to Senators

They have only seven picks for 2017 and that includes the choice from Ottawa. The 30-year-old appeared out of place with the big Senators crest on his black practice jersey and an unfamiliar No. 2 on the back of his white helmet. Cowen, 25, is a former first-round draft pick (ninth over all in 2009) who has steadily worsened since his rookie season; this year he’s been a healthy scratch for long stretches. Ottawa’s trading some futures for a current National Hockey League defenceman. “Now it feels good”, said Granlund, who opened the scoring on a short-handed breakaway. “It’s a new chapter of my career and my life”. Edmonton does have Connor McDavid back though and he will get his first crack at his child hood team as he was on the shelf during their match up in Toronto which was a game most Oilers fans would love to forget. Perhaps less attention will allow Phaneuf to play his game out of the spotlight, giving him a chance to focus on being the best player he can be. “I worked as hard as I possibly could for that organization and I had great pride in playing there and being a Toronto Maple Leaf”.

While Ottawa gets the defenseman they have been searching for, the majority of the players acquired in the deal with be impacting the Binghamton Senators. The Senators see Phaneuf as being an essential player on this team throughout the length of his contract.

He is going to turn 31 later this year, and was never going to play at a level that would justify the $35 million they still owed him over the next five years after this one.

They are four points out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with 28 games remaining.

Senators general manager Bryan Murray said it was experience and leadership that the club most valued in Phaneuf, who instantly became by far the team’s most experienced defender. Bailey played some decent hockey over three years at Penn State before deciding to turn pro last year.

But what they absolutely did not want to do was keep paying Phaneuf that money, $7-million annually, for another five seasons after this one, not when that would leach into the years during which this not-good team actually plans to be good. “And I’ll tell you, I had a couple flights to get here yesterday and a lot of time to think and I’m excited to be a part of this team”. The Senators were one of the ten teams on Phaneuf’s list that he would accept a trade to.

The Senators needed a shot in the arm and adding Phaneuf is just that. He chatted with new teammates during the morning skate, including some apparent strategy with Ceci, and wondered aloud to Senators personnel about the departure time of the team bus.

“You’re at the point in your schedule and in the season where there’s no margin for error here, ” coach Dave Cameron said.

Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock raved about Phaneuf’s professionalism on and off the ice, and it was on full display in the Sens’ locker room.

For Tuesday’s game in Calgary, the Leafs paired defenceman Morgan Rielly with Matt Hunwick, Roman Polak with Dion Phaneuf’s regular partner, Jake Gardiner, and had a third pairing of the sporadically used Martin Marincin and Frankie Corrado.