Hockey

The Impact of Alex DeBrincat for the Ottawa Senators

August 4, 2022
Jack Richardson

   It was a wonderful month of July if you’re an Ottawa Senators fan. General Manager Pierre Dorion fulfilled his promise from the spring and has seemingly been given free rein this summer when it comes to payroll. There was a flurry of good news coming out of the nation’s capital in the last few weeks, with the most significant coming on the opening day of the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal.

   This wasn’t a big day because the Senators made their pick at #7, but because Dorion pulled off one of the more shocking trades in recent memory: 

   On July 7th, the Ottawa Senators acquired forward Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for picks #7, #39, and a 3rd round pick in 2024. 

The Breakdown

   DeBrincat has one more season left on his deal at $6.4 million against the salary cap but will make $9 million in actual salary before becoming a restricted free agent this summer. At just 24 years old, DeBrincat already has an impressive resume including two 40-goal seasons under his belt. He instantly becomes the Senators’ best goal scorer and will likely slot in on Tim Stützle’s left wing. 

   If you’re unfamiliar with DeBrincat’s play, this clip from NHL analyst Mike Johnson perfectly illustrates what makes DeBrincat such an elite player:

   What I like about this play is that in the first clip, before DeBrincat finds the open area, he’s thinking about getting back on defense which is an underrated part of his game. Despite being just 5’7, he plays an aggressive game which allows him to have success. 

The Fit

   The big question after the trade was where he’ll slot into the Senators’ lineup next season. As previously mentioned, the fit with Tim Stützle almost seems too good to be true. Leading up to the 2020 draft. Stützle’s game was likened to Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane, who happened to be the player feeding DeBrincat for the last 5 seasons.

   There have been a few concerns about DeBrincat being the product of Kane’s elite playmaking, and while he certainly did benefit from it, the same argument could be made for Kane benefitting from DeBrincat. He is an elite finisher that scores from all over the offensive zone

   One area that DeBrincat will certainly thrive is the Senators’ powerplay. Truth be told, that is probably the one area that Ottawa did not need help in. When healthy, the Senators’ powerplay was clicking at a rate that put them top-10 in the entire NHL. Regardless, the powerplay will now have even more weapons to work with considering his arrival coincided with the signing of hometown veteran Claude Giroux. 

   What will be more fascinating is seeing how DeBrincat affects the even-strength offense. His 27 goals at 5-on-5 last season would have comfortably put him first on the Sens. Now equipped with a deep top-6 forward group, Head Coach DJ Smith will have a bevy of options for line combinations. Something to keep an eye on will be what line ends up getting the most ice time. Presumably, the Sens will start the season with these as the top 2 lines:

Tkachuk-Norris-Batherson

DeBrincat-Stützle-Giroux

That looks pretty good on paper.

Perfect for Stützle?

   That first line spent a lot of time together last season, developing great chemistry and cementing themselves as a real threat for opposing teams to deal with. However, what the additions of DeBrincat and Giroux will do for a player like Stützle cannot be overstated. The 20-year-old German spent the majority of last season with some combination of Alex Formenton, Connor Brown, Adam Gaudette or Tyler Ennis as wingers. 

   Now that he will seemingly have two elite options on his wing, is the sky the limit for Stützle? Many have speculated that this year he could replace Josh Norris as the team’s bonafide #1 centreman, and he seems primed to do so with the potential players he’ll play with. 

   There are certainly other factors for Sens fans to be excited about this season. The Senators trimmed some of the fat off their roster and brought in veteran goaltender Cam Talbot, then topped it off by signing Giroux when free agency opened on July 13th. But DeBrincat was the first domino to fall and in my opinion, is the most important piece that they added. 

   Giroux did say that the trade for DeBrincat helped solidify his decision to sign with Ottawa. So not only will he have a huge impact on the ice, but DeBrincat’s presence alone sends a message to the rest of the NHL that the Ottawa Senators mean business for the first time in 5 years.

Is it October yet? 

-Jack Richardson

Twitter: @jackrichrdson