Ottawa Helps Tampa Make Big Move

With the Ottawa Senators unable to reach a deal with defenseman Andrej Meszaros, they have cut a deal that sends him to Tampa Bay for defensemen Filip Kuba and Alexandre Picard, and a first round draft pick.

Word was that the Bolts were prepping an offer sheet for Meszaros that went way beyond what the Sens were willing to offer him. If the Lightning had signed him away, they would have had to give Ottawa a first, second, and third round draft picks as compensation. Unfortunately they gave their third round pick to Pittsburgh for Ryan Malone.

In order to get Meszaros Tampa had to work out a deal. So instead of parting with 2nd and 3rd round picks in addition to the 1st rounder, the Bolts sent Kuba and Picard north, who can be considered worth 2nd and 3rd round picks, respectively.

The Senators did what they had to do here, but it still seems like they lost out in the deal. If they had allowed him to sign away, they gained 3 draft picks. In this deal they get a first round pick, a 31 year old defenseman in Kuba with good if not average numbers, and a young blueliner in Picard with good potential but not much in terms of experience.

Ottawa has lost much of its blueliners in the off-season, with only Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov remaining from last season. The Sens just don't have the time to get new picks and let them develop. They need immediate impact, and will have a good incoming balance in the veteran leadership of Kuba and the raw skills of Picard.

Under the circumstances both teams will be getting more talent, whether its overall or in the skills of an individual player. The move helps Ottawa bolster its blueline, and fits into the Bolts' plan to ice a solid team this season.

Ottawa could have done better, but for the situation its a solid deal.

Joe Dumas 01:14 PM

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