Ah don't worry you got 4 years of Zaitsev and a 3rd liner. Great consolation prize!

I mean Zaitsev is bad, but I'd do that deal again for Connor Brown.

Apparently it didn't make a difference in the end. Every other GM that traded a pick either did top 3 protection or playoff protection. So weird he decided to make it top 10 protection.

He probably got to upgrade the 7th to a 6th for doing that instead of playoff (top 15) protection.

I wouldn't. Too many years on Zaitsev. We probably could have gotten Connor Brown for a 2nd round pick instead of a 3rd if we didn't do the Ceci for Zaitsev swap.

Plus we only got a 3rd round pick for DeMelo when New Jersey got a 2nd for Greene.

You may think he is bad, but the worst is yet to come. Enjoy in 3 yrs when Batherson, Stutzle, Drysdale, Thomson, Brannstrom, Norris are all getting paid and he has years left on his contract.

I really like Brown too but the difference between him and a 3rd isn't 4 years of Zaitsev (assuming Zaitsev = Ceci)

Tbf the team was expected to do really well and the only reason they'd have a pick in the top-15 was that they were god-awful and sold big time and in that case the team was probably bottom-10 anyways.

I think Zaitsev is movable. It's gonna cost something, but I don't think he's on the team when it matters. It doesn't matter for at least two more seasons anyway.

Also in terms of major contracts, the two (presumably) big ones that would really be a potential problem likely aren't kicking in til he'd be gone anyway. If Ottawa gets Byfield, and let's say one of Raymond or Drysdale, I doubt either player plays next year, so they would be RFAs the summer he comes off. And unless some of those guys become superstars far larger than they are projected to be (which would rule) the Sens aren't breaking the bank on those deals even with Tkachuk and Chabot on big deals already.