Quoting: HockeyScotty
Wouldn't the Senators be better off making another deal with Chicago to get Connor Murphy instead of signing Klingberg. They already have too many "offensive" blueliners; adding a two-way/shutdown RHD to pair with Chabot, Sanderson, or Brännström and an upgrade over Zaitsev seems to be the best way to go. Another option could be to dump Zaitsev and then trade for one the LA Kings plethora of RHD on fairly cheap deals; almost feels like Sean Walker is the odd man out there.
Can't see why anyone would trade for Formenton right now unless the NHL investigation can clear him of any wrongdoing in the scandal; but he is one of the handful that are under the microscope (along with Batherson). This is possibly going to impact the Senators more than any other team from a PR and talent point of view; how they handle it is going to be a big part of their story going forward.
With the names the Senators were tied to, they clearly want someone who can help them transition out of their zone. A big problem with their team has been their inability to move the puck out of the zone. Chabot is the only one who can consistently do that. The Senators have been tied to different types of defensemen though. They have been tied to Chychrun, Weegar, Klingberg, and Marino. I might be missing someone.
Brannstrom is bad at moving the puck in the NHL. He isn't a good enough skater and generally stinks. Maybe he puts it all together this season and can play at a higher level in his own zone. In all likelihood, he is a 2nd unit PP specialist in the NHL and doesn't solve any of the Sens problems at even strength.
Sanderson should be a star, but he hasn't played a game yet and has had a concerning amount of bad luck with injuries over the last few seasons.
Going into the season with this current D-core would be ill advised. They really need more than a Klingberg, but he'd at least help. I have a feeling that Arizona understands the leverage they have over the Senators due to the Senators budget, and Arizona's ability to take Zaitsev, and Chychrun's low 2022-23 salary. It wouldn't surprise me if both sides find a middle ground before training camp, and we see the Senators go all out and acquire Chychrun for a package with their 2023 1st, a prospect, Formenton, Zaitsev, and maybe a few more picks.
I also wonder if the Senators lost out on Marino due to needing to move Zaitsev. Given how bad Ty Smith was this past season, his value couldn't have been that high. The Senators could have beat that offer. Marino also has ties to the Senators new assistant GM Ryan Bowness.