That is a huge no from the Isles.

Dobson is not being moved, let alone Romanov who was just acquired.

I've got thoughts, but there's a profanity filter on this site so it's not gonna read all that well.

Jokes aside - this is a huge overpay for the Islanders. Zaitsev is a cap dump at this point, and while i'd be fine giving you something like the Mrazek deal in terms of value(Zaitsev&2024 1st for 2023 3rd to dump the rest of his deal), that leaves the rest of the trade as Beauvillier/Romanov/Dobson for Brannstrom/DeBrincat. Even if we want to say Dobson and Cat are around the same in terms of value, which is highly debatable, that's still too much value coming over from the Islanders if all the Senators are throwing in is a bottom pair guy like Brannstrom.

TL;DR version:
Zaitsev & 1st = 3rd
Dobson >= DeBrincat
Romanov/Beauvillier >>>>>> Brannstrom

Makes the isles a much worse team. Easy decline

Bad trade for both teams

DeBrincat won't carry too much value since he will be dealt in the offseason. Perhaps a DeBrincat for Meier swap could work (not sure why SJ would want Cat though). He will likely just be dealt for futures. Or DeBrincat in a package for Chychrun+ if he's not traded yet.


If it's a sign and trade, don't expect a young RD to be part of the deal. Maybe they could do something similar to the Tkachuk trade.

dannibalcorpse: I agree that Zaitzev is a cap dump. I don't know where Romanov's value is at right now, I assumed it was late first round pick/early second. If Cat can be signed for around 8M, I think his value will be greater than Dobson. When it comes to Beauvillier, I heard around that his value was slightly low. I was just looking for a middle 6 forward to fill the roster spot, Pageau or even Palmer (or something of equivalent value that can be flipped in another trade) would do. Branström is a former first round pick and only 23 years old. As a Sens fan, I hate him, but I heard GMs around the league like him and would be willing to pay a pretty high price to get him. The Sens are turning into contenders this season and I don't see the islanders performing well anytime soon. They won't rebuild but the team is gonna change, so this would be a start. The Sens probably would have to throw more assets to the Isles but this trade could totally happen.

For both teams? Are you kidding? Lol.

No, I'm not kidding. NYI gives up dobson and Ottawa gives up a likely top 10 pick and a 40 goal scorer

Dobson, Romanov, Beauvillier and a 3rd is waaaay more valuable than a probable 15th-ish round pick, DeBrincat, a bust in Brännström and a massive cap-dump in Zaitsev.

I mean I said I didn't like it for NYI either. But you do you.

So, Ottawa has trouble signing DeBrincat, so why would the Isles want to get into the same situation? Isles keep the cost efficient Dobson and Romanov

wow all kinds of wrong in this thread. lol at Brannstrom is a bust

Sens have no interest/need in Beauvillier and Romanov

Who cares about the 3rd?

Sens don't need cap space this year, don't need to dump Zaitsev (they could just send him to Belleville, like they did with Del Zotto last season)

If they're trading DeBrincat, ZERO worry about the cap too, and going forward. Zaitsev would simply be bought out, only 1.67 M$ spread over 2 years


Just make this about DeBrincat and Dobson

I'd be ready to add the 1st in 2024. I'm ready to pay because Chabot would be so much better if he had Dobson

But why would it be bad for both teams? I don’t get that at all, makes zero sense.

Tkachuk - Stützle - Batherson
Beauvillier - Norris - Giroux
Formenton* - Pinto - Joseph
Motte - Brassard - Watson

Chabot - Zub
Sanderson - Dobson
Romanov - JBD/Thomson/Holden/Hamonic

Forsberg
Talbot
Hellberg

Is without a doubt a much, much improved team. Ottawa doesn’t need a mid first when they get two 22 year olds in Romanov/Dobson and a 25-year old in Beau. So how could it possibly be a bad trade for Ottawa? The DeBrincat swap for Beauvillier is not that large of a downgrade considering Ottawa get one of the best defenseman in the league already in Dobson, when they only have Zub as a legit RD right now + Romanov!!

”Lol at Brännström is a bust” then what is he? He was traded for Mark Stone in his prime in 2019 pretty much one for one, that was 3 years ago and he’s already 23 and behind Chabot and Sanderson in the depth chart. That’s the definition of a bust, once considered to be as valued as prime Mark Stone, that haul was Melnyk’s ”proudest day as a GM” he said.

My god,

Dobson is a nice player, but he is no where near one of the best defensemen in the league. Beauvillier is a huge downgrade from debrincat.

I get liking your own players, but come on.

He absolutely is, this is has nothing to do with being biased. Beauvillier by himself is a huge downgrade for DeBrincat for sure, but he is still a good top-6 winger without a doubt and their forward group wouldn’t suffer much from switching DeBrincat/Beauvillier because the talent in the top-6 are already there around him - but Dobson and Romanov would change their team completely.

”No where near one of the best defensemen in the league” lol, catch up.

The fact that it was (another) bad Dorion trade has nothing to do with his status in the NHL now or in the future... lol

Dorion also gave the Coyotes a 2nd round pick for Stepan in the last year of his 6.5 AAV deal

Did that make him a good hockey player? No.

The guy just turned 23 y/o and has already played in 126 NHL games as a D-man. He will play for a long time too. He has been one the Sens best players through the first 6 games. The team is a mess (coaching is horrible) so he's getting lost like the rest of them. Chabot looks really bad right now too



Melnyk was also not a GM

No, he isn't one of the best defensemen in the league.

I don't have a dog in this fight, but "already" playing 126 games in you draft plus 6 year as a former top 15 pick is not impressive.

Has nothing to do with his status in the NHL now or in the future? Do you believe your own words? Brännström definitely was one of the most hyped prospects in the world at the time, many considered him being a top-5 prospect from his draft class where he was picked #15 and then took of, then stagnated. At the time the hype was legitimate and it wasn’t considered a bad return at the time, but not all prospects pan out. Sure, he could play all his career in the NHL from now on, but what why is games played relevant regarding being a bust or not? Erik Gudbranson was picked 3# OA and never was even close to live up to that, but he still carved out a decent career with a lot of games, does that make him not being a bust lol?

Prove me wrong then if you’re so sure because pretty much every analytical metric indicate that he is from all legit analytical sources. And the eye-test surely match that + his point totals if that matters to you.

Yet, you've cited none of them and have provided no specifics as to what "one of the top defensemen in the league" even means. top 10? 20? 50?

He is 4 months older than Noah Dobson (a 12th OA pick who should have went higher IMO, had him 6th or 7th IIRC) who has played 45 more games

The point (if it isn't OBVIOUS enough) is that a BUST wouldn't have played like this

Not sure why this has to be explained. Like I said in my first comment "all kinds of wrong in this thread"




Yes he was overhyped and had ridiculous expectations. That doesn't make him a bust.

We didn't like the trade when it happened even if we recognized that Brannstrom was a nice prospect

There's also a vast difference between a 3rd OA pick and a 15th OA pick. When all is said and done, Brannstrom will look perfectly fine for a 15th OA pick. That will never happen for Gudbranson

You're also mixing up the words "disappointment" and "bust". Maybe it's just a language weakness? English is my 3rd language so I can understand!

Finally, you called Melnyk a GM, maybe you should check your own words before calling out mine.

No because at this point it’s pretty much a fact that Dobson has emerged as one of the most promising - and already is - one of the best defensemen in the league, you’re the one telling me that I’m wrong, isn’t it up you to prove me wrong then? I don’t feel the need to enligthen you with graphs.

it’s always hard to rate exactly in which tier, he’s obviously not top-5, but definitely top 20.

Once again, played games is not indicative on being good or not, there are plenty of mediocre players in the NHL. Point is, a prospect can take off very soon after their draft year, regardless of where they was picked and rather quickly be valued as top/elite prospects regardless of draft position. Brännström was almost immediately (by everyone) seen as a top-5 prospect of the class, then stagnated. There was rumours Dorion wanted either Brännström or Dobson for him and Lou wouldn’t trade Dobson, but the point is, they was regarded equally talented. Brännström is a bust in the sense he will never (most probably) be what everyone hoped and thought he would become. When you have that much talent and hype to your name and just becomes what he is of now at 23, then yes it’s fair to call him a bust for now.

Sorry for my mistake, of course Melnyk was the owner and Dorion the GM, but Melnyk did say it was his proudest day as an owner of the franchise, which speaks volume to the hype surrounding Brännström at the time.