On December 21st, the Ottawa Senators were in control of the second Eastern Conference wildcard spot. The next night, they lost star goaltender Linus Ullmark to a back injury. Since then, they have lost six of their last seven games, while being outscored 23-10. Now, they’re three points out of a playoff spot.
The Senators don’t need to trade for a goaltender. As soon as Ullmark returns from injury, he’s their guy. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2023, and currently has a .915 SV% and a 2.38 GAA through 23 games played with the Senators.
What Ottawa needs to do is address their scoring issues. In their last seven games, they’ve scored just ten goals, and have been shutout twice. The Senators are tied for 23rd in the league in goals scored with 114, and their 2.85 average goals per game is tied for 22nd in the league.
One player who could solve some of Ottawa’s offensive problems is Taylor Hall of the Chicago Blackhawks. Hall is on an expiring contract, and the Blackhawks will certainly be sellers at the trade deadline.
Why it would work
Taylor Hall can score. In 2017-18, he won the Hart Trophy after dragging the New Jersey Devils to the playoffs. Hall had 39 goals and 93 points in 76 games– 41 more points than New Jersey’s next leading scorer. In 872 career NHL games, Hall has 274 goals and 718 points. The Senators currently have a top-ten powerplay in the league with a 23.9% success rate, but adding Hall would only improve on that.
Why it wouldn’t work
I can’t think of a reason why Taylor Hall wouldn’t fit on this Ottawa Senators team. He’s 33 now, and not the player he was when he won the Hart Trophy back in 2018, but he can still produce. Ottawa needs scoring, and he can help with that.
What it would cost
Hall wouldn’t cost as much as you’d think. It’s been reported that Chicago wants a third-rounder for him, and would be open to retaining part of his $6 million cap hit in exchange for a second-rounder. If that’s truly the case, and if Ottawa is serious about making a playoff push, this is a no-brainer.
