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UPDATE:
Here is what the trade looks like:
So there it is, Matt Duchene and Sweden-bound Julius Bergman for Vitali Abramov, Jonathan Davidsson, a 1st, and a conditional 1st if he re-signs. All in all, the consensus from most Senators fans seems to be that this is not a bad trade at all, and I would agree. Obviously I'd much prefer it never got to this stage and wish that he could have been re-signed, but considering the circumstances, this isn't a bad deal. I'm not sure how likely it is that Duchene re-signs in Columbus, but if he does, getting two first-round picks looks great.
Senators fans should be cheering for the Blue Jackets to finish as low as possible this season, and there is a decent chance that the pick will be in the teens. However, they lottery protected it, so there are no dreams of still getting Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko, or a 3rd overall selection:
At the same time, who knows about 2020? Perhaps the Blue Jackets lose Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky and take a step back just like the Senators did last season. As for the prospects, Abramov is an interesting name. He has had a bit of a disappointing rookie season in the AHL with just 22 points in 52 games, but he was phenomenal in the QMJHL with Gatineau and Victoriaville. Take a look at his overall numbers:
The winger was dominant even in his draft year of 2016 but wasn't taken until the 3rd round because he is undersized at 5'9", 172 lbs. He apparently hasn't gotten to play too much in Cleveland, so I wouldn't sour on him as a prospect just yet because it's clear that the talent is there, and he could easily turn into a solid top-six winger. He isn't fast for a small player though, so that might hold him back somewhat at the NHL level.
Davidsson is a year older than Abramov but was actually drafted a year later in 2017 in the 6th round. The right winger stands at 5'11", 185 lbs, and has spent the past three and a half seasons in the SHL. He is almost 22 years old already, so he isn't a very young prospect, but he probably isn't that far from NHL ready. With Mika Zibanejad's former team Djurgardens, he has 20 points in 35 games this season:
He has a lower ceiling than Abramov, but he is still an interesting prospect. With how few players have been assured spots in Ottawa next season, there's a really good chance that he will be in the NHL come October.
For reference, Corey Pronman had these two as the Blue Jackets' third and sixth best prospects, respectively, before the season:
Columbus doesn't have a great farm system, but it's still hard to expect any team to be willing to give up their first or second best prospects.
It's a bit upsetting that the Senators couldn't have gotten a
true top prospect in a Duchene deal, but it's rare for that to happen, and Abramov and Davidsson are still solid pieces who can be useful. The potential for two first round picks is nice too, so this deal seems perfectly fair. Everyone likes to rag on Pierre Dorion a lot, but if this were any other team moving Duchene with just a few months before his contract expires, the public would consider this a normal transaction.
It sure is going to be awkward tonight when Ottawa fans watch their former player play on a different team. Now we wait to see what the return for Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel is.
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A big trade has finally been made...Matt Duchene is on his way to Columbus. So far, this is all we know:
The hilarious thing is that for the second time in a year and a half, Duchene will be traded, only to play against his former team right away:
More details as they come in, stay tuned.
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