NHL Rumors: Jets & Senators Becoming Trade Partners
With Thomas Chabot sidelined for at least a couple of weeks and Donovan Sebrango claimed on waivers earlier this season, general manager Steve Staios has been working the phones looking for a left-shot defender. The goal is not a splashy top-four addition, but a steady depth option who can help in Belleville and be ready for call-ups.
That is exactly where a potential Ville Heinola trade to the Senators starts to make a lot of sense, as Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun also speculates.
Why Ville Heinola Makes Sense for the Senators
Heinola, a 2019 first round pick of the Winnipeg Jets, finds himself buried on their depth chart and back in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose. Prospects have passed him, injuries have stalled his momentum, and he has already admitted he “wouldn’t mind a fresh start” after clearing waivers to go down earlier this year.
That is an opportunity for Ottawa.
The Senators’ left side depth chart in Belleville is thin, with Jorian Donovan, Tomas Hamara and Matthew Andonovski all still developing. Scott Harrington is on an AHL deal and would need an NHL contract before he can be recalled.
Heinola’s 50-plus NHL games represent a clear upgrade on that group and fit exactly what Staios says he is looking for: organizational depth rather than a big, expensive name. He can log minutes in Belleville, step into Ottawa when injuries hit, and still has some upside as a puck mover.
From a trade perspective, Heinola should not cost a premium asset. The market for depth left shot blueliners is thin, and the Jets have not carved out a long term role for him.
Ottawa has been trying to move unsigned restricted free agent Max Guenette for a draft pick, but he could easily become part of a small trade. A mid round pick or a prospect in that tier might be enough to get talks going, especially if the Jets simply want to give Heinola that fresh start he has hinted at.
How Heinola Fits into Ottawa’s Blue Line Plans
The Senators’ search has already brushed past other options. Rasmus Andersson in Calgary remains a right shot, and that path did not materialize last season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs grabbed Troy Stecher off waivers, and there is some thought they may have done it to block rival clubs like Ottawa and Montreal from adding him. Veterans such as Erik Gustafsson in Detroit or big bodies like Ilya Solovyov in Colorado are out there, but none carry quite the same mix of age, NHL experience and “stuck prospect” upside that Heinola does.
Short term, Heinola would stabilize the depth chart while the team navigates a brutal seven game, fifteen day road trip through the Western Conference. Chabot may rejoin the lineup later in that stretch, but until then the Senators are one injury away from having to lean heavily on call ups.
Photo Credit: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images
