NEWSLETTER
Our old friend Alex DeBrincat is headed to restricted free agency one more time this summer, and there is apparently some consternation that he either isn’t worth the money he wants, or (more likely) wants to test the UFA market in 2024.
Senators management would like to get a long-term deal done with the young sniper they acquired from the Blackhawks last summer. But things aren’t quite there yet between the two sides. So when Ottawa General Manager Pierre Dorion was asked about the financial situation, he could say only that the Sens will qualify DeBrincat.
DeBrincat’s qualifying offer will be $9 million, something we discussed last summer as a potential sticking point with teams that were interested in acquiring him from the Blackhawks before the 2022 NHL Draft.
After scoring 160 goals over five seasons — two of which were impacted by COVID — and two seasons of 41 goals, the Blackhawks opted to trade DeBrincat this past summer to accelerate their rebuild. He has 27 goals and 66 points in 80 games this season (entering Monday), and is minus-30. Some fans in Ottawa have expressed their disappointment in his performance this season.
The Blackhawks received three picks from Ottawa in the deal: a first in 2022 (Kevin Korchinski), a second in 2022 (Paul Ludwinski), and a third in 2024.
