Ottawa Senators Acquire Brian Gibbons for Patrick Sieloff
A depth forward for a less-than-depth defenceman.
As the clock struck midnight and trade deadline day began, general manager Pierre Dorion didn’t wait until the morning to make his first, albeit minor, trade of the day. The Ottawa Senators have acquired forward Brian Gibbons from the Anaheim Ducks, in exchange for defenceman Patrick Sieloff.
#Sens acquire forward Brian Gibbons from the Anaheim Ducks: https://t.co/ROO4y7qcCz
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) February 25, 2019
Les Sénateurs d’Ottawa acquièrent l’attaquant Brian Gibbons : https://t.co/3Zs1hxSFEG
The move comes in the wake of roster spots opening on the Sens’ main roster, with Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel sent packing to Columbus. The 30-year-old Gibbons has five points in 44 games this season, and will likely facilitate the team being able to send down young players like Logan Brown and Drake Batherson. With the Belleville Senators on a hot streak and in the hunt for a playoff spot, it’ll be important for the rookies to get plenty of minutes in a winning environment.
Going the other way is 24-year-old Patrick Sieloff, a gritty defenceman originally drafted by the Calgary Flames in second round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, then traded to Ottawa as the return for Alex Chiasson.
Although Sieloff has two NHL games to his name (astoundingly with a goal in each one), he’s been relegated to a depth role on Belleville, with tough competition amongst other left-shot defencemen. He hasn’t been the most effective player either, on pace to rack up over 90 penalty minutes for his third straight season.
Sieloff became infamous as the player who injured Clarke MacArthur during training camp, making him one of the most disliked players amidst the fan base. The Sens kept him around for a while longer, though, as he’s finishing up the first of two years on an extension with a cap hit of $700,000, and a minor league salary of $125,000 (rising to $170,000 next year).
Gibbons carries a slightly higher cap hit, on a one-way $1 million deal. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent come July 1st.
