Source: Brassard tops wishlist of Penguins coaching staff

The Ottawa Senators have reversed course in the last 5-7 days on their trade deadline plans.

After being wide open to trading Mike
Hoffman, Jean Gabriel-Pageau, the Senators have now signaled to clubs they intend to keep both players and are primarily focused on trading center Derick Brassard who has one year left on his deal with a $5 million cap hit.

Up until the last couple days,  NHL execs were of the opinion Ottawa was more likely to keep Brassard than move him. Now that’s not the case.

Brassard a player who is said to top the wishlist [hide] of the Penguins coaching staff, per a team source, has been in play for a high return of multiple picks/young roster player, but the sense around the situation tonight is the Senators are far along in trade talks with at least 2 clubs.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported tonight the Senators have some real action on Brassard.

“I think they are little concerned about what they would look like at centre if Brassard was gone, but I think they’ve got some real action on him,” said Friedman during the Hockey Night in Canada Headlines segment.

Nick Kypreos during the segment also linked the Penguins and Sharks to Tomas Plekanec. Friedman chimmed in saying he believes both teams are in on Brassard.

The Penguins have made it known to Senators officials for several weeks that they’d be willing to put a package together for Brassard if Ottawa took on some of the cap hit. Ottawa had been lukewarm but with talks heating up with Pittsburgh and others, it’s believed that is now on the table as it should be from their end.

With only $3.5 million due in salary next season, this is an easy situation for Ottawa to keep 35-50% of the cap hit and maximize the return for Brassard. [/hide]