A huge transaction announced at the Montreal draft?

PUBLICATION

Jeff Drouin
June 14, 2022 (8:11)

SHARE THIS STORY

While the Stanley Cup Final begins this week between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche, fans of the other 30 NHL teams are eagerly awaiting the draft at the Bell Centre this July.

Some teams may take advantage of this opportunity to make a splash. For example, the New Jersey Devils would be open to trading the second overall pick. However, as my colleagues at Fanadiens.com report, we could also see a Canadian team attempt a real home run when the first round is presented.

According to Bruce Garrioch, columnist for the Ottawa Sun, the Ottawa Senators, who have the seventh overall pick, are reportedly very interested in bringing an impact forward to the roster, and Kevin Fiala's name has been circulating a lot lately.

Senators GM Pierre Dorion would even be open to trading his first round pick to bring in the Minnesota Wild
forward, but the price to acquire him could be very high.

"A check with a few league executives on Wednesday indicated that the Senators will have options if they want to trade the No. 7 pick, but they may have to give a lot including a prospect to get the return they want."

Fiala, who had a career-best 85-point season this year, will be a compensated free agent, but because of the Wild's financial constraints, it would be nearly impossible to keep his services in Minnesota. Even Wild general manager Bill Guerin has said it will be difficult to keep Fiala on his roster.

But if the Senators want to acquire Fiala, they'll have to be pretty aggressive, because according to Garrioch, the New Jersey Devils are also very interested. With the second overall pick, they are already well ahead of the game.

Who do you think would win the next trade?

To OTTAWA: Kevin Fiala

To MINNESOTA: 7th overall pick (and possibly an addition).