It is 3 years of term VS 1. I don't think that a draft pick will be the point of contention. Montreal isn't going to do that for whatever pick the Senators would reasonably throw in, like a 2nd.

I think the trade at the deadline was Colin White for Joel Armia, but Montreal wanted the Senators to retain cap. Mike Hoffman also makes sense. Dorion likes him as a player, and the current regime in Montreal weren't the ones to sign him. Ottawa isn't taking Gallagher (who won't waive for Ottawa anyways), Montreal probably is not trading Anderson or Dvorak for White, who are both still good players.

White will end up in Montreal, one way or another. Kent Hughes was his agent, and might believe he can turn it around. If a trade does not materialize, a buyout is cheap.


What about a 3-way trade between Ottawa, Montreal, and Arizona?

Let's assume Ottawa doesn't want to buyout Colin White because they don't want money on the books for six years. They don't want to take back one of Montreal's long term bad contracts, but Montreal wants to shed more than Drouin if they are taking on 4.75M x 3 years.

-Colin White's buyout will cost 5.25 million in real money over six seasons.
-Arizona acquires Colin White, and buys him out.
-There is an understanding Montreal will sign Colin White after the buyout.
-Montreal sends Jonathan Drouin to Ottawa (5.5 million cap and salary). They take back Michael Del Zotto (2M salary, buried cap hit a bit over 1M).
-Arizona sends Montreal Nick Ritchie, who makes 3.3 million next season against a 2.5 million dollar cap hit. This means that the Colin White buyout only costs Arizona a net of 1.95 million.
-Arizona cuts their spending next year by 2.4 million.
-Montreal and Ottawa both send Arizona 2024 2nd Round picks.
-The result? Arizona gets two second round picks, they cut cash next season at the expense of White's very modest buyout being on the books for six seasons.
-Ottawa adds Drouin as a reclamation project but also cuts cash slightly by dumping White at full salary (they weren't going to buy him out in this scenario), and Del Zotto to Montreal.
-Montreal gives up the 2024 COL 2nd Round pick to get Colin White on a cheap 1 or 2 year show me contract. White at 4.75M x 3 years is negative value, White at 1.5M x 2 years is easily worth a 2024 COL 2nd Round Pick.
-The trade is cap neutral or better for Montreal. Ritchie and Del Zotto cost about 2.5M buried, White 1.5M on the roster. They move out Drouin at 5.5M.

“After all, our possessions very accurately relate the history of the decisions we have made in life.”

— Marie Kondo.

negative chance that Hoffman returns to Ottawa

It is a fair point, but every player that "chose a side" in the Karlsson/Hoffman debacle is gone.

Hoffman was never a problem in the room, and Dorion has always been high on him as a player. Unless the bad blood is on Hoffman's side, where he doesn't like how the management handled the previous situation, I can't see it being a problem.

I don't see there being a lot of interest league wide in Hoffman, since he is a fairly once dimensional player who is north of 30 and has had two straight disappointing seasons. From a career perspective, going to Ottawa who are farther along in their rebuild would be a better move than staying in Montreal. We always hear about the Senators needing to fill these humongous roles every off season. Last year, it was that they wanted to acquire a top 6 C and a top 4 D. They ended up with Sanford and Del Zotto. This year, we're hearing about how Fiala and/or Giroux could be Ottawa bound. If the Senators fail to get Fiala or Giroux, and Hoffman ends up as their bargain bin option on a line with Stutzle, that could rejuvenate his career.

no to Hoffman returning to Ottawa , they need a veteran or two who the younger players can look up to and learn from.

HELL NO WHITE IS BETTER