The Ottawa Senators might soon be adding “find a new starting goalie” to an already-daunting off-season checklist.
According to a report from Chris Stevenson of The Athletic, Craig Anderson “has expressed his desire to move on from the Senators.”
This comes one day after Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Anderson’s name was out there as a potential Sens player to be moved, joining the likes of forward Zack Smith and superstar blueliner Erik Karlsson.
While no move is imminent, trading players is the best way for general manager Pierre Dorion to retool his roster this summer seeing as defenceman Chris Wideman is the Senators’ only notable unrestricted free agent.
The two-year, $9.5-million extension Anderson signed in 2017 kicks in at the start of the 2018-19 campaign. He also has a modified no-trade clause where he can submit a list of 10 teams to which he would not want to be dealt.
During his brief time as Sens GM, Dorion has traded away Kyle Turris, Curtis Lazar, Dion Phaneuf, Derick Brassard and most recently Mike Hoffman with more moves likely to come.
There was a different report earlier in the day that suggested the Sens were working with Anderson’s agent, Justin Duberman, on trying to find the netminder a new team but Duberman would not confirm that when asked by Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.
“Ottawa has never asked for me help,” Duberman told Garrioch. “They’re going to do whatever they can to improve their team. If that means they’ll trade Craig Anderson, they’ll trade Craig Anderson.”
The 37-year-old is coming off his worst season in Ottawa, going 23-25-6 with a .898 save percentage and 3.32 goals-against average in 58 appearances.
Anderson was acquired by the Sens in 2011 for Brian Elliott in a one-for-one swap. Anderson, the 2017 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy recipient, is 174-124-40 with a .917 save percentage, 2.70 GAA and 26 shutouts in 351 total appearances with the Sens.
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