Following Saturday’s 3-2 shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings, the Ottawa Senators sit four points out of a post-season spot with 22 games remaining on their schedule.
If they hope to go on a late-season run and squeak into the playoffs like they did last year they’ll have to do so without the help of rental players.
Senators general manager Bryan Murray is unlikely to make any deals at the Feb. 29 trade deadline unless he can acquire a player under team control or one that has term on his contract, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
On Feb. 9 the Senators acquired Dion Phaneuf from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a nine-player blockbuster. Murray stood pat at last season’s trade deadline, while in 2014 he sent two draft picks to the Oilers for Ales Hemsky.
Friedman also reported that Murray, 73, has asked team owner Eugene Melnyk for more time to find his successor and Melnyk obliged.
