The Rangers acquired forward Tyler Motte in a trade with the Senators in exchange for forward Julien Gauthier and a conditional 2023 seventh-round draft pick, the teams announced Sunday. Here’s what you need to know:
- The condition of the pick is that if the Rangers advance to the second round of the 2023 playoffs, the pick will improve to the lower of the Rangers’ or the Jets’ 2023 sixth-round selection.
- Motte, 27, was traded to New York from the Canucks last season and played in nine regular-season games and 15 in the playoffs. He had three goals and six assists in 38 games for Ottawa this season.
- Gauthier, 25, had six goals and three assists in 40 games for New York, where he’s been since 2019. Gauthier was the No. 21 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft.
Backstory
In his stint with the Rangers last season, Motte scored two goals during the team’s second-round series win over the Hurricanes.
Why did New York want Motte back?
Motte was a solid addition at last year’s trade deadline from the Canucks; even though he missed the end of the regular season and the first five games of the playoffs, the Rangers liked the energy and skill he brought to their fourth line. They needed those upgrades again this season and the cost was minimal, so why not a reunion? And they hope Motte, who missed a long stretch recently with a broken finger, has already had his major injury for the year. — Staple
What Gauthier brings to Ottawa
This feels like a straight swap where Ottawa gets a player under team control for next season in exchange for a pending unrestricted free agent in Motte. Gauthier, who is making $800,000 this season, is an RFA this summer, so conceivably this could be a trial run for him to audition for a fourth-line role next season.
Ottawa’s bottom-six should have some openings next season. Motte is already out the door and it’s very likely Derick Brassard and Austin Watson won’t be back next season. Gauthier will likely have a head start on one of those open positions in the final 25 games of this regular season.
In a press release, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said, “Julien Gauthier is a hard-working, good skating winger with a big body who routinely goes to the opponent’s net. His north/south game should be a nice addition to our lineup.”
Gauthier was a junior hockey teammate of both Thomas Chabot and Mathieu Joseph’s in Saint John, so he does have some familiarity with a couple of members of the Senators. — Mendes
