Report: Senators Eyeing Two Forwards as Trade Targets

The Ottawa Senators are on a roll, with their four-game win streak pushing them into unprecedented heights in recent years, in 3rd place in the Atlantic Division. The playoffs are in firmly in sight, and they will be looking to shore up a couple of spots in their lineup as the trade deadline approaches.

Per insider Bruce Garrioch in the Ottawa Sun, their need for another forward has them eyeing these two forwards:

Ryan Donato

As an impending unrestricted free agent, the 28-year-old is having a career-best season with the Chicago Blackhawks, with 15 goals and 30 points through 50 games. He's on pace to obliterate his career highs, just one goal and a single point back of those marks.

Donato has earned himself first-line minutes this season, and while he's only averaging 14:47 of ice time per night, that, too, is a career-high. Although he would play much lower in the lineup for Ottawa, he could bring some nice secondary scoring to the forward group.

Brandon Tanev

Wrapping up a six-year deal on a $3.5 million cap hit, Tanev would be a nice rental for the Sens to add some depth in the bottom six. The Senators were interested in him last summer, according to Garrioch.

“Donato is the kind of player the Senators would be interested in,” a league executive told the Ottawa insider. “He could help them.”

He's a two-way player who does have a 16-goal season in his recent past (two years ago), and has nine thus far in 52 games. He also provides plenty of physicality. This year, he has 109 hits to this point, and has a couple of 200-hit seasons on his resume.