Senators acquire Coburn, Paquette, draft pick from Lightning

The Ottawa Senators have acquired defenceman Braydon Coburn, forward Cedric Paquette and a 2022 second-round draft pick from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Marian Gaborik and goaltender Anders Nilsson.

The deal was announced Sunday night.

Ottawa has added two veteran players for now and potentially one for the future in return for two skaters not expected to dress this season, while the Lightning get some assistance towards their salary cap situation.

Both Gaborik and Nilsson, combined for an annual average cap hit just over $7 million US for 2021-22, will be placed on long-term injury reserve and will not play this season, according to a release by Tampa Bay.

The 35-year-old Coburn, from Shaunavon, Sask., has played 964 career NHL games with Atlanta, the Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay since breaking into the league with the Thrashers in the 2005-06 season, and has scored 49 goals and 232 points. He is in the final season of a two-year deal with a $1.7 million average.

The 27-year-old Paquette, from Gaspe, Que., has plays 377 NHL games — all with Tampa Bay — and has recorded 47 goals and 85 points . He is set to make $1.65 million in the final season of a two-year contract.

Gaborik underwent back surgery in April 2018 and hasn't played since. He is entering the final year of a seven-year deal worth $4.875 million per season.

Nilsson went down with a concussion in Dec. 2019 and has not returned to game action. He's owed $2.6 this season, his last of a two-year deal.

Sens acquire Derek Stepan from Coyotes

On Saturday, the Senators acquired centre Derek Stepan from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a second-round draft pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.

Stepan, 30, scored 10 goals and 28 points in 70 games last season with the Coyotes. The Minnesota native added a goal and four assists in nine games in the playoffs.

He spent the last three seasons in Arizona after being traded from the New York Rangers in 2017. Stepan has played 739 career NHL games, having amassed 167 goals and 312 assists in that span.

The 2021 second-round pick originally belonged to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus traded the pick to Ottawa along with a 2020 second-round pick and Anthony Duclair in exchange for Ryan Dzingel and a 2019 seventh-round draft choice.

Ottawa signs 3rd-overall pick Tim Stuetzle 

Also on Sunday, Ottawa signed forward Tim Stuetzle to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The Sens selected the 18-year-old native of Viersen, Germany with the third overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

"Tim possesses an exceptional blend of both speed and skill and a playmaking ability that our fans are going to enjoy watching for several years to come," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said in a release. "He's a dynamic forward who we expect to become a key piece of our roster as we continue trending towards icing an eventual elite-level team."

Stuetzle had 34 points in 41 games for the Mannheim Eagles in Germany's top pro league last season.

The six-foot-one 187-pound forward is serving as Germany's captain at the 2021 world junior hockey championship in Edmonton.