Bruins

Bruins trade Zach Senyshyn for Senators defenseman Josh Brown

Josh Brown, a righthanded-shooting defenseman, has played in 46 games for Ottawa this season.

By Kevin Paul Dupont, The Boston Globe

March 21, 2022

The Bruins added some size and heft to their backline Monday in a deal that sent prospect Zach Senyshyn, one of their three first-round draft picks in 2015, to the Ottawa Senators.

The trade brings in Josh Brown, a 6-foot-5-inch, 217-pound defenseman with a righthanded stick who this season has played 46 games with the Senators, producing a modest 0-6—6 line.

Brown, a candidate to join the varsity roster, is on course to be an unrestricted free agent this July. He is on an expiring deal that carries a modest $1.2 million cap hit.

The Bruins needed to address their toughness factor, and Brown might help there. In 165 NHL games, he has totaled 11 fights, including three this season. Based on the night’s opponent, or the tone of a playoff series, his willingness to fight could factor in whether he suits up as a third-pairing backliner.

Senyshyn, who earlier this season asked to be traded, was the No. 15 pick in the 2015 draft and never made a solid bid to crack the Boston roster. Given sporadic chances with the varsity, he cobbled together a meager 1-2—3 line in 14 NHL games.

Senyshyn scored a career-high 19 goals this season with AHL Providence, where he has toiled for five seasons, hoping to get a shot at Boston. Born and raised in Ottawa, he now gets a fresh start in his hometown.