from Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun,

If Dion Phaneuf really wanted to stay, he needed to say he’s willing to move — specifically, to Las Vegas.

Now the Senators have to trade him. And fast.

If even for a song.

It would be much better than risk losing Marc Methot or Cody Ceci in the expansion draft.

The Senators would prefer to keep their top-four defence intact for one more run, but the arrival of the new team means all others will be stripped of a player, and GM Pierre Dorion has to keep the damage to a minimum.

He must stick to his original plan of protecting three defenceman — Methot, Ceci and Erik Karlsson — despite Phaneuf’s expected decision of refusing to waive the clause in his deal stipulating he can be relocated to one of only a dozen teams.

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