Martin St. Louis, NHL insider. At least, he is to Derick Brassard.
Brassard, traded from the New York Rangers to the Ottawa Senators in July for Mika Zibanejad, learned of the deal in a text message from St. Louis, writes NHL.com's Chris Stevenson.
"I think Ottawa is an up-and-coming team," St. Louis told Brassard. "I think it's going to be good for you."
Brassard was confused. "I was like, 'What is he talking about?' After that, my phone started blowing up."
Brassard met with the Ottawa media for the first time Friday, wearing his new jersey, which bears No. 19. He's excited to be a Senator, and likes the mix of skill, size, and toughness on the Senators roster.
Turning 29 in late September, Brassard was born in Hull, Quebec, across the river from Ottawa. He's essentially playing at home.
"Playing in front of my friends and family is going to give me another edge to my game," Brassard said.
A former first-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Brassard has been a productive NHLer throughout his career. And he's come into his own - his last two seasons were his best. He had 60 points in 2014-15 and scored a career-high 27 goals last season on Broadway, finishing with 58 points.
Brassard heads to Ottawa with playoff experience, something general manager Pierre Dorion wanted. And much like in New York, Brassard's projected to be the team's No. 2 center.
"I want to show everyone (the Senators) made a good choice," Brassard said.
