Melnyk: Trading Senators' 2 top-5 picks for No. 1 would be 'nonsensical'

It's safe to say the Ottawa Senators aren't planning to move their pair of high draft picks in exchange for the first overall selection in this year's draft.

"The idea of trading our third and fifth picks for the No. 1 pick is nonsensical," Senators owner Eugene Melnyk told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch in an email Monday. "We're very excited to welcome our many new Ottawa Senators that will come to us via the upcoming draft."

The New York Rangers won the second phase of the NHL's draft lottery to secure the top pick after they were eliminated from the postseason play-in round, and Alexis Lafreniere is widely expected to be the first overall selection. Ottawa had the second- and third-best odds to win the lottery by virtue of holding the San Jose Sharks' first-rounder as well as its own, but it failed to claim the top pick.

"We've got two picks in the top five, we know we're going to get a tremendous player at No. 3, we'll let (the) Detroit (Red Wings) take No. 4 and we know we're going to get another special player at No. 5," Senators general manager Pierre Dorion told reporters in June following the first phase of the lottery, according to Garrioch.

Ottawa boasts three first-round selections in the upcoming draft after acquiring the New York Islanders' first-rounder in a trade for forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau at the deadline. The Senators possess nine picks in the first three rounds - including four second-rounders - and 13 picks in total.

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