For the past two months reports out of Ottawa claim Senators GM Bryan Murray is busily working the phones in hopes of either landing a puck-moving defenseman, a top six forward, or both.

The names of forwards Jason Spezza, Antoine Vermette, Mike Fisher and Christoph Schubert have been bandied about, with the rumored targets (if the internet rumor sites are to be believed) being Florida's Jay Bouwmeester or Minnesota's Marian Gaborik.

It's understandable that Murray is shopping around but the bottom line is there's no trade Murray can make that will save his team's season.

Vermette, Fisher and Schubert aren't going to attract the type of players Murray wants, and if he's to be believed he's not shopping Spezza.

Even if he were, Spezza's expensive salary ($7 million per season) with a no-trade clause kicking in after next season significantly limits his market value. It's not that teams aren't interested, most just simply cannot afford to take him on their payrolls.

There's even been some talk of getting Dany Heatley to waive his no-trade clause but unless Heatley requests a trade Murray won't move him.

Team captain Daniel Alfredsson was recently re-signed to a contract allowing him to finish his career as a Senator so rule him out.

Murray's other options are limited. He could try to move Chris Phillips but that's subtracting one defenseman to add another. He's not going to move Anton Volchenkov (one of the best shot-blockers in the league) or the promising Alexandre Picard.

With 17 players signed for next season at over $44 million, Murray has little wiggle room to add more salary without dumping some first if he's to bring in the kind of long-term help his club needs. That pretty much rules out Bouwmeester and Gaborik, as Murray has painted himself into a corner cap-wise both this season and next.

The bottom line is a trade won't help the Senators now unless Murray can somehow luck out and pluck away an affordable top six forward or puck-moving blueliner for one of his aforementioned trade chips. The odds of that happening are very slim.

Murray ultimately will face two choices very soon. He can either stick with this current roster and hope they can regain their winning form over two years ago (which they lack the depth to do), or he can "blow up" his roster by  moving Spezza and perhaps even Heatley and hope to net a return of good young talent around which to rebuild.

Neither choice is palatable in the short term for Senators fans, but barring a significant turnaround in the coming weeks it's all that'll be available if the club hopes to improve in the long term.