Disappointing season leaves Dorion debating Sens’ direction
The Ottawa Senators won’t be ringing in the New Year with a new look immediately either on the ice or behind the bench.
That doesn’t mean the status quo will remain but if there are changes they’ll likely happen with the roster.
Senators’ head coach Guy Boucher isn’t going anywhere and a change won’t be made unless there’s a massive change of heart within the organization that a drastic measure is necessary. Never say never but it doesn’t feel like that move will be part of the solution to what’s happening here.
At this point, it’s not being considered because after six coaches in 10 years the Senators have gone down that road enough and the reality is its time the players were held accountable for what has to be one of the most disappointing years for this organization in recent history.
No, Boucher isn’t perfect and there’s absolutely no question he comes off as stubborn, but he was hand-picked to replace Dave Cameron by general manager Pierre Dorion in May 2016 and the Senators don’t feel they’re going to accomplish anything by making a change for change sake.
That doesn’t mean Boucher doesn’t have to change his ways, though.
He — and the rest of his staff — have to dig deep here to get this club back on track in an attempt to return to respectability. The 5-0 loss to the Boston Bruins Saturday night at home was ugly in every sense of the word and the back-to-back excuse Boucher used following the game doesn’t wash with anybody.
The Senators pretty much threw in the towel when the going got tough and that’s just not acceptable on any level. It’s not the first time its happened either. They were blown out 5-1 by the Bruins in Boston Wednesday while the club also got hammered 5-0 by Winnipeg on Dec. 3rd and 5-0 by San Jose on Dec. 9th.
It might not be in the best interests of many of the Senators’ players to purchase any real estate at the moment.
No, the Senators don’t need to tear everything down and Dorion isn’t even considering that route because just about every player on the roster has underachieved while goalies Craig Anderson and Mike Condon have struggled to make saves.
But there is a sense that Dorion is ready to strike at the core of the team by making a significant change that will send the message that nobody’s job is safe here. He left for the world junior championships in Buffalo Monday, will make a quick stop at home here Saturday and then head to Florida for scouting meetings.
It’s there the Senators will determine the next step for the organization.
After making a trip to the East final last spring against the Pittsburgh Penguins, you can forgive the Senators if they never thought they’d be in this position. They felt by when Jan. 1 rolled around they’d be battling for a playoff spot and now Dorion wants to determine the best route to take on the trade front.
There is significant interest in high-scoring winger Mike Hoffman, rugged forward Zack Smith and centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau. There’s been calls on centre Derick Brassard, but he isn’t going to be dealt and there hasn’t been a significant amount of calls on defenceman Cody Ceci, who has drawn lots in the past.
A rebuild isn’t in the cards because it’s not necessary but the Senators may decide they want to retool a little bit. If the likes of Hoffman, Pageau or Smith are dealt they’ll likely be moved elsewhere so the Senators can get younger. It’s doubtful though all three of them maybe moved and it’s more likely only one of the trio would be dealt.
That doesn’t mean the Senators won’t explore other options with the roster.
Veteran defenceman Johnny Oduya is a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015 and teams are going to be looking for experience at the deadline which means there’s a strong chance he’ll be moved.
Teams will study the possibility of acquiring speedy winger Ryan Dzingel and don’t be surprised if team might be want to trade for veteran Alex Burrows. As we’ve noted, pretty much every player is available with the exception of captain Erik Karlsson and winger Mark Stone which means there’s no shortage of options.
At this point, the Senators aren’t close on any deals which means no trades are imminent. Attending the world juniors will give Dorion a chance to get more of feel for the landscape on the trade market and figure out before next week’s scouting meetings exactly what kind of value these players have.
There’s no question the Senators need to do something because they sit at No. 29 overall in the NHL standings and have a better chance at the No. 1 pick in the draft in June than they do at making the playoffs.
Right now, they need to determine the next step.