Tough decisions for Sens
GM, owner to meet this week and decide team’s course going forward
The Ottawa Senators will take a long, hard look at themselves this week and then determine what’s next.
With the NHL trade deadline looming large ( Feb. 26th at 3 p. m. EST), general manager Pierre Dorion will sit down with owner Eugene Melnyk for two days of meeting in Barbados this week to determine the course of the future for the franchise.
“( Dorion’s) going to go through all the different options that we have available,” Melnyk told CTV Ottawa during media his tour last week. “At the end of the day, he gets all the credit if we’re successful and he has to wear it if we’re not successful.
“He works day and night to put together a plan that will make us succeed.”
The next three weeks are going to play a pivotal role in shaping what takes place during the off- season for the franchise and Dorion returned from scouting meetings in Fort Lauderdale last month with “multiple plans” in place depending on where the Senators sit.
Sitting well out of a playoff spot, it’s time to get down to brass tacks.
The biggest question facing Dorion is simple: Does he rebuild or does he retool?
Sitting 14 points out of the final wildcard spot in the East after a 4- 1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens Sunday, the Senators will face some tough decisions because Dorion has been doing a lot of talking with several teams calling to see exactly what he wants for key players.
Dorion and his staff are trying to determine the best course of action to take here. The Senators shouldn’t over- react to having a bad season and tearing it apart just for the sake of making changes with the club less than a year removed from a trip the East final might be hasty.
A total rebuild would mean sending good players packing and bringing back draft picks, prospects or a combination of both in return. Yes, the way the Senators have played this season has left a lot to be desired, but a tear down may mean missing the playoffs so a retool with significant changes makes more sense.
There’s no question Dorion is going to have plenty of options at the deadline and it won’t be status quo here.
There’s no shortage of interest in the likes of forwards Mike Hoffman, Zack Smith and Jean- Gabriel Pageau along with defenceman Cody Ceci. Hoffman, Smith and Pageau are attracting the most attention, but it would take a lot for Dorion to trade the latter on that list because when Pageau’s at his best he plays a much- needed role here.
If any of that trio is dealt they’d have to bring a high return because Dorion is in the driver’s seat and doesn’t have to move any of them. The Calgary Flames have been following the Senators for nearly two weeks with scouts at most of their games and there’s talk they like either Smith or Pageau.
The list of players possibly being moved by the Senators doesn’t stop there either. It’s believed the Los Angeles Kings have shown mild interest in veteran defenceman Dion Phaneuf, who has a 12- team no trade list, along with blue- liner Johnny Oduya. All this means that Dorion is going to have plenty of options to juggle on deadline day.
The possibility of Phaneuf being moved is interesting with several teams looking for help on defence. It seems like a longshot with his cap hit of $ 7 million through the 2020- 21 campaign but the Kings made a pitch at the draft in June in Chicago and the two teams just couldn’t find a fit.
In the case of Oduya, it would be a rental for the rest of the season and playoffs.
The decisions don’t stop there for Dorion.
Just back from a one- week scouting trip through Sweden and Finland where he saw some of the top European prospects for the draft in June, it’s believed he also got a chance to look at some possible unrestricted free agents who are playing overseas and may want to come to the NHL.
Once the deadline passes, Dorion have to look at the months ahead and what’s going to be a long off- season. Despite talk to the contrary, the Senators will sit down with captain Erik Karlsson after July 1 to see what his demands are for a contract extension and then determine whether he’s going to stay in Ottawa or not.
The Senators also have to sign restricted free agent winger Mark Stone. He has rights to arbitration so he’s going to be back next season but the Senators want to get his name on a long- term contract extension.
There’s no shortage of areas for Melnyk and Dorion to discuss as he begins to put a plan in action to get the Senators back on track after what’s been a lost season.