Lineup choices lie ahead in the off-season
Breaking up is hard to do.
After the clock struck midnight on the Ottawa Senators magical run through the NHL playoffs with a heartbreaking 3-2 doubleovertime loss Thursday to the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, the staff and players will gather today at the Canadian Tire Centre as a team one last time.
While the Senators went further than anybody expected by advancing to the Eastern Conference final for the first time in 10 years, they were only one shot away from moving on to the Stanley Cup final, which means the exit meetings with GM Pierre Dorion and coach Guy Boucher will be positive to say the least.
And though the core of this team is going to remain the same, the off-season is an opportunity to make changes, and this year won’t be any different.
“We have nothing to hang our heads about,” winger Bobby Ryan said after the defeat. “This was an incredible run by an incredible group of guys. The group is never going to be the same again but you want to be back here a year from now and remember this feeling.
“But at the same time, in a couple of weeks, when you really appreciate what we did, you can enjoy it a little bit I guess.”
Not only did the Senators battle the odds, they had to fight through adversity on and off the ice. The club was without winger Clarke MacArthur for most of the year — he returned from post-concussion syndrome with four games left in the regular season — while goaltender Craig Anderson missed 26 games so he could be with his wife Nicholle during her treatment for throat cancer.
Somehow, this group always found a way. That’s why coach Guy Boucher felt so good about what the players accomplished.
“It’s beyond pride, to be honest with you,” he said. “It’s a lot more than hockey this year. Hockeywise, they have a lot of going through adversity, a lot of building, a lot of individuals grew to a level that, I’ll be honest with you, I never thought they’d get there in a few months.
“And you get to the end, and to see them grow and to see them push together, I wish I could have done something more to help them.”
Now, it’s up to Dorion, in consultation with Boucher, to decide what the Senators need to make the next step and bring the Cup back to Canada for the first time in 26 years. Owner Eugene Melnyk put $2.5 million into the payroll at the trade deadline so Alex Burrows, Viktor Stalberg and Tommy Wingels could be acquired.
Though Burrows signed an extension and Stalberg may be brought back, Wingels didn’t play regularly in the playoffs and is likely a pure rental. Beyond those three there are decisions to be made, especially with the Vegas Golden Knights going to the expansion draft table on June 21.
Dorion has to put together a protected list and there are decisions to make.
Ryan has five years and $37.5 million left on his deal. He was a standout in the playoffs but he has a “no move” clause that only allows him not to be sent to the minors so he can be exposed. His playoff performance will give the club pause for thought.
On defence, the expectation is they’ll choose to protect three blueliners. The popular opinion is the Senators will have a difficult time putting Marc Methot on that list but the possibility exists they could ask alternate captain Dion Phaneuf to waive his “no move” and make a side deal with Vegas GM George McPhee not to take him.
The work doesn’t stop there because Dorion also has to sign restricted free agent centre Jean-Gabriel Pageau. He played a different role under Boucher this year, but Pageau had a strong effort in the playoffs.
Yes, that’s going to earn him some extra cash. However, the Senators won’t want to over-pay.
A decision has to be made on the status of goalie Mike Condon. He is an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and was brilliant when Anderson was away on personal leave. If not for Condon, the Senators don’t even make the playoffs.
The other UFA they have to decide on is winger Tom Pyatt, a trusted soldier of Boucher’s. Decisions have to be made on Chris Neil and Chris Kelly, but given their limited playing time it’s doubtful either will return.
There have been no talks with the agents for either of those players since the playoffs got underway because Dorion wanted the focus on winning the Cup.
Those talks will resume in the next few weeks, but Dorion has always been a guy who has got deals done so it would be no surprise if both returned next season.
It’s odd because the Senators had such a terrific year yet now is the time when the business part of hockey kicks in and Dorion must shape the team for next season.
Still, there will be plenty of good memories.
“It was a special, special group. One that I will never forget,” said Phaneuf. “What a team. That’s the word, team, we had a special team. We found a way to push the defending Stanley Cup champions as far as we did. We were that close. It hurts.”
The promise of next year should ease the pain. bgarrioch@postmedia.com Twitter: @sungarrioch