Future for Dadonov, Tierney not clear after pass by Kraken
The Ottawa Senators can get back to business with the NHL's roster freeze set to lift Thursday.
With the expansion draft over and goaltender Joey Daccord on his way to join the newly built Seattle Kraken, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion and the club's hockey operations staff can now return their focus to preparing for the first round of the NHL draft that gets underway Friday night with Round 1.
The decision by the Kraken to pass on the likes of forwards Evgenii Dadonov and Chris Tierney along with defenceman Josh Brown will leave the organization with some decisions to make.
While there's a good chance Dadonov and Brown will be in the lineup on opening night, the reality is Tierney may have suited up for his final game with the Senators. Since the trio was left unprotected by the Senators you have to expect that teams will call about all three so there may be interest on the trade market if Ottawa wants to go that route.
Yes, Dorion and the Senators will listen on Dadonov, but you have to wonder if they're really in a hurry to deal him. He didn't live up to expectations after signing a three-year, $15-million deal with the club as a UFA in October and that's why the Senators determined it might be best to see if Seattle wants to take the contract off their hands.
But nobody should be surprised if Dadonov is back here next season. If there's a market for him, the Senators would have to get a winger back in return that's going to help them. It would leave a hole in the top six if he's moved so it's quite possible the organization will give him a chance to redeem himself.
As for Brown, he brings an element of toughness the Senators badly need on their blue line, so he's not going anywhere.
The guy to keep an eye on in this trio is Tierney. He has only one year left on his contract with a cap hit of $3.5 million. He was a healthy scratch in the club's final game and there may be a market if the Senators determine it's time to move on. He doesn't play as hard as coach D.J. Smith likes and that will be a factor in all of this.
If Tierney is dealt then that could change the channel for centre Logan Brown. Look, there's been no shortage of speculation he may be dealt, but if Tierney is moved then that could open up a spot for the 23-yearold first round pick in 2016 but that's a decision that doesn't have to be made right now.
Brown remains on the radar screen to get dealt but there's a lot of moving parts here.
The Senators are looking for a veteran centre and a defenceman either through a trade or free agency so those talks will get more intense now that the market is open again.
ALL-CANADIAN PRE-SEASON
The Senators pre-season tuneup games will be played north of the border in late September and early October. The club will play Sept. 26 against the Winnipeg Jets on the road. The first home game will be Sept. 29 against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Canadian Tire Centre and the club's arch rival will be back Oct. 4. The Senators will close out the pre-season against the Leafs on Oct. 9.
The Senators will also host the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 1 and face the Habs on Oct. 7 at the Bell Centre.