SENATORS FRUSTRATED WITH A LOST SEASON
Defenceman Chychrun says no talks held on possible contract extension
As the Ottawa Senators cleaned out their lockers, went through their exit meetings and said their goodbyes for the summer, defenceman Jakob Chychrun, with one season remaining on a six-year, Us$27.6-million deal signed in 2018, was asked if he wanted to get a new contract and stay here.
In the weeks and days leading into the NHL trade deadline, Chychrun's name was mentioned in rumours. The speculation bothered him then and perhaps it still does.
So when he was asked the question Thursday, he paused, a long pause, then said: “It's a tough question. I honestly have not thought about that. I have one more year left. There haven't even been talks of an extension or anything. I haven't really gotten my head wrapped around that idea. It's tough for me to sit here and act like I have. I don't know. I just take it day by day and see if and when we have those talks and go from there.”
Asked where he saw his future with the Senators, he said: “I have one more year. I'm really just focused on that and seeing how things go. This year was frustrating for us as a group. We had high expectations, high hopes and we weren't able to perform to that level.”
Asked about all the rumours that followed him, he said: “I understand that comes with the job. People are going to speculate, have their opinions. All I can control is showing up to work every day and doing everything I can to help the team win. The outside noise is always going to be there.”
One by one, the players spoke to the media. There was a common theme, the frustration and sting felt being part of a team that didn't meet expectations, a team that finished 13 points out of a wild-card position and 26th of 32 teams in the overall NHL standings.
“This was probably the most difficult year I've had mentally,” said captain Brady Tkachuk. “We're playing a sport for a living, but there's so much pride within our team that when things didn't go well, it was tough for me.
“There were some days that weren't fun. Usually, it's been fun to come to the rink, but there were moments this year where it was difficult. It took a toll on me, with the disappointment of not living up to the expectations. With saying that, when there's adversity there are lessons you learn.”
“Last year, we took a step,” said veteran winger Claude Giroux. “This year, we thought we'd take another step. That wasn't the case.
“Next year will be big for us. We can be a playoff team with the players we have.”
Said defenceman Thomas Chabot, who played just 51 games because of an assortment of injuries: “I don't know how many times we can say we're tired of this or we're frustrated, we're the ones who go out and play. It'd be easy for all of us to point fingers, but we need to take a hard look in the mirror and commit to doing it.
“I don't think we're far. It's small details in a game that make a difference. You look at this year, the playoff spots came down to the last game of the season. It can be a matter of instead of losing five games, you win one of them or instead of losing in regulation, you lose in overtime. It's that simple.”
Speaking about the injuries, he said: “It's the first time I've been hurt that much during a season. It was hard physically and mentally. It's something we have to deal with. It's hard. Being hurt, being on the outside, you're on a different schedule. Whether the team is winning or losing, you want to be with your teammates. I'm not the only guy that's gone through it, I'm not the last guy that will go through it. It's been a season that hopefully never happens again.”
Centre Shane Pinto, who was suspended for the first half of the season for violating the NHL'S sports wagering policy, talked about his team's inability to play well consistently away from home, with a 16-23-2 record. In particular, the Senators had trouble with teams in the west.
“Going on the road. we really struggled,” he said. “We have to be ready for the away games. If we get four or five wins on the west coast, we're right in the race.”
The Senators are looking for a new head coach, as Jacques Martin will slide back into a role as a consultant.
Asked if the players need to be held more accountable going forward, he said: “That's part of coaching. There are different ways. One way is to have meetings with the players. Sometimes, you see change. Sometimes, there's no change. So maybe it's taking ice time away, maybe it's taking them out of the lineup. It's really important to have that.”
We're playing a sport for a living, but there's so much pride within our team that when things didn't go well, it was tough for me.