These are busy times for Senators general manager Pierre Dorion and his staff.
This week, Dorion gets a first-hand look at top Ottawa prospects like Drake Batherson, Logan Brown, Alex Formenton and Markus Nurmi at the World Junior Championships in Buffalo. The tournament also provides Dorion and his scouts the opportunity to watch 2018 draft-eligible players like Rasmus Dahlin and Brady Tkachuk.
Then next week, the Sens Hockey Ops team meets in Florida to evaluate every player from the 30 other National Hockey League organizations with an eye towards February’s trade deadline.
Sitting next next-to-last in the Eastern Conference with just 32 points, the Senators are 12 points out of the final playoff spot in the East, with seven teams ahead of them. As such, Dorion can be expected to try and trim payroll by the Feb. 26 trading deadline.
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Fellow general managers likely will pitch deals for Derick Brassard, Mike Hoffman, Erik Karlsson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Mark Stone.
Despite last month’s controversy, Karlsson should be virtually untouchable, and Stone may very well fit in that category, as well. Karlsson is a franchise player, worth the price of admission alone. Trading the captain sends a signal of a complete rebuild, something fans of a small market team may not support. While a move of such magnitude could bring a wealth of high draft picks and prospects, it is highly unlikely.
With the All Star defenseman slated to become an unrestricted free agent July 1, 2019, the team can open negotiations one year prior. Management should have a good idea if Karlsson wishes to remain a Senator soon enough. The one caveat going for Dorion is the club’s ability to offer an eight-year deal, other organizations can offer only seven. At $10-11m per season, and no assurance how long Karlsson’s left ankle will hold up down the road, signing an extension in Ottawa has its benefits.
Stone, a potential restricted free agent with arbitration rights, is the Senators leading scorer (15 goals, 19 assists) and top forward at both ends of the ice. Very few players in the league can provide what the 25-year old brings to his team.
Hoffman’s name is bandied about on the rumour mill, with the Blues oft-mentioned as the main suitor. The belief is, if Dorion is to move the three-time 20-plus goal scorer, the Senators want to replace the first-rounder dealt to the Avalanche in the Matt Duchene deal and procure a controllable roster player. Trading a player who has two years and $11.3m of actual dollars due certainly fills the bill of shedding salary, but it also forces the GM to find another top six winger.
Meanwhile, there are several alternate options of ridding salary without stripping the core of the team. Neither move brings an immediate fix to the current situation, but does offer roster flexibility next season.
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The contract of defenseman Johnny Oduya contains five bonuses valued at $250,000 apiece. The 35-year old earns his first at 41 games played and can easily attain at least three of five scheduled payouts. Needing seven appearances to reach this plateau, Dorion could choose to waive the 12-year veteran.
The preventive move still leaves the blue line with six d-men. Sidelined since Nov. 19 with a concussion, Mark Borowiecki began skating this week, and should return shortly.
Dorion should seek to move his bottom six forwards, Alex Burrows and Nate Thompson, who are signed through 2018-19 for $2.5m and $1.65m respectively. Strong on draws, Thompson is a stalwart penalty killer for the Senators and can help a contender looking for depth at centre. Burrows’ contract will be tougher to deal, and he’s definitely a buy-out candidate in the off-season.
Moves of this nature allow youngsters such as Filip Chlapik and Colin White to be phased in as regulars.
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It’s not known what direction Dorion is leaning. Although Melnyk indicated repeatedly his GM makes all hockey operational decisions, it’s not uncommon for ownership to send an edict to Management to be as creative as possible, especially with the playoffs a reach this season.
One thing is a certainty. Despite mounting losses, Guy Boucher’s job is safe. The Senators employed six coaches in 10 years, and owner Eugene Melnyk undoubtedly doesn’t want to pay another unemployed bench boss. When the Sens hired Paul MacLean as coach in 2011-12, Craig Hartsburg and Cory Clouston were still cashing cheques.
Boucher was Dorion’s first hire and the pair go hand-in-hand. The coach has the GM’s ear on roster acquisitions and was given a vote of confidence upon returning from a disappointing 1-5-1 road Dec. 13.
“We are not making any coaching changes. Guy was a great coach last year. He got us to within one goal of the Stanley Cup Final. He’s staying.”
Personnel changes? That’s another story.