The NHL off-season is off to a blistering start.
New GM one day and then a Coaching staff fired the next. And then as an added bonus an impromptu Melnyk-media tour and a couple overrated signings by the Toronto Maple Leafs. We’ve had a little bit of everything in the last few days and it’s sparked some great discussion here and around the hockey world.
Sat down to write a coherent post on the various topics and found there were just too many different things I wanted to weigh in on. So a random collection of thoughts on the last few days.
-We’ll start with the Coaching change. Inevitable but still always tough to see guys lose their jobs. Cameron, Tourigny, Wamsley and Smith didn’t get results this year and put themselves at risk. With that said, they end up being the fall-guys for a roster that underachieved. Glad the Senators acted quickly on this though because it gives those guys full opportunity to pursue other options.
-As is so often the case, two interviews (on Sportsnet and TSN1200) by Owner Eugene Melnyk provided a number of talking points for fans and media. Have to wonder if behind the scenes, there’s ever anyone whispering in his ear that maybe it’s not the best idea to be so visible in situations like this. Even if someone told him that, I’m not sure he could help himself. The guy loves the spotlight too much. The fact that he went on the radio to talk about the firing before actually talking to Cameron is pretty odd.
-There’s nothing wrong with an Owner not wanting to spend top dollar on a Coach. That’s fine. You could probably make a pretty strong case for it, actually. The issue was the implication that spending there would mean taking money away from somewhere else. Again, that’s fine. That’s the reality of a budget team. But does he have to say it on local radio? Especially when what he’s saying seems to undermine what Dorion said hours earlier. A simple “we’ll pay what it takes to get the best guy for the job” would have been ideal.
-Similar response to the Karlsson question he stumbled over during the TSN1200 interview. Of course no player is untouchable. For the right deal, anybody on any roster is and should be available. But that’s not his job. Answer the lay-up question and hang up the damn phone.
-On the Coaching front, I think we now have a general sense of where Ottawa’s budget is on this hire. $2-$3 million is reasonable but for $5 million, the guy better “walk on water”. That may leave Ottawa out of the higher end options but it doesn’t mean they won’t end up with a great Coach. Guy Boucher, Mike Yeo, Kevin Dineen and Marc Crawford all seem like decent options. Benoit Groulx doesn’t have the experience but should at least be on their radar. Guys like Claude Julien, Bruce Boudreau and Ken Hitchcock may be out of Ottawa’s price range and if they’re not, it probably means the money has to come from elsewhere (player salaries).
-If we were having this conversation about a year and a half ago, Luke Richardson’s name would be at or near the top of the list of potential candidates. And now he doesn’t seem to be coming up at all. It’s clear that the Senators prefer a veteran voice this time around but it will be interesting to see what that means for Luke Richardson. Does he at least get an interview for the Head Coach position? He’s not expected back in Binghamton next year but is there a job for him with the big club? Dorion made it clear that the new Head Coach would have complete control over who rounds out the staff.
-Was interesting to hear both Dorion and Melnyk comment on the timelines for this process. Safe to say that the Draft is sort of a deadline here they are working with. You want to have that new guy in place by then if at all possible. It could take longer than that but I’d be surprised. No reason to drag this out though. If they find the right guy, they need to act on it.
-Pierre Dorion’s press conference to announce the firing of Dave Cameron was something else. There were moments early on where I found myself cringing a little bit but as it rolled along, you could tell Dorion was getting more and more comfortable. Not all GMs come by the media side of things naturally and you can tell it’s going to take some time for Dorion. With that said, his transparency and passion makes it wildly entertaining for fans.
-Yesterday we got confirmation that the Senators are one of the five finalists for North Dakota star Drake Caggiula. Dorion confirmed yesterday that the Senators are very much interested and are one of the final teams vying for his services. These NCAA additions always seem to be met with a great deal of skepticism but in the end, it’s a low risk move for any team. Dorion seemed to think that Caggiula was ready to step into an NHL line up next season. Chicago, Edmonton, Philadelphia, Vancouver and Ottawa are believed to be the finalists.
-The Mike Hoffman situation is going to be interesting to watch. The more I hear, the more I think a trade is a legitimate possibility. Just not convinced the Senators are willing to give Hoffman the dollar amount and term it would take to do something long-term. That Kadri contract serves as a bit of a benchmark. Different players obviously but if that’s what Kadri is worth, Hoffman is likely worth more. If the team is indeed looking for cost-savings this summer, this seems like a place they might start. Better be a plan to replace that offence though if that’s the route they want to go.
-Not surprising to find out that Drew Doughty’s General Manager feels like he should be the runaway winner for the Norris Trophy. In his strongly-worded comments on the subject he attempted to make a strong case for Doughty but neglected to include any actual reasons other than “all you have to do is watch”. About a month ago I felt like the media push was strong enough that Doughty was going to win the Norris but I’m starting to have my doubts. The fact that his supporters, including his own GM, can’t come up with any legitimate evidence on why Doughty should win the award gives me hope for Karlsson. Going to be a close vote.
Busy days ahead for Pierre Dorion and his staff. There are a lot of tough decisions that need to be made over the next few months and if the last few days are any indication, there should be no shortage of topics to discuss around here.
Oh and the playoffs start tonight apparently. Don’t forget to enter the SensChirp Bracket Challenge here.
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