It may not be a story that grabs headlines during the summer months but it’s certainly going to be on the radar of Pierre Dorion over the next few weeks and leading up to free agency.
Alex Chiasson will officially become a restricted free agent next month. The Senators have to decide whether or not he has a future with the organization.
The 25 year old native of Montreal, Quebec is coming off a disappointing season in which he had just 8 goals and 14 points in 77 games. It wasn’t for a lack of opportunity either as Chiasson averaged more than 13 minutes a game, often seeing time on the power play and among the top six forwards. And while he played some of his best hockey down the stretch, it certainly wasn’t enough to salvage a disappointing year for the third year pro.
Chiasson was a key piece in the deal that sent Jason Spezza to the Dallas Stars. The Senators hoped they were getting back a power forward with offensive upside. It certainly hasn’t worked out that way for Chiasson in his two seasons in Ottawa. While his work ethic is strong and he’s reliable in his own end of the rink, the offensive output just hasn’t been there.
And now, one year removed from a disappointing arbitration result followed by an underwhelming 2015-2016 season, Chiasson suddenly seems expendable. In recent days, there have been quotes from Chiasson’s agent suggesting that they believe a trade could be a possibility leading up to the Draft.
The Senators shopped Chiasson a little bit at the trade deadline but there was zero interest. The story at the time suggested the opposite and that teams were calling Ottawa about Chiasson. Not true apparently and more a case of Ottawa trying to create a market where there wasn’t one. It would be surprising if that changed at all this summer.
So the decision for Dorion and his staff then becomes whether or not to qualify the RFA to be. It seems like a long shot at this point. If the organization does decide to cut Chiasson loose, adding a third line RW will certainly be a priority in free agency. Fact is, it probably should be either way.
Dorion was on TSN 1200 yesterday and briefly addressed Chiasson’s future although he didn’t say much. It seemed like Dorion was a little bit frustrated that the agent made statements about Chiasson’s future publicly. Dorion suggested that the two sides would touch base in the near future to talk about what happens next.
Based on everything we’ve heard to this point, it certainly seems like Alex Chiasson’s time as an Ottawa Senator could be coming to an end.
-The Senators have been quietly continuing their search for a few additions to the Coaching staff, both in the NHL and AHL. At this point, the organization needs a goalie coach and probably one more assistant coach on the NHL staff. They still need a Head Coach down in Binghamton too. Last night, Louis Jean mentioned Pierre Groulx and Fred Brathwaite as possible options to fill the vacant goalie coach position.
