It’s hard to remember a crazier 30 minutes in league history.
With the opening of free agency looming and the so-called frenzy still a good 48 hours away, two GMs hit the panic button and hit it hard.
Maybe the names leaving the Oilers and Canadiens didn’t come as a huge surprise but the returns certainly did. Hall for Larsson and Subban for Weber are two of the most one-sided and quite frankly strange trades in recent league history.
Oh and while those two blockbusters were being announced, the biggest name on the market announced he wasn’t hitting the open market after-all.
It was a tough half hour for teams in Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto. Pierre Dorion had one of the best days of any Canadian General Manager and it’s mostly because he sat there silently.
And it doesn’t sound like he expects that to change much heading into the weekend.
Based on some of the comments he’s made leading up to the Friday frenzy, we really shouldn’t expect any big splash from the Senators when the market opens on July 1st. His latest quote may be the most telling of all…
(2/2) “I don’t think it will be a very busy July 1 for us. We’re still looking to add, possibly, maybe, one depth defenceman”
— Ken Warren (@Citizenkwarren) June 29, 2016
Another defenceman to play on that third pairing with Chris Wideman is a priority for Dorion and he’s made that clear. It’s obviously an area of need for the team and if they target the right guy, they can certainly improve their roster heading into next season.
What seems equally obvious at this stage is that the Senators won’t be paying big money to make it happen.
Previously, Dorion has mentioned adding a role player of sorts up front. Someone who can play on that third line and move up and down the line up if needed. With Alex Chiasson traded to Calgary earlier this week, the need on right wing is even more apparent.
There are options out there too. Guys like Teddy Purcell, Chris Stewart, PA Parenteau, Patrick Eaves and Dale Weise are all soon to be UFAs and could probably be had for a reasonable price. The search for a forward seems like it’s secondary to the team’s defensive needs right now though.
Beyond the bargain hunting on the UFA market, getting Cody Ceci and Mike Hoffman signed to new contracts remains a priority. While things have been fairly quiet on both fronts publicly, I’ve heard that in both instances, things are progressing well.
We are quickly approaching the craziest point of the NHL off season and for now, things are pretty quiet for the Senators.
After what we saw from some other General Managers earlier today, maybe that’s not the worst thing that could happen this off season.
