All is quiet around the Ottawa Senators right now. No rumours of a mystery deal to discuss, no progress on any of the extensions and training camp still a little less than a month away. So we’ll need to use our imaginations to keep the discussion going during the dog days of summer.
Most of the time, a “What if” article looks at moments from the past, and asks the question what could have happened. This time, we’ll look ahead and ask what would happen. The three What Ifs outlined below have the potential to change the franchise as we know it. Now these aren’t going to be pleasant to think about but at the very least, should create a little discussion (or anger) on a quiet day in the middle of August.
- Bobby Ryan refuses to sign a new contract
We talked about this one a little bit last week. If I had to guess I would say that Ryan sticks around. The people I talk to are still a little bit conflicted on the issue but I remain optimistic the Senators can find a way to get it done. But…what if they can’t? What if the conversations with his agent over the last couple weeks don’t go as planned and Ryan gives them the impression that he would rather play elsewhere?
Losing Ryan for nothing would not be an option and the Senators would have to act swiftly. In some ways, I sort of expect that they have already initiated the process internally and that would include thinking about teams that might be interested and identifying a potential return. It’s not a road the organization wants to go down but one they have to be prepared for. Optically, this one would hurt. After losing Alfredsson and Spezza in consecutive seasons and giving up significant assets to acquire Ryan, the inability to lock him up long term would once again set off those alarm bells that have already been ringing for the past couple years.
And if Ryan doesn’t want to stay, is it likely that MacArthur or Methot would?
- The Senators are a bottom five team this season
The first 2014/2015 regular season predictions are already starting to trickle in and the Senators are not exactly looked at as a powerhouse. The team has excelled in the underdog role in the past but what if their thrifty ways put them in a position where they end up in the bottom five in the league? An injury to Kyle Turris or Erik Karlsson and maybe they fall as low as bottom two?
Well then, Sens fans get ready to watch the prospect hype train shift into high gear. With Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel projected to go 1-2 in the draft this year, the race for the bottom figures to be just as interesting as the push for the playoffs. Buffalo is going to be there. Winnipeg looks pretty terrible. I don’t like the looks of Carolina or Calgary. I absolutely despise the idea of a season where we are talking about top draft picks as early as February but the idea of landing one of the top two picks is pretty hard to resist.
Those are franchise changing players at the top of the draft. If Ottawa finds itself out of a playoff spot by a significant margin as the calendar turns to March, you can expect to hear the T-word an awful lot around these parts.
- Eugene Melnyk is forced to sell the team
Eugene has made it pretty clear, selling the Ottawa Senators is not in his plans. In fact, he seems to be selling everything except the Senators. His OHL team, his horses, shares in his struggling pharmaceutical company… But what if all the recent streamlining and budgeting is in preparation to sell the team? What if Eugene Melnyk only has a couple years left as Owner of the Ottawa Senators? Well then let’s plan a friggin’ parade, am I right?!
Well not so fast. The idea of a new owner may seem like a good thing but it could also be an unsettling process. There’s no guarantee somebody would step forward right away and even more so, no guarantee they could find somebody interested in keeping the team here in Ottawa. Relocation definitely isn’t a concern but those would still make for uneasy times. Finding a guy with deep pockets and an interest in running a team in the Ottawa market (see here and here) might not be a straightforward process. Although with a strong fan base and a pretty lucrative TV deal in place, you would expect somebody to step up. Wonder if Nelson Peltz still has interest in owning a team?
For the record, I think Ryan signs, the Senators are in the mix for a playoff spot and Eugene Melnyk owns the Ottawa Senators forever and ever. But….what if I’m wrong?! If you’re looking for a little happier game of what if, swing by this post from a few weeks back. It should cheer you up a little bit.
Feel free to add your own What Ifs in the comment section below.
