Back to reality, I suppose.
The NHL Draft has come and gone. The so-called Free Agent Frenzy was everything we hoped it would be. Now we’re left to twiddle our thumbs until September. Or something like that.
While other fan bases are stuck arguing about line combinations for the next two and a half months, Sens fans get to sit back and enjoy a good ol’ fashion GM v. Agent showdown in the local media.
It’s always something in Ottawa.
Late last night, Alex DeBrincat’s agent reached out to The Athletic to refute some of the recent reporting from Bruce Garrioch and Darren Dreger. In particular, Jeff Jackson suggests that it’s not his Camp that is holding up a trade here and that to this point, they haven’t been given the necessary green light to negotiate because a trade hasn’t been completed.
Or something like that anyway.
Obviously this doesn’t directly align with the narrative that has emerged recently which suggests that DeBrincat’s Camp is having a hard time getting the desired term from teams that have shown interest in trading for him to this point.
This kind of public finger pointing is a bad look for both sides really and doesn’t exactly help move the process along.
In an ideal world, both sides shut the hell up and find a solution that works for everyone but that’s rarely how things work around here.
Both the organization and the player are looking for any edge they can get in this process and like it or not, that often includes public pressure and a good ol’ fashion twisting of the narrative.
It may not feel like it right now but this really isn’t anybody’s fault.
Pierre Dorion and the Ottawa Senators took a chance when they acquired Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks, hoping that they could convince him to make a long-term commitment to a Canadian market and ultimately, forego a chance at unrestricted free agency. It hasn’t worked out that way and while DeBrincat has enjoyed his time in Ottawa, it makes sense that he would want to make the most of this opportunity to explore the open market and it makes sense that he would demand top dollar to pass up that unique opportunity. That’s how this business works sometimes.
From a fan’s perspective, it is unfortunate that the lingering uncertainty of how this is all going to play out may ultimately prevent the Ottawa Senators from improving their roster for next season.
The good news is, I don’t think we’ll have to wait much longer for a resolution.
