The first time Pierre Dorion hinted that he was still looking to add to the line up came sometime near the end of July.
It had been a quiet off-season to that point but during an appearance on TSN 1200, the General Manager of the Ottawa Senators said he would still like to add a couple pieces. Even when given an opportunity to say his roster was mostly set, Dorion pushed back.
That means that more than three months ago, the GM looked at his line up on paper and felt they needed a little help. This was before Clarke MacArthur failed his medical too.
During Camp in September, Guy Boucher mentioned on multiple occasions that they could use additional NHL bodies at the forward position. It seemed like GM and Coach were on the same page and that it was only a matter of time before the Senators made a move.
In early October, Dorion went so far as to suggest that there was a 49% chance he added another forward to the ranks. It was strange for a GM to be so specific but in multiple interviews, Dorion gave the impression that it was pretty much a coin-flip whether they added someone. The day came and went and the roster remained unchanged.
Instead, teenagers like Alex Formenton and Logan Brown helped fill out the roster on opening day.
Since then, injuries have struck the team on a fairly regular basis. Bobby Ryan, Kyle Turris, Zack Smith all missed games and seemingly increased the urgency to add a player.
Now as the calendar rolls over to November, the rumours persist. He’s still looking. But the prices are just too high. The Senators have been regularly linked to Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene but Joe Sakic doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to resolve that situation.
When Dorion turned up at a Golden Knights/Islanders game on Tuesday night, it predictably led to speculation that maybe, just maybe, Dorion had finally found the right fit.
In the house for tonight’s VGK-#Isles tilt: OTT GM Pierre Dorion.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 30, 2017
There were rumours that the Islanders might have an interest in Chris Wideman so perhaps there’s a forward for defenceman swap that makes sense for both sides. Vegas also has some forwards on expiring deals that could be of interest to Ottawa.
In the past, Dorion has shown an ability to get a deal done when his team needs it.
When Andrew Hammond went down with an injury and Craig Anderson took a leave of absence to be with his Wife, Dorion acted quickly and made a deal for Mike Condon. When the team’s bottom six needed a makeover at last year’s deadline, Dorion got it done. In the span of a couple months he shipped out Curtis Lazar, added Tommy Wingels, Alex Burrows and Viktor Stalberg and basically overhauled the team’s 3rd and 4th line.
But this year, he has been fairly quiet.
Making a trade is easier said than done, especially in Ottawa. Not only does he have to find the right player but it has to fit within the team’s tight budgetary restrictions.
They also have a lengthy road trip to Sweden coming up so it’s possible that the GM wants to wait until after they return. After games on Thursday and Saturday, the Senators have five days off before the games in Sweden and then another four days off after the Sweden trip. The GM may see an opportunity to wait it out a little bit.
On the ice, the team has done an admirable job. They’ve battled through some early-season adversity and found a way to bank points despite some obvious holes up front.
This seems like a good time for the General Manager to help his team out a little bit.
