(UPDATE 6:25 PM)- The day started with a Connor Brown rumour and now we finally know the details. Brown is headed to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2nd round pick in the 2024 Draft. Obviously the return is pretty underwhelming here but the Sens have plans for that budget space and that draft pick. Sad to see Brown go but with one year left on his deal and two upgrades in the top six, it was as good a time to move on as any. The Caps are getting a good one here though.
(UPDATE 12:01 PM)- He’s coming home. The Ottawa Senators made it official moments after the start of the frenzy, signing prized free agent forward Claude Giroux to a three year deal worth $6.5 mil a season.
(UPDATE 11:35 AM)- Still 25 minutes until the market opens officially but its sounds like Pierre Dorion has something cooking on the trade front.
They’ve already made a splash.
On Draft Day, it was the Ottawa Senators that stole the show. By acquiring Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks and giving up nobody off the current roster to make it happen, the Sens sent a clear message to the rest of the league.
This is a team that’s ready to take the next step.
Shedding bad contracts in Colin White, Matt Murray and Michael Del Zotto demonstrated a real commitment to getting better. Acquiring a veteran goalie in Cam Talbot again showed they want to be competitive now. Not soon but now.
It’s no secret that they’re still actively looking for a top four defenceman too. Jakob Chychrun, MacKenzie Weegar and John Marino have all been mentioned as possibilities.
Pierre Dorion has been one of the NHL’s most active General Managers. And it sounds like those moves got the attention of the most highly-coveted free agent on the market.
When the Free Agent Frenzy opens at 12:00 PM today, it sounds like Claude Giroux is coming home.
And while that delightfully vague tweet from Pierre LeBrun is the best indication yet, the rumours linking Giroux to Ottawa have been travelling around the city for months now. All signs have pointed in that direction for months now.
In a few short hours, the Senators will make it official.
It goes without saying at this point but Pierre Dorion isn’t messing around here. While some GMs have spent their days tinkering around the edges, the Senators have been far more aggressive. This team has a lot of good pieces in place but the GM is trying to help them get to the next level.
We’ll see what he has in store when the market opens a few hours from now.
Updates will appear at the top of this post and in the comment section below. Seat belts should remain fastened at all times.
