It’s over. It’s finally over.
It’s not entirely clear why it took them so long to call it because frankly, it’s been obvious to most of us for days
While some continue to dream up ridiculous scenarios and claim that there’s much more to come, most of us know the truth. We have maintained a grip on reality.
Because to anyone paying attention, the writing has been on the wall. In many ways, Tuesday was a formality really.
Even still, seeing the words provides some closure to it all.
And because the off-season has officially come to a close, it’s time to rank some of Pierre Dorion’s moves!
For the purposes of this list, I am only including first round selections, trade acquisitions and multi-year contract extensions for some reason. So the Galnchenyuk signing doesn’t make the cut.
I was pretty tempted to leave that Christian Jaros post there till January but let’s count ’em down anyway.
Honourable Mention- Signing Nick Paul, Signing Joey Daccord
10. Trading for Austin Watson
We’ll start with a trade that was met with mixed reviews. While there’s no doubt Watson will fill a clear role on Ottawa’s fourth line not everyone loved the idea of giving up a pick or the fact that Watson has three years left on his deal.
9. Trading for Erik Gudbransson
It’s no secret that the analytics community isn’t particularly fond of Gudbranson but it did feel sort of inevitable that the Senators would make a move for the local defenceman in the final year of his contract. Think we may be pleasantly surprised by what we see from Gudbranson in a contract year.
8. Trading for and Signing Josh Brown
Certainly not a household name before the deal, Josh Brown is a defenceman Ottawa had their eye on for some time and they finally got it done. He adds some much needed bite on the backend and at 26 years of age, he still has some room to grow.
7. Extending Chris Tierney
There are a few examples on this list where it’s not so much a big acquisition but just a shrewd bit of negotiation. In the case of Tierney, the Senators were able to keep the term short and the dollar amount low. Perfect structure for a player that has a clear role on the team during these transition years.
6. Drafting Ridly Greig
Lost in the excitement of two top five picks, the Senators also found themselves a good one in Greig. One of the younger players in the draft, Greig is going to take a huge step forward this year and has an outside shot at cracking Team Canada’s roster in the World Juniors. Still can’t spell his name though.
5. Extending Connor Brown
This negotiation had the potential to go wrong in so many ways and there were times on Sens Twitter where it seemed like did. But Pierre Dorion stuck to his guns and in the end, signed an important player to what really is a perfect contract. Great price and perfect term.
4. Drafting Jake Sanderson
He may not have the flash of the 3rd overall selection but it’s not hard to imagine a time in the not too distant future when Jake Sanderson is one of Ottawa’s most important players. While some people wanted to swing for the fences at 5th overall the reality is, if Sanderson reaches his ceiling as a player, he’s a game-changer.
3. Signing Evgeni Dadonov
It came out of nowhere but this was just a hell of a move by Dorion. It’s hard to recall the last time the Senators made a move that was met with universal praise by Sens Twitter. Nobody could find anything to complain about. The Ottawa Senators won a bidding war for a highly coveted free agent. Still hard to believe.
2. Trading for and Signing Matt Murray
Certainly the biggest splash of Ottawa’s off-season and a move that has the potential to define the rebuild. Even with so many quality goaltending prospects on the way, the Senators knew they had to have competent goaltending over the next few seasons. A two-time Stanley Cup winner is a pretty good option. This move makes it clear that we have officially begun the rising part of #OttawaRising.
1. Drafting Tim Stützle
The easiest decision of all but also the best. I’ll let Tim explain this one.
Discuss whatever the heck ya want in the comment section below. Or, and this is going to be terrible for business, consider going outside for a bit. It’s quite lovely out there!
