According to the lead story on SensChirp.ca for the last 12 days, Pierre McGuire was fired. While some have suggested it’s due to a team barbecue gone awry, speculation continues to swirl. And by speculation I mean, nonsense. And by swirl I mean, I don’t really care.
Onward and upward as the old saying goes.
In just (insert correct number) days, the league will gather for the NHL Entry Draft at the Bell Centre in Montreal. It will be a joyous occasion as the Montreal Canadiens will welcome some new diminutive disappointment to the ranks with the first overall selection before turning over the microphone to teams that actually matter.
Damn. Awfully salty for mid-May.
The Ottawa Senators are slated to select 7th overall and a quick look at the draft board suggests they would almost certainly be selecting a player I know nothing about. See, that’s the hard-hitting draft analysis you pay for around these parts.
The truth is, it’s an indication that we’ve reached a different phase of the rebuild. The Entry Draft used to be one of the most important days on the calendar but with cupboards sufficiently stocked and the roster ready to take that next step towards being competitive, it’s pretty easy to look past this year’s draft class.
Based on some of the early talk, we probably shouldn’t get too attached to that 7th overall selection. Nobody wheels and deals quite like Pistol Pete Dorion and from what I’ve heard, he could be looking to do just that with the team’s first round pick next month.
Whether it’s to add that elusive top six forward or acquire another NHL defenceman of sorts, the Ottawa Senators are absolutely open for business on the draft floor. And with a total of nine selections in the first five rounds and cap space to burn, Dorion will have no shortage of options.
If I was a betting man, and I’ve bet on the weather before, I would put every dollar I had on the Senators moving that 7th overall pick. Sorry Trent and friends. If it’s any comfort, I lose a lot of bets.
As I attempt to shake off the rust (shake off the dust?) and the lingering effects of COVID brain, let’s go for a stroll, shall we? It’s Monday News and Notes. More on Sunday than ever.
-It’s still early in the NHL playoffs but there are only two things I know for sure- the Toronto Maple Leafs are who we thought they were and Brady Tkachuk is the clear Conn Smythe favourite right now. The Sens Captain has become the talk of the post-season and it’s primarily for his ability to slug beers and cheer on his brother. There have been a few dorks on the internet trying to make this into a negative somehow but the reality is it could not possibly be more harmless. Supporting his brother, blowing off a little steam in the off-season and showing off a bit of that personality that Sens fans fell for years ago. If there’s anything about this that seems bad to you it may be an indication you’re taking this whole sports thing a little too seriously. The Tkachuk Family is incredibly close and will stick together no matter what. Also Brady is locked in long-term so he’s not going away. Matthew on the other hand.
-After Florida dropped the first two games of the series against Tampa Bay, it looks like Claude Giroux’s career as a Panther may come to a disappointing conclusion. Barring some sort of awakening by the Panthers, Giroux is likely to enter this summer without a Stanley Cup and without a contract. The UFA-to-be is going to be one of the most talked about names on the free agent market this year and you can be damn sure the Ottawa Senators will be in the mix. Call it the SensChirp Lock of the Century. Giroux is going to have options obviously but it’s no secret that he’s interested in the possibility of playing in Ottawa and it’s no secret that the feeling is mutual. The now 34-year old Giroux is coming off a 21 goal/65 points season split between Philadelphia and Florida and he clearly has something left in the tank. Assuming the price is right, it’s a move that makes a ton of sense for the Senators. We’ll see how things shake out this summer.
-Front Office turnover is something we’ve grown used to around these parts but last week’s departure of Roger Lajoie, the team’s Director of Marketing apparently, was a little bit different. Rather than the usual assumption that it’s someone leaving because of internal disfunction, this was more a case of some good ol’ fashion Twitter justice. See Roger tweeted something about the Toronto Maple Leafs and that is of course a stupid thing to do when your actual job is doing whatever the hell it was he was doing with the Ottawa Senators. Sens Twitter- which can be equal parts petty, bored and enthusiastic- saw the tweet and within a couple days, Roger was stepping away from a job he probably forgot that he had. It will be interesting to see if there’s more of this kind of thing in the months ahead as the organization settles into a post-Eugene Melnyk era.
-Speaking of ownership, there will be no shortage of rumours on that front in the weeks and months ahead. While both Anna and Olivia Melnyk have given no indication they plan to sell, there’s already a bit of a line forming in terms of potentially interested parties. Roger Greenberg of Minto fame threw his hat in the ring early on. There are persistent rumours about some combination of John Ruddy (OSEG) and Jeff York (Farm Boy) having some interest. And then there’s the proponents of the DCDLS that have always been sniffing around. I think I’ll also make a bid. Rumours about ownership have been a reality of this market for years but they always run into the same obstacle of the team not technically being put up for sale. That was the case before and it still applies now. What is reassuring though is there does seem to be legitimate interest from people with strong ties to the area. That’s the key here.
-Lastly, a word of thanks to the SensChirp community. Since the final horn sounded on the Sens season, I have been slacking big time but it means a lot to see the community stepping up to keep things rolling in my absence. While I do sincerely apologize for posting a new article this close to the mystical 10,000 comment mark, I really do appreciate everyone continuing to make SensChirp a part of your daily interneting. We’re at nearly 15 years of SensChirp and that’s because you weirdos just keep coming back. And I love ya for it. I am extremely proud of what we’ve built here together and can’t wait to see what the next 15 years will look like. Better than this, I hope.
