So that really happened then? It wasn’t all just a bad dream?
It’s amazing that the eight months of speculation didn’t at least prepare me for that moment when they finally pulled the trigger. Even as rumours swirled yesterday and even as his fitness testing and media availability were delayed, I still couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t picture that tweet where it became a reality. Even as my eyes read the words, my brain refused to process them.
They actually traded Erik Karlsson. A once-in-a-lifetime, generational talent in the prime of his career. Gone.
The Senators organization is taking a beating for this move and rightfully so.
Anytime you trade away a generational talent, the return is going to look bad. And in this case, it might have looked worse than expected. Of course, there’s a very real chance the Senators traded Karlsson the rental here, in which case, it may change the way we look at this trade a couple years from now.
The four tangible pieces they get back are all going to play for the Senators at some point. Josh Norris is a solid two-way player that will land on a second or third line someday. Rudy Balcers, yes I call him Rudy now, may have a higher ceiling than Norris. Certainly more offensive potential. Leading an AHL team in goal scoring as a rookie is pretty impressive. Chris Tierney is probably the team’s second or third line centre as things stand right now. Dylan Demelo likely finds his way into the opening night line up. The draft picks will help too.
Of course, today….none of that matters.
Fans are pissed. Even though we knew the moment was coming, there’s an anger there that is unlike anything we’ve seen in this market. Probably even more than on July 5, 2013.
And rightfully so. Not only did we lose our best player but it’s become painfully obvious that not everyone was completely honest about what was going on here.
Yesterday’s press conferences by Erik Karlsson and Pierre Dorion made it abundantly clear that somebody is lying. In all honesty, both of them of probably are a little bit. But in the PR battle between organization and former Captain, it’s no contest. Dorion didn’t even really put up a fight.
Whether he meant what he was saying or not, his comment about deciding to do this back in February completely trashed the narrative the organization has been trying to build for months. That they wanted to keep him. That they were going to put in an honest effort to sign him to an extension. We all suspected that was bullshit to some degree but to see Dorion up there confirming as much was really something else.
It was a line I didn’t expect him to cross.
big yikes pic.twitter.com/LKXVrmALIT
— Abdi Omer (@AbdiOmerr) September 13, 2018
You know, I’ve always tried to give the benefit of the doubt to Ottawa General Managers.
Especially under Eugene Melnyk. I understand how difficult that job is. Hands are often tied and the meddling that goes on is not easy to work with. But if what Dorion said yesterday was accurate, he is absolutely part of the problem here. And part of why this whole thing reflects so poorly on the organization. Not just talking about the return either but also the embarrassing way this all played out over the last eight months.
Dorion’s press conference came minutes after Karlsson stood at that very same podium, visibly shaken and on the verge of tears, and said good bye to the only organization’s he’s ever known. The trade was bad enough but that half hour was a knockout blow for the organization.
And it comes at the worst possible time too. At a time when they are desperate to regain fan’s trust and support for their somewhat sudden and seemingly unnecessary rebuild.
So where do we go from here?
Not to be dramatic but for the first time, I have this lingering concern about the long-term health of the franchise.
The level of anger Sens fans are feeling right now is not run of the mill sports fan anger. It’s personal. The once loyal hockey fans in this city are making it clear that a line has been crossed here. But make no mistake, we are playing a high-stakes game of chicken with the most stubborn man in the world. He beat Alfie. Twice. He beat Karlsson. So far anyway. Hell, the guy even beat death.
So as you dig in your heels and consider withdrawing your support for this team under it’s current Ownership, know that your foe is a formidable one. He’s outlasted many. And now, he appears intent on going head to head with his toughest opponent yet. His own fans.
One thing I will suggest though, don’t pull back completely. If you need to stop giving him your money, do it. That’s a reasonable course of action. But the emotional attachment to the team? Try to hang on to that. It’s not the players you’re mad at.
Once Camp starts this week and the season starts next month, there will be plenty of things to cheer about. For each of you, there’s a reason you watch the game. There’s a reason you love the Senators. It was there before Eugene Melnyk and it will be there after him too.
Don’t let him take that from you. Because once you lose that…man it’s tough to come back.
Hang in there, Sens fans. Better days are ahead. I mean, they have to be. Because yesterday was the worst.
-Speaking of bad news, the Senators have provided an update on Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s injury and as expected, it’s terrible news. Pageau suffered a torn Achilles tendon during yesterday’s fitness testing (how?!) and had surgery last night. The expected timeline for his rehab is being set at six months. As in, like the end of the season. It’s a brutal break for Pageau who appeared likely to start the season as the team’s second line centre. Chris Tierney now likely gets a shot at that spot or one of the young guys (Logan Brown or Filip Chlapik). That battle becomes one of the most interesting heading into Camp and the preseason.
