It probably goes without saying but man oh man, did we ever need a day like this.
The last couple years have been tough. In the grand scheme of things, our era of suffering has been fairly contained. Across the major sports, there are franchises that have gone through decades of pain. But what has been unique about the Sens fan experience, is the amount of disappointment we have packed into such a short period of time.
But today, with one tweet from the team’s official account, with one stroke of a pen…the weight was lifted off our collective shoulders.
The sun broke through. The light at the end of the tunnel that so many of us have been squinting to see finally came into focus.
With Thomas Chabot signing an eight year extension worth $64 million dollars, there is legitimate hope again in Ottawa. It doesn’t mean there won’t be some growing pains on the ice in the next couple years but it finally feels like the ship is pointed in the right direction.
The rebuild is real even if the motives around it were hidden publicly. The plan exists even if it was a little reactionary at first. What really matters though is the fact that the players believe this team is on the path to building a contender.
Looking at the contract itself, it looks like a steal.
As is always the case with long-term deals like this, it will take years to determine the true value of the contract. The 22 year old defenceman in question will have to continue on his path to becoming one of the best puck-moving defenceman in the game.
He’ll have to make strides in his play away from the puck. He’ll have to continue to put up points at a rate mostly unmatched by his peers.
And even at a young age, he’ll have to be a leader on and off the ice.
It’s a gamble. These multi-year extensions always are.
The Senators are betting on an elite young hockey player and hoping he’s someone they can build around for years to come. All signs point to him being just that but it’s a roll of the dice. But at least the Senators are finally playing the same damn game as everyone else.
In a lot of ways, today isn’t really about the quality of the contract though.
It’s about the organization we all love, showing us, that maybe they still love us back.
In the depths of our despair, fans begged for a move like this. A sign that the organization was serious about building a Stanley Cup winning hockey team. And not with words. But with dollars. The same way all the other teams do it.
The Colin White contract was a start. The Thomas Chabot deal was the clincher. And there might be more news coming in the not too distant future.
We’ve been through hell the last couple years.
But while we were spending our time venting, management was quietly stock-piling quality young players and a ridiculous number of draft picks and rebuilding this roster with quality kids that want to be here. Players that believe in this franchise and that want to be part of a winning team in the Nation’s Capital.
There is legitimate hope again in Ottawa.
So exhale, Sens fans. Have a drink. Maybe buy some tickets.
Let’s all get back to allowing ourselves to enjoy our hobby, shall we?
