With a new Head Coach in place, General Manager Pierre Dorion can now begin to shift his focus to the next order of business on his off-season To Do list.
And while there are still hires to be made to the coaching staff, he’s leaving those decisions in the capable hands of Guy Boucher. In recent interviews, Dorion has made it clear that contract negotiations will now become his focus.
Particularly, discussions with two prominent restricted free agents in Mike Hoffman and Cody Ceci.
Each negotiation presents a unique challenge for the rookie General Manager.
In Mike Hoffman, the Senators enter what seems like an unpredictable process. Hoffman is coming off another solid offensive season and is now just one year away from UFA status. With 29 goals and 59 points, Hoffman was one of the team’s most dynamic forwards. Of course he’s also just 12 months removed from a tense arbitration process. While the organization still has some leverage, it’s clear that Hoffman will be looking to cash-in this time around.
And while there seemed to be a healthy amount of skepticism around the pending negotiations towards the end of the regular season, recent comments by Dorion and by Guy Boucher, who coached Hoffman in Junior, provide some hope. It’s clear (or at least clearer than it was a few months ago) that Hoffman is in this team’s plans going forward.
Whether or not they can find a number that works for both sides remains to be seen.
Cody Ceci’s next contract also presents a difficult decision for Dorion. Ceci got better as the year went along last season and really seemed to be playing his best hockey down the stretch. And while the underlying numbers haven’t been great for Ceci, the obvious improvement in the back half of the year combined with his exceptional play at the World Championships suggests he could be on the verge of a breakout season.
The Senators definitely see Ceci as an important part of their blueline going forward but have they seen enough to roll the dice on a long term deal? Recent RFA contracts suggest a strong preference for short-term, bridge deals which help keep the salary and cap number as low as possible. That certainly seems like a reasonable approach with Ceci too.
What’s clear at this stage is that with both players, all options are on the table. And that includes short-term, long-term, arbitration or in the case of Hoffman anyway, potentially a trade.
Pierre Dorion has passed the test on a couple difficult decisions in his brief tenure as General Manager. How he handles these two key restricted free agents will be among the most important decisions he makes all summer.
How do you see these negotiations playing out?
