It is a question that a month and a half ago would have seemed ridiculous to ask. Alfredsson is the Senators first long-time home grown superstar and the player that has been the face of the franchise for more than a decade.
Dec 31, 2011; Buffalo, NY, USA; Ottawa Senators right wing Daniel Alfredsson (11) stops skating with the puck against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period at the First Niagara Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Even after he left on July 5th to sign with Detroit, it still seemed that once the initial shock and disappointment wore off, cooler heads would prevail and eventually bygones would be bygones. He would be welcome back to Ottawa with relatively open arms and all would be forgiven.
Then came the past week, with shots being fired from Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, that resulted in a volley of return fire from Alfredsson on Thursday, followed by more shots from GM Bryan Murray, Alfredsson’s agent JP Barry and more from Melnyk himself.
So, with the actions of the past week, how deep has the chasm between Alfredsson and the Sens really run? Has the war of words sealed the fate that not only will Alfredsson not be getting a post-career job with the Senators organization, but the Senators might not be willing to recognize the impact he had on the team and the city by raising his #11 to the rafters as the first player from the modern era to have such an honor.
I personally think that Melnyk is just the type of person to hold such a grudge for the perceived wrong by Alfredsson, and as long as he owns the club, I don’t know that it will happen.
Despite the way Alfie’s departure went down, it is an honor that he deserves and it would be a shame for it to be delayed longer than it should be.
What do you think?