Ottawa Senators: It’s Crunch Time for Pierre Dorion
By Hunter Eitel
Pierre Dorion only has ten days to make several decisions that will affect the Ottawa Senators for years to come.
The trade deadline is fast approaching, and the Ottawa Senators are running out of time.
Matt Duchene, Mark Stone, Ryan Dzingel and Cody Ceci are all still with the team, none of them have signed an extension, and all is quiet on the trade rumor front.
Over the next week and a half, all eyes will be on Pierre Dorion to see if he can make the right moves to create a brighter future for the organization.
Tick Tock
With only ten days before the trade deadline, the Senators are likely fielding offers from teams around the league. There is probably a lot of interest players like Stone and Duchene, and each of them could gather a great return if the trades are done right.
But with time running out, management may panic and choose whatever offer is best at the moment. On the other hand, the team may wait too long to accept an offer, and teams may end talks with the Sens if they play hardball up until February 25th.
It is a tricky situation for the Senators, as they don’t have any leverage in the trade talks. They are trying to get whatever they can for players who are on expiring deals. If they don’t get the offer they want, it’s possible all three UFAs won’t re-sign after the season is over. Teams around the league know this, and are likely low-balling the Sens as a result.
It’s crucial for management to keep calm and keep probing for the right deal (If they are dealing players).
His Time To Shine
Dorion’s tenure as GM has been tedious at best, and this writer has called his abilities and power into question before. But this is the chance for him and the Senators to turn a corner. If done well, approval of Dorion’s performance would skyrocket, which is something he needs in order to keep his job this summer.
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The trades, if they happen, are critical to how the Ottawa Senators will handle their rebuild over the next few years. If Dorion can get a solid return for players like Stone and Duchene (Or get them re-signed to good deals), then the future will begin to look a little brighter.