As the 2023-24 season was starting, new leadership was taking over as Michael Andlauer purchased the team from the Melnyk estate. As fans celebrated the new ownership coming in and striving to make changes, it seemed Dorion knew that his days with the club were numbered.
The Senators getting punishment after punishment
On October 26, 2023, it was revealed that Shane Pinto had been suspended for 41 games for violating the league’s sports wagering rules. Now, this was kind of overkill by the league, if you ask me. It was proven that Pinto had not wagered on any NHL games. So, half a season was much, especially since a violation like this had never occurred before. I agree that a suspension was warranted, but not half a season. Surely, that was the end of the punishments, right?
On November 1, 2023, the league announced that the Senators had to forfeit a first-round draft pick due to not disclosing Evgenii Dadonov’s no-trade clause to the Vegas Golden Knights. The lack of disclosure resulted in a 2021 trade between the Golden Knights and the Anaheim Ducks being voided due to Dadonov's refusal to waive his clause.
The NHL later modified the forfeiture of that first-round pick upon Andlauer's appeal to the league. In the end, the Senators got the pick back as the 32nd selection of the 2026 NHL Draft.
Pierre Dorion was finally out as GM
On November 2, 2023, the Senators fired Pierre Dorion as GM and replaced him with Steve Staios.
Dorion had held the position since 2016, managing the team through the 2017 Eastern Conference Final run and the rebuild that followed. The Dadonov penalty was the final nail in the coffin of Dorion’s tenure as GM. It was a rollercoaster of highs and lows for Dorion, and the ride was officially over.
DJ Smith also got the axe as Head Coach
On December 18, 2023, DJ Smith was fired as head coach. The organization replaced Smith with a former coach Jaqcues Martin. Franchise legend Daniel Alfredsson joined the bench as well. This move happened too late for the team to salvage their season. The Sens were 11-15 at that point of the season and were dead last in the Atlantic Division. However, the move was necessary, considering that Smith had built a team culture not really conducive to winning.
Vladimir Tarasenko went to Florida
On March 7, 2024, Vladimir Tarasenko was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a conditional third-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft.
With the quality production that he put up with the Senators, it was only right for Staios to send Tarasenko to a playoff contender, as they were not going to qualify for the playoffs. Tarasenko joined the Panthers, where he became a quality third-liner and eventually won the Cup that spring.
With Dorion out amid all the hardships the team was facing, Andlauer had to make the necessary changes in order to make the Senators a competitive team with a hard-working team culture. The team was trending towards missing the playoffs. So, work was needed to make the team competitive the following year.
The change made during the 2023-24 season ultimately built the playoff team in Ottawa today. It was just too bad that the fans had to go through that entire ordeal.
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