The 2022 offseason, otherwise known as the “Summer of Pierre” after Pierre Dorion, was one that defined the Ottawa Senators as a team determined to compete. Dorion was determined to upgrade the roster, and in many ways, he did just that. In other ways, though, some of his moves ended up making things worse.
Here are some of his best and worst moves from the 2022 offseason.
The summer of Pierre Dorion
Acquiring DeBrincat for the Blackhawks
One of the most notable moves that Dorion made was when the Senators traded for left winger Alex DeBrincat from the Chicago Blackhawks. In exchange for the seventh and 39th overall picks in the 2022 NHL Draft, plus a third-round pick in 2024 on July 7, 2022. Alex DeBrincat was supposed to be a 40-goal winger that could slot in on Tim Stutzle’s line.
The only issue was that he only had one year left on his contract. Which is why the fanbase looks at this trade and questions why Dorion agreed to part with the seventh overall pick if there was no contract extension in place. Just a year later, the Senators traded the RFA forward to the Detroit Red Wings in exchanged for Dominik Kubalik, defenseman prospect Donovan Sebrango, a conditional 2024 first-round pick, and a 2024 fourth-round pick, bringing the experiment to an end.
Bringing in veteran forward Claude Giroux
On July 13, 2022, Dorion made what was arguably the best deal of his time as the Senators's GM and in franchise history. He signed veteran forward Claude Giroux to a three-year, 19.5-million-dollar contract, which carried an average annual value (AAV) of $6.5 million. Giroux has been a workhorse for the club despite his age, having only missed one game in 327 games, scoring 242 points. It was a move that changed the entire culture of the organization drastically for the better.
Trading for Cam Talbot
On July 14th, 2022, Dorion took a step back and traded for goaltender Cam Talbot in exchange for goaltender Filip Gustavsson. Gustavsson was the Senators’ best goaltender prospect in the system who slightly struggled in his time in Ottawa due to playing behind poor defensive systems.
He blossomed into one of the best starters in the league with the Minnesota Wild. Talbot was an older goalie, and while he gave a decent performance for the team, he underperformed in the month of March as the Senators were pushing for a playoff run. He left at the end of the season.
Extending Josh Norris
On July 14th, The Senators extended center Josh Norris to an eight-year, 63.6-million-dollar contract (7.95 AAV). Norris came off a season where he led the team in goals with 35. It is a deal any GM would have made, as Norris was positioning himself to be a 40-50 goal scorer with an elite shot. The big problem with Norris’ potential is that he didn't have a healthy shoulder to sustain it. He was traded on March 7th, 2025, alongside right-handed defenseman Jakob Bernard-Docker to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for center Dylan Cozens, left-handed defenseman Dennis Gilbert, and a 2026 second-round pick.
Re-signing Mathieu Joseph
On July 28th, 2022, the Senators extended right winger Mathieu Joseph to a four-year, 11.8-million-dollar deal ($2.95 million AAV). Joseph was extremely inconsistent as a player. He only had 18 points in 57 games in the 2022-23 season after signing the deal. In the 2023-24 season, he had a great first half of the year but fell off in the second half of the season. While he still put up 35 points in 72 games, he was eventually sent to the St. Louis Blues along with a 2025 third-round pick for future considerations.
Extending franchise cornerstone Tim Stutzle
On September 7th, 2022, the Senators signed center Tim Stutzle to an eight-year, 66.8-million-dollar extension ($8.35 million AAV). A massive home run signing from Dorion, as Stutzle’s deal is an absolute bargain compared to the other centers of his calibre and talent. Stutzle has since become a consistent 80-point player with three 50-assist seasons and two 30-goal seasons since this extension was done. This was widely considered to be the best work that Dorion had put in during his time as GM of the Senators.
Overall, the summer of Dorion was one to remember for the Senators' fanbase. With plenty of ups and downs, it'll go down as one of the most confusing, yet fun, off-seasons in franchise history.
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