Thoughts in Bold: Dorion Addresses Trade Deadline, Injuries, New Ownership
It feels like it has been a while since General manager Pierre Dorion has held court with the media to field questions about his hockey team. With Chris Neil’s jersey retirement, the upcoming March 3rd trade deadline, the Troy Mann firing, and the eventual ownership change, quite a few important items of interest were discussed.
If you are unfamiliar with the way these posts are structured, I’ll explain it now. The full interview can be listened to on TSN 1200 here. The entirety of the Dorion availability has been transcribed below. After each of Dorion’s reflections, I have written my own. They will be outlined in bold.
Here we go.
An introduction…
“If I can start off with just one thing. I am honoured to be the GM when we’re going to retire Chris Neil’s jersey. Chris, as a player, was a warrior. On and off the ice, he did everything to get the maximum out of himself. He’s someone that we’re so happy that is still part of the organization still. He’s someone that I think our fans really identify with. I know if there was a war on, I’d want Chris Neil by my side. If I could tell one story about him, we don’t beat the New York Rangers in the last time we made the playoffs if Chris Neil was not with us. He came in that series (and) changed the tone of the series. We beat the Rangers and Chris had a lot to do with it.”
What Pierre Dorion is talking about is Chris Neil going out in game five of the 2017 Eastern Conference semifinals and asserting himself against Tanner Glass. After not playing in any of the first four games of the series, one of the overwhelming narratives coming into game five was how the Rangers were doing everything they could to be physical and get under the skin of the Senators.
Enter Chris Neil.
Neil only played two minutes and 26 seconds in game five, but he was credited with going right after Glass in the second period with the Rangers leading 2-1.
The Senators would go on to win game five with a 5-4 victory in overtime. They would go on to clinch the series in six games with Neil playing 1 minute and 49 seconds in that game.
I love Chris Neil and totally believe in the idea that he helped changed momentum at key times with big hits and key fights, but to me, it feels like a huge reach to give him credit for the Senators’ series win in 2017 over the Rangers. Don’t get me wrong, Tanner Glass was acting like a total piece of garbage, but Neil’s scrum with Glass wasn’t even on the same level as Matt Carkner filling in Brian Boyle in 2012. It feels forced and unnecessary.
On not seeing guys like Chris Neil be honoured very often…
“I think, obviously being from Ottawa, Ottawa Senators fans know the importance that Chris Neil brought to the organization, to the team, in that dressing room… but, I think through the league, the respect that he had, I think says a lot about what Chris Neil stands for, what he is, what he was as a player, and what he was as a competitor.”
Amen.
On Chris Neil never being suspended during his career…
“No, and that tells you that Chris Neil never crossed the line. Came close, but never crossed it. Now let’s get to the real stuff.”
Bragging about Chris Neil never being suspended has always felt like such a weird flex considering his hit on Buffalo’s Chris Drury in 2007 went undisciplined. Put under today’s microscope, he would have been suspended for multiple games for targeting the head with a late hit.
It’s just one interview and maybe as such, it should be more innocuous, but when it comes to reflecting on Neil’s career, I’d like to think it goes a little more deeper than the five minutes he played against the Rangers in 2017 or some arbitrary fact that he was never suspended in his career.
Off the top of my head, I’m reminded of his 2007 Stanley Cup Final goal, his Eastern Conference quarterfinal overtime goal in 2012. Still, there are a bunch of other memorable highlights including this fight against Tie Domi.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think when it comes to Neil’s career, he did so many good things with his physicality and play that we don’t have to reduce it to the importance of his zero suspensions or his 4 minutes and 15 seconds worth of play. When I reflect on Neil’s career, I think of his development as a mid-round pick, and his growth from being just a pugilist and agitator to someone who scored more than 10 goals in five of his 15 NHL seasons.
Neil became more than just a tough guy. He was the personification of hard work and character and it’s a fitting tribute to see his jersey be lifted to the rafters tonight at the CTC.
On the impending trade deadline…
“So for us, obviously, our goal was to play meaningful games. I think we’re there. I think we’re playing meaningful games. Right now, probably everyone is wondering, are we a buyer or are we a seller? For us, let’s see where these next seven games take us. I think we pretty much have to decide… we have a plan in place if we’re going to be a buyer or if we’re going to be a seller. We might just be standing pat also. We made a lot of moves in the summer to prepare to play meaningful games. For us, what is important is we have to make a decision probably before the Ranger game because we feel that right now, what’s going on around the league is, everyone is feeling each other out. You haven’t seen many trades. We’ve seen maybe one, but you haven’t seen many trades right now. I think everyone is just trying to figure out where everyone is. We have plans in place for whatever situation we get to. We could be a buyer at certain positions, a seller at certain positions. So, right now, there’s a lot of balls in play – which as a GM, this is the most fun time of the year as a GM. There is no doubt about that.”
The Senators’ game against the Rangers that Dorion mentioned is March 2nd, so yeah, it stands to reason that the team should have an idea of where it stands by then. I would not anticipate the team being significant buyers by the deadline, but it would make sense if they were buyers and sellers in the sense that they get late-round picks for some of their impending UFAs, but look at upgrading some of their weaknesses by dealing mid-round picks for a rental or two.
On this team being more fun because of the team’s recent stretch of victories…
“No, going six and one over the last seven games. The Edmonton game was a tough one to win. I think if you put the All-Star teams from Russia of 1972 against Edmonton, they probably would have lost if they hadn’t played for 11 days, but other teams have to go through it. So, the guys have played hard. Give credit to our two young goalies and what they have done these last two games. Like, Mads and Kevin going in there and playing as well, earning the win, and being an important piece in getting those two victories says a lot about them. You look at what Mads has gone through with some of the injuries and battling back to be 100%. And, you look at what Kevin’s done. Kevin went down to the East Coast (Hockey) League this year and did everything we asked about him. He matured a lot. When I mean a lot, I mean a lot. And, what he was able to do the other night, kudos to them. Kudos to Justin Peters. Kudos to Zac Bierk. Goaltending is always important, but it’s great for the organization that players have come through like this. And, how the players have played in front of them, they’ve played really hard in front of them.”
That Kevin Mandolese performance was one of those moments that reminds you of the magic that the Andrew Hammond ‘Hamburglar’ run provided. To see him enjoy his moment in the spotlight and savour that first NHL victory while stopping 46 of 48 shots, it was an incredible moment for the young goaltender.
On whether the young goaltenders’ play changes the plan with Cam Talbot…
“No, I think Cam right now skated today. It went really well today. I think he’s going to join practice either tomorrow or Sunday and then we’ll see what happens. When it comes to whatever position, it’s always a thing of (supply) and demand. People don’t realize sometimes that you don’t get a call on certain players. People think that you’re getting a million calls – I’m not talking about Cam specifically, but I’m talking in general. People think that you get calls about certain players and you never get a call. So, when it comes to any potential UFA or any player that has possibly been talked to about being moved, someone wants to have them. On that point, I will say, Alex DeBrincat’s not being traded. No chance. So, we’ll just see where it goes at the end of the year and if we sign a contract with him before then, we’ll see what happens. But, he’s not getting traded.”
There is a lot to read into this answer. Despite downplaying mentioning Talbot with the fact that other GMs don’t always call on players who would be available, it certainly helps portray this idea that the Senators have not fielded many, if any, calls on the veteran goaltender. Which, if true, would jive with the reports from Bruce Garrioch that teams simply have not called on his availability. In saying that, since that time, some goaltenders have been injured, which may create some interest, but it’s probably safe to assume that the return on Talbot would not be particularly strong. Knowing that, it will be interesting to see what happens down the stretch if the young kids continue to hold their ground and give the Senators a chance to win. Hopefully, it means that the organization will not go out of its way to acquire another veteran short-term option to buoy the position. Management has historically shown a proclivity to roll with veteran options, but maybe this small sample size of success will give management pause to spend assets to address a short-term concern down the stretch.
It was interesting to see Dorion pivot to saying that DeBrincat would not be moved, but based on some of the reports lately, that isn’t a surprise to see be publicly acknowledged.
As I touched upon in a recent piece, it may be positive that the organization is going to wait for new ownership to enter the fray before a new extension is discussed. If DeBrincat was not interested in an extension, it would make sense for the organization to start soliciting offers and gauging the market now, but what it could reflect is a willingness on the part of DeBrincat to remain in Ottawa long-term.
On how he would assess DeBrincat’s season to this point in Ottawa…
“Really good. Really good. People forget that there’s an adjustment when you go to a new team. I don’t want to say it changes, but there are adjustments. Alex has played with different centres all throughout this year. He works hard. He’s talented. He does the right thing. We play a bit different than in Chicago. Without getting into too many details, they’re more a rush team. We do things a bit differently, but we’ve been very happy about how Alex has played overall. Very happy with him.”
It’s been unlucky. Very, very unlucky.
On whether he has had any talks on an extension with DeBrincat…
“I’m not allowed to make jokes, but I maybe bought a Chipotle franchise.”
I’m not allowed to make jokes, but maybe Dorion’s looking for a post-Ottawa career once new ownership arrives.
On whether there have been any directives from the board regarding the movement of salary in trades…
“No, the board has been great. From the get-go this year, they have allowed us to improve this team. I think once the trade deadline comes, if we can improve the team, I’m pretty sure we’ll get their full support. I can only say great things about (them) allowing me to do my job as good as possible and allowing our franchise to grow. The board has been great in that way.”
The Senators have not made any significant moves during the season to address any of their positions of weakness. While Dorion has not shed any salary, the team hasn’t taken on any significant money as well. It is probably too late in the year to expect management to absorb salary to make a run at the postseason, but with the likelihood of this being Dorion’s last run at the postseason managing this team, who knows how the next few weeks will lead?
On whether the Senators are still looking to add a defenceman…
“As are about 22 other teams, yes. You know what, when you look at our defence, look at how great Jake Sanderson has been. Look how he played against arguably the best player in the league. I think Connor McDavid was pretty frustrated playing against him the other day. Look at how Erik Brannstrom has stepped up over the last few games with Jake not being there. I don’t want to name names because people will go crazy, but as a whole, our defence has been pretty good. Obviously, people will say, ‘You faced 48 shots against the New York Islanders.’ But, they had six power plays and we had three. Sometimes that’s a gauge that a team gets a few more shots because they’re on the power play. Overall, if we can improve at any position, we’ll look to improve at any position.”
Dorion’s not going to disparage his defensive group, especially when there are a number of important games left in the season that can push the team closer toward the wild card picture. That said, the performance of Jake Sanderson has been impressive, especially in light of who his regular playing partner has been.
To echo Dorion’s point, Erik Brannstrom’s had a fine season, but the right defence position has been such a predictably glaring weakness that has been exacerbated by Artyom Zub’s injuries.
As a collective, the results have not been great, but the group is not one to inspire fear in the opposition. They are not particularly hard to play against, which means that they had better excel at the other aspects of the position. Unfortunately, they just don’t win enough battles, disrupt passing lanes and move the puck efficiently enough to overcome their deficiencies.
On whether he sees a future for Travis Hamonic beyond this season…
“One thing I can tell you is that Travis has been a really good leader. No matter what anyone says, I will tell you he has helped Jake Sanderson’s transition to the NHL – having a steady partner, having someone to talk to you, having someone who’s gone to war. Do I see a future? For sure. He’s probably someone that we’re not going to move at the deadline and we want him here. And, we’ll see at the end of the season where this path takes us.”
This organization waxed poetic about Nikita Zaitsev’s intangibles and defensive aptitude whenever he came under criticism for his play alongside Thomas Chabot, and it really does not feel any different from Hamonic playing alongside Sanderson now. Like Zaitsev before him, Hamonic was charged with playing alongside a promising young player and he’s getting credit for being an experienced defender who is in his position because the organization has failed to acquire more talented alternatives. Downplaying his role or his contributions would reflect poorly on management and the coaching staff for placing him in his current role.
When Dorion’s interview occurred, his comments on Hamonic took flak because it read like the organization was committed to keeping him in the fold through the season. That is not exactly the case though. He simply said that he’s ‘probably someone that we’re not going to move at the deadline’. Like a few of their impending UFAs, a trade just depends on what the return could wind up being.
Truth be told, upgrading Hamonic is one of the easiest upgrades that the team could make. If the plan for the team is to be a buyer or seller at the deadline, selling Hamonic and buying an upgrade at the deadline could be one of the simpler solutions if management is intent on making a push for the postseason.
On whether he has had any conversations with the impending UFAs and if there’s a chance to move them to a playoff team, he will…
“We have internal discussions. I’ll keep those for myself. One thing is, I always try to… if it’s players, sometimes players directly or agents the path that we’re looking (at) for certain players. But, things can change. If we lose the next three, things can change. If we win the next three, things can change. The one thing that I’ve been impressed is that our players have played hard. The other thing I’ve been impressed with are our crowds this year. Our fans have been really behind us. We’ve had a few stinkers in front of the fans, but overall, the fans are really behind this team and the players feel it. The players talk about it. I’ve heard them talk about it when they know it’s going to be a sellout. They’ve really been good towards us and the organization.”
I have not touched upon it until this point, but in listening to Dorion talk, one of the things that strikes me is how much this interview sounded like the general manager understands that it is likely his last at the helm. From marking out at the crowd support and playing up what fans mean to him and the organization, it sounds like he’s close to accepting the likelihood that his time with the organization is drawing to a close.
On what he’s looking for over the next stretch to determine what his team needs…
“I wish we could have gone this year 20 to 25 games somewhat healthy because that could have given us the best indication of where we are, where we are as an organization. There are teams on the build that really haven’t had any injuries. I wish that could have happened to us. I have a really good idea that this is a team moving forward that will be in the playoffs and contend for the playoffs as long as everything stays status quo. I know the nucleus of this team is one of the best in the NHL and most are signed long-term. I think our fans know that, that’s why they’re behind us. My only wish this year is give us 20 to 25 games where we’re almost healthy, a few knicks and bruises. I think as much as our fans are behind us, they’d be even more behind us.”
Unfortunately in hockey, with parity being as significant as it is, a lot of success is predicated on having good luck. A physical game like hockey breeds injuries and it is just something that good teams have to overcome. Ottawa has had its share of them and simply have not been able to come out ahead. Their depth has been tested and it simply has not been good enough and that was to be expected. Projecting out at the beginning of the season, the roster was top-heavy up front and on defence. And, with almost 30 games left in the season, those projections have held up.
On Derrick Brassard and his future…
“Derrick Brassard will play his 1,000th game with the Ottawa Senators. Unless there is a trade that shocks us, I would put it at 99.9 percent. We have a plan in place. D.J. (Smith) and I have talked about it. We’ll, as we get closer, we’ll let you know this is the path, but not right now.”
Entering tonight’s game against the Blackhawks, the native of Hull needed seven games to reach the 1,000 game milestone. If Brassard dresses in every game leading up to that, he’ll reach 1,000 in the second game of the back-to-backs against Detroit at the end of the month.
On the pending ownership sale and its impact on his decision making…
“No, I’ve communicated regularly with the board about this year. As far as moving forward, I’ve always told them that I was going to do what’s best for the organization and best for the team. And, at that point in time, when new owners come in – whenever that may be – I’ll give them what the plan is and move forward. But, you just go about your business and do what’s best for the organization.”
This is one of the questions that I was curious about considering how the process of the ownership sale is progressing. Depending on timelines, it seems reasonable to assume that the board will not want management to do anything crazy regarding the state of the roster or make any significant salary changes with a sale looming around the corner.
As much as Dorion is looking forward to giving them the details of the 112-page master plan, it feels safe to assume that new owners will want to put their own people in place and lead this thing forward.
On the Troy Mann firing and his thoughts on it…
“Obviously, on this one, I think Ryan Bowness spoke very well about it. Him and I made that decision and it was for the betterment of the organization. We move on. I don’t know if I can add anything more to it.”
For clarity, Bowness indicated that it was simply a matter of synergy. He wanted to see improved communications between Belleville and Ottawa.
On reflecting on some of the rumours about why Mann was let go…
“I don’t talk about rumours. I talk about facts. I think Ryan really alluded well to it that for us, we needed to make this decision. We made it, both Ryan and I. He had experience seeing what Wilkes-Barre and Pittsburgh did and we just made the decision for the best of the organization.”
Dorion may not talk about rumours, but he’s certainly happy to pass them along to Bruce Garrioch provided the coverage is positive. It’s all about leveraging them for his own personal interest. Having written about Mann’s dismissal a few weeks ago, it is bizarre to see the organization worry about synergy when the expectation is that the entire hockey ops staff will be gutted with the new ownership change, but here we are.
On Tim Stützle’s season and how signing his extension in the fall probably saved the team more money down the road…
“Tim Stützle is a treat to watch every night. We have a budding superstar. Whether he’s going to be a top-five player in the league or top-10 player in the league, he brings me out of my seat. I watch hockey all the time and I’m excited to watch Tim Stützle every night. We’re happy that he wanted to make the long-term commitment. He’s a good person. He’s an unbelievable hockey player and our fans are going to see him this year plus another eight years. Hopefully after that, if I’m here I can sign him to another contract. Whomever else can sign him to another contract. Timmy’s great. He brings a smile to my face every time I see him. He loves hockey. He loves being here. He sleeps a lot. You know what? It’s great to be part of the same organization as Tim Stützle and a lot of the other players.”
Ottawa is incredibly lucky to have Stützle. Between the San Jose Sharks’ pick falling and then winding up getting called in the lottery or the fact that the Senators simply had to pick whoever fell from Lafreniere, Byfield and Stützle, the organization and its fans have to be thrilled with how this pick has played out. The Senators likely got the best player in the draft.
On updating the injury situations...
“So, on Josh Norris. He had his surgery a few weeks ago. It was a successful surgery and he will be back here I think in the next few days. Cam Talbot, as I said previously, will join us for practice either tomorrow or Saturday. He had a really good day today. Best day, so that means he’s trending in the right direction. Nick Holden has an upper-body injury, not long-term, but we did put him on the IR. Jake Sanderson, we’re targeting probably not the back-to-back against St. Louis but probably closer to a two-week thing – so, around Carolina and Montreal. If not, probably go (the back-to-back games) Detroit-Detroit. (Anton) Forsberg is done for the year. Forsberg is walking now. He doesn’t have two legs. Poor guy. It’s an unfortunate injury and he’s a battler. He’ll be back to 100% for next year. And, on Josh (Norris), the timeline is training camp next season.”
I hope Forsberg still has two legs.
On Norris being ready for training camp…
“There’s no doubt about that. That’s why we did what we did. I know we talked to multiple doctors and they were pretty much all on the course, try to rehab and get strength. And, when we talked that he could do surgery at that point in time, the timeline was going to be about the same. Unless we were probably in the second round of the playoffs, if we did it a few weeks after, it would have been about the same.”
I don’t know how anyone can blame the organization for bringing Norris back this season. If rehabilitation did not work and corrective surgery still put Norris on a timeline to be healthy for camp in the fall, there is not really any harm or foul here. No one should blame the organization or player for trying to put the best efforts forward to try and come back this season and help give the team a shot at pushing toward the postseason when it does not negatively impact his ability to arrive at camp healthy next fall.
On the plan with prospects like Egor Sokolov in Belleville and getting prospects reps in Ottawa…
“Let’s just see where we are. I did say we’re going to keep Ridly Greig (in Belleville) for 50 games, but the next Sunday morning I was having my coffee and I was watching Ridly. We’d had a really bad game against Winnipeg and I said to myself, ‘I’m watching a game on my iPad from the next morning,’ and I said, ‘Why aren’t we calling this guy up?’ So, I talked to D.J. and for the most part, I’m not trying to dwell into it too much, the first three years of D.J., the importance was on development. Developing some of our younger players. Winning is always important. This year with D.J., it was always do what you can. Dress the best lineup. Development is still important because they’re still young kids. I knew Jake would have his minutes, I wasn’t worried about that. On this one, I did call D.J. ‘We’re going to call him up. Can you please promise me that he’s going to have a chance to touch the puck.’ So, that’s why he’s on the power play. Except for the last game, he’s always played above 13 minutes, I believe. Last game was a back-to-back. He went against a man’s team in Calgary and the Islanders are fairly physical, so there was a bit of wear and tear. So, Ridly, sorry I contradicted myself but I’m allowed to change my mind. And, I changed my mind that morning watching on my iPad having a good coffee. And with Sokolov and some of these other players… whether it’s Sokolov, (Angus) Cruikshank, possibly (Cole) Reinhart, (Sabourin). Sabourin’s having a great year. You look at the back end, at some point in time, we’ve given games to (Jacob) Bernard-Docker. We’ve given games to Lassi (Thomson). (Max) Guenette’s had a great year, so maybe he’ll get some games. But, it all depends on where we are. In the previous years, we weren’t in the playoff race and the NHL games get amped up as you’re moving along. The games at this point and stage are different than the games in the first two weeks or the first month of the season. We have to be careful because we’re still developing some of these players if we bring them up. But, for some of these players, depending on where we are, that they will get games and they will get games and be slotted into positions. If they play well, they’ll get a chance to maybe get on the power play. Again, I’ll leave that all up to D.J.. D.J.’s done a good job of developing and making sure. Look at all our young players and look at how they’ve all grown.”
Barring some trades, I don’t know how much room there will be for some of these recalls. Seeing Sokolov get some games makes sense given the likelihood of a Tyler Motte being traded and possibly Bernard-Docker if the Senators find a taker for Hamonic or Holden. Aside from that though, it’s hard to imagine many of these players getting extended looks without there being significant injuries to the parent club.