Xspyrit
DJ Dorion
Oh I know, but it's pretty clear Sens management also never thought Zib would get to this point. With a little bit of foresight they would have realized that paying a 1B center $5.35 million to put up near PPG numbers would have been a much better investment then Smith/Greening/ect (every other 3rd liner turned 1 year scorer).
It's insane to think of what our team could look like if Dorion didn't make any moves and just drafted well to insulate the team Murray had built. It was far from perfect, but we'd be in an infinitely better spot right now.
In terms of assets, things were looking very good before 2016-17. I believe that’s what Dorion started with (sure the team went to the ECF but that was 90% Murray built)
Hoffman-Zibanejad-Stone
MacArthur-Turris-Ryan
Smith-Pageau-Dzingel
Chiasson-Lazar-Neil
Methot-Karlsson
Phaneuf-Ceci
Borowiecki-Wideman
Claesson
Anderson, Hammond
And a pretty good prospect pool (Chabot, Brown, White, Perron, Wolanin, Jaros, Dahlen, Chlapik, Daccord, Lajoie, Harpur)
2016 Senators Prospects Top 30 + Past Rankings
MacArthur unfortunately got injured and never really got back outside of the playoff run. Dorion never got a replacement for Mac (however you need a permission to spend for that, but did Dorion think Burrows would?)
He also traded Chiasson right away for a player (Sieloff) that never amounted to anything. Could have been patient with him; he’s a much better player than he was seen here, but of course you need the coaching. Could have been solid in the bottom-6. Might have not needed to trade for Burrows then.
Neil was on the verge of retirement, do you have to give a prospect like Dahlen to get a replacement (Burrows)
Lazar didn’t work out? Ok trade him for a pick and promote Colin White or Nick Paul. And spend a late pick to solidify your bottom-6 and get a Wingels. Don’t need to go as far and pay Dahlen for Burrows.
Prepare yourself to D-core changes, Phaneuf will eventually decline and you might lose Methot to the ED. Get him back. Spend an asset. Claesson was not ready and good enough for those duties, you put him in a position to fail. Same for Oduya who had a pretty solid hockey career and you threw him into the wolves in his last year.
So if Claesson and Oduya can’t replace Phaneuf and Methot, who had to pay the price with a crazy increase of responsibilities? Cody Ceci, another D-man we kinda destroyed
Chabot was about to graduate but at that point, there was already too many holes on defense.
Also, had to look for life after Andy (and Hammond who showed signs in 2015-16 that he was a flash in the pan, instead of spending assets on Burrows and Stalberg, get a young goalie with potential?
All that was prior to the Hoffman-Karlsson debacle.
Melnyk deserves a lot of blame for this downfall but Dorion kinda accelerated it drastically. It’s incredible, Murray must be so pissed off wherever he is.
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