Sportsnet: Senators’ Dorion talks team’s payroll, off-season moves and 2019-20 optimism

[AchtzehnBaby]

PD comes clean... Scanlan

SN: A lot of fans feel the organization isn’t constructing a true rebuild until some of these young players sign long-term deals? Would you concur?

Senators' Dorion talks team's payroll, off-season moves and 2019-20 optimism - Sportsnet.ca

My fav quote

Dorion: Eugene has put it on me to determine when the time will be to spend to the cap. He has been extremely supportive. The one thing with the plan that we have, we can’t rush it, we can’t take shortcuts, as tempting as they may be. We talk regularly, and when it comes time, we will pay our younger players.

Click to read more...

 

[DaveMatthew]

Respectfully, I don’t think we want to get into details about our negotiations for the simple reason that for us, it makes it harder negotiating through the public. But we want to tell our fans we know the importance of keeping our young core here for the long term. And we know that includes (Thomas) Chabot, White, (Brady) Tkachuk.

I remember when he said that last summer about Mark Stone and Matt Duchene!

It's also important to note that in 2 years, Chabot, White and Tkachuk will no longer be "our young players". They'll be our veterans, who we'll have to trade to make room for our new "young players" like Shane Pinto and Lassi Thomson.

But it seems like he's really hitching his wagon to DJ Smith, a rookie head coach. Hopefully he's some sort of magician.

 

[Fandlauer]

Cant wait for some exciting signings! Pen to paper!

 

[SPF6ty9]

For us — our management group and me as GM — this is probably the most excited I’ve been. I just feel with the turnover we’ve had, the veterans we’ve brought in, combined with the young players, the new coaching staff, the chance for our young players to grow, whether here or in Belleville — personally I don’t think I’ve been more excited about a season..

That makes one of us.

 

[FormentonTheFuture]

While it obviously doesn't provide much insight (like what else is he gonna say), decent summer interview. Saying all the right things but the proof will be in the pudding with Chabot/White extensions. I'm as positive/hopeful as anybody in regards to the rebuild, but it won't be much a of a rebuild if it doesn't lead to long term extensions for those players and wins down the road.

Call me a sucker or too hopeful but I still see Eugene selling eventually in the next few years.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

Scariest thing to me is this quote:

“...and when it comes time, we will pay our younger players.”

 

[DaveMatthew]

The importance of the veterans is twofold — they mentor the younger players and they ensure we don’t have too many young players at the NHL level. If we had 20 players under 25 we’d finish in last place and then you create a losing culture.

Says the GM of a team that just finished in last place, with Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel.

No worries though! Replacing them with Hainsey, Anisimov, Zaitsev and Ennis means we won't finish in last any more!

 

[JackieDaytona]

You can't expect the guy to give a super negative response about the state of the team, the controversy around cost cutting vs. rebuilding and the salary vs cap (glad to see someone is asking these questions though!). And - he has a long history of complete bullshittery so nothing he says holds much water for me.

But I really wish he'd stop with this over the top hyperbole about how excited he is about things that are clearly not that great. You can't polish this turd so hard, my man, cause now you're clearly full of shit. If this is the most excited he's ever been about the team, well that is just sad and pathetic. It's also not a good sign that his perception of what is going on diverges so greatly from what most folks see with this team.

Find a balance between being realistic and being positive, without the need for unwarranted enthusiasm and a loose grasp on the truth of the situation with this team. This rough period would be easier to swallow for fans (me at least) without the constant extra dollop of horsecrap from our bumbling GM.

Don't live in Ottawa anymore, but not watching any games (center ice etc.) or buying anything sens related until this nonsense stops. I can't support this team if it's not offering me hope for improvement. Melnyk and D'ohrion are the biggest joke in professional sports.

 

[branch]

Cant wait for some exciting signings! Pen to paper!

View attachment 248507

Wow, that makes me sick.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I appreciate the transcript posted.

He did not put his foot in his mouth or say anything egregious this time, but its about as canned as we should expect. I really think though he would do himself a big favor by not being so dodgy about the budget. The way Murray handled it was perfect. He acknowledged its existence but didn't give it a ton of mic time. Dorion always just seems offended at the notion, but I really don't understand who he thinks believes him.

Either way, we'll have to wait and see. We've had too many empty words to this point, so it's going to take action to get any kind of buy in from the fans en masse.

 

[Micklebot]

Much better answer with regards to expectations for next year, stayed away from unrealistic goals like competing for the playoffs while still keeping the message positive. Only crtique i would have is saying this is the most excited you have ever been for a seasons comes off a little much imo, but baby steps...

 

[branch]

I remember when he said that last summer about Mark Stone and Matt Duchene!

It's also important to note that in 2 years, Chabot, White and Tkachuk will no longer be "our young players". They'll be our veterans, who we'll have to trade to make room for our new "young players" like Shane Pinto and Lassi Thomson.

But it seems like he's really hitching his wagon to DJ Smith, a rookie head coach. Hopefully he's some sort of magician.

That quote though. It's like when you were a kid and your parents would come up with an excuse why you can't go to the toy store. "Oh there is something wrong with the car". But meanwhile you believe it because you're a dumb kid and didn't know any better. Now people know better, and this is their official stance? Are they mentally deficient? This is the same old gaslighting this team has come to be known for.

 

[DJB]

I juat dont trust Dorion and Melnyk to sign Chabot and Tkachuk. Those are the two players we MUST sign. If even one leaves or is dealt the fans will be completely lost forever.

He continues to use words / sentences like "we will try" , "when the time comes" not exactly concrete statements when it comes to signing our young guys.

Id have more confidence if Dorion was saying stuff like "Without question we will sign them" or something to that degree. But we dont hear that and it doesn't inspire confidence in this management and ownership.

 

[DJB]

A few weeks ago my five year old actually asked me if Brady Tkachuk is going to be back with the Sens this year or if he is leaving like Karlsson and Stone.

How pathetic is that? My five year old's memories so far are his first two favorite players leaving the Sens. Now hes worried about his next favorite player in Tkachuk leaving.

Thanks Melnyk and Dorion.

 

[FormentonTheFuture]

I juat dont trust Dorion and Melnyk to sign Chabot and Tkachuk. Those are the two players we MUST sign. If even one leaves or is dealt the fans will be completely lost forever.

He continues to use words / sentences like "we will try" , "when the time comes" not exactly concrete statements when it comes to signing our young guys.

Id have more confidence if Dorion was saying stuff like "Without question we will sign them" or something to that degree. But we dont hear that and it doesn't inspire confidence in this management and ownership.

I think it's a double edged sword though. IMO they should not make definitive statements about anything after everything that has gone on. The only time should be when he know a deal is coming down soon, like it was with Hogberg for example. I'm not comparing the situations, I'm just saying at that time he said "a contract will be done with Hogberg this week" or whatever it was.

 

[swiftwin]

So many canned non-answers. He's probably even more frustrated with Melnyk than we are.

 

[branch]

So many canned non-answers. He's probably even more frustrated with Melnyk than we are.

Definitely a man in complete control and someone who inspires confidence.

 

[swiftwin]

Definitely a man in complete control and someone who inspires confidence.

That's why we desperately need a POHO. Dorion can focus on what he's good at, and the POHO can control Melnyk.

 

[Samboni]

So he couldn’t sign EK, Duchene,Stone, Dzingel, but he expects to sign Chabot, Tkachuk?? What is on the table now that wasn’t before??

 

[branch]

So he couldn’t sign EK, Duchene,Stone, Dzingel, but he expects to sign Chabot, Tkachuk?? What is on the table now that wasn’t before??

Well they were all pending UFA, Chabot and Tkachuk are RFA, still though it's an alarming thought.

 

[GrantLemons]

That's why we desperately need a POHO. Dorion can focus on what he's good at, and the POHO can control Melnyk.

So Dorion becomes a scout/AGM, and a new, respectable GM is inserted. I concur.

 

[OttawaSenators11]

I juat dont trust Dorion and Melnyk to sign Chabot and Tkachuk. Those are the two players we MUST sign. If even one leaves or is dealt the fans will be completely lost forever.

He continues to use words / sentences like "we will try" , "when the time comes" not exactly concrete statements when it comes to signing our young guys.

Id have more confidence if Dorion was saying stuff like "Without question we will sign them" or something to that degree. But we dont hear that and it doesn't inspire confidence in this management and ownership.

They aren't signing man just prepare yourself.
Hope for the best but expect to hear Brady and Chabot having issues in the locker room at some point as an excuse to trade them when they are out of our price range.

 

[Tuna99]

The rebuild had to happen for the SI one reason that they needed to change the air on the franchise. It was stale, the fans, the arena, the headlines the doom and gloom.

Dorion is doing well to not talk about Melnycks shortcomings, those are Melncyks weaknesses as a man and it’s nit Dorion’s job to defend or speak to them.

Dorion’s job is to put together a team that wants to win, and show it how to win. He’s started well.

Brady will get 40 goals this year, Chabot will get 82 points. It’ll be a good year, not playoff good but the change that was needed was made and good on Dorion for having assets to deal and getting through the darkest time in Sens history.

 

[otown]

It's "Groundhog Day" all over again!
Quit the BS and tell us how you really feel working for "team minimum wage" with your hands tied on every single move.

Excited about the new coach, a new direction, and system......heard it all before!! Time for some action.
Get Chabot signed so that fans might have one thing they can believe in!
Very hard to believe anything PD says anymore!

 

[Knave]

The biggest contract we have ever signed was in 2007 for 7.5 million AAV.

We now live in a world where Toews and Kane average 10.6 million. Where superstar young players in their RFA years get 11.6 million (Matthews) or 12.5 million (McDavid). Many of these contracts are heavy on bonuses so players can get the cash up front as early as possible.

The last time there was serious talk about bonuses in Ottawa was when Melnyk was suing Heatley over the bonus in his contract.

A lot of talk from Dorion but until I see us pay and play with the big boys (all 30 other teams)... it's all bullshit, smoke and mirrors. I mean even Arizona managed to pay Ekman-Larsson 8.25 million. Carolina seems to be able to pay Aho over 8 million with a bonus heavy contract. Meanwhile we ship out Stone, Karlsson and others.