As the NHL regular season enters its final stretch, some teams are focused solely on securing a spot in the playoffs. However, for the Ottawa Senators, their general manager Pierre Dorion is emphasizing the importance of growth over a playoff berth this season. Despite facing some challenges and setbacks, Dorion has confidence in his team’s potential and believes that their progress will be more valuable in the long run. In this article, we’ll explore the reasons behind Dorion’s stance and how it could shape the Senators’ strategy in the coming weeks.
The Ottawa Senators’ general manager, Pierre Dorion, has stated that he will not complain if the team does not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. Dorion emphasized that he prioritized the growth of the team this year and that getting into the playoffs would just be a bonus. The Senators have lost four of their last five games and are eight points adrift of the New York Islanders in the race for the second wild card spot from the Eastern Conference.
Speaking from the NHL general managers meeting, Dorion addressed several subjects, including the Senators’ growth this year, the arrival of defenseman Jakob Chychrun, and the performance of forward Claude Giroux. He also discussed how finding a new owner could affect his work and whether the potential buyer, Ryan Reynolds, could be the new owner.
Dorion emphasized how obtaining young players except for Josh Norris, who is currently injured, is working towards the team’s growth. He believes that this is the most extensive development that the team could have this year. For Dorion, at the end of the season, the team will look back and say that they’ve learned everything about being a consistent and winning team regardless of whether or not they make the playoffs.
Dorion expressed his happiness about Chychrun’s addition to the team. He believes that Chychrun complements the group of players within two or three years of each other, including Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, Josh, and Drake Batherson. Claude Giroux is not within that age bracket but has fit in well with the team, delivering even more than what was expected of him.
Dorion said that the sale of the Senators did not affect his job whatsoever. He runs the hockey side of things and focuses on planning for the next season. Dorion stated that potential new owners would assess the team’s plans before buying it. He also said that people are more excited about the trades they made, the team rolling, and the team getting better, asserting that people only ask about Ryan Reynolds occasionally.
Dorion confirmed that he has met Reynolds and that he was pleased to get to know him better. Overall, he sounded optimistic and determined about the Senators’ growth and performance.
In conclusion, it’s clear that the Senators are focused on long-term growth rather than short-term success. While making the playoffs would be a nice bonus, the team’s priority is to continue developing their young talent and building a sustainable winning culture. Fans can expect to see some exciting progress throughout the rest of this season and beyond, even if it doesn’t lead to a playoff berth. As the GM stated, success is a process and the Senators are committed to taking the necessary steps to achieve it. So let’s embrace the journey and trust in the process. Go Sens Go!
