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The Ottawa Senators want you to know that they will undergo some changes. Many changes. Many, many, many changes. After a tumultuous 2017-18 season – both on and off the ice – the team hopes to take on an exciting new direction this year. In an effort to give their fans an idea of what this direction might be, the team released a video Monday night featuring the team's owner, Eugene Melnyk, involved in what should be a discussion with the team. defender Mark Borowiecki. state of the team.
This is … Something. It really is, really something, and it does not seem to have done much more to annoy the loyal fans who are already deprived of their rights with the team under the direction of Melnyk (the old hashtag #Melnykout is already returned).
Let's go to the highlights.
1. The owner does not wear one of his team's current jerseys
Let's start by deceiving something and stressing that Melnyk is clearly wearing an old Reebok jersey instead of one of the current ones.
This is noteworthy because the NHL jersey sponsorship is with Adidas (all jerseys are in the background are Adidas), and well, given the size of the sponsors and brands in the professional sports business world (and Melnynk at least three different times in this video) It's at least a little strange to see the team owner not wearing one of the new swimsuits today.
It's perhaps his lucky charm and he likes it?
2. "Right now, we're sort of in the dumpster.
As for the message itself, it all starts with Borowiecki asking a simple question: "What's the plan here?"
It's a perfectly reasonable question that everyone in Ottawa – including the players currently on the list – should ask.
In response, Melnyk gives a fairly honest assessment of the franchise's position before attempting to paint an optimistic picture of the situation.
"I think what fans are looking forward to, and what I'm looking forward to, is a fresh and new season. Something we can expect from young players. I think we can group them into a very serious team. I think a lot more than a lot of people, "Melnyk said.
"Right now, we're sort of in the dumpster. You know, everyone says "Ah, they will not do anything." I do not believe it. I think with the character in the locker room and the people who work so much, we can accomplish more than many people believe. When I signed up for an owner, I really did not expect that we would pass something like last year. It was a difficult and difficult year for us … in the offices, on the ice, now we start fresh. Many things have changed I think this year will become one of those decisive years for us. "
3. He's not going anywhere
One of the many controversies that surrounded the Senators' organization in 2017-2018 was the day before the team's meeting against the Montreal Canadiens, calling into question the threat of resettlement if things got desperate for him and the team in Ottawa. Now he wants you to know that neither he nor the team are going anywhere anytime soon.
"We will give everything we have. Some people talk in the city,ah he can move the teamThe first thing is that I will stay here a long time. I'm not going anywhere. Number two, the franchise is not going anywhere. It's like, totally solid. So everyone can concentrate, get rid of the noise. What you are trying to try is to try to make sure veterans are in the room. That's what everyone is counting on to take these young players under their wing. "
Just a reminder, again, that Eugene Melnyk was the one who spoke of the potentially moving team.
4. Senators are do not currently loaded with picks … at least not yet
At some point during the interview, Melnyk talks about the core already in place and how they plan to complete it with young players.
"We are going to build that with the young prospects who are coming in now, and the choices," says Melnyk. "We now have picks for the next four, five or six years."
Are they?
Maybe that will change in the months to come (and Melnyk seems to suggest it unintentionally later, which we will see soon), but the Senators are not really loaded with choice. At least no more than any other NHL team.
- Over the next three years, the Senators will have 22 draft picks, which would be a net gain from a rough draft compared to what each other team in the league starts (seven rounds per draft, one choice per team).
- The Senators' first and third round picks in 2019 are currently in the Colorado Avalanche as part of Matt Duchene's trade early last season. This first-round pick could be the most valuable choice among all Senators' choices in the future (1) where the Senators could finish in the standings this season, and 2) the possibility that this choice will become Jack Hughes.
- The Senators still have a third-round pick this year (originally from the Pittsburgh Penguins), but it will likely be much lower than their choice would have been.
To be fair, Melnyk may know what will happen in the weeks and months to come. This team currently has a ton of free agents coming – Duchene, Mark Stone and best of the group, defender Erik Karlsson – and other veterans who could be sold. It is possible, if not probable, that all play for new teams before the end of the season. If they are, the draft choices will certainly be part of these returns.
But these crafts still need to be manufactured.
It is also very doubtful that they get a better choice in return than the choice that they sent to Colorado.
So … Yeah.
5. Expect a lot of new faces over the next two years
How many new faces? Let the owner tell you what he sees happen.
"Well, that's what our reconstruction is going to be. It's a bit of a cliché, but we take it seriously. I think this year we will have 10 new players out of 22, which means they are rookies or have played less than 10 games last year. The next year there will be about 15 out of the 22 … maybe 16. So that's a total business figure, so that's exactly what should be rebuilt .
Assuming that this is really happening, it is a lot Stone, Duchene and Karlsson, in Ottawa, and probably some other players under contract beyond this season (there are nine players under contract until 2019-2020). It is also interesting to note that a team with as many new players on the lineup is almost certain to be coached in a regular season of 82 games.
Finally, a few words about being excited about the energy that young players will bring to the organization.
"You're excited because they're excited, it excites me, it excites all our fans and sponsors," says Melnyk. "So it will work! I think we are looking forward to a great year. I really think the fans will support us. We have good fans. They are excellent hockey fans, great sponsors. We need to give them hope that they know, that we know what we are doing and that the team knows what they are doing and brings victories together. "
Hey, credit to the Senators for trying to get the message out that the team actually has East rebuild and try to give an overview of the plan, even if it is not necessarily great. There is something to be said about transparency, and some recognition that a reconstruction is under way is a better approach than Montreal's, for example, by exchanging all of its best players and refusing to say that the world "rebuilt".
On the other hand, you could also have written a letter like the Rangers.
Related: 10 NHLers Must Have Better Season in 2018-19
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Leave him a line to [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @ AGretz.
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