Pierre Dorion called this season a step in the right direction.
And, whenever the 2020-21 campaign gets under way, the Ottawa Senators’ general manager is confident with the right decisions made with the prospects in the NHL draft and the proper changes to the roster the club will be competitive under coach D.J. Smith with the right pieces put in place.
Dorion is hopeful the fan base will start seeing the fruits of the club’s labour in this rebuild.
“It wasn’t a full season but it was close enough that we got a good evaluation of our team,” Dorion said in a Zoom call with local media Thursday. “We felt we made great progress, we felt were very competitive and we were very happy with the job D.J. and his staff have done. We felt we were progressing well and following the plan of this team getting better.
“Lots of our good, young players in Ottawa improved and got better. We had some good veterans that we counted on. At the same time, the development of the players in Ottawa and in Belleville was very good. It’s unfortunate what happened in Belleville, with their season coming to an end, but we knew they were gaining valuable minutes there.
“I thought we made great gains in how we play, compete, team structure and we feel the plan that (owner) Eugene Melnyk and myself put in place in Feb., 2018 is on the right path and on schedule to bringing a lot of success down the road.”
The NHL draft this summer is going to play a big role in where this rebuild is headed. The club has three picks in the first round, including two that are guaranteed to be in the top six, seven in the first two rounds and 13 in total with the draft lottery set for June 26 while the draft itself will be held sometime in the summer or when the season is completed.
The rules of the lottery were laid out by commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly Tuesday and the good news for the people in Ottawa is the Senators will retain their 25% odds of getting the No. 1 overall selection. The club has a 13.5% chance with its own pick and another 11.5% opportunity with the selection the received from the San Jose Sharks.
You aren’t going to hear complaints about the format from Melnyk and Dorion.
“The NHL made a good decision and they consulted with many teams, including us,” Dorion said. “We’re very happy with the how the draft lottery will proceed. We know we’re going to get two players in the top six in the worst-case scenario and in the best-case No. 1 and No. 2 and we’re looking forward to the draft lottery.”
That’s why Dorion noted Ottawa targeted this draft when it started the rebuild because they know it’s deep with talent and one of the best in years. The club not only has a shot at Alexis Lafreniere of the Rimouski Oceanic, Tim Stuetzle of Germany and Quinton Byfield of Sudbury are both highly-rated as well while the Senators also have the New York Islanders top selection from the Jean-Gabriel Pageau deal.
Dorion is confident chief scout Trent Mann and his staff are prepared.
“We always knew this would be one of the best drafts in the last 10-to-20 years and that’s why we stocked so many picks,” Dorion said. “We wanted to get ready for it and we feel that we’re in a very good position with nine picks in the first three rounds and three picks in the first round.
“We feel we’re in a good position to help our rebuild and our long-term success by stockpiling so many picks for this year’s draft. We feel it’s a really quality draft and in the first 15-to-20 you’re going to get really good NHL players and in the top three rounds we feel you’re going to get really solid NHL players also.”
Dorion wouldn’t say whether he would use all the picks he has in the draft and did leave the door open to make deals for help right away if the club gets the right offer.
“I don’t want to tip our hand on what we’re going to do with our picks,” he said. “I’m sure as we get closer to the draft there will be multiple discussions. We know that we have a plan in place, we’re going to follow that plan, we know we’re not going to rush things.
“We’re going to do things properly and that’s part of having a long-term success of building a championship-calibre team in Ottawa if we do the right thing with this draft.”
The Senators have already interviewed approximately 50 prospects for the draft and, at some point in the next month or two, they will hold their scouting meetings to make their final lists. The reality is they’ve got lots of time to prepare and they’re going to take it.
“We know our draft will be very good hands with Trent handling it,” Dorion said. “We’ve had preliminary meetings with areas and we’re still doing some interviews. We know time is on our side here and the draft won’t be until much later on. Right now, we’re no rush, we’re going to have meetings in the next month or so but we’re going to take our time and do it right.
“It’s not a race here, it’s to make the best list possible going into this draft.”
Twitter: @sungarrioch
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