Senators GM Dorion risks losing quality talent at expansion draft
OTTAWA — It’s only fitting Pierre Dorion is headed to Las Vegas. The Ottawa Senators general manager may have to do some gambling as he prepares for the upcoming expansion draft.
Dorion discussed his plans for the draft Thursday, confirming reports that the Senators had asked defenceman Dion Phaneuf to waive his no-movement clause and allow Ottawa to expose him. But the veteran declined, leaving the Senators and Dorion with some rather big decisions prior to Saturday’s 5 p.m. deadline for teams to submit their protected lists.
Had Phaneuf agreed to be exposed the Senators could have protected Erik Karlsson, Marc Methot and Cody Ceci and seven forwards. Now that Phaneuf has to be protected the Senators could lose Methot or Ceci.
“It was explained very well to him, our request and why we were making this request,” said Dorion. “It wasn’t that we felt he was our fourth best defenceman, it was the fact that we’d like to keep our top four together. At your age and salary (he told Phaneuf) the likelihood of maybe Vegas not taking you was a possibility, but who knows? Maybe Las Vegas would have taken him…