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Why haven't the Sens added to their hockey ops yet?!

August 31, 2022, 10:30 PM ET [101 Comments]
Kevin Francis
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The hockey operations department has been one of the biggest areas of concern for many Sens fans during the team's rebuild. It's no secret that Ottawa has the smallest staff in the league in regards to hockey ops and even though Sens GM Pierre Dorion has said he was been given the green light to spend going back before the NHL Entry Draft, nothing has changed in the front office. After Pierre McGuire was fired and Assistant GM Peter MacTavish left the organization for another job, only Ryan Bowness was added to the staff in terms of salary as Dorion elevated Trent Mann from Chief Amateur Scout to be Co-Assistant GM with Bowness. With Bowness and Mann sharing the Assistant GM duties, the size of hockey ops remains the same as last year, two employees out, two employees in.

Dorion has yet to hire a replacement for Mann and with junior hockey already opening up its training camps, I'm quite surprised the team hasn't addressed this need! Doug Wilson Jr. is looking for work after the San Jose Sharks wiped the slate clean so incoming GM Mike Grier could hire his own people. Wilson Jr. would be a nice replacement for Mann as he has previous NHL experience as Chief Amateur Scout.

The only other addition the Sens made to their staff was adding former Sen Wade Redden to the player development coaching staff.

I'm curious to hear from Sens fans if they are concerned by how little Dorion has done with his staff. Over the years, Sens fans have been very loud on many occasions about how many awful decisions Dorion has made when it comes to pro-player evaluations. During the rebuild, many of his trades have been flat-out awful while his UFA signings have been average at best, outside of the obvious one this summer with Claude Giroux. It's clear Dorion needs help in this department and at a time when Ottawa hopes to contend for a playoff spot this coming season, he will need all the help he can get when it comes to making the proper trades to add to the young core. He can't be making mistakes with trades due to poor pro-player evaluations.

My question to Sens fans is, are you okay with Dorion remaining status quo with his staff, or do you feel he needs to not only hire someone to replace Mann but to make some overdue additions to the hockey ops department? If Ottawa wants to continue to progress this season on the ice and beyond, they need to make the proper additions in the front office as well for sustained success.

Comments, thoughts Sens fans?
Thanks for reading.
Kevin
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