Five Thoughts for a Friday - The more Things Change

If you want to take any solace from the events in the Ottawa Senators blogosphere this week, just remember that we as a fanbase never really have to step outside of our comfort zone. As much as we all felt elated about the prospect of new ownership this time last year, we also faced the prospect of change—not for me. Quoth the legendary Black Flag, "You can go out it you want, we wouldn't dare." And looking back now on our first season of Andlauer-era hockey, I think I can confidently say that if nothing else, at least Ottawa Senators hockey (and let's be real, we talk a lot more about the peripherals than the actual games) hasn't changed. The North Stittsville Senators

You know what stresses me out? Moving. Who wants a new address on their drivers' licence? Nobody. When Andlauer officially bought the Sens, it seemed like all the invisible hurdles between the NHL and downtown Ottawa would finally vanish. Last I checked however, relationship status still set to "it's complicated." The team wants a downtown arena. The mayor wants the team downtown. The NCC will give the project the green light. And despite having everyone on the same page, there's just no forward progress. God bless this sweet, impossible bureaucratic city. For a second I had worried that something would be different but alas it was just a dream.

Only in America

If you blinked, then you missed the Coyotes relocation to Utah last month. I could count on one hand the days from the time I first wrote about Utah as an NHL city to the time of the official announcement. We joke a lot about red tape in this city but sweet baby Jesus does money ever talk louder anywhere else on earth. We got an absolute whirlwind of grass-growing, paint-drying excitement while the Melnyk estate transferred ownership of the Sens to Andlauer's group last year. Can you imagine missing out on all that excitement? Fans in Utah probably didn't have time to get mad about a single thing online and now just like that, they have a team. They better start practicing in SLC because being an extremely online NHL fan takes years of hard work and dedication. All joking aside, I hate this move. Please give us back the Coyotes. I refuse to accept a league with both the Kraken *and* the Venom or Fury or Outlaws. Fisher Price ass team names. Anyway, thank you Andlauer for preserving the heritage of our straightlaced hockey identity.

Nobody Wants to Be a Senator

I've talked about it before and I can happily still report that the Senators find themselves in a favourable position to keep their core together for the next couple of years (assuming they want to). I should clarify that they can *mostly* do this. Claude Giroux will have to make a fairly significant decision next season that I imagine will have to do largely with the success of the team on the ice. At this point however, Giroux has already given us two perfect seasons and owes the city of Ottawa absolutely nothing and he controls his own fate. Jakob Chychrun on the other hand continues to occupy the rumour mill and probably will continue to do so until next spring. Now, in fairness, the Senators in part acquired Chychrun at a reasonable price *because* he only had a couple full seasons left on his contract and always knew this day would come. The Sens also knew they would eventually have to navigate the contract situations of Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson. And while Chychrun only has partial protection on his contract, he still somewhat controls his own fate over the next 12 months. And depending which blogs you subscribe to, and which comment sections you have the stomach for, Chychrun hates Ottawa and doesn't want to play for the Sens anyway (never mind that he waived said contract protection to come here in the first place). Thank goodness that new ownership hasn't made this a desirable destination for players. That would just feel way too foreign for me.

Nobody Wants to Coach the Senators

If I have learned anything since the Sens hired a head coach, it's that none of the other rumoured candidates for the position wanted to come here anyway. Damn, give me Steve Staios' job. It sounds soft as hell. Why even bother interviewing if none of the other candidates actually want the position? I guess Staios himself must have once been the lone applicant when the Sens needed a new GM. Now, I do want to temporarily shed the sarcasm if only to openly express that I had Claude Julien's name at the top of my list (Good Local Boy) but also maybe if the Montreal Canadiens fire someone then you probably don't actually want that someone. I do have to wonder though how we get so attached to candidates who all failed publicly in their last station. Like Oscar the Grouch says, "One guy's treasure is another guy's trash."

Off-Season Bingo

I don't know how many times I've watched the replay of David Pastrnak's game-seven overtime goal. It just keeps getting funnier every time I do. And as much as I can't stand Boston, I hate Toronto so much more. I feel like such a comical end to Toronto's season (and their head coach's tenure) has to take the free square on our summer bingo card. We can also stamp Ottawa losing the lottery, Ottawa getting another new head coach, talk about buyouts, and our annual draft coverage (the best coverage money can't buy, by the way!). I can't wait to see what our favourite team has in store for us next and I look forward to sharing the memories with our readers here at S7S.

On a parting note, rest in power to one of the great musical minds of our time. Steve's gone but our headaches ring on.