Patrick Roy in Ottawa: It all depends on Michael Andlauer’s next decisions

The Ottawa Senators have (finally) been sold. Canadian minority owner Michael Andlauer will buy the club after submitting an offer of $950 million.

That’s a lot of money.

The next step is to ask ourselves what lies ahead for Pierre Dorion. His position as GM in Ottawa is not set in stone, and if the club has a new, trusted owner, Dorion’s job could be on the line.

After all, Andlauer makes the decisions now. If he wants to move in another direction, that’s his choice… And the way the Senators have been performing since Dorion’s arrival in Ottawa, seeing him “tased” wouldn’t necessarily be a surprise.

There are whispers behind the scenes that Steve Staios, who is very well known to Andlauer, may be able to secure a role in the Senators organization. There’s even talk of him being the team’s next GM…

And this plays a direct role in the possibility of Patrick Roy playing a role behind the bench of an NHL team.

After all, we know that Dorion and Roy know each other well. In fact, we know that the Senators came close to hiring Roy in 2019, but that Dorion preferred DJ Smith in the end.

One thing should be noted, though. DJ Smith has not yet been fired. The head coaching position is not vacant in Ottawa… But chances are it will be soon, should Andlauer choose to “start all over again”.

There’s also a world in which Smith keeps his job, as he still has one year left on his contract. It would be a bit surprising, but it’s possible.

All this to say that the situation is still very unclear in Ottawa. We still don’t know what Michael Andlauer’s plans are, and it’s the new owner’s next decisions that will rock the boat.

But the facts are clear. If Dorion does leave the Senators, it’s not looking good for Patrick Roy and his chances of coaching in the NHL again. If there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s this.

Breaking news

– All the same!

– Incredible, but true.

– Stay tuned.

– Nice mentality.

– Bravo!