The Ottawa Senators are evolving into a more competitive NHL team with the new ownership of Michael Andlauer, who gained supporters for his remark about Gary Bettman.
Earlier this week, the Senators revealed plans to relocate their arena from a suburb to the downtown core—a much-needed change that is expected to boost fan attendance. When discussing Bettman’s contact regarding arena plans, Andlauer humorously alluded to the commissioner potentially taking away a first-round draft pick from him.
Andlauer (in FR) looking back on the last year: “It was a pretty busy year with some speed bumps, when Gary Bettman called me yesterday I said “oh damn I hope I didn’t lose another first pick for next year”
Andlauer acquired the Senators in the fall of 2023. Soon after, the NHL penalized Ottawa for their involvement in the Evgeni Dadonov trade by taking away a first-round draft pick. The Senators had traded Dadonov to the Golden Knights but neglected to provide his no-trade list. This misstep led to Dadonov’s subsequent trade to Anaheim being deemed invalid, with the NHL holding the Senators responsible.
Andlauer expressed frustration over being penalized for the errors of the previous leadership, and his commitment to challenging Bettman on this matter has certainly gained him supporters—especially among those who believe the commissioner has a tendency to punish Canadian teams.
"Why I inherited this is beyond me."
Michael Andlauer on the Senators losing a first-round pick for their role in the voided Evgeni Dadonov trade. pic.twitter.com/0n1lsI20Ql
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 1, 2023
The announcement of a new arena in LeBreton Flats is a significant win for the Senators, but now the team needs to improve their performance on the ice.
Per @SunGarrioch, the @Senators and National Capital Commission have reached an agreement for a new arena at LeBreton Flats 👀
(Via: @OttawaCitizen) pic.twitter.com/tYo1n1aq7D
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) September 20, 2024
Since their miracle run to the Eastern Conference Final in 2017, the wheels fell off the team completely and they’ve crumbled into a perpetual rebuild. They now have some young talent on the roster signed to long term contracts, but now they need to earn their money and make the playoffs. They’ll be hard pressed to make up ground in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division, but if nothing improves soon, major trades will be made.
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