Eugene Melnyk claims Sens rebuild is unlike anything done before

Ottawa Senators Owner Eugene Melnyk is not the most popular owner in the NHL, I think we can all agree on that. That aside, you can't argue that he isn't greenlighting some very bold moves, including a massive rebuild. Melnyk had some interesting things to say about his club's rebuilding process over the weekend.

"Nobody's done what I did. I don't care what anybody says," Melnyk told the Ottawa Sun's Bruce Garrioch. "Nobody has gone and gutted a team the way I did. We made a list … the top six guys gone. Show me a team, in any sport, where the top six guys are gone. This was specifically designed. You had to be a certain age to be part of it."

"We just had to put our chin up, take all the crap, and, in the end, just hope that you're right. If you're right, you're the king of the day, and if you're wrong, you're the bum of the day," he added.

Since purchasing the Senators in 2003 the team has had a few solid playoff runs but zero Stanley Cups. They were just 1 overtime goal away from reaching the Stanley Cup FInals in 2017, and just coming close didn't sit well with the Owner. As a result, Melnyk, along with GM Pierre Dorion, began to dismantle the 2017 team in hopes of building a perennial threat, trading all of their top players from that season including Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone, Kyle Turris, Mike Hoffman, Derrick Brassard, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

Since trading away the majority of their core, they have been left with an inexperienced team centered around young stud defenceman Thomas Chabot and power forward Brady Tkachuk. They have finished 30th, 31st, and 30th in their last three seasons but have stockpiled young assets and draft picks during that time.

"Our scouting group is second to none," Melnyk said. “The beauty is we've got new, fresh blood coming in every year for the next five years with just what we've drafted so far. We've got some great talent."

If the talks of an all-Canadian Divison come to life next month the Senators could be in line for another last-place finish, as each of the 6 other Canadian teams are much deeper, and arguably more talented, possessing a lot more experience than the young Senators.

This offseason the Sens added veterans Evgenii Dadonov and goaltender Matt Murray to their lineup which should help in the leadership department. Moves of that nature seem to back up Melnyk's claims that the Senators will be “Stanley Cup winners within 4 years”. I can't blame him for reaching for the stars but he has also been called the “Worst Sports Franchise Owner In North America” so I'm not holding my breath.

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