TSN: Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion on TSN 1200 radio on pending RFA defenseman Erik Brannstrom and onward Alex DeBrincat.
**NHLRumors com transcription
Host: “Pierre, with the enhancement that Erik Brannstrom has made throughout the period, is it even more of a passion of aiming to bring him back and authorizing him to a long-lasting bargain?
Dorion: “Well, because one, yes. I believe it’s a two-part concern. So clearly bringing him back, yes.
One point you need to recognize, depending where we choose Alex, and we are mosting likely to certify Alex at the end of the year, also if we do not have an agreement, reason we’re mosting likely to be a cap group.
So we may need to be a little bit innovative as for perhaps doing individuals on bridge offers. Maybe doing individuals on lasting offers yet I believe we’re simply mosting likely to have be innovative, particularly for the 2023-24 year, I believe 2024-25 we’ll be alright in our strategy if the cap increases.
But I believe with young defensemen, individuals, I’m not mosting likely to state his name, yet an actually appreciated GM in the organization informed me once in my initial couple of years, you should not assess defensemen till they have actually played concerning 200 video games in theNHL I believe Erik has actually currently played 200 or is surrounding that.
So, and currently we’re seeing him, we can not fail to remember just how young he still is. So, he’s just 20-something years of ages, he’s played 188 video games according to Gord, thanks, so I tink he’s truly discovering his self-confidence. Skating in addition to he skated previously. I believe with Thomas Chabot’s injury he’s obtained even more ice time, particularly with Jakob Chychrun’s injury has actually obtained him much more ice time. With Travis Hamonic’s injury obtained him ice time. And he’s truly revealed that he can play those mins, to ensure that truly bodes well for us.
I believe one setting you can never ever truly have a lot of is goaltenders and defenseman.
We wish to bring him back clearly. I do not understand just how the agreement will certainly look. I would certainly enjoy to visit arb with (faint), it’s something I truly take pleasure in. For at all times they have actually placed the weapon to your head, so we’ll see what occurs yet I believe we need to enhance Erik and just how he’s played, particularly in the 2nd fifty percent of the period.”