The Ottawa Senators had a great offseason; depending who you ask, they may have had the best offseason. Landing
Alex DeBrincat,
Claude Giroux, and Cam Talbot, the Senators completely retooled their offense and goaltending. Their defense still needs work, but all in all GM Pierre Dorion did a fine job.
The injury to
Josh Norris is quite a setback, as he is one of their top-two center-iceman. Since Norris went down, many are asking whether or not this opens the door to the club signing forward Alex Formenton, who remains a restricted free-agent. Shawn Simpson, who covers the Sens for TSN, posits that Formenton's issue is not a contract dispute.
Context: Formenton was a member of Canada's 2018 World Junior team; the one under investigation for a group sexual assault. No names have been outed from the team, but the list of suspected names includes Formenton's.
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In the eyes of the law, we are innocent until proven guilty. However, with regards to professional sports clubs, they do not abide by the same principle. To this, I believe, is what Simpson is alluding.
Formenton had a fine season last year, so I doubt his skill is what stands in the way of a deal. In 79 games for Ottawa, Formenton managed 32 points and 59 PIMs. Formenton was a staple in the Sens' top-six last season;
Brady Tkachuk,
Mathieu Joseph, Tim Stützle, and
Nick Paul (traded to TB) were the only forwards with more ice-time than Formenton.
So, it seems pretty obvious there is something else afoot here.
One user had a pretty heavy accusation, suggesting Formenton had proof that other NHLers were involved and that higher powers are keeping him out of the league because of it.
Fair warning: this is purely speculation and you should take this with massive grain of salt.
Twitter user messens26 writes: "Allegedly, Formenton has proof that high profile players presently under contract in the NHL are involved. In legal circles word is that Formenton will never be able to come back to the NHL. The 'Big Boys Club' is still alive and kicking."
So, to summarize, a Twitter user with 45 followers alleges that Formenton has dirt on all of his suspected cohorts, and that is why he doesn't have a contract. Obviously, there is a chance this is inaccurate.
On the other hand, if accurate that is a fairly large story.
Regardless, however, it is clear that the Senators are awaiting the results of the investigation(s) on the subject before signing or releasing Formenton. The NHL and its clubs often receive criticism of being beholden to wins over 'doing the right thing.'
Well, can't say that about the Ottawa Senators. They are taking the patient approach before aligning one way or the other.
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