Report: Sens owner Melnyk squeezing out Duchene and Stone?

With 2018 finally winding down, the Ottawa Senators can finally close the door on perhaps the worst year in franchise history. Or… can they? Starting January 1st, 2019 Sens general manager Pierre Dorion can officially begin negotiations with pending unrestricted free agent Mark Stone… but there’s a sense around the NHL that Stone already has one foot out the door and is eyeing the open market as a free agent. Ditto for superstar Matt Duchene. 

There’s no doubt that the Sens are a better team with these two players on the roster, but with pricey contract extensions on the horizon and with Sens owner Eugene Melnyk holding the purse string tightly, it remains to be seen whether or not the team will dole out the cash necessary to keep its top players. 

Well, Dorion officially addressed the notion earlier this month that Melnyk won’t pay up for Duchene and Stone, check it out:

“We don’t need to worry about the financial considerations of this franchise,” Dorion said on Dec. 2. “We have the full backing of Mr. Melnyk to sign both of these players. It’s our goal to sign both of these players and, hopefully, the next time we talk about it is when we’re going to announce a contract.”

Well, there you go, Sens fans… Melnyk is opening his check book for once. Now, Dorion just has to convince his two star players to sign on the dotted line.