Insider Trading: Senators in no rush to hire GM

TSN Hockey Insiders Chris Johnston and Darren Dreger join host James Duthie to discuss where Ottawa’s front office goes from here, the demand for neck protection, the latest on UFAs Patrick Kane and Jesse Puljujarvi and the complexities of the Canadiens’ crowded crease.

What a couple of crazy weeks in Ottawa. Shane Pinto gone for half a season, a first-round draft pick gone and now the general manager gone – partially because of the former. They can't bring the first-round pick back. They can't bring Pinto back for half a season. But they can hire a GM. What's the timetable for that?

Dreger: Well, there is no timeline on that. They are going to take their time. The priority for [ownership] is to make sure that the players know that they are in a stable and a confident environment. That's priority one. Now, there is going to be speculation. It's not going to come from [ownership], but you're going to hear names like Mathieu Darche, who is ready to be an NHL general manager, maybe has some history with [Senators ownership] that dates back to Montreal. Of course, Steve Staios could remove the interim title and be the next full-time general manager for the Ottawa Senators. But I'm also told and reminded that there's some good, talented people inside hockey operations in Ottawa, like Ryan Bowness, who are going to take on a bigger role, more responsibility. So, they're going to take their time with this decision.

Was nice to see a bunch of NHL players wearing neck protection in the wake of the tragic death of Adam Johnson. Is this just the beginning?

Johnston: Well, it certainly sounds like things are snowballing in this area. And consider where we were a week ago. I mean, there was no one in the NHL wearing neck protection actively. Now you've seen it appear in multiple practice sites (Winnipeg and Pittsburgh). ... I'm told there's at least five or six other teams that have ordered protective gear and will probably see that in their practices soon, and that's pretty amazing in a short amount of time. And part of this is that the NHL typically approves all of the safety equipment that's used in the league. Right now, there are three types of equipment that would protect the neck that are approved. I think the league is even willing to allow these players – basically anyone who wants to wear any cut-resistant gear – to go ahead and use it even before that approval process, because the league is having to work with manufacturers. And so that speaks to the level of interest, how quickly this has kind of happened –obviously out of the tragedy that happened over in England. And I think we're going to see it continue here into the future weeks.

When a player – an unsigned player – is spotted in a city, there's always an instant buzz. Is he going to sign in that city? And we have more Patrick Kane rumours because of this?

Dreger: Yeah. Our spies trolling the airports again – Pearson International. Patrick Kane was spotted on Wednesday and that's not unusual. He's going back to Chicago for a bit of a break. But we know, as we've reported and others have, that he's been working out in the Greater Toronto Area. Rehabbing. I'm told that, man, he is on schedule and looks great. He feels great to the point where his agent is going to start exploring the return possibilities in a week-to-10 days. And once they get through that, then they'll follow with interviews and meetings with some of these clubs, before Patrick Kane makes that ultimate decision.

Johnston: Well, there certainly won't be the same level of interest in Jesse Puljujarvi, but he is trying to come back from something very similar to Patrick Kane – also coming off a hip resurfacing procedure done by the same surgeon, in fact. And Puljujarvi is skating in Finland right now. He's just 25 years old. Obviously a former fourth-overall pick and it sounds as though he's feeling very, very good. His timetable is a little behind Kane's. He's hoping to return in early-to-mid December in terms of playing and he won't maybe necessarily have the same pick of teams, but could be an intriguing player to watch that could come in on a cheap contract.

One of the early-surprise teams in this young season, the Montreal Canadiens, partially due to what's been a pretty successful three-headed monster in goal. But how long does that last?

Dreger: Well, it's a good question. It's status quo. It's far from perfect. I mean, if you look at three goaltenders here, they all want that crease. It's hard on the coaching staff. It's tough enough when you're trying to schedule starts for two goaltenders, let alone three. And then you look closer at Sam Montembeault – remember he's an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. So, he'd like to get consecutive starts and build his portfolio up a little bit. They know that Cayden Primeau isn't going to clear waivers. So, there's a decision coming. They're not going to tell us when and that includes the possibility of trading one of these three guys.