Pierre Dorion said on Thursday that Guy Boucher has the toughest job in Ottawa. I am not sure that is true, but if its not the toughest job in Ottawa, the GM of the Senators is in the most unenviable position in the organization.

Any critique of Dorion must also have the caveat of the looming shadow of Eugene Melnyk hovering over him (despite the protestations to the contrary) and his hands sometimes seem tied.

So I will try to analyze his performance in a vaccuum, which may be fair, may also be a little unfair, but its all we can do.

First off, he has been the GM for two seasons now, and he still doesen't seem all that comfortable speaking in front of the media. He just doesn't project that air of confidence that you see from most GMs,whether they know what they are doing or not. Dorion continues to come off in an "aw shucks" kind of manner, and quite frankly it is tough to take seriously.

But not everyone can come across great in a public forum so you can give him a pass if the results are there.

So, what are the results?

FREE AGENCY

Since he has become GM, the Senators have gone largely toward veteran free agent signings, as well as bringing in guys that coach Guy Boucher had history with.

Tom Pyatt was a good signing a couple of summers ago, as he has provided pretty good value for the money they paid him after spending some time in the Swiss league.

As for this past season, they weren't very active on the free agency front. Nate Thompson was alright, but fits right into that mold of "friend of Boucher" that was an older, more expensive option that didn't provide much more than a younger, homegrown prospect might give. Ditto Johnny Oduya, who was put into a far higher slot than he was capable of playing at this point in his career and that depth signing was a catastrophe.

Neither NHL signing finished the season in Ottawa.

Perhaps the best free agent signing might be that of Aaron Luchuck of the Barrie Colts. Undrafted in 2 NHL drafts, Ottawa signed the overage forward in December, and he went on to lead the OHL in goals (50) and points (115) in the regular season and currently sits 3rd in OHL playoff scoring. He may pan out, he may not but that is the kind of chance I would rather see the team take than bringing in another ancient veteran whose best days are far behind him.


TRADES

This is where it gets a little tougher, because Dorion wasn't dealing from a position of strength. He had a couple of crippling contracts that were inherited, and he did his best to move on from them.

He managed to move out Dion Phaneuf, which is impressive, but you could also argue that by taking on Marian Gaborik's salary they weren't in a much better position financially and they certainly took a step back on the ice. Gaborik is a buyout candidate, but his recent back surgery might put a crimp in those plans.

He moved out Derick Brassard in a deal that brought a first round pick and perhaps the goalie of the future, so that might end up being the best deal he has made.

Then there is the big one...Dorion went out and brought in a guy that they were looking for in Matt Duchene in an early season trade. Duchene took a while to adjust to the Senators, but was very good down the stretch with his team out of the running. The trade also came at the expense of fan favorite and #1 centre Kyle Turris, who went to Nashville in the deal. Throw in Ottawa's first round pick from last year in Shane Bowers as well as another (thankfully lottery protected) first round pick this year or next and it was a steep price to pay.

It is tough to call that trade a success or failure at this point, because a lot of that determination will come when and/or if Dorion can get Duchene's name on a long-term contract extension that doesn't break the bank, and how well Duchene can play when the chips are down (which has been a criticism of him in the past). If Duchene leaves after next season as a UFA because he didn't want to stay or priced himself out of the Senators' budget, then it really wasn't worth it.

On a team that was starving for top-6 talent, swapping out your #1 centre for a slight upgrade at the same position while also losing other top end assets didn't make them much better.


RECOGNITION OF PROBLEMS/BACKUP PLAN

This is where I think Dorion failed greatly. He stood in front of the media at his season wrap-up and basically mocked Guy Boucher's "rest is a weapon" philosophy, but where was the mid-season chat imploring him to practice more?

Also, Dorion didn't have a plan B in place when Clarke MacArthur didn't pass his physical at training camp, and that hole was never addressed. That shouldn't have come as a total shock, and there should have been a contingency plan in place.

I fear they are about to repeat that mistake when Dorion asserted that the duo of Craig Anderson and Mike Condon would be the tandem next season. Anderson has a history of alternating good and bad seasons, but will now be age 37 when the season starts, can he recapture that magic? Gustavsson is probably a year or more of AHL seasoning away and if Anderson or Condon can't fill the role then the Senators are in tough again next season.

LOOKING AHEAD

Dorion's biggest test will come this summer with Mark Stone, Erik Karlsson and Matt Duchene all either needing new contracts or eligible to sign extensions. There is a decent core, if he can keep it, of Karlsson, Thomas Chabot, Stone, Duchene, Mike Hoffman and Ryan Dzingel but there are also some holes like a second line center, another scoring forward, as well as a top 4 defenseman or two.

All that, while figuring out if and whose contract(s) to buy out (Gaborik, Alex Burrows or Bobby Ryan?) to free up enough space to get the contracts done that need to get done and being the head of a bare bones scouting staff that needs to identify talent for two first round picks, the second of which will be a crap shoot late first rounder that could be a gem or a bust. Pile on to that the decision of the future of the coaching staff, the increased scrutiny that comes with the failure of this season and the uproar of ownership follies and Dorion has his hands full.


There is still hope with the likes of Drake Batherson, Alex Formenton, Colin White, Logan Brown and Luchuk all prospects up front, and Gustavsson in the net, but the key is for Dorion to install a plan to develop them properly so that they can be contributors in the long term as opposed to the short term.

Dorion has a lot of pressure and not a lot of support to help him. It is an unenviable position indeed, and one that would be tough for the most seasoned GM, let alone a guy in just his second season.

Uh oh.

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