Sens GM Dorion: ‘We’re hoping this is our last deadline as a seller’

The Ottawa Senators are hopeful that their multi-year rebuild is coming to an end.   Speaking with TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun in an interview for The Athletic, Sens’ general manager Pierre Dorion said that the team has moved past the early “fire sale” phase of the rebuild.   While Dorion acknowledged that the team will be a seller for the Mar. 21 trade deadline, he hopes this will be the last time for the foreseeable future that the team will be in the role.    “We’re definitely hoping this is our last deadline as a seller,’’ Dorion said. “I think the need to sell is definitely diminishing. We did want to get a few players in this year, and we knew some of them would only be around for a year and some we’ll try to sign.   “But there’s no real need to be selling at a premium compared to previous years.’’   The Senators have a promising young core to build around, anchored by captain Brady Tkachuk, defenceman Thomas Chabot, and forward Drake Batherson, who was scoring at a point-per-game pace before sustaining a high ankle sprain in late January.   With the team’s foundation in place, Dorion sees an opportunity at the trade deadline to move out some of the club’s pending unrestricted free agents while also making “hockey deals” to build around the Sens’ young players.    “In a perfect world, you’d like to use the trade deadline to set up your team for next year,’’ said Dorion. “But the focus on what’s happening at the deadline is that [playoff] teams are trying to build their roster to have the best playoff run possible.   “Obviously, we would like to make hockey deals. Maybe a hockey deal is made between two teams that aren’t gunning for it this year.’’

The Senators currently sit sixth in the Atlantic Division with