Insider Trading: Is there a feud between Keefe and Marner? -TSN.approx

TSN Hockey Insiders discuss the senators looking into selling the team, whether there’s a feud between Mitch Marner and Sheldon Keefe, when we’re likely to see Barrydiot behind a bench again, and more.

James Duthie: Full list of insiders Chris Johnston, Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun: The Ottawa Senators are up for sale just seven months after the death of owner Eugene Melnyk, according to Sportico, how’s it going CJ?

Chris Johnston: Well, the important thing is that they’ve kept a big school bank, Galatioto Sports Partners, that does things like this, mergers and acquisitions in the sports world, and they’re going to essentially handle the potential back-and-forth between potential buyers for the Senators. It’s a little early in the process to find out who those buyers might be, but I’ve been told by multiple sources that we should be talking about this as a sale keeping the senators in Ottawa. It’s not a relocation situation, and there will be a hefty price tag: some believe it could be as high as $700 million or more for Ottawa senators.

Duthie: Frustrating times in Toronto, Mitch Marner went into overtime in the third half after a couple of errors in the loss to the Anaheim Ducks, any fallout from that Dregs?

Darren Dreger: Well, first of all, I can emphatically tell you that some close to Mitch Marner say there is zero truth to this ongoing speculation that he has a problem with his head coach, Sheldon Keefe. Do they love the fact that they don’t play great hockey? Of course not, that includes the coach, that includes the star players, that’s everyone associated with the Toronto Maple Leafs. But some are wondering whether or not crafting Sheldon Keefe specifically for Marner might involve a bit of managing his Ice Age. Mitch Marner is averaging between 20 and 27 minutes per game, so maybe invest some of that ice age in your bottom six if you take what he is back a little and it turns out to be a win-win all.

Duthie: With Sheldon Keefe in the hot seat, the Barrydiot name pops up a lot in Toronto, but the Barrydiot name pops up wherever a coach is in the hot seat… when are we likely to see Barrydiot behind a bench again, Pierre?

Pierre Le Brun: That’s right James, his name should come up, he’s Barry Defiance and he’ll be in demand when he’s ready. This stems from an interview I did with Barrydio last month, in which he said he wasn’t “quite ready” to put his name in the NHL hat. He still has some things to take care of in his personal life and I understand coming in today that that’s still the case and that he’s not ready to return to NHL life until December at the earliest, so that’s still it a bit far away. He’ll want to come back, just not now, so keep that in mind. Speaking of Leaf coaches, they’re still paying $5.8 million this season to a former coach in Mike Babcock, the final year of that eight-year deal that dates back to 2015, they’re paying him through June 30. I bring this up. If the Leafs eventually decide to change coaches, consider that they’re still paying Babcock, Sheldon Keefe makes just under $2 million, so that would be $7.8 million they’d be paying former coaches if they did would make a change, not to mention the salary of a new coach. So we know MLSE has deep pockets, but it’s something to consider.

Duthie: November 1st is exactly one month after December 1st, calendar expert that I am, that’s the deadline for NHL teams to sign restricted free agents. Where is Alex Formenton and the Ottawa Senators, where are they?

Dreger: Well, they don’t move very far and this was a real quiet standoff between Formenton and the Ottawa Senators. Obviously the Ottawa senators have reasons to play this situation slowly, but your dates are accurate on the calendar and that clearly means the clock is ticking. There are two options here: either sign Alex Formenton and keep him with the Ottawa Senators, or trade him to bring him back to the NHL. Some believe a trade is more likely and I think Europe could also be an option in the long term.

Johnston: Today there is news from Washington, Dregs that Connor Brown’s season is over after undergoing season-ending right knee surgery. I’ll say if there’s good news about an end-of-season surgery it’s that it was a clean cruciate ligament tear, there was no damage to other ligaments or the meniscus so expected to make a 100 percent return, and this is a big year for Connor Brown. Obviously disappointing news, but he’s a pending unrestricted free agent next summer, but he’ll be 100 percent recovering and ready to go next season.