NHL Rumors: Ottawa Senators, Minnesota Wild, and the Montreal Canadiens
Were the Senators scouting the Canadiens or Wild?

Michael Russo: Scouting the Minnesota Wild – Montreal Canadiens game night were Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion and Senior VP of Hockey Operations Pierre McGuire.

Shawn Simpson: As John Rodenburg had noted, Montreal Canadiens forward Tyler Toffoli would make sense for the Ottawa Senators.

The Senators were interested in Toffoli when he was a free agent. He has salaries of $5.1 million and $3.5 million.

TSN: Many thought that Pierre Dorion was there to watch the Montreal Canadiens, who will be sellers at the trade deadline, but Pierre LeBrun notes that he may have been there to watch the Wild. Dorion did have a brief talk with Wild GM Bill Guerin.

“Now, I don’t anything is in the works, I don’t think anything is imminent, but I believe he was there to see Minnesota, one of the teams that the Senators at their pro scouting meetings last week did talk about in preparation for the trade deadline as a team that’s up against the cap. The bottom line is I think you’ll see Pierre Dorion at other NHL games not involving the Senators between now and the deadline, so get used to it.”

Finances may come into play when determining Ducharme’s fate this season

TSN: Francos Gagnon mentioned in a RDS article that Montreal Canadiens GM Jeff Gorton could consider firing Dominique Ducharme sooner than later but Pierre LeBrun points out that with no fans being allowed in the stands for the foreseeable future, finances will be apart of any decision.

Claude Julien‘s $5 million salary through this year is still on the books. Same with former GM Marc Bergevin. Ducharme has signed a three-year contract extension last offesason.

“I think they’ll wait until after the season to make this decision, but I won’t guarantee it.”