During an interview, media from Sportsnet asked Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion a question about the Senators rebuild and got an awkward response.

It was the first televised broadcast of the NHL preseason for Sportsnet. The game was the Ottawa Senators versus the Toronto Maple Leafs and it was a tale of two very different teams. The Leafs are a competitive franchise with top-end players who want to compete for the Stanley Cup this season. Adding John Tavares was the story of the summer for the team and his play, the focus for most of the game. On the other end was the Ottawa Senators who are rebuilding and not expected to be very good this year.

During an intermission interview, the special guest was Senators GM Pierre Dorion. Dorion was the unfortunate man tasked with trading defenseman Erik Karlsson and the face in charge of the impending rebuild. As expected, the trade didn't go over well and the return was lacking, setting Ottawa's retooling off on the wrong footing. When asked what the number one thing he was optimistic about in terms of the Ottawa Senators, his response was unique and has gone viral.

Instead of quickly responding 'our young prospects' or 'our great fans who can help us make this rebuild successful', or frankly any number of answers that could have been acceptable, Dorion sat there like a deer caught in the headlights and finally said, "we're a team." It is true, the Senators are a team... just like 30 other NHL franchises.

It was an odd answer but more than that, it was the long pause that caught most people's attention. Perhaps he was caught off guard by the question, but it can't be one that's new. In Ottawa, things don't look good and when you're the general manager of a rebuilding team, fans are going to want to know your plan and at the very least, you need a way to positively spin things that are bound to be quite negative for a year or two. His lack of knowing what to say at that moment does not bode well for a team that needs a GM who can turn things around in a market that is struggling.

For Ottawa fans, this is going to be a long season and Dorion's response doesn't envoke confidence. If the GM can't even think of something good to say, what chance does the team have in being competitive this season?

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