Daniel Alfredsson's decision to leave Ottawa to go and coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs will surely go down as the most shocking news of the Senators' summer. And in a summer where captain Brady Tkachuk was traded to Florida after requesting a trade, that's saying something.

When Alfredsson crossed into enemy territory two weeks ago, everyone handled this awkward situation as best they could.

"To the Ottawa fans, love you as always," Alfredsson said in a Zoom call with the media. "But nobody stays as a coach forever in one spot, no matter how popular you are. You've got to perform, and for me to get better as a coach, this is the path. I knew at some point I had to move.

"They don't hand out jobs easily in the NHL. It's a tough job to get, and when I had this opportunity, I felt it was the right one for my coaching career, without a question."

The Senators were clearly disappointed to see their Hall of Famer leave, especially to join their biggest rival in the Battle of Ontario.

“While I wish he wasn’t joining an arch-rival, Alfie is forever an Ottawa Senator and the door will always be open for his return," Sens owner Michael Andlauer said in a club statement. "He has done so much for our organization and community, and he has my full respect.”

There's zero question about how much the Senators organization values Alfredsson. His relationship with the franchise has been repaired, he's been welcomed back into the fold, and his place in Senators history is totally secure.

But what was the value of his actual role?

When Travis Green was hired in 2024, he brought in a new coaching staff, and Alfredsson remained on as a holdover from the previous staff led by interim head coach Jacques Martin.

Alfredsson made it clear that his decision to go wasn't about unhappiness. It was about taking the next step, becoming a better coach, and taking advantage of an opportunity he believed would help him do so.

But what happened after he left is interesting.

In an interview on TSN 1200 radio on Wednesday morning, GM Steve Staios was asked if he had plans to replace Alfredsson on Ottawa's bench or whether he was comfortable with what he still has remaining.

"We're very comfortable with what we have as our coaching staff," Staios said. "I think there's great continuity with the group. I'm pleased with the work that they've done. I think they've done a fine job of continuing to grow this group and push them in the right direction."

In other words, Alfredsson is gone, and the Senators don't believe they need to fill that position.

That doesn't mean Alfredsson wasn't highly valued by the entire organization. Those are two very different things.

But it does suggest the position he occupied here wasn't considered essential enough that it needed to be filled once he left. And perhaps that adds another layer to Alfredsson's decision. 

It's worth stressing that there's no villain here, and there doesn't need to be one.

But if you're serious about coaching and the organization you work for can absorb your departure without replacing you, it's not difficult to understand why a new opportunity might offer something that your old one didn't.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published in The Hockey News. For more Sens coverage at The Hockey News, click on one of the Sens headlines below:

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