OTTAWA, ON - JANUARY 31: Anthony Duclair #10 of the Ottawa Senators skates with the puck against the Washington Capitals at Canadian Tire Centre on January 31, 2020 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)
After announcing their long-awaited rebrand, picking twice in the top five of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, and acquiring Matt Murray from Pittsburgh, the Ottawa Senators had given fans unconditional optimism for the first time in… well a long time. That’s part of the reason fans were so surprised to hear that the Sens had decided not to qualifying Anthony Duclair, making him an unrestricted free agent.