The breakup of the Senators and Daniel Alfredsson has turned out to be one ugly divorce.

Upset with accusations that the club botched negotiations for a new deal, GM Bryan Murray told the Sun Thursday he felt like he'd been "thrown under the bus" during Alfredsson's departure news conference.

Speaking less than an hour after the former captain told reporters his take on his decision to sign a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings on July 5 during a news conference at The Royal, Murray said he didn't believe Alfredsson's account was correct.

Murray said Alfredsson asked the Senators for a one-year deal at $7 million or two years at $12 million. The club offered one year at $4.5 million, but didn't negotiate off that number because Alfredsson's camp never got back to them.

"I don't know what I should and shouldn't say. I can say this: I'm disappointed," said Murray when reached in Shawville. "It seems Alfie isn't totally informed of what went on. That had to do with (his opinion that agent) J.P. (Barry) didn't tell me the truth during the week. He kept saying 'I can't get in touch with Alfie. I will get back to you with a number.'

"He never got back to me. I never heard back from him after the phone call on Tuesday (before free agency opened on the Friday). Alfie called me himself on Thursday night to tell me that he was leaving. I said to J.P. during the earlier conversations, 'I can't pay you $7 million.' That's what they asked for the year.

"I offered $4.5 million. I said, 'Both of us hopefully are flexible and we will talk.' (Barry) said he would get back to me. I just took for granted that would happen and it never happened ... I never heard back. I have not talked to J.P. since the $7-million (demand in New York) Saturday meeting we had. It was $12 million for two years and $7 million for one year. That's disappointing."

Murray said when Alfredsson explained his reasons for leaving the night before free agency started, he took them at face value and was surprised to hear money was an issue.

"I have a great belief that what Alfie says, he believes," said Murray. "I think he is an honourable man and I have great respect for him. People make decisions all the time and sometimes it's about what goes or doesn't go on in negotiating. I assume that he's telling the truth.

"I kind of thought he wanted a new challenge, a chance to win the Cup and I understood that sometimes you do look at what's happening in Ottawa. We've got a lot of young players and he probably looked at it realistically, 'We've got lots of kids here, but my time is running out.' I took that as being very honest. To hear this ..."

Murray said the two sides had held talks last summer, but were unable to work it out because Alfredsson was looking for a two-year, $9-million deal.

"Two years ago, we promised to extend his contract? When we did the contract originally, I don't know any reason why I have to tell anything other than the truth. I'm 70 years old, you think I care what happens?" said Murray.

"He said we asked for another year to make it cap friendly? He asked for a four-year deal with up-front money. It so happened there was the fourth year at $1 million. Both of us talked and he didn't anticipate playing and J.P. didn't anticipate him playing so I said, 'That's fine.' He played."

Murray added he told Alfredsson in a meeting in June "if we can get you signed, we are trying to trade for Bobby Ryan and he said, 'That's great.' It would have locked us quite a bit if I had to go to ($7 million). Someone told me a long time ago he was trying to make up for the $1-million year and I guess that's what happened."

Given the history between the Senators and Alfredsson, Murray doesn't like to see the marriage end this way.

"If he's totally informed of everything, then I'm disappointed," said Murray. "Does he know J.P. never called me back with another proposal? I don't know that.

"The disappointing part is that we didn't communicate back and forth. I finally left a message, 'If you want to talk to me before the deadline, I'll be at my cottage at 8:30 p.m. That's when Daniel called me (to tell him he was leaving)."

Twitter: @sungarrioch