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Controversial owner Eugene Melnyk says in one breath he’s not selling the club and in the other he hasn’t had an offer that would interest him. But there may come a point, a result of the unravelling of the hockey team, that selling or moving are his only options. Ottawa played to just 85% capacity this past season, worse than all NHL teams except Florida, Carolina, Arizona and the Islanders.

This may well be the beginning of the end of the Ottawa Senators. Where does hope come from now?

THIS AND THAT

It is natural instinct for Mike Babcock to start AHL playoff MVP Andreas Johnsson on the fourth line in training camp and have him work his way up through the lineup. But I’d do the opposite. I’d start him on a line that would enable him to score and if he can’t, then move him down … How exciting is this: a 19-year-old hitting rockets in Toronto. But instead of it being Vladimir Guerrero Jr. it’s Juan Soto … If John Tavares signs with the Islanders, which now seems likely, and John Carlson stays in Washington, which is less likely, how dull is NHL free agency going to be. I don’t know if tracking where Tyler Bozak and Mike Green are going to sign is going to keep me up at night … Milos Raonic looks to be rounding into form – hoping his body holds up – just in time for Wimbledon. Should be a fun Wimbledon with Raonic and Denis Shapovalov playing …. Feel for Pedro Martinez, who had to miss the fine weekend for his Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame induction, apparently due to illness … The Marlies victory was the first Toronto professional hockey championship in 51 years but there have been other Marlies championships since the Leafs last Stanley Cup. The junior Marlies, coached by George Armstrong, won the Memorial Cup in 1973 and 1975. Prominent players on either of those teams included Mark and Marty Howe, Paulin Bordeleau, Mike Palmateer, John Anderson, Wayne Dillon and Bob Dailey … The Washington Capitals lost Nate Schmidt, Marcus Johansson, Justin Williams, Karl Alzner and Kevin Shattenkirk and went on to win the Stanley Cup. The Leaf are apparently about to lose Bozak, James vanRiemsdyk, Leo Komarov, Tomas Plekanec. Roman Polak and Dominic Moore in free agency. They must be hoping for a Washington turnaround.