My Thoughts

Visual approximation of the aforementioned unicorn finding. (Courtesy of @BringBackLee)

And there you have it. Friedman thinks Alfie's feelings were hurt. Friedman is a man with many connections, and it's likely that that's what Alfie himself may say one day, but I have trouble believing that's anything more than an excuse from the Alfredsson camp. If Alfredsson were truly interested in returning to Ottawa, would he have been so fickle as to let one conversation after 17 years ruin his relationship with the club?The reason Alfie left is probably a lot simpler than that. Either (A) Alfie wanted more money than the team could offer/afford or (B) Alfie wants to win before he retires. And it's likely a bit of both. Murray said Alfie knew about the Bobby Ryan deal, but Alfie was also aware of the team's infamous $50 million dollar internal budget. If the Sens were to acquire Ryan and retain their RFAs, there would have been only $3 million left on the table for Alfie. Even if he were willing to accept lower than market value, it's unlikely that Bobby Ryan alone puts the team in cup contention. Find me a team that's won the cup in recent years without spending near the cap, and I'll find you a unicorn.If Alfie doesn't return to the city of Ottawa post-retirement, only then do we have reason to believe Alfie actually felt wronged by the team, but until then, I'm going to assume this was a business decision.Being "offended" by the offer seems like an out clause to seek greener pastures. Alfie himself said it was a selfish decision, and if there's anything we've learned about Alfie interviews in the past, it's that he's painfully honest. Would Alfie change his entire philosophy simply because of one bad conversation?Probably not.