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Roy returned to the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts at the beginning of last season. A former owner of the club, he sold his interests to Quebecor Inc., and is in his second stint behind the Remparts bench. He finished last season with a 27-28-0 record in 68 games.

The fact he has spent plenty of time with young players is the reason he’s a candidate.

When Roy resigned from the Avalanche in 2016, he was in the role of vice-president of hockey operations and head coach, but wasn’t on the same page with GM Joe Sakic. During his tenure with the Avalanche, he won a division title with 112 points and was the 2013-14 winner of the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL coach of the year that season.

Those close to Roy believe he’d like to return to the NHL in the right situation and initially the only pressure in Ottawa will be to develop the young players. The Senators could have up to 17 picks in the first three rounds over the next three drafts and finding the right fit is paramount.

The Senators are heading into their second full season of this rebuild after missing the playoffs for the second straight spring. The organization wants a coach than can work with the likes of Brady Tkachuk, Colin White and Thomas Chabot along with prospects Drake Batherson, Alex Formenton and Logan Brown.

Roy is described as a good motivator who can push the right buttons with the players and he has a structured game plan.

“Patrick would love to coach in the league again,” said a league executive on Saturday. “I think he’d be content to be (just) a coach this time around.”