Written by Graeme Nichols | 06 February 2009

Based off of the the public response to the Doug Fischer article that ran in this morning's Ottawa Citizen, many of the fans are angry and frustrated with the manner in which the departure of Zdeno Chara took place. Finally, an Ottawa journalist dug up the dirt and provided an extensive piece that was supported by quotes from both the Senators organization and Chara's camp. Even though this wasn't the first time that this subject has been handled, Fischer's piece was the first explicitly detailed piece that described how the events unfolded. All of which makes me wonder why this information is coming out now. What's the purpose of releasing the in-depth details of what transpired now, almost three seasons ago?

Here's my theory:

Bryan Murray and his people within the organization are leaking the dirt. As the Senators have plunged in the standings, the fans and management's faith in him has waned. Consequently, within the past week, this Chara news has come forth and at the Hartsburg press conference, Murray dropped this overlooked quote:

"I was looking at our draft (record) from the last four or five years and they haven't been great, but I feel good about last year. We have a chance to get a player or two out of each draft and that's about all," said Murray, The Ottawa Sun

In other words, John Muckler didn't draft well during his tenure here. Bryan Murray treats last year's draft as his first since he feels that he was thrown into the GM position at the 13th hour before the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

By illustrating the failures of the previous regime and by dismissing the Chara vs Redden scenario as political, Murray's distancing himself from Muckler, Mlakar and the PR clowns who may have meddled in the hockey-decision making process. Similarly, he's also trying to recapture the trust and support of the fanbase in his hockey decision-making abilities.

Can Bryan Murray count on you for support?

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