Tampa Bay Lightning forward Gabriel Dumont has been claimed off waivers by the Ottawa Senators.
Syracuse Crunch fans should be sorely disappointed by this. Last week, veteran forward Tye McGinn was traded along with goalie Michael Leighton for goaltender Louis Domingue. The trade left a gaping hole in the Crunch’s roster in terms of both heart and experience. The loss of both McGinn’s scoring touch and his intangibles have worried many fans in Syracuse. Dumont’s addition was expected to calm some concerns.
Losing Dumont sucks for Syracuse. I bet part of the logic in trading McGinn was that Dumont would be back soon.
— Replacement Level Analyst (@loserpoints) November 22, 2017
Dumont has played in seven NHL games with the Lightning this season, recording no points. He’s played in 64 career NHL games between the Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens, amassing seven points.
Dumont had 11 points in the Calder Cup playoffs for Syracuse last season. He scored the series ending game-winning goal in overtime during the first round of the playoffs, propelling the Crunch past the St. John’s IceCaps and onto the second round. He was an alternate captain for the entirety of the playoffs, and was the most probable candidate to take over McGinn’s A.
Missing out on Dumont’s presence certainly hurts the Crunch. Their young roster has 9 rookies. While the talent isn’t doubted, a room with that many young players needs time to gel and develop. Adding insult to injury, the loss of McGinn unfortunately coincided with the news that Crunch captain Erik Condra, who had a late return this season because of a lingering back issue, is now out for up to six weeks with a lower-body injury.
To say that things are pretty bleak in Crunch Land is a bit of an understatement. Syracuse is currently last in the North Division with a 4-9-1-2 record. The reigning 2017 Eastern Conference Champions are 14th overall in the conference out of 15 teams. They are tied with the Chicago Wolves for dead-last in the entire league in points.
