Senators general manager Pierre Dorion has some bad news for the trade deadline TV specials.

“I hate to be Debbie Downer, but don’t get too excited,” Dorion told reporters on a pre-deadline Zoom call on Friday. “In all my years as GM, this has been the quietest.”

Although Dorion does expect his phone to get a little busier before the March 21 trade deadline, he set the groundwork for the possibility he won’t be moving as many of his (seven) pending unrestricted free agents as we might have expected.

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Other bulletin tidbits from Dorion’s availability:

• He hopes that when Matt Murray returns to health, that Murray and Anton Forsberg can be the goalie tandem for the rest of the season.

• He is not opposed to using one or more of his 10 draft picks as chips to improve the team by acquiring a player or players.

• The Senators will not necessarily move a pending UFA just to acquire a late-round draft pick.

• Key defence prospect Jake Sanderson will report to Ottawa as soon as his college season is over at the University of North Dakota.

• As far as building a contending team, Dorion said he expects his group to make the playoffs next season and the rest will fall into place after that.

Although Dorion declined to discuss specifics on contracts with pending UFAs – specifically when asked about the future of Forsberg and forward Nick Paul – he said he has spoken to a couple of agents representing Senators veterans on expiring contracts.