The hockey world hasn’t heard much from Senators owner Eugene Melnyk over the last little while.

Amidst the Erik Karlsson trade rumours and legal issues circulating the club, Melnyk finally broke his silence on Monday night by sitting down with Senators defenceman Mark Borowiecki in a one-on-one interview.

What’s particularly interesting about this video is that Melnyk refers to the team undergoing a rebuild, something that hasn’t been publically stated in the past at all.

The owner touched on a number of topics from relocation, to the club rebuilding.

“Some people were talking in town, ‘Oh, he may move the team.’ Let me tell you something. First things first, I’m gonna stick around here for a long, long time. I’m not going anywhere,” Melnyk said. “And No. 2, the franchise is not going anywhere.”

Melnyk threatened that the team could be moved if it became “a disaster” during last year’s NHL 100 Classic outdoor game. 

This video comes ten months after the Sens traded a protected first-round pick along with an additional third, prospect Shane Bowers and goaltender Andrew Hammond in a three-way deal with the Colorado Avalanche and the Nashville Predators.

“Right now we’re kinda in the dumpster. Everybody says, ‘Ah, they’re not gonna do anything,’ But I don’t believe that. I think that with character in the dressing room and people working very, very hard, we can accomplish more than a lot of people believe.”

“I think this coming year, 10 out of the 22 players are going to be youth,” Melnyk added. “Meaning they’ll either be rookies, or they’ve played under 10 games last year. And then the following year it’s gonna go up to about 15 of the 22 – maybe 16. So that’s a total turnover, which is what exactly it should be in a rebuild."

Although Melnyk didn’t speak directly on Erik Karlsson’s situation, he did lay out a futuristic scenario where the team won’t solely rely on Karlsson to carry the club.

“It’s gonna be important for the team as a group to make sure that everybody gels together. You cry together, you laugh together and you celebrate together. And that’s all part of being a team and not playing as an individual.”

“It’s not about individuals anymore, because you’re not gonna win. One player. Two players, three players in the dressing room are not gonna do it.”