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Sens owner Melnyk blames agent Barry for Alfie signing in Detroit

Eugene Melnyk

Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk is talking again -- this time, it’s to rip agent JP Barry for his role in the failed Daniel Alfredsson negotiations.

And because this whole situation hasn’t become emotional enough, Melnyk even decided to raise an old Ottawa ghost from the past.

“I point the finger squarely on JP Barry, the man who blessed us with the (Dany) Heatley mess,” Melnyk told TSN on Friday.

Yesterday -- following Alfredsson’s insinuation that the club had broken its promise to compensate him for playing the 2012-13 season for just $1 million -- it was Sens general manager Bryan Murray who first suggested Barry was a big reason negotiations fell apart and the Ottawa captain ended up signing with the Red Wings.

“I can say this: I’m disappointed,” Murray told the Ottawa Sun. “It seems Alfie isn’t totally informed of what went on. That had to do with [agent J.P. Barry] didn’t tell me the truth during the week. He kept saying ‘I can’t get in touch with Alfie. I will get back to you with a number.’

“He never got back to me. I never heard back from him after the phone call on Tuesday (before free agency). Alfie called me himself on Thursday night to tell me that he was leaving. I said to J.P. during the earlier conversations I can’t pay you $7 million. That’s what they asked for for the year.

“I offered $4.5 million. I said, ‘Both of us hopefully are flexible and we will talk.’ (Barry) said he would get back to me. I just took for granted that would happen and it never happened. I never heard back. I have not heard from J.P. since the $7 million (demand in New York) Saturday meeting we had. It was $12 million for two years and $7 million for one. That’s disappointing.”

Barry, not surprisingly, didn’t quite see it Murray’s way.

“The fact is this was a negotiation concerning impending free agency,” he told TSN Thursday. “We made multiple offers and invited them to negotiate. They provided a number on the weekend prior to July 5 and said this is all they can do due to internal budget restrictions. It wasn’t a market offer in our estimation. They wanted Daniel to take a below market deal again after he had done the same several times previously and we didn’t feel that was appropriate.”

PS -- If you don’t know about the “Heatley mess,” click here.

Related: Ottawa columnist rips Alfie for ‘going to a dump like Detoilet’