Conrad

Check out this sweet candy I bought on ebay for about $12. There’s no name on the back. So, discussion topic: which name do I get put on this bad boy? I’m thinking Varada, but I’d be open to other obscure and terrible players. I’m also thinking Butler, though that’s an obvious jersey foul to the tenth magnitude. Daigle would also be interesting, and a curse on my house. Saprykin?

I’d like to know more of what you guys think of these articles from the Sun and Globe. I’ve listened to a few podcasts about them now, and read all the articles, and I think this notion that Melnyk has “announced a rebuild” is over stated. All he says is that there’s a plan in place and that he isn’t firing anyone, and then follows it by saying there could be a Stanley Cup in Ottawa within a year and that all we’re lacking is a “game-changer.” Sounds an awful lot like exactly what they’re doing now to me.

It’s the Globe article that offers up the juicy tidbits and the specifics – most of which have already been denied by Murray – like how Murray is getting kicked upstairs, Clouston is gone, that expensive veterns are on their way out (a really contentious point, because who would take them?) and that the rebuild is centered around this top five pick. I think we might be getting our hopes up that the team is going to really tear it down when it’s likely that Fisher, Spezza, Alfredsson, Gonchar, Michalek and Kuba – in other words, all the big ticket players – are all going to be in a Sens uniform next year.

So, we’ve all been talking rebuild, but do you think it’s more likely that this team tries to get picks where they can and then still goes out and signs big ticket UFAs in the off season? Is Melnyk insisting on the Toronto Special: a one year rebuild?

Finally, Murray said in his press conference that Rundblad and Cowen are ready to go next year. Do you burn on year on these guy’s entry level contracts to get a good idea of what you have, or do you bury them in the minors to protect their prime years? They both look ready to go to me, though they aren’t big minute players: they’re 3-4 / 5-6 pairings until they get their feet wet.

Pete

Looking good! May I suggest you go with Magnus Arvedsson or Petr Schastlivy… maybe even my favorite former sen Stanislav Neckar… so many possibilities!

I agree the notion of the rebuild is overblown because frankly you don’t take a team from the basement to the top in an offseason. Ottawa is a game changer away from being a seven seed. The sens are two game changers and a goaltender away from being cup contenders. It’s splitting hairs really. Seems to me like Melnyk should be preaching patience and showing some contrition. His statements came across as kinda arrogant. I’m glad you know more than hockey than me Eugene, but just because you think you have plan doesn’t shield you from criticism. But hey, he owns the team, so he can say what he wants.

Okay the best part was the awesome display of crazy-pill addiction from B Murray. Rundblad and Cowan? Really? That’s your plan? Those guys are going to be great pros and I’m glad they’re in the system but they’re not the answer to Ottawa’s prayers, they’re the interesting footnote to the failed puck moving, mobile defenceman experiment from last offseason.

Who’s going to be between the pipes? Seems like that’s the major issue here. Am I way off? Why was that not brought up during Murray’s fire-side meltdown? Conrad your point of every player being available at the deadline is a little scary since I’m terrified there’s a going to be a panic deal.

Long story short. Start Lehner next year, get another lottery pick, ditch a bad contract. Let’s have this rebuilding conversation again this time next year.

Prianka

That jersey is amazing! I’ve been checking stores for one of those for years, apparently I should just keep an eye on ebay. And $12?? Jeeze, that’s cheaper than the knock off jerseys they sell in the tourist shopping area in Seoul. If I were you, I would totally throw Eaves on there. I mean he wasn’t terrible but then Daigle isn’t obscure. If you want to go really obscure/random you could go with someone like Kaigorodov and of course, there is always Heatley (too soon?).

Was the word ‘rebuild’ really never used by either Murray or Melnyk? I haven’t read too much other than the Sun and Post articles, but with Murray claiming the team will be ready in a year, and Melnyk refusing to give any stance (I think it was when he was talking to the Team, he said it could take one year, or three, or five and that he doesn’t want to put that kind of pressure on it) it’s interesting that the Post decided to write such specifics if they aren’t true. So, I guess Melnyk kind of is preaching patience, and he is showing it too by holding onto Murray and Clouston until the end of the season.

Getting rid of everyone (except the Swedes) and their dog seems like a good idea in theory, but in practice is this really going to happen? Players who had real trade value at one point (Spezza, Kovalev, Gonchar) have all been having a terrible year – so either teams are going to give massively low offers for them and we’ll end up with no one, or (which is more likely), no one will want to take over the expensive contracts of our aging Russians/Spezza.

At this point it seems like things can’t get worse, but Peter, you have a point about it coming down to a panic deal, especially close to the trade deadline. I would hate to let Spezza go for next to nothing (just because he is having an off season, and has a huge salary hit) because the team is having a bad year. Spezza has shown that he is a real contender for the captaincy, and could be playing for this club for a while. Before we get rid of players like him, let’s take a step back and remember that there is still another season next year, and the next and five years from now.

It’s hard to say whether goaltending or goal scoring is the bigger issue at this point. I do, however, think that we have the ability to score goals (Spezza, Fisher, Alfie, Foligno, Kelly, Michalek etc). I am not so confident in our goaltenders. At this point, I can barely remember how Leclaire plays between one injury and the next and honestly, even when he does finish his rehab from rehab, how long will it be until he is injured again?? I don’t think he is the goalie we can depend on. I’ve only seen Lehner play once, and it was the only win the Sens have had in the last month. It was also against the Islanders, and he let in four goals. Considering the position the Sens find themselves in now, maybe it’s time to get Lehner on the ice and see what he can do. We play New Jersey for our first game after the break, might be time to give the kid (another) shot at the big leagues.

James

Rad jersey! I must say though, for 12 bones make sure that thing is adult size medium or large as Steven and I were getting to some ebay merch madness one night and found an identical back jersey for quite cheap…got that mah in the mail…yeah, child’s medium. Didn’t even fit any of the ladies in the house. I mean we gave it away to a little tyke at the home opener vs. Buffalo (well, to his mom – b/c you know, stranger danger-) which was pretty cute but ultimately a waste of money. Buyer beware. All the name suggestions were really great I humbly suggest these:
BONK …I mean how awesome would having the name BONK on your jersey be? I think he plays for the Tucson Thunder Cats now. Ps. Lotto pick watchers I think Bonk was picked second overall…

TURGEON… ahh…Sylvain Turgeon the OTHER Pierre Turgeon. I think this was the first Senator I was ever excited about except for maybe….
SIDORKIEWICZ… I mean…who cant get behind an NHL player from Poland? The Sens first starter and a great hockey name to boot!! He also used to play for the Whalers…so
MARSH…I cant believe no one offered that up yet. A chance you could get bought a beer at a game…by Brad Marsh. Or people will think youre his son or something.

PITLICK. May win your heart for this story alone, used to live in my friends BASEMENT. Her Dad and Lance were old buddies and when he came to play here he lived in their rec room …for A WHILE. Good dude, btw good dude.

Marc

A Kudelski jersey would make you the coolest cat in the 613. He was arguably the first sniper in Ottawa’s modern history, who was then traded to another team for the equivalent of an OC bus transfer. The “trading something for nothing” trend began and ended with that transaction…right?

Other players that will make you cool: Muckalt, Tugnutt and Prospal.

Murray told me through a dream that the team is one year away from winning the Cup and that he will bring McGuire in as his replacement. Then all the players turned into monsters, played a crazy game against Michael Jordan who teamed up with a bunch of cartoon animals. Jordan and the toons won. Charles Barkley got his gambling powers back and all was well.

My take on this reboot:

-Trade whoever you can (whoever is Fisher, Gonchar, Ruutu, Kuba, Murray, Carkner, Lee…this list can go on forever) get picks or prospects and let the kids play.

-Do NOT sign expensive, past their prime players to 3 year, 15 million dollars contracts during the summer.

-Ignore phone call from Barbados at all times.

…the world seriously needs a picture of the Spezzafacehouseboat. Can the image/picture guy hook that up?

James

Hello everyone! A warm welcome to our new friends AND a beginning of The Empire Strikes Back Ice World cold welcome to this brave (meaning…whatever) new world for the Sens as well as the Sensternet (patent barfing).

First I’ll address the rumors surrounding my recent absence:

Yes, I WAS clinically dead. Something something, translucent goo from the 1994 Robert DeNero – Kenneth Branagh buddy comedy Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein brought me back from the Abyss (another movie about goo)

Moving on,

I think that yall (French for ‘you all’) covered as many bases that can be covered in New Zealand Rules American Baseball about the recent announcement by The Euge stating…hold on … lemme just check my notes here…mmm’kay, “Melnyk to Media: Anyone who thinks we should blow the team up can go blow themselves… …up” …nope, nope…that’s dated a couple years ago…I should really update my Newton. Oh, heres a newer one…”Melnyk to Hall of Mirrors that he thinks is a press conference: Everybody best buckle the FUDGE up in this funk mobile and come along and ride on this fantastic voyage that will be journey to the Stanley Cup FOREVER”…Oops…hilarious but not the one. OH HERE IT IS “Melnyk to Unplugged CB Radio at Bert’s Bar: Now I am become Death. Destroyer of Core Rosters.”

So, that’s something that happened, wasn’t it? So we have all travelled through each other’s trust caves and expressed our inner most feelings about how the team we’ve grown to be really REALLY bummed out watching/not watching after one period will more or less cease to exist for the ….*shudder* next couple of seasons in order to build for a more Pajarvi-Svenklestein-esque future.

To directly quote one of the all time greats:

“At this juncture, the current paradigm is in the process of shifting”
– Bob Dylan, Two Time Source Awards Nominee

That said, aside from the almost, oh so close to confirmed rumour of Filip Kuba to Detroit for Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Babcock, 2 first round picks in 2011 and 2012 and the TV movie rights to “Never Let Me Go Wunder Grandpa: The Nicklas Lidstrom Story” … it is pretty safe to say that it is going to be a very different looking Binghamtottawa Senators next season. 

As much as were all hoping for a team with fewer stars than the skies over Tokyo during a full moon * deservedly pelted with garbage/sarcasm at 100%* surly the team will leave us SOMETHING to look at for the upcoming HUNDREDS OF GAMES TO GO BEFORE THE TEAM IS GOOD AGAIN. – Quick clarification: Good right now for me is defined by a 4-1 loss at home or better – Obviously the entire roster isn’t going to change overnight.

Smooth Jimmy’s Aktivity Korner (.angelfire.net)!

So since this is being framed as a straight up rebuild let’s assume that all prospects and Binghamton Senators are safe and sound and snug in their beds…

What I want to know is who are the 5 current roster players would most want to see protected moving forward and WHYYYYYYY *sob sob sob* WHYYYYYYY? Now, lets be creative here, I don’t want to see the same Kuba, Kovalev, Leclaire Cheechoo, Schubert list over and over. Besides I’m pretty sure Kovalev was put on waivers last season.

I’ll start:

1. Jason Spezza: Yeah he makes Eleventy Billion Dollareedoos a month (all Australian figures) but please climb aboard this house boat I built in the shape of Spezza’s face. It is a house boat that floats on a sea of first line centres being the new puck moving defensemen / jade monkey skull of hockey rarity. When this team emerges from the dark ages we will likely STILL need a first line pivot as even if Ottawa picks up a new blue chip C, it will still take time to get him or her prepared for their upcoming role (see: Tavares, Jonathan; see also: Upper Body Strength, tons of needed). As many tears it will produce from some clowns, we may be looking at our new captain here. I personally think it’s a role he has a good chance of thriving under and can finally silence those praying to teen Jesus (or equivalent) for more maturity from the Spezz Digressor. Onward Spezzboat.

2. Erik Karlsson: Sophomore undersized, all star defenseman second on team in points?  Sophomore undersized, all star defenseman second on team in points. (also of note: Everyone else’s list)

3. Milan Michalek: It’s called spending to the cap MINIMUM people. Seriously, if this team is going to be gutted and its assumed by Me-irre McGuire that Spezza will stay on as No.1 C, he is going to have some WHACKY(er) dance partners on the first line (Bobby Butler?, Corey Feldman?, Peter Ochocinco?) we need to have at least ONE dude who is a legit top 6 NHL player on the wing. Im saying this just because he has been awesome lately (all things considered) but for that AND also because he works quite hard and I don’t really think he has had a full opportunity to strut his stuff here in Ottawa. I also long for this team to have a semi-stable first line / don’t know anything about anything. Also, can we save any frigging face from the whole Heatley garbage dump trade?

4. Christobal Kelly: I choose to protect Kelly because he is so good at reading cue cards and is emerging as a cheaper/less frustrating Mike Fisher. Fisher is obviously prime trade bait at this point and a poster boy for an over paid underperforming core and will likely go and Kelly is having a great season (again, all things considered). He could also finally start the “Unckie Chris’ L’il Defensive Forward Mentorship Programme” for all the two way kids coming up….and Jason Spezza can hire someone to take notes for him during the “How to NOT turn over Peter Puck” seminar.

5. Daniel Alfredsson / Chris Phillips: Now that you have all stopped gasping…this was hard. The Right Honorable Daniel Alfredsson, for me, a huge fan…who finally bought my long coveted Daniel Alfredsson jersey THIS YEAR OF ALL YEARS is not a guy I WANT to see go at all. As a fan of Dear Leader, I acknowledge that he has done more for this franchise than any other player and picked up the slack in a post Daigleppointment Alexei Yashole world. That said, he is 38 and still carrying the team on his aging back…Pappa Alfie wants to win the cup somewhere else before for starts his training to be our next coach/GM? I didn’t hold it against Mats Sundin when he left the Barfs so I’m sure as hell not going to blame The Strawberry Blonde Admiral. Its up to you Pappa Alfie. He gets a half a spot here.
Phillips is the far more controversial choice here. So yes, we have 11 year old prospect Jared Cowbell waiting in the wings…but seriously, the Sens are being handed losses at a five goal margin in this Post-Volchenolyptic war zone… I don’t know if I could handle Phillips gone too. For the love of Pete, I would hope they’ll be another defensive defenseman or two coming up in the near future and there is an opportunity for Phillips to serve as mentor to these young pups at a cheaper than current rate . Also, we need a couple of dudes to stop Karlsson from being constantly smashied in the face area by what is becoming a seriously terrifying Boston Bruins squad. He also might serve as mentor for a seminar called “DON’T DO WHAT CHRIS PHILLIPS DOES” so he gets half a place here…btw Chris: YOU ARE BEING OUT CLASSED BY MATT CARKNER RIGHT NOW…YOURE A FORMER #!1 PICK IN A CONTRACT YEAR FOR CORN SAKES PICK IT UP.

Your thoughts? And though now that there are two more writers, I doubt we have anymore readers…but if you are reading this join in the comments sext-tion with your top five. For an added bit of fun add your hopes for Coach and GM of tthhhhhheeeeeee fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuutuuuuuuuuuuuure

Conrad

It’s gon be hard for me to write an equally spirited 35,000 words to match James…

FIRST: I wanna say that I would trade Spezza if I could get a reasonable return. 1st line centers are rare, but not ultra rare. Certainly not so rare that you couldn’t pick one up with, say, a top five pick. I’d like to keep him around, but it’s tough to think of paying him $7M per to be hurt and frustrating. He’s already sorta proven that he can’t play near his ceiling without an elite winger, and he’s not gonna get one for a few years, so what’s the point? By the time the team is ready his contract with be up and he’ll prolly walk for nothing. May as well trade him soonish, while he’s young and his value is high(er) than wait until his arm breaks clean off. And as for Michalek: dude is going to literally shatter some day. I don’t want it to happen in a Sens uniform. Having said that, I think he makes $6M next year (eeeeeeeeiiiiish), so he’s not getting traded anywhere.

OKAY GET ON WITH IT:

Again, assuming that all non-roster players (Cowen, Lehner) are automatically protected…

Erik Karlsson: yup, he’s going to be one of those guys. He’s not Drew Doughty or Duncan Keith or anything, but he’ll be mister 1A someday, and I wouldn’t trade him for anything outside of a top five draft pick right now. I only wish we could freeze him in carbonite and enjoy his prime years when this team is ready to compete again, which is to say, when our world resembles Virtuosity.

Nick Foligno: first, because he’s young, and cheap, and exactly the kind of depth player we’ll want, and second because we’re not going to get anything for him anyway. He’s got a lot of years ahead of him, and one bum season (though what a shitty bum it is) isn’t enough for me to throw him to the wolverines.

Peter Regin: See Foligno, Nick. Cheap, young, not going to get anything in return. We can afford to wait and see how he pans out.

And…that’s it. I would trade every single other player if I could. Someone on Silver Seven pointed out that almost as exciting as the top five pick is how every subsequent round is also a high pick, and that’s as important to the drafting plan. If we could fill out those rounds – especially the second – I would trade away the Scotia Bank Seats if I had to.

Man, is it ever going to be weird when the All Star Game is in Ottawa next year.

James

I respectfully disagree with asspezzment. Its true that he has suffered from injury lately as is what tends to happen when one is hit from behind headfirst into the boards, but everyone so easily forgets that when Spezza DID come back from injury last season, he decided to become a scoring machine and basically got the team a spot in the playoffs. Also, seriously ONE win without him AND is tied for 5th for the team for scoring with almost 20 games less than most players…I hear what youre saying he hasn’t been a 90 point per year player without a 50 goal man on his wing i just dont think he is the total plug people make him out to be…If the Sens get that game changer that Melnyk so badly wants…I’d still like to see Spezza dishing them out. I dont know why I sent this rebuttle …

Conrad

It’s cool! I agree with you that he’s a good player. I just think it’s a bit like the Kessel situation in Toronto: I don’t want to pay someone prime money to have one brilliant play every game that results in a goal but the team still loses 4-1. If Spezz won’t be surrounded with the players he needs to make this team work, then I’d rather get a good return for him.

Anyone see this?

So…Murray denies reports, wants to remain GM, thinks team is one year away from contending, AKA cements his demise.

Marc

Re Murray article on the canoe: AHHH HELL NO!!! I’m done with his shawvillian shenanigans. Take the gig as an advisor and enjoy the senior (advisor) citizen discount. Your 2010-11 plan to force the other team to block your team’s shots (in lieu of the Sens blocking shots) was neither clever or…a frickin plan. On to the next…

THE DAY BEFORE THE TRADE DEADLINE

Everyone who is from Sweden raise your hand. Ok you guys can go to the locker room…and you are not the biggest losers.

If you giggle with an uncontrolled fury, you’re safe. You know where to go.

You had a bad season and share your name with a commonly used screwdriver. If you promise to play nice, you’re in.

Name rhymes with begin? You’re golden. The remaining “athletes”…beat it.

…James, if I can’t ride shotgun in the Spezza faced house boat, we’ll have a tough time being friends.

Conrad

I can’t wait until this team signs Sergei Federov.

James

Bryan Murray can you stop stirring the pot FOR A SECOND.

God, imagine this guy wasnt running a sports team but just giving servers

the HARDEST time about coupons at Swiss Chalet all the live long day?

At least he’d be bugging a few less people.

…also THIS just in from the Ottawa Citizen:

Area man working on Spezza head shaped houseboat. When pressed for comment the man said, “Wu Tang is for the children!” Details as they develop. Click the link below for an exclusive video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS181X4F3bw

Marc

Inspectah Deck had this to say about the Sens season: “They bomb atomically, Socrates’ philosophies and hypothesis can’t define how they be droppin these mockeries.”

Prianka

Conrad: Nothing says rebuilding like signing more aging Russians …. oh wait.

Murray seriously needs to just stop everything that he is doing. A day after everyone is happy about, well not Melnyk’s announcement, but at least happy about what Roy MacGregor wrote in the Globe and Mail about Murray becoming a sort of team consultant – he has to go and blow everything up again. Also, if there is any truth to Melnyk doing interviews for the GM position, Murray should maybe SHUT HIS GIANT PIE HOLE! Man, is his face going to be red when Melnyk announces a new GM at the end of the year ……. At this point, I don’t really care who it is. It’s time to get fresh blood and a new perspective in the GM office and the ol’ Bank. The only reason I can see Murray keeping his job is that he is telling the media that a one year rebuild is possible (must be one hell of a draft this year!), and since he is behind the table at the trade deadline, it makes sense for him to see this rebuild through.

Bryan Murray told the Team 1200 that Alfie is essentially untouchable, and that he has said time and time again that he wants to retire as a Senator. At this point, that should pretty much cement the will they or won’t they argument about retiring his jersey number. Considering these remarks, I will leave him off my list of the protected five.

King K: This one is pretty obvious. The kid is second in team scoring (only one point behind our Fearless Leader) and although he makes his share of defensive blunders, he is by and far the best D-man on the team. This kid is going to have an amazing career (maybe even a possible candidate for future captain, not after Alfie of course, but after that, who knows?). Taking his age into consideration, is this kid seriously only 20?! It is important that he is a key part of the rebuilding. He’s been with the big club for about two years now, and this year in a big way. He can help the new kids feel more comfortable so the young ‘uns don’t feel like they are coming into such a pre-established locker room.

Milan Michalek – I’ve complained about him this season as much as the next person, but these past few games he has shown how good he can be. Now that he is (finally!!) getting his skating legs back, it is amazing to see the power with which he drives to the net. On top of that, he makes a lot less than many top 6 players (his annual cap hit is $4.3M versus Spezza’s $7M) and James is right that it would be nice to save just a little face in the entire Heatley debacle.

Chris Neil – Neil gets on the ice and plays his heart out every night for this team. He fights guys to bring up team morale, sometimes even guys on our team (at least it’s during practice). At $2M, there is no way we can afford to get rid of this guy especially because his value is so intrinsic to Ottawa and his trade value wouldn’t be very high.

Jesse Winchester – On the third line with Neil, and another guy who plays his best game every night. I love seeing him (and Neil) battle for the pucks, skate hard and actually forecheck unlike some other lines that will go mentioned. These guys are the reason that Ottawa can boast any depth at all. His cap hit is a ridiculous 750K … that right, he’s not even over the million mark. He’s got another year left on this contract and he’s shown to be a promising player – it’s worth taking the risk and hopefully we’ll see his trade value rise over the next season.

Jason Spezza – He’s an oft-injured, unreliable center who makes $7M …. it’s just not worth trading him. If Clouston could stop juggling his lines for five minutes, Michalek and Spezza could develop some real chemistry. I would like to see Spezza leading the charge, when Alfie steps down. He is a really great player, WHEN he’s playing and I feel like the younger players will look up to him. I also like that he isn’t afraid to show a little displeasure towards the media, or the oftentimes fickle fans in Ottawa. Right now he is skating with the team, even if he is avoiding contract drills so who knows maybe we’ll have him back after the All Star break. Not that it would help us if he suddenly became an insane goal scoring machine (because that means finishing 10th or 11th in the East, instead of in the bottom five), but it would be nice to get a few on the board and avoid repeating last week’s performances against the Flyers and the Habs.

I would kill to be a fly on the wall in the ScotiaBankPlace offices these days …. let’s see if Murray says anything else upsetting to the media over the all star break.

Conrad

As if every Sens blog won’t already be all over this because it gives us something to talk about other than how terrible the team is, The Euge spoke up, and the Globe and Mail had one of those articles where they get info from “a source.”

Here’s what I like about the story:

Most obviously, that the team recognizes the situation they’re in and are moving to ensure the long-term success of the franchise rather than consider it an anomaly correctable with a signing or two. There was always a danger that Melnyk could consider this team two or three key pieces from contending again and try for another season of “Anything can happen in the playoffs.” That he stepped up to lend some clarity to the situation, and is willing to make the hard choices required when a team falls apart, is encouraging. He should be happy: his interview will do exactly what it was designed to, which is reassure a pissy fan base that the right decisions will be made.

Also, that Murray isn’t going to be kicked out of the organization. He was apparently asked to stay on one more year (meaning he didn’t necessarily want to), so I’m glad he won’t take all of the blame for this collapse. The Sens will retain his mind for drafting while moving in a new direction.

Lastly, the preliminary interviews for a replacement GM have already started. That, combined with the notion that they did some consultation with key fans and corporate sponsors, means that this has been brewing for a while. A rebuild requires methodical planning, and Melynk is saying all the right things.

What gives me pause is that it’s Melnyk doing all of the planning.

He’s already been accused of meddling too much in hockey operations, with some even going so far as to say signing Kovalev was his idea. (Who knows if that’s true.) But, to find out that this billionaire pharmaceuticals magnate is slaving night and day over a plan to bring a Stanley Cup to Ottawa…that sort of terrifies me. The last thing you want is a fan – even a very rich one who happens to own the team – drafting the plan for a team’s success.

Lastly, with the team happening to go off the rails this year, it looks like we might have just missed the chance to make Ottawa boy Stevie Yzerman our GM. It was probably never going to happen, and they couldn’t have known the team would be this bad, but seeing how much success Steve is having in Tampa and knowing that we’re in the market for a GM six months later stings a little.

Marc

In my opinion Melnyk believed that this team was, as you mentioned, 2 or 3 players away since they made it to the big dance. Acquiring 1 key player is a tall order. 3 is borderline impossible. We’ve all heard this at least a billion times: building from within and the draft is the way to go in the cap system. Signing past-their-prime Russians is the wrong way to build a winner.

While I am happy with Melknyk’s “announcement” that it’s time for a new plan/rebuild, I feel that they should have worked on this earlier. I know that it’s easy to say that in retrospect. My blind faith in this team made me believe that they could compete at a high level all season and surprise a few people along the way. I deleted the Hockey News app on my Blackberry and labeled everyone as haters.

We all know that the Eugenius gets heavily involved with this team. Wouldn’t you if you were a billionaire fan boy with your own pro franchise? Any owner has the right to make suggestions but the decisions should be left with the people he hired to run the team. I’m sure he had some heavy influence regarding the Kovalev signing. His lobbying for this forward surely served as a sobering lesson to Barbados man that his responsibility is money, and not hockey operations or scouting.

Best of luck to Murray in terms of trading some of the older assets to contending teams. A few of the current roster players can really help any team in a playoff spot.

It will be interesting watching the Sens until the end of the season. I say bring as many kids up from the farm as possible and let them get that experience. It can’t get any worse.

Pete

Yes, this is all good PR. What piques my interest is that does the ease with which Eugene assuage our fears mean the flaws in this team are obvious?

What if they aren’t? Okay this team stinks and most armchair pundits, myself included, can point to any number of obvious faults. Melnyk’s insistence on having the right plan in place is re-assuring yet at the same time it gives me a little too much of the “all the eggs in one basket” vibe. Murray had a plan for this off season and it didn’t take. Melnyk signed off and the team promptly went titanic. What type of interviews are being held when Murray is sticking around and the owner has a plan in place already? Why would any competent GM want this job if it’s just holding the strings or worse, to act as the fall guy. You can’t fire the owner.

The reassuring thing here is that the top five prospects in the draft are all similarly skilled and can help the sens. We don’t have to win the lottery.

Cause let’s face it, Ottawa isn’t winning anything right now.

Prianka

I think part of the reason that our fears are somewhat easily laid to rest, is that the Sens fans are just happy to know that something is going on, plans are being made and change is on the horizon. Before this announcement the last time we had heard from Melnyk, he was still talking about making a push for the playoffs.

Melnyk is making the right move by keeping Murray and Clouston in their positions for the remainder of the season. The way the Sens have been tanking, it doesn’t make sense to put a new coach behind the bench only to have the blame of this season placed on his shoulders as well. I also like the plan of Murray stepping away from the GM position, but being maintained as a consultant. He has brought in some good players in the draft the past few years. I don’t envy him the job of getting rid of our old Russians, Phillips, et al but I am really hoping that we keep Alfie.

Marc, I agree that we should play as many as the Bingo kids as possible. As long as they aren’t getting injured, it is great experience for them. There is no better conditioning for the big leagues than to play in them.

So far the only name that I have really heard thrown around for a new GM in Ottawa is TSN’s Pierre McGuire. I would be curious to know who else they are talking to for these preliminary interviews.

A number of the Senators are about to test the free agent market, whether they like it or not. One has to think that Jarkko Ruutu is checking out the real estate in Finland right now and pondering in which European league he’ll be biting ears next year. But with the coming tear-down, one also wonders what will become of the minor mistakes, like pending RFA Chris Campoli.

Ever since Brian Murray traded a late 1st round pick for him (Mike Comrie and Dead McAmmond also switched teams in what amounted to a mild salary-shaving for the strapped Islanders), Campoli has been in purgatory. When he was traded for, he was appealing because he was a cheap, NHL-ready defenceman who could play satisfactory minutes while the team developed its young blue line prospects. But there was a sense – especially after a respectable point production directly following the trade – that he might make a solid 3-4 pairing puck mover.

Now, neither good enough to earn a commitment from the team, or expensive enough to be included in a trade, Campoli is typecast as merely serviceable, and while this team enters a period of uncertainty it looks like he’s all but forgotten about, or destined to be shipped off for a low draft pick. That late round 1st bought this team time and money at the expense of a future roster player. (The Islanders used the pick in a package to move up to #16 in the draft, and it was later traded again to Anaheim, who used it to draft Kyle Palmieri, a decent prospect for them.)

Looking at his numbers, Campoli’s never quite justified the hope in Ottawa that he’d be considered much more than a solid if unspectacular depth guy.

Last year he received a one year deal that seemed like it was trying to make up for all the years of his making league minimum while playing big minutes for a terrible Islanders team, paying him an extra million, to make his salary a still very reasonable $1.4M. And on pace for the worst numbers of his career (albeit on a team that can’t score), it’s hard to imagine he’ll make much more than what he’s making now on the next deal.

The temptation must be there to throw Campoli overboard with the rest of this team come junta time, but it’s important that whoever replaces Murray has a keen eye for value. The days of the Kovalevs and Gonchars should, god willing, be behind us. I’d like to see a team that uses its cap space as a weapon, that goes out and picks up quality players from teams who don’t have the patience or the skill to manage the cap. (Basically, I want Marco Sturm for future considerations rather than paying UFA prices for him.) And that’s going to come by holding on to those low-risk, low-cost players like Chris Campoli.

Meaning, Campoli deserves another year, at another cheap contract. Not because he deserves a chance; there’s enough of a sample there to know that he’ll probably never hit 35 points in a season again. But because, just as when he was traded for, he meets the team’s needs right now. His value is in his cheapness, and his ability to play NHL minutes while this team’s youth develops. Even if they allow him to walk, or trade him, they’ll need a warm body to take his spot, and it’s unlikely that they’ll find one as familiar, and as affordable, as him on the UFA market. Campoli may not ever fill the big shoes on Ottawa’s back end, but prudence and patience say he stays on through the rebuild.

Conrad

Peter

Cool, fresh perspectives to our pity party. Do these fellow sadists have names? Really looking forward to the new spin on our fancy-pants hockey club.

As an aside, can I get a little sympathy? I was at the Calgary game! Okay so its not waking up halfway across the world level of sympathy but I did sit next to obnoxious Americans who did not shut up the entire game. They got trashed off two beers. Then as an added indignation, they got on the “jumbotron” (nothing jumbo about it really) and I had to get their attention, otherwise they would have missed their seven seconds of fame.

“Hey spazzes, you’re on the big screen.”

I am a terrific ambassador for sens hockey!

This team is worse than the leafs, that much is not up for debate anymore. As embarrassing as it is, their recent play has proven so. Not even a credible argument otherwise. Giveaways are the hallmark of this club. Blatant, ugly mistakes that aren’t helping anyone’s trade value. At least fuck up with a purpose gents!

Which brings me to the only saving grace on the horizon, tanking. Count me in me on this scuttle mission!

I watched a brief amount of the Caps game and saw more of the same. I miss the days when they’d have schizophrenic games where they beat LA and Phoenix. We’re past that now.

Marc

Second thing’s second: thanks for letting me jump into the thread. Mark February 5th on your calendar as a must: Ottawa plays the Islanders in a game that will end a 2 week losing streak.

Pessimism aside, is everyone happy that Locke got his chance with the big boys? The Ottawa Sun sports braintrust and many desperate fans finally saw this AHL all star in action and realized that he’s the Canadian equivalent of Kovalev. Heartless. Floater. How can a dude that small be so slow? I saw that some folks called him a slow Shannon…which is a really scary prospect in itself (when I say prospect, I don’t mean future roster player with potential). I’d rather see Jimmy O get the playing time.

DIRECT TELEPATHIC BRAINWASHING MESSAGE TO BRYAN MURRAY: LET THE KIDS PLAY. TRADE WHOEVER YOU CAN WHO IS A) OLD AND NOT NAMED ALFREDSSON B) DOESN’T HAVE AN NTC OR NMC. OK SO NO ONE CAN BE MOVED. I GET IT. THIS BITES.

I’m getting razed by f’in Leafs fans in TO, which is really ridiculous since they are not in a playoff spot and have not been to the annual tourney in what seems like an eternity. I think Kim Campbell was Prime Minister the last time they made it. The Leafs are ahead of the Sens, but that doesn’t squat until you’re in the top 8. New rule for all the ingrates that reside in Leaf Nation: you CANNOT talk to me about hockey until your team makes the playoffs. Stampsies. No takebacks.

Kuba sucks.

Marc P
Stranger In Leaf Nation

Peter

Marc, I like the cut of your jib.

I spent the entire Calgary game yelling at Kuba, it was only after he sprayed windshield wiper fluid in my face that he managed to shake me and I rolled to a stop somewhere along the 417.

Marc

That’s brutal.

A quick word of advice: hide in the trunk. Works everytime.

Conrad

I usually see Kuba on the long OC Transpo rides home from losses. He always hops on using the rear door or tries to use an expired transfer.

Prianka

That Caps game started way too early for me to be up for the puck drop, but when I woke up I figured I might as well tune in for the third. WORST DECISION EVER. I thought with both Spezza and Kovalev being out, the Sens would have fractionally fewer giveaways. Oh right, but then there’s Phillips. It’s a good thing he’s not a DEFENSEMAN or anything. Shit.

Are we really going to just keep dragging Clouston along? It seems like the Sens Army cling to the occasional win, or as times get desperate, a good period as evidence that the players haven’t given up on him. But come on, enough is enough already. So far the players are being shown, that even when everything goes to absolute shit no changes are going to be made.

I agree that we should just let the kids play at this point. I did the math the other night (before Calgary) and if the Sens went on to win 50% of their games (which I just don’t see happening) they would hit 80 points. You can’t get into the playoffs with 80 points. On top of that, even with a high draft pick, it’s not likely that the kid will play next year. Most of these drafts take at least one, if not two years to condition in the AHL. Let’s take a look at some players who are ready to play and try them out. It’ll be like an extended training camp.

Okay it’s time for this girl to get some coffee in her, and enjoy a morning that is not filled with tears and rage. Any predictions for tomorrow’s games against the Ducks?

Peter, not only do I live on the other side of the world but when I was home for Christmas, I went to the Carolina game. I go to one game all year, and the Sens cannot even be bothered to score a goal!

Prianka

Against Anaheim: It’s too early for the Sens to win another one since their pace seems to be 1 win in every seven or eight games, so I would go with Anaheim for the win. I say we’ll get markers tonight from Winchester, who’s been working hard and playing with heart and Alfie who is determined to carry this team on his back. Too bad we’ll get garbage goaltending from whoever ends up in net, and Anaheim will take it 4-2. I like Winnie and Neil on a line together, but I think Regin would be a better center for them. Now that Michalek is showing some speed again, putting him with Kelly and Alfie should show some results but Alfie really can’t do it all himself.

Some thoughts on last night’s game.

Im just going to put it out there now, that for the rest of the season I am still going to be the guy who is happy when the Senators win. My two least favorite contracts are coming off the books in April and those two players will subsequently be coming off the Active NHL players Wikipedia list. Try to guess who they are (Hint: its Alex Kovalev and Pascal LeClaire!).
Some core people get moved/rented out for more picks? Fine; awesome. We end up with a good pick due to a poor finish (trending!) so be it. Call me Dr. Migilicuddy’s olde fashioned unsalted potato crisps but I cant get into nearly destroying a franchise (Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins
 Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins) in exchange for HOPEFULLY landing a future hall of famer. Get the right heads in there and Detroit Red Wings this thing back on track. What? Chicago tanked for years and won it all as well? Hmm according to this mimeograph from Collier’s Magazine that I had made at an either frolic Chicago is also the third largest city in America, it’s Blackhawks franchise is 85 years old OH and the city is capable of supporting an NFL team and TWO MLB teams…huh, thanks Colliers. Maybe I’ve been a Sens fan too long and am soured on that process –Breaking News: Alexandre “The Next Mario Lemieux” Daigle has a job interview at American Eagle Outfitters this afternoon! Good Luck BRO! Im not saying I don’t believe in the draft…Im just saying I don’t believe in leaning entirely on the draft.  Also faklgh;l khaergkajerghio adflgkbda;fg
 
Some thoughts on the gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
-Is it just me or are we moving into a new paradigm where we start saying “everyone is up for grabs except for Spezza, Karlsson, Kelly and Winchester?” Seriously, Kelly and Winnie are playing with a lot of heart still. Glad to see it get rewarded with points. Props to Winchester for getting first star last night.
 
– Gonchar moved back to proper side / Gonchar + 5 on the night.
 
– Are there wedding bells betwixt Chris Kelly and Milan Michalek?
“I would definitely like to go on another date with Milan” – Chris Kelly as told to Chuck Woolery on Line Connection
 
-Brian Lee had a pretty good night drawing into the line up. Solid work young (looking) man. 
 
-Seeing Robin Lehner in net took me back to the heady winter of 1963 when I was a NINETEEN YEAR OLD. I myself had just started MY first game in net for the Flin Flon Apothecaries except it wasn’t called hockey then …we called it Ice Canes.  Seriously…that VERY young man did pretty well considering he was thrown into an absolute shit storm. Does he have work to do still? The entire world has work to do still. Let’s let him have this one off to enjoy his win.

– Daniel Alfredsson scores on first shot on net. In other Daniel Alfredsson news, Daniel Alfredsson remains the best.