Thought I’d turn my attention from Ottawa’s Longest Season In Recorded History (when is the draft again? 17 months away?) to the 67s. Anyone catch the playoff preview game on Sunday afternoon against the Sudbury Wolves? STATEMENT GAME. Tyler Toffoli with FOUR FUCKING GOALS. The 67s were flying. Admittedly, it was one of those blowout games where Sudbury missed an open net about seven times, and if two or three of those had gone in you have an entirely different game, but man – pretty, pretty passing from Ottawa, and Toffoli is a legit finisher. I know hindsight is 20/20, and winning the OHL scoring title doesn’t necessarily make you a prolific NHL scorer, but getting this guy in the 2nd round was a coup by the Kings. Easily a top six player. Can’t wait to see him play with Brayden Schenn. I hope Murray turns one of those 2nd rounders we got for Kelly and Campoli into something similar.

This has all the signs of a Melnyk move. Could have waited for the end of the season and it’s for two years too many.

It’s not even Easter and we’re already putting our eggs in one basket.

Gulp

This contract is been probed at many angles across the Senstuffsphere today: positive, negative…insightful…dumbsightful.

Anyway, one thing IS clear in the wake of this signing: Bryan Murray will be the Senators GM next season as…a guy who is set to retire in a couple of weeeeeks…would…not….be able to sign a guy for 4 yearrrs riiiiiiiight? Right

Whats that? Oh according to twitter, Eugene Melnyk will be both Coaching and Managing the Sens from Barbadosvia TWITTER. Cool Sens 2.0!

Update! Scratch that it will be via TUMBLR …tumblr. Lemme just mimeograph that down on my Newton (I’m old!)

K, so the term looks bad on this thing. Bad. Four years. BUT …theres a silver lining folks and that is the price.
So, some people are really giving the fact that Anderson is getting a 70% raise, which is a difficult stat to hear, an huge thumbs down.

I find this a little misleading as Craig Anderson has done a lot of stuff since his last signing. Guy was going to get a significant raise
whether here or elsewhere. Who knows, it might have been more if he went onto the open market (maybe not?…also? but probably)

I mean even Auntie (yep, Auntie) Neimi makes a billionny dollars and he’s been playing for like 45 minutes. Good hustle, player agents!

The cap hit plus ZERO no movement clause (what? it’s a regular saint Christmas day hot crossed buns miracle!) could come in handy.

What am I getting at? If we’re all expecting 1.The team to not be wildly good for say a year or two and 2. that Lehner will be in the mix
by the time the team is more competitive again I thinks a 2yr 3.1M Craig Anderson contract wont be the hardest to deal if need be, esp if the current paradigm of league-wide goalie musical chairs carries on. Even IF the Sens are still bad. Anderson himself got a lot of great press back when he was playing great on a (still) AWFUL Florida team shows that other GMs can look past a bad record.

What Im saying is this is a 4 year deal on papier. Its job security in the long view for Andy and goal security in the potentially short view for the Sens.

If it NEEDS to be short term. Its tough to believe in any goalie in this town. Conrad’s David Abeishjeradjfkfer (sic) stats are sobering but I don’t know,

I guess when it comes to goalies maybe one has no choice but be a ramblin, gamblin man (for 4 years) in the NHL. Also, HOW THERE IS SOMMMMEHOW NOT a no movement OR no trade clause involved? Check that contract for the name BRYAN Murray. So I think, CA is a good goalie who gels pretty well with the team’s D and that D, all goes well with the prospects + Phillips/Gonchar not having worst seasons of careers , will stand to improve in front of him.

Related Fact: Did you know that Brian Lee is both playing and not the bane of the fanbase’s collective existence? Give a guy a job to do and watch the results  eh? Anyway, to regain focus,
maybe you don’t feel me on any of this BUT I also have learned the past couple of seasons to find ways to make peace with moves like this early and often as there is literally noooooothing I can do to control them and I like going to hockey games and want to be Mr. Smiles times NOT Mr. Poopants. I also have enjoyed being Mr. Smiles Times more since Cheechoo and Kovalev are no longer on the team. YES I KNOW CHEECHOO IS THE NICEST DUDE I WILL HAVE HIM FOR A BAR B QUE IN MAY OR SOMETHING

Sheesh.

Geez, quite the day considering that I initially thought I was going to be discussing the underrated play of the Ottawa 67s Ryan Martindale and how he may end up being a latter round gem for the team that drafts him (probably San Jose as they draft all the good 67s). If hes not  owned by anyone right now, the Sens should consider him if solely for the prospect of the PA announcer getting to yell out
“RYYYYYYAAAAANNN MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRTINNNNDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLE” at all introductions and goal announcements. That, for me alone is worth an entry level deal and THAT is why I run several professional sports franchises.

Pete

Conrad

I listened to the press conference while at work today because I cant be trusted, and it was noted that Lehner should never have been shuttled back and forth between the A and the N in order to not really play. Which then begat much thought on how best to nurture a goalie which, like a baby velociraptor, is difficult to do. It was thought (by God) that said best way is to 1) put an established guy in net as a starter, and 2) draft a new guy. And thus Goalie Of Da Future is sandwiched, threatened – and deliciously motivated! Murray said that Ottawa will definitely be drafting a goaltender in this year’s draft, and that Lehner will play next season in Binghamton.