See ya'll next year after I get back from my tour with R. Kelly.

James

You guys, I can’t stop thinking about the Senators 2^nd line centre position. I feel like…I feel like a cat on a hot tin roof. A cat on a hot tin roof that’s concerned about the Senators 2^nd line centre position! Help me Dr. Zeus (you).

For Cyril Sneeriousness, now that the city seems to have finally stopped dusting off the perennial “Lets trade our best player who plays one of the hardest positions in the sport to fill at about a point per game” chestnut…You know who I’m talking about! Rhymes with recently snored his brewhundredth career mole? No? Rhymes with Shanaynay Splendzza? OH GOD YOURE SO BAD AT THIS GAME. Anyway, I’ve always understood the criticism of Spezza but never felt his shortcomings trumped his rare set of pure, uncensored, 2 hot 4 TV skillz. Further, in recent times, the thing that’s really solidified Spezza for me is his clear desire to WANT to be the best player he can be. I think losing Heatley, enduring a few injury plagued seasons, watching Alfie age and the birth of his son Rudiger Hortense Aloysius Spezza have perhaps taught him something something you only have so much time in this league and  something something you don’t know what you got till it’s something. *Dusts off hands* well, that wraps up another really interesting post and I want to thank…oh wait, I didn’t even talk about what I was supposed to talk about….
With Spezza carrying his weight on the first line and fans in large getting behind this whole future captain thing, the question of Spezza’s value to the team finally seems put to bed. That’s said, we face a new question down the middle of the lineup  with hockey player and croissant enthusiast Stephane DaCosta’s recent demotion to the AHL and Peter Regin’s shoulder on dialysis for at least another month. Who’s going to centre the second line?
Regin missed a huge stretch of last season with a blown out shoulder and has already missed time TWICE this season for it. Though I want all the best for Denmark’s best export since LEGO, I have to say that I am beginning to question his long term health and viability in the league. Like groin to the goalie LeClaire who came before him, the shoulder is probably the last body part an NHL centre wants to suffer a chronic injury to. In addition, I’ve always been a tad skeptical of Regin’s legitimacy as a top 6 centre. A solid playoff performance and an absolutely dismal season (even as far as dismal 2010-11 Sens seasons go) under his belt. Is Peter Regin already a bit too big of a risk going forward both injury and production wise? I mean, Phoenix’ Kyle Turris is a guy who is seen as a gamble at 2^nd line centre considering how little he’s  done to prove himself at the NHL level but bro take a hit off of this reality bong and check this out, our Regin is a risk too….

Kyle Turris Age: 22 Pos: C
GP: 131 G: 19 A: 27 PTS: 46

Peter Regin Age: 25 Pos: C
GP: 146 G: 18 A: 33 PTS: 51

Ehhh…K. So what would you do? He’s a month (minimum) from returning. Wait it out with some weird Foligno (What!?), Winchester, Zmith? Tri-headed monster as second line centre like many are speculating? This is very risky and such a risk could potentially prove the undoing of what is currently a .500 team. Unless of course the 3^rd line continues being really, really, amazing. Or do you shake hands with the devil and make a trade for Gatineau native Derick (great spelling!) Brassard of Columbus? Brassard with the pedigree of Nikitia Filatov, the injury problems of Regin and the healthy scratch skills of Alex Semin? And the 2011 point totals of…uhhh…not joking, Zenon Konopka (be my guest, look em both up!).  Do you just role the MFing dice, accept its a rebuild year and risk tanking to await the sunny shores of Zibanejad? Any other ideas?

VARADA

Strange times, my friends, strange times. This team is one Spezza injury away from not really having a natural center on the team. Not that keeping our 18 year old prospect in town and stunting his progression by giving him a -47 plus-minus for Christmas is the answer
…and Regin isn’t the answer either. I know Maclean was all like “He has NHL experience, and that goes a long way,” but yeah…less than two full seasons played, and with last season being of the absolutely abysmal variety (didn’t he score like 0.5 goals last year?), I don’t really know what the value is there. He has more experience not really being the answer to our 2nd line center question? He’s young, he’ll get better, but at the moment he’s not playing. It’s unfair to expect him to seamlessly re-integrate coming off of shoulder rehab.
Unfortunately, I also don’t think a trade is in order, especially a trade for a high-cost / high-risk / high pedrigree / underperforming player like Turris. This team has the potential to seriously bottom out, and I wouldn’t want to lose any picks outside of the first two rounds. Turris ain’t coming back for a 3rd rounder. Also those big market guys are crazy. Watch for the Rangers or Flyers to trade for Turris just because they’re bored. (I actually think he goes to Montreal. They need a shakeup.)