I feel emo-tioooooooooooon.

Featuring prominently in Ottawa’s stunning last minute comeback win over the cursed Columbus Blue Jackets were Alfredsson, whose savvy read and work ethic generated the chances, Spezza, who scored the tying goal, and Michalek, whose play has been equal parts gritty and speedy. Without those three – arguable the only legitimate NHL line this team has – and Ottawa’s surprisingly potent powerplay (3rd in the league), Ottawa’s early season would be even worse than it’s been.

Spezza in particular has been dominant at times, and with 11 points in eight games might finally start to receive the kind of respect and attention elite players deserve. Michalek is showing what he can do when 100% healthy, and Alfredsson is once again defying his age. Beyond Karlsson, they’re everything this team has.

If Ottawa is going to surprise anyone this season – and read any non-Senators blog and you’ll see an endless stream of “lowly Senators” and “destined for a lottery pick” and just straight up “this team stinks” references – these three need to play this way all season long. In other words, they’ll need to play the role expected of Craig Anderson in everyone’s pre-season predictions and steal some games.

Now, were Anderson to return to his late 2010-2011 season form combined with the trio’s play, you might even have consistency from game to game. You might even, dare I write it, compete for a playoff spot. Now that there’s an extremely modest win-streak under their belts, this team might have some momentum and start challenging teams that aren’t, you know, the absolute worst.

More likely of course is that at least one (if not all three) of those forwards will be injured in due time, and then there will be trouble. Stephane Da Costa has one point in eight games and is -8. Zibanejad has one assist, and is 18 years old. Peter Regin is already hurt. Forget that these guys are barely second line centers, sooner or later they might even be called up to take critical face-offs as the Senators top centermen.

In other words, I’ll take these gutsy, exciting wins while I can. There will be enough tough games ahead. But what’s clear this early on is that Spezza is again proving himself, and is likely the future captain of this team. Let’s soak up the chance to watch him in his prime.

Bill Simmons is as well known a generalist in sports writing as there exists; long-time ESPN contributor, editor-in-chief of Grantland, getter-of-massive-figures-like-commissioners for his podcast, he’s a bit of the everyman, even if his level of access is anything but common. Not a former athlete or general manager, not a specialist; just a former blogger who writes about sports from a fan’s perspective while achieving that tricky balance of humor and authority. He’s sort of the sports blogger equivalent of the musician who gets picked out of obscurity to become a rock star.

He’s also getting into hockey (moreso). With the NBA lockout, the epic collapse of the Red Sox, and football being football (meaning, obscenely well covered already) he’s watching some Kings games. And he’s been writing down some great ideas. So, prompted by this article, I thought I’d take a few minutes to highlight those I think would benefit the NHL the most.

1)      Shorten the season and have a week-long tournament for the eighth seed.

The atom bomb. This one’s a game changer. Here it is in a nutshell: Only the top seven seeds in each conference get into the playoffs. All remaining teams, whether eighth or 15^th, play a round-robin tournament for the eighth seed. This requires the league to drop the already-too-long NHL season from 82 games to maybe 76 or something, which frankly is overdue considering how long the playoffs are (and how weak late-season hockey tends to be). It adds a week of ultra-fun, winner-suddenly-gets-in-hockey. And it prevents tanking for draft picks. Imagine your team toiling in 14^th (ahem, Ottawa) only to suddenly get hot at the right time and, after a few epic wins, find themselves in the playoffs? It would send just the right message about never taking contention for granted, and about competing all year long. And the ratings for that week long tourney would be absolutely bananas. You’d have a huge spike in ticket sales for those down-and-out markets. You’d reward seventh-and-higher seeds with a week’s rest before the playoff grind. You would create an instant underdog favorite. (Imagine a team like the Islanders winning a few games in a row in the last week of the season to jump from 13th to eighth, re-energize and suddenly have to take on a well-rested but rusty Washington in the first round. How could you not root for them at that point?) And it’s absolutely the only way the Columbus Blue Jackets will ever return to the big dance. (Just kidding. [Not kidding.]) In a league that already has all sorts of parity, it would be the ultimate “anyone can make it” gesture, and it would be a hell of a lot of fun. This is a Nobel Prize idea.

2)      Larry Bird Clause, kinda

When it comes to a pending UFA, allow the team who drafted the player (should he still be with that team) to offer more money than competitors. This allows small markets to keep their stars – if they’re willing to pay for them – and gets us out of this whole ridiculous “we just couldn’t get a deal done” parlance. This is a little bit less obvious in hockey than in basketball, because there’s a league max per player in hockey but no one in the league, even its biggest stars, comes anywhere close to it (there’s always some chatter about the next big UFA getting a league max deal, and inevitably he’ll sign the nice secure long-term deal with a reasonable or only-slightly-unreasonable cap hit around $7M); theoretically, small markets already can outbid other teams – if they have the cash – by just going league max, AKA officially insane. They don’t because you have to sign 20 guys in hockey, and Kovalchuk can’t play goaltender.

The solution is to create artificial cash advantages. Limit the maximum bid allowed by competitors on a UFA. So, to use Kovalchuk again, all other markets would not be allowed to offer more than, say, $7 million a year (in the highest paying year of the deal), and Atlanta (R.I.P.) could have offered more than $7M, up to league max. This also removes the unofficial but totally real advantage large market teams have and use when they bury contracts in the minors or overseas in order to dish out for today’s big UFA. Oh, and only allow the drafting franchise one Larry Bird Clause per UFA period. Which means Nashville is still boned when Weber, Suter and Rinne come up for new contracts after this year.

3)      Incentives for players who outperform

The two above ideas would be a tough sell to the players’ union. They limit the maximum payout to the league’s stars and not-really-stars. (How will Brain Campbell put food on the table without Dale Tallon having every opportunity to make him the next okay player with an elite player’s paycheque?) And they encourage teams to spend less, load up on stars at the deadline, and then try to run the table during the round-robin tourney rather than spend all season long on salaries. Here’s a bone thrown the other way: bonuses to players who outperform their contract expectation and, here’s the key, bonuses which don’t count against the cap. You can argue we already have bonuses, but they do count against the cap. It’s also not spectacular for a player like Sean Bergenheim to outperform expectation by scoring, like, five goals. How about for contracts in excess of $5 million there’s an automatic superstar provision wherein the player earns more if they win a major award, or land in the top ten in their respective categories? You’re telling me a team will complain about having to shell out an extra million or two if 1) they have a player on their team good enough to win the Art Ross? And 2) they have the advantage of the Larry Bird Clause, which allows them to keep all of their players OR if bidding on a non-drafted UFA to get them for only up to $7M?

So there you go: three solid ideas to improve upon an already improving league.

BONUS IDEA (this one is mine)

Trade Sergei Gonchar to the Rangers for Wade Redden and their 1st and 3rd round picks. They save $5.5M overall, get an actual NHL player (sorta), and we get a defenceman who might feel like he has something to prove and has a positive history with the city, and some picks. New York would have to figure out the cap, and Gonchar isn’t going to waive his no trade if they plan on stashing him in the minors, but I dunno…get an analyst to put some scenarios in a Word document and email it to Sather.

Oh, and no-touch icing for Christ’s sake.

And lo, did the Ottawa Senators begin their fated rebuilding cycle with a FUCKING AWFUL couple of games.

Varada 

The team’s been exactly as bad as everyone said, not just losing most of its games but doing so in spectacular fashion and on home ice a couple of times. If not for the bizarrely inept Columbus Blue Jackets we’d be dead last. (Which, I know Carter is hurt and Wisniewski suspended, but really, both of those guys and the Jackets are 180 degrees better? You’ve got to feel for them. Spending to the cap this year and everything. That coach is done for.) Question: anyone think we turn this around? And by “turn this around” I mean have a ten game stretch where maybe we win as many games as we lose? Lastly, how awesome was it that we got to go to the Sens one win this year?
 
Or how about Karlsson somehow still having a multi-point game in a 7-2 loss? Eight points in six games, that’s pretty amazing – even if he’s already a -5. By the way, also leading the league in assists on a team that’s 18th in scoring. Shine on, single bright light in an inky black universe. I see a 5% increase in Karlsson jerseys week-over-week until the end of the season.
 
How bad has our goaltending been? Do we blame this entirely on defensive lapses by the players in front of Auld and Anderson, the baldest duo in sucktown? Personally, I think Anderson’s play has been the most disappointing part of the early season. I’m not usually one to assess the “interest” or “effort” levels of a person I’ve never met, but he seems strangely lax out there. There’s none of the leaping saves we became accustomed to at the end of last season. He’s way out of position, not making himself big in the net, not getting down fast enough. Some goals are just tough luck. (How the hell did Read score that first goal on Auld last night, for example?) But Anderson looks resigned to a hellish season.
 
Who’s the first person to get traded this year? I’m going with Foligno.
 
Also of note is that yesterday both the new album by M83 and the videogame Batman: Arkham City were released, both of which I’ve been looking forward to.

Pete

The play in front of the goalies has been pretty bad. Multiple rushes from the wings right to the front of the net. Ottawa’s d-men are being turnstiled before our eyes. Opponents forwards are going wherever they want and secondary scoring chances in front of the net leave them scrambling.

Did we expect all that? Yes. I’m taking issue with the constant line juggling and the mixed messages of starts vs scratches. I don’t think MacLean should be searching for the magic bullet. Look for consistency, develop a routine. I doubt all the answers are going to be stumbled upon by trial and error. Get these guys comfortable playing with each other, reward consistent play and admonish those caught out of position. Case in point last night vs Philly I watched Chris Pronger put in a clinic of positional play, you know how I could tell? Cause the announcers rarely called his name. He’s never flashy but he’s always in the right spot. During the Sportsnet broadcast Kuba and Rundblad were noticeable because they were all over the ice. Dean and Denis (when he was paying attention) couldn’t keep their names off their lips. Not something I expect from defensemen.

And now for some stats. Ottawa’s two worst seasons in franchise history 1992-93 and 94-95 both featured the team grabbing 2 points in the first 6 games. This years team has scored more goals, 16 compared to 15 in 1992 and 13 in 1994 while allowing 30 compared to 32 in 92 and 22 in 94.

Obvs it’s early but we’re in rarified air here. If the trend holds expect our next point to come in late November and only 5 one goal games (losses or ties) before Xmas. (notice I didn’t mention the proliferation of 10 games or more losing streaks in this franchise’s history, the stats are pointing we might be in for a few of those

To summarize, I fear to watch yet I cannot turn away. I’ll be in the stands for Thursday’s game.

James

H. Shit. I read some quote in the press from Auld when it was announced he’d be starting against Philly. He said something along the lines of “I rarely get to start two games in a row. So blah blah blah feels good.” Starting to see why this doesn’t get to do that much. He looked absolutely brutal. I think so far this season has been a combo of breezy goaltending AND shoddy / non existent D coverage but early last night those first two? I think scored 1.1 seconds apart (have to check the stats) smacked of Dave Nichols’ Memories of Brian Elliot Cajun Backbreaking Rib Sauce.
That bad angle shot (and hey, sometimes they do go in…I’ve seen Spezza score a couple of those, always worth a try as if it fails the rebound tends to come back to you behind the net) and then Giroux’s Chris Campoli special, put the puck in the net twice when the initial goal isn’t called…those shits were all Auld. All’d.
The air must have just been sucked from the building after that 2 for 1. Say what you will about that crowd at SBP, sorry what’s that? No one ever shuts the fuck up about that for 5 minutes? I swear, if SBP was filled with self loathing fans complaining about the noise level at the arena it would make the Bell Centre sound like a sensory deprivation tank.
Sorry about that rant (sort of…actually, not really sorry at all)
 
I still expect the lines to look super weird until the 9 game try outs are up. Paulrus might feel a bit of pressure after last night’s shite storm but for sure after game 9 I expect to see some more conservative shit going on. I must admit it is funny when you hear MacLean going, “I know Michalek, Spezza, Alfredsson can be a very effective line so I can default to that if we need to generate something.” Yeah, or, you know, you can just make that your first line. It’s not weird for a team to put their three best forwards on the top line. Can we hear it for the fact that one of, if not the, best player on our team is turning 39 in a couple months. Happy birthday to ALL OF US. YIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKES
 
I know the team needs to stay above the cap floor and all but does anyone have less of a place on the team than Kuba? All we have are accident prone puckmovers now. I don’t think it would be crazy to pay a bunch for a boring stay at home crease clearer. Kinda wishing David Hale would page me right now… Don’t worry Sens fans, we’ll still tank, I just want people to keep going to games and 7-2 losses are not the way to do it. And you know what? This is not the fans’ fault. I heard someone on a podcast say (sorry, forget which one) “what have fans done so far to indicate they wont support a rebuild?” and I agree. The general consensus after the Washington game seemed to be, “Now THERE’S a loss I can get behind!” Excited about the effort and potential behind a loss, if that’s not support I don’t know what is. Ottawa fans understand what a rebuild entails but also what A MODICUM PRIDE entails. Fans have limits. 2 blowouts in a week already? Remember when leafs fans were wearing bags on their heads a couple seasons ago? I kinda get it. I love this team but I hate to see this type thing. Anyway, I’m trying to hold back a little until we’re 10 games into the season and maybe the line up settles down a little bit. But for me right now, we’re in puck mover hell on D. What are you did me Carkner’s knee!?!?!

Filatov must be pissing himself about his “backchecking” watching the rest of the team look like saloon doors in his absence. Put the kid back in and play him in the top six all night long. Im not saying he’s the solution to the Sens problems at all, I’m just saying I want to see a fast dynamic forward…you know, like the other teams have. If the team’s already giving up like 5+ goals a night might as well put some people up front that might score some themselves. Eric Condra sure don’t seem up for it so far. ONE WAY CONTRACTS FOR ALL!

Also, I hate to bring this up as he has a goal and seems like the nicest guy in Springfield but is anyone getting a little bit of Nick Foligno-getting-constantly-sonned-trying-to-break-in-wide fatigue? I think teams have a book on this move now homie. Let’s switch it up a little.
 
Spezza, Alfie and Karlsson showing they are truly the backbone of this team. Spezza is pretty obviously hurting a bit. Physically and likely spiritually. Terrified thinking of any combo of these guys sitting out. Also hat tip to Michalek for looking threatening most nights/ not being hurt yet.

Things that make you go fklaja;erbgjrv:
Peter Regin is a +3.. Good for that guy. How did he even pull that off? Splitting for the bench every time Philadelphia had the puck?

Outstanding effort last night from our Ottawa Senators, who trounced the Philadelphia Flyers 7-2 at the Scotiabank Place.

The team was off to a torrid start, scoring four goals in the first period against a hapless and pathetic Sergei Bobrovsky. Despite being loaded with established stars like Chris Pronger, Kimmo Timonen, and Jaromir Jagr, and up-and-comers like Claude Giroux and James Van Riemsdyk, the Flyers ran around in their own end all night, unable to generate even a modicum of offense against stalwarts like Chris Phillips and Filip Kuba. Bobrovsky gave up a goal from what appeared to be an impossible angle against Calder-candidate Mika Zibanejad, who also proved Ottawa right in passing on Sean Couturier by keeping him off the board with a thundering check. Bobs then gave up three more goals on only ten shots. 

Philadelphia did mount some pressure in the 2nd period after a switch in goal to their high-priced off-season acquisition Bryzgalov, but couldn’t convert on a lenghty 5-on-3. Their defensemen stood around looking paralyzed with the puck, neither shooting nor passing. Bryz then gave up three goals in the final minutes of the third. Also, Nick Foligno and Peter Regin are legitimate NHL hockey players.

Truly, Philadelphia Flyers fans should be worried about how poorly their team played last night – their second blow-out loss in their last three games – and management should be panicking about where the season is headed. Adjustments are required. They knew they would stink heading into this year, but they certainly don’t want to rival some of the worst teams in league history, like the 1992 Ottawa Senators.

We Ottawa Senators fans should thank god we’re not Philadelphia Flyers fans. Can you imagine what they must be going through?

I can’t think of a better outcome: the games are generally close (a 7-1 drubbing notwithstanding) and entertaining; the team features an interesting mix of upcoming talent and scrappy veterans; Spezza is proving himself a premier playmaker; and at the heart of the team is an extremely creative young franchise defenseman who is worth the price of admission alone. But in the end the games are still mostly losses. Believe it or not, this is what we want.

Rooting for losses is difficult, not only because you’d like your team to prove everyone wrong, but also because 82 games is a lot of hockey to watch if your team is terrible. But when Murray says he expects this team to be competitive, I think we can distinguish between being competitive in the standings and putting up a fight every night. These Ottawa Senators certainly do the latter. Management is embedding a competitive spirit in the dressing room while keeping a stall open for Yakupov. Far preferable to the team going on a surprising run that gets our hopes up without coming within miles of true contention.

It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s proper team building. John Tavares has nine points in his last two games, and the Islanders on the right side of .500. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a hat-trick last night, in just his third NHL games, and they almost beat Vancouver. Steve Stamkos has already dominated the league. We’re not even talking about Crosby / Ovechkin style generational players, but we see how integral such high draft picks are for a rebuilding team. For a team that has already catapulted itself to the top of the prospect rankings in one year, adding a marquee forward and some great depth can only hurry this along.

The mantra might be “Just one painful season,” but the way the Senators are playing it won’t even be all that painful.

Four games in, still far too early to panic. (And panic about what? We weren’t expecting a competitive team, were we?) But worst Goals Against Per Game (5.45…the next worst team is Winnipeg at 4.5), blown out by a team most seem to think will be picking alongside us in the lottery, allowing on average 35 shots against per game and Craig Anderson, the one factor we all thought could make a difference this year, sporting a .853 SV%. Not what you’d call the sort of start Ottawa wants to the season.

Next up is Washington, on the road, and then Philadelphia. Two of the best teams in the East. If Ottawa drops those two games by similarly huge scores, putting us five games below .500, we could see a repeat of the Auld / Gerber mini-crisis we experienced back in 2008-2009. Our (relatively) high priced acquisition supplanted by our budget back-up. If that doesn’t work, we may actually see Robin Lehner sooner than we thought. And if that doesn’t work, then we’re officially in New York Islanders territory.

I think we all expected some bumps in the road this season, and some adjustments as the team tried to right the ship, but to find myself thinking about substantive changes a few games in is too bad. Here’s hoping Anderson gets some more support from the defense in front of him before the crowd turns on him too.

In terms of deadline resources, Sergei Gonchar and Filip Kuba aren’t exactly helping themselves along to a contender. (Though Kuba’s been getting at least 20 minutes a night almost by default.) At least Karlsson’s been lights-out.

Yield for Yakupov?

Yield for Yakupov!

There was a time when the Ottawa Senators were considered an extremely skilled team without the discipline, grit, or work ethic to put together a Championship season. It was thought that if only some accountability was instilled in the dressing room that they would be dominant. Bryan Murray’s first stint as coach seemed to affirm it: here was a no-nonsense, traditional hockey guy who could whip young talent like Jason Spezza into shape, a foil to the quiet Jacques Martin, who lifted the team out of obscurity with a sound defensive system and amazing special units organization. When he was promoted to GM, Murray didn’t hesitate to hire a string of authoritarian coaches to presumably throw chairs around the room and call out skilled players in the media. There’s a bit of hindsight and 20/20 vision at play, but it doesn’t seem to have worked out as planned: the team suffered through even bigger and seemingly inexplicable collapses. Under Paddock they went into a death spiral after one of the best starts to a season in NHL history. Each coach was ejected with even less ceremony than the last.

So when I read this article about MacLean bag skating the team, I can’t help but think “here we go again.” The quotes are interchangeable with the ones from seasons past. “It’s a new regime, and we’re not going to be satisfied with not getting points, nor should we,” said [Chris] Philips. “We should have to show that character and not give up, but we have no points to show (for those first two games) and that’s what it’s all about — results.”

We have to play three complete periods. We need to outwork the competition. The veterans need to “step up,” meaning, one presumes, try harder. It’s all in the effort, we’re told.

The problem with making your system all about size, speed, and effort is that it’s exactly the same system almost every other franchise in the league employs. You’re competing for the same resources – big, fast, hard working players – and the same advantages in temporarily outworking an opponent. You might out-compete for a period here or there, or every once in a while get lucky, play against a tired or injured team and out-compete the whole game. But your periods of advantage are sliver-thin. This is professional sports, and everyone is big, fast, and works hard. You won’t have enough advantages over the course of a season to win more games than you lose, especially with a team simultaneously this young and inexperienced and old and tired.

Which is why teams like Detroit and Nashville and talked about as being some of the smartest in the league. They recognize that if they use a different measuring stick, they won’t be competing with as many for the same resources, and they won’t be playing force against force for the same advantages. With Detroit it’s all about puck possession. With Nashville it’s defensive deployment throughout the forward core. The question goes: why wouldn’t you want a small, slow, lazy player if he possesses a skill that serves your system and contributes to a win, especially if those supposed deficiencies mean he can be had for less money? Maybe your system seeks out great stick-handlers or shooters at the expense of size and attitude. Maybe it’s shot-blockers, or the ability to recognize and adapt to a system like Guy Boucher’s. But surely a franchise who wants “guys who work hard” is going to have a hard time finding more hard-working guys than anyone else.

Case in point is Bobby Butler. He isn’t big, he’s not a great skater, and he doesn’t back check. His strengths are on-ice vision, in that he can get into open slots, and a wicked shot. He’s been benched because the team is trying to make him into a more complete player. And it may work. But if you’re paying this kid a million bucks a year to shoot pucks at the net, how is he going to do it from the press box? Could he be used as one cog in a diverse system designed to generate overall offense rather than a facsimile of grunt-like workers? Is giving him sheltered minutes with a true pivot not using him properly, rather than an indication of preferential treatment?

It’s Moneyball all over again: look for in the aggregate what you can’t get in the individual.

It’s only three games into the season, and I like MacLean a lot. I think he’s going to stick in Ottawa, if only because he seems like such an affable guy. The bitter pill of bag skates goes down easier when the coach isn’t a dick about it. But if the reports are any indication (and they may very well not be) this fifth coach in five seasons seems to be off to an identical start as his predecessors. Maybe the next coach will make the team skate twice as hard and far as MacLean. Maybe that will do it.

“Getting over” Dany Heatley has an appropriately pathetic ring to it, if only because at the time of his trade request it certainly felt comparable to being dumped. One year into a six year, $45 million contract that was to make permanent one of the foundational pillers of Ottawa’s Cup Run team, he suddenly and with seemingly little provocation requested a trade. Trades can be amicable and professional (see Heatley’s trade from San Jose just a couple of seasons later), but the suddenness of it, coupled with the very public manner in which it unfolded, made the process a brutal one.

The question today, on the eve of his second return to Ottawa since the trade, is whether the fan base should get over it. Check the poll from that link: most think not.

But the question shouldn’t be whether our feelings should still be hurt. This is professional sports, trades happen, and beyond the semantics of “making a commitment to a city” when an athlete signs a contract, Dany Heatley doesn’t owe Ottawa fans a thing. The better question, I think, is: have we (and by we I mean Ottawa’s management) learned anything from that fiasco? Have we “gotten over” whatever our tendencies were that led to that trade in the first place? Hurt feelings don’t serve much purpose, but lessons learned do, and Bryan Murray made his share of mistakes that summer.

First and foremost seemed to be his lack of patience for the media / public relations game. Look to fairly media-savvy franchises, like Pittsburg, and how they handle touchy subjects like Crosby’s health. We receive regularly scheduled press conferences and videos of his practices, all while management controls the message by reassuring the fan base and deferring to their medical staff. Contrast this with the Heatley Summer of Gossip, catalyzed by the fact that the trade request was leaked, and egged on however inadvertently by the silence from both Murray and Heatley’s camps. The Edmonton trade that never happened then also took place in a pubic manner that was totally humiliating for both Edmonton and Ottawa. There was far too much information, followed by not nearly enough.

These years later, Murray (both Bryan and Tim) and Melnyk still seem more comfortable shooting from the hip, somehow unaware that both the fan base and the traditional media covering the team are hanging on their every word and finding in their every utterance material for a new 500 word column. From a couple of comments on the part of Spezza and Murray, it’s now common knowledge that Cory Clouston was a “bad communicator.” Murray still goes on the record saying the team is one or two pieces away from competing, “especially in the East,” which gives me nightmares of Ottawa embracing the Mediocre Toronto Model of sneaking into the playoffs as a lower seed. Melnyk is an absolute train wreck, contradicting himself and setting all sorts of unreasonable expectations. All this communication, and no semblance of clarity concerning a plan, a method, a goal. If you require a blue collar, traditional hockey guy to have respect in this league, then insulate the players and management from the PR guys. But let PR be the face and voice of the franchise when speaking with the media and the public.

Another lesson learned might have come from Heatley’s No Trade clause coupled with the long term deal, which first diminished the possible trades and then allowed Heatley to nix the trade to Edmonton. There hasn’t been a player good enough to warrant a six year deal, but Murray still gave limited or modified No Trade Clauses to both Chris Phillips, Alexei Kovalev, and Sergei Gonchar. He gave a four year deal to Craig Anderson. This team has been handcuffed by a combination of years outstanding and NTCs.

Lastly, and perhaps most puzzling, is Murray’s faith in the “core” of this team, which led him to offer Heatley such an extravagant deal, which saw Heatley become alienated when not used in a way that he thought appropriate for a core player, and which then led Murray to that strange Chris Phillips extension. Granted that the team captured lightning in a bottle on that trip to the Finals, but Alfredsson is older, Spezza still doesn’t have a legitimate sniper to play with, Anton Volchenkov is gone, and the team hasn’t received anything resembling dependable goaltending. The notion of adding “one more piece” to an untouchable core is the single most damaging thing for this club, and Heatley should have proven that core status is impermanent.

Maybe I’m not giving Murray enough credit. Maybe he’s better at PR than I think, and is saying all of this one more piece stuff to sell tickets. Maybe the deals he’s given out have been deemed by a secret team of advanced metrics analysts to be too reasonable to pass up. Maybe in some universe this core can still compete. But with Dany Heatley coming back – and, I’ve got to say, looking rejuvenated in Minnie – it’s an opportunity to look back and think of how the Murray regime could have handled things differently. If you’re mad about the situation you can boo Heatley, for all the good that’ll do, or you can demand more of the man at the wheel. The Heatley trade will be a major part of Bryan Murray’s legacy in Ottawa, and it should be.

Curious to see Leafs fans gloating about what they hope will be a season of trouncing the Sens. Defeating a rebuilding club should be a given, shouldn’t it? Especially when the Leafs are spending as much as they are on salary, are in the fourth year of their “this isn’t a five year rebuild” rebuild, and absolutely must compete now. So why gloat? If they win, there’s nothing remarkable about it, and they’re just helping the Sens along to a higher draft pick. (We don’t trade our first rounders during rebuilds, which is a novel concept.) If they don’t win, then by their own admission they should be embarrassed.

The fact of the matter is that there’s so much riding on this season for the Leafs that you can smell the desperation and tension in the air. What happens if they finish yet another season without the playoffs, knowing that they could be competing by now had they not hired the brashest, least patient GM in the game? Do you commit to a five year rebuild now, knowing that their market is desperate for some playoff hockey? What good is it to be a bubble team who makes it to the playoffs only to be destroyed in the first round?

The Leafs, and their increasingly exasperated fan base, are in purgatory. Theirs is a fate worse than sucking, because even having a bad season has its purposes. Too bad to win it all, too good to get better. Where have we heard this before?

Leaf fans gloat about beating up on a rebuilding club because there’s not much else there to get excited about. The Senators may be a few seasons from being competitive again, but I have no doubt that when Ottawa’s window of contention opens again the Leafs will be right where they’ve been all of these years: hoping to sneak in and get hot at the right time, and a team no one is truly afraid of encountering in the playoffs. Seems a shame to spend six seasons out of the playoffs only to end up right back where you started.