It may have been the 6th game of the regular season but I feel comfortable in saying that was the best I have seen this team play in a long long time.
Milan Michalek officially welcomed himself to the Nation's Capital with a three goal performance, two shorthanded and one on the power play. The former Shark has four on the season.
Its games like that one that show you why some people have praised Bryan Murray for the job he did in the Heatley deal. Michalek is hands down the more complete player and he showed it tonight. He has absolutely lethal speed and finishes better than people give him credit for.
Tonight was one of those games where there isn't much point in trying to mention who stood out because just about everyone did against the Lightning. The Senators dominated the Tampa Bay Lightning from start to finish.
The power play was probably the only weakness tonight but even they got on the score sheet in the third on Michalek's hat trick completing goal.
All in all an amazing effort tonight from the Senators. Safe to say we won't be hearing from the nay-sayers for a couple days.
Oh and one more thing...
How nice was it to see Matt Carkner beat on Downie's head like a drum?
GO SENS GO!
86 comments:
Where's Ottawa's offense?
Those fights were awesome, All the goals were nice, beautiful game. Only downside was that it wasn't a shutout for Leclaire.
Wow, you wrote this fast. The game just finished and the post is already up. Great game. Carkner laid the smack down! Feel bad for Kelly missing out on the goal at the end but at least Ruutu popped it in.
"Ray Ferraro, will you please, shut, the hell...up!"
Wow, you wrote this fast. The game just finished and the post is already up. Great game. Carkner laid the smack down! Feel bad for Kelly missing out on the goal at the end but at least Ruutu popped it in.
TSN got on my nerves for a whole hour before the game. I haven't been more annoyed with sports commentary since Bob Cole. They raved about TB and how the Sens didn't really have a chance. It was only after the third goal where they shut up.
That's the only thing I can complain about. That was as complete a game as you can get by the Sens.
Go Sens Go!
Awe-some! Cheechoo even impressed! Funny how TSN.ca doesn't have anything about this up yet...hmmm...not even in the mini-feed :)
I missed it - somebody describe the Carkner beat down on Downie. Please!
Everyone came to play tonight what an awesome effort. For once I wish Pierre did the game he woulda been going off tonight!
Missed Carkner dummy Downie tho can't wait to see a video of it.
Lets bring this energy to MTL saturday and show them whos boss , gonna be a good game 4-1 prediction
Phill
This team is officially a force to reckon with...no Kuba, Regin.
A convincing win by the Sens, with everyone contributing. Hopefully Kuba comes back soon, the powerplay looks like it still needs some work. The pk remains a strength and Clouston seems to have sorted out the lines, it's only a matter of time until the powerplay returns to form it had down the strech last year.
It was nice of TSN to notice that W's and L's are what it's all about, not just Sir D of H's point totals. Perhaps they'll even point out the jump in the Senators point total and the dip in the Sharks from last year at some point.
Ray Ferraro makes Pierre McGuire sound insightful. Not an easy feat.
Carkner vs Downie:
Some tension building between the two during the game with a couple face washes exchanged.
Behind the night I think it was Kelly hits Downie, Downie goes after Kelly, Carkner says, whoa, wait, fight me. Grabs Downie and proceeds to beat him down.
Carkner holds Downie up with one hand and knocks him around with the other. Everytime Downie tried to duck away, Carkner would switch hands.
SOLID!!!
Probably the most solid game the Sens have played since their 15-2 start in 2007-08.
Marc
i was at the game! Carkner killed downie!
COME ON SENS ARMY WE NEED MORE THEN 17000 PEOPLE GOING TO THE GAMES THATS PATHETIC GET YOUR ASSES TO THE GAME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Couldn't have gone much better for the Sens. Loads of players had great games tonight. Spezza drops Hedman? I counted five amazing passes by Phillips tonight, great game. Volchenkov was a beast tonight. Carkner owning Downie was a long time coming. Paid in full.
I have to say, Picard was looking good out there. Quietly effective defensively, very much apparent offensively. My hat would be off to you, except that Michalek got all the hats tonight.
I'll be walking into the office tomorrow with my head held high amongst the leaf nation twits I work with, haha.
And enough with the dummy between the benches!
TOsensfan
I totally agree - lets sell out the rest of the year! On that note, can someone PLEASE tell SBP to stop playing Gwen Stefani songs after a fight!
and we should have beat Pittsburgh too.
Great game...only downside was that Leclair was a little shaky - hopefully Murray won't have to lose that trade. Go Sens!
I'm what you call cautiously optimistic. We've beaten several non-contenders now and lost to the two quality teams we have faced.
Arguably, the Rangers loss can be seen as a new team with no chemistry, and the Pittsburgh loss can be attributed to many odd bounces. However, we need to show a top Eastern team that we can compete at their level.
Go Sens!
Was at the game tonight. Won't bother rehashing previous comments but I agree with most - especially Carkner pounding Downie.
Only negative comment I have is that Karlsson is still making bad pinches and he's really easy to knock off the puck. I saw him live during the World Juniors and he was the portrait of poise with the puck. So far this season, though, it seems like the game is moving a tad too quickly for him.
If they keep winning they might be able to insulate him and let him learn at the NHL level but when Kuba comes back it might be worth sending Karlsson down to Bingo for a month or two. He and Lee can be the top tandem and he can get comfortable at the pro pace.
We are seeing a solid effort every night despite the "w"s or the "l"s. That is so great to see. Downey looked like a little boy beside Carks. Retribution for Deano!
I am really surprised to see the non-sellouts. After 5 months off you would think the place would be packed. A few more games like that and it won't be long. I'm there on the 7th.
Good win!
wow this trade just keeps looking better. we now have a chance to score at any point in the game even strength, the pp(they'll get it working) and on the pk with michalek. last time we had a speedster like that was with vermy and michalek has nicer hands. definitely see more shorties coming from him this year. and how about cheechoo with the score 7-1 and he's still hustling back to break up plays on the backcheck.
and as annoying as ferraro is i did like how someone pointed out how much spezza's game has changed. i've never seen him forecheck and battle along the boards to win the puck as much as he has this season. he definitely got hedman's attention tonight. This team is going to be a lot of fun to watch this year.
Sens for life!!!!!
what? leclaire was shaky? come on for such a lazy night he still only let one in.......and that too on a hopeless 2 on 1 with TB's top scorers bearing down.
leclaire did what he had to do....make tampa's misery even worse by not giving them even one meaningful goal.
perfect effort. lets go dump the habs exactly the same way on saturday.
kinda felt bad for TB's goalie though. they left the guy out to dry. should have pulled him when it was 6-1. Mike Smith is a good goalie.
hedman didnt look too much better than karlsson however lol....so we can rest up on Erik for a little while haha
Matt Carkner has found his way onto Dean McAmmond's Xmas card list, that's for sure.
Carkner vs Downie on Youtube for those who didn't see it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFnU222Otig
Great game tonight!! Who do you think will get sent down when Kuba gets back? KArlsson?
Also on a side not does anyone know of a website similiar to this one but would talk about the Leafs. I am just curious what kind of things are getting posted on that site.
Thanks
anon@12:14, the Leafs site you are looking for is failblog.org
Everyone needs to get over the Deano - Downie situation. That shit was settled a while ago. Carkner wasn't here for that and why would he look for retribution on Deano's behalf like 2 seasons later? Tonight was all about Downie playing like the tool he is, headhunting all game, sucker punching volchenkov not once but twice with uppercuts, and being a moron as per his usual self. How this moron is still in the NHL is beyond me. There's no place for a guy like him, he's gonna kill someone out there and he could care less. The league needs to take a look at this soon to be murderer and get rid of him as fast as possible. He could care less where the puck is, he rarely touches it when he's on the ice, he's out there looking to hurt someone. GET RID OF HIM!
Anon 12:14, try www.leafs-suck.com
Well, I must say the first 4 minutes of the game was all Tampa, but Ottawa was still playing well defensively. Then Ottawa was very opportunistic on St. Louis' giveaway and Kovie got a nice feed from Alfie. Then the momentum just went all Ottawa. They completely dominated for the next 56 minutes!
I must say Kelly looks good, but still has no finnish. He is
probably one of the top 4th liners in the league. However, Murray screwed up by signing him for 2 mil/season.
I have to mention how much I love Volchenkov, he has no labeled the top 2 draft picks. It makes me smile ear to ear. When do we play Colorado so he can smash Duschene? Oh ya, and Murray better resign that russian ass!
On another note, probably the only player that stood out to me who was shaky was Karlsson. He didn't look strong on the puck, lost a lot of puck battles and caused Tampa's only goal. I understand defencemen take longer to develop, but are we rushing him? Maybe he would be better served spending another year in Bingo building chemistry with his future D partner, Cowen.
Overall, I'm happy to see all 4 lines produce, Michalek get his first career hat trick and a solid effort from the entire team.
Go Sens go!
Still a couple gaffs by Karlsson, one leading to the goal.. but he looked much better. All four lines look like they are really starting to click. Going to be hard for Clouston to consider breaking up one of them when Regin and Winchester come back. Though I think the latter will be the odd man out.
How brutal did Hedman look... Ray Ferraro couldn't get over it.
Anon 12:14
TSN...lol
Great game. Had to listen to it on the Team 1200 but couldn't wait to catch it on TSN2.
GO SENS GO!!!
rangers game sucked.
other than that the sens have been a model of consistency this season. it's about time. two years of 'who knows what u get' game to game was enough.
sens are a #1 d man away from being a contender...after kuba comes back.
offense is DEEEEP....4 solid lines all playing similar hard forecheck games (except for kovalev, but his hands are SOOO sweet, he's a danger in a totally different way).
hey
You forgot to mention the hit that A-train layed on Hedman. What a start to the season for Anton! Every game he has hammered someone, and the best part is that it is usually a star player. Nice to see the two assists. Hopefully BM is already in contract talks with him. Sounds like he wants to stay. If he keps up this play he would have to be concidered to be named an all star.
How about Hedman getting laid out by Volchenkov and then ... Spezza? I couldn't believe Spezza laid a nice hit, let alone knocking a 6'6 230 pounder on his butt! You know this is a diferent team when Spezza is hitting. GO SENS!
Yay we beat another non playoff team! I wouldnt say were good just yet, infact I think it was Tampa playing extremely poorly rather than us playing good. I mean what was Hedman thinking??? he alone gave us 4 goals!! Mike Smith was awfully bad, and once again our PP did nothing. Hey a win is a win I guess bu I really wanna see what we do vs good teams.
I am happy for Michalek though, that guy couldnt buy a goal!!
SM
Now wouldn't it be great if Michalek was the player of the week for the NHL this week...right after Heatley was the player of the week last week.
wow clouston has no idea what hes doing, michalek should be traded and murray should be fired!!!!!!
"Also on a side not does anyone know of a website similiar to this one but would talk about the Leafs."
TSN, Sportsnet, etc... ;)
I think Campoli is the odd guy out here when Kuba gets back. He's been anything but worth that 1st rounder BM gave up for him last year.
Loved it! Carkner jersey for x-mas please!
My favorite part was the baker's dozen punches to the back of Downie's head and the comments during the fight by the Dean and Gord.
"He's beating the back of his head in. Now he's beating the front of his head."
"That's not good for his head."
LOL I love it!
Michalek reminds me of a complete two-way Scoring/Checking Havlat/Vermette. Wearing # 9 suits him.
anon 11:16 -
I think ferraro is going by the one Sens game he's actually watched this season. It seems the entire TSN commentary was based on stats and that no one had actually watched a game. If they had watched a game, they would know Spezza has been playing like that all year (not just tonight).
Also, the media is all wowed by A-train making hits? Ottawa fans have known he has been a huge hitter for most of his career! He might have slipped a bit last year, but remember two years ago.
I love how Ottawa has a bad year and then the media all of a sudden rediscovers all the good players the Sens have. Watch, soon Alfie is going to have a killer few games in a row and be touted as one of the best captains in the league.
Very fun game.
Carkner getting Downie was unnecessary (McAmmond isn't on our team anymore, so who cares) but fun.
Michalek's hat trick was great for his confidence.
Overall though, let's remember this is one of the worst teams in the league we're playing against. If we 7-1 Boston or Washington, then...
As for the attendance, the house will be full in the playoffs. Before then, expect empty seats as people wait and see if the Senators maintain their winning pace throughout the season.
This was one of the best hockey evenings in several years for the following reasons:
1) Michaleks 2 shorthanded goals; that’s 1/3 of what douche bag Heatley scored in his career.
2) Heatley not getting a point and being a -1 in another San Jose loss.
3)Volchie’s destruction of yet another rookie; this time Viktor Hedman; and
4) Carkner's beat down on Steve Downie.
http://budblog.com/
Not sure what content is on it. Googled, ahha. Now I got some things to read today.
That's clearly the TB broadcast on youtube for the Carnker fight. LOL
Good work all night by Carks and Neil with respect to Downie and the other TB "tough guys". Not to mention both Volchenkov and Phillips mixing it up as well.
Team played great - even Campoli looked good for the most part. Nice to see people actually throwing hats in Ottawa - that preseason game where Fisher had the hat trick was sad - not a single hat anywhere near the ice.
Great team performance last night, but consistency is still the key. Let's hope they keep it going Saturday against the Habs.
Before everyone starts getting all excited and jumps back on the bandwagon...I think Alfreddsson said it best in his post-game interview when he noted that Tampa Bay, just didn't show up and that the game got away from them and they just floated the rest of the night....that was a gimme game...great for confidence, but TB is not exactly a playoff calibre team...
And how bad was Mike Smith? The game should have been more like 4-1, 3 goals were just brutual...
Still concerned with Karlsson's play...only goal against was due to him being out of position. May have not mattered yesterday, but if this was a 2-1 loss and that goal was the clincher for the opposition, i bet many of us wouldn't be so cheerful this morning...remember the only 2 playoff teams we faced we were outscored 9-3...something to think about...
Anon@9:48
Getting downie was necessary, is necessary, and will always be necessary. Players around the league need to take note of what happens if you f with the sens.
Is it just me or is NHL Attendance WAY down this year....looking at some of the highlight reels on TSN...I see the stands any there are MANY empty seats in cities like:
- Carolina
- Dallas
- Boston
- New York Islanders
- Nashville
- Detroit
- Los Angeles
- Florida
- Phoenix (Only had 6900 ppl at the game yesterday!!!) Per ESPN:
Attendance: 6,899 (39.4% full)
ANON October 16, 2009 8:55 AM
Idiot...should post your name and phone number...dumb ass
Saw this on CBC...
HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA ON CBC (HD) - New York Rangers @ Toronto
(Live Full Network less Quebec & Ottawa) (HD where available)Also scheduled: Ottawa @ Montreal (Quebec & Ottawa ONLY)
THIS HAS TO STOP, Toronto vs New York over two decent Canadian teams?
Yes i know i should be used to it by now, but I live in BC and its just frustrating, and there's no excuse, I know many people here who'd rather watch Ottawa vs. Montreal than 30th place Toronto vs. NY.
Really good game.
I'm not surprised that TSN covered the game the way they did. They are consistent in treating the Senators like 2nd-class citizens. Can someone tell me how highlights from a 7-1 pounding are behind highlights of the Leafs playing dodgeball at practice????
Anyway, just a few quick things:
1) Karlsson belongs in the NHL. The Senators aren't losing games because of him, he's playing almost 18 minutes a game, and the coach is insulating him by not putting him out in clutch situations. Hedman's performance last night only goes further to prove that rookies should be expected to make mistakes. The Senators are more than capable of covering for Karlsson when he makes a boo-boo, so why not let him learn at the highest level possible? One day soon, it's all going to click for him and there will be no looking back. Give him time folks.
2) If it weren't for bad luck, Cheechoo wouldn't have any luck at all. He played another great game last night, and again didn't get rewarded with points. I'm sure he's just as happy to take the win, but I'm really coming around on this guy. I think he's a good player, he seems like a great teammate, and he works his butt off. I remember a Sharks fan saying at one point that he's always a slow starter, so hopefully they'll start going in for him soon. I think once he knocks a couple in, he's gonna be real helpful.
3) I don't think anyone will get sent to Bingo. I think they'll likely roll with 3 healthy scratches instead. On D, I could see Karlsson sitting a few out, as well as Campoli and Picard. Up front, I think that Regin, Donovan, Winchester, and Shannon will find themselves on some kind of rotation. I think they can carry 3 or 4 extra bodies, right?
4) How about Ruutu? What a guy...
"Payback for McAmmond," Carkner said afterward. "I hate that little prick (Downie)."
Bud - Cowen is playing in the WHL so Karlsson can't really build any chemistry with him. But since Cowen might be a Sens rookie next year don't you think it's a good idea to try and get Karlsson some NHL experience this season? He has been struggling but his comments to the media are all mature and professional - I think he'll be okay if given some time.
Campoli was not aquired for a pick - he and Comrie came over for McAmmond and a pick (and it was SJ's pick, not our own).
Downie got served for being a douche all game long (sucker punches and cheap slashes) - not for McAmmond - though it was probablly something Deano watched on youtube a couple of times.
There are 2 versions of the Carkner-Downie incident on YouTube. One is from TSN. The other is from Tampa's TV coverage.
I almost pissed my pants when I heard the Tampa voice saying that it wasn't right to see a big guy like Carkner beat up a tiny little guy like Downie! Had this announcer never seen Downie in action before???
That voice should have a conversation with McAmmond who saw his career shortened by at least a year because this "little" twit left the ice so he could plant his elbow into Dean's head. Or maybe a conversation with the AHL official who was attacked last year by this midget 5'11"/6' nut job...
P.S. to Anon 9:48: The fact that Carkner was not here when the crime against McAmmond took place and the fact that McAmmond is not here anymore are not factors... Justice is justice in hockey minds. It'll always be Senators vs Downie whenever they meet.
I'm not a big supporter of hockey fights in general but I'm 100% in favour of this one.
Gotta say I am real impressed with Spezza so far - he is playing with poise, backchecking and he is actually hitting!! The points will come but he is really changing his game for the better.
I agree as well that Cheechoo is playing well - the goals will come - not more than 20 - but he will get his.
Anon 9:48 AM,
I am not sure payed attention or watched the game.
1. Calkner's fight was not for DM but to stick up for his team mate as Dwonkie went after A-Train several times sucker punching him.
2. TB is not the worst team, check their stats, they are tops in the southeast and have had a great start.
I get your points but lots of false facts...
Did anyone see Ruutu in Downie's face chirping right after Picard scored? Downie freaked out and it was awesome. I loved it.
Tim, I agree completely, but it is nice to know that almost the entire country will get to see Toronto lose their 7th in a row??? ;)
Getting squashed by Volchenkov is now part of the official NHL initiation for rookies.
Matt Duschene - next on list.
So now we know why Kadri isn't up for the Leafs yet.
Yes we all know the TB our a non play off team, But it was great to watch and after the game I got to watch it again on TSN 2, for me it work out like 14-2 ha ha.
yes TB did have a complete breakdown the Sens did cash in and thats what teams do, it will be harded for sure aganest teams like Bos Wash and Rangers it was still fun to watch them last night. Murray keeps his job for another week lol Go Sens Go
Volchenkov is a beast, Secondary scoring is not a problem now, karlsson's looking better except for that one mistake which led to a 2 on 1 goal, powerplay could be better and leclaire looks solid could be a good season for us boys and girls :)
GO SENS GO!!!
Very nice game. It's one game so we'll see how it goes but, 1st in the division, second in the conference is a better place to be in after 6 games than all teams in the East outside of the Rangers. The Sens have a real solid opportunity to run the table for the rest of October.
Hey all, happy friday!
great game last night, good to see what we can do when everythign's clickin... though tampa might not exactly be the pens/wings, but still, solid effort..
Here's the debate that's been goin around the ol' water cooler today...
Any chance Volchenkov can play himself out of ottawa? Let's say he plays lights out the rest of the year, Norris candidate quality season sort of deal, is this at all possible?
I'm definitely not a cap expert, so I'm sure there's a few people on here that can shed more light. but lookin at capgeek, we have foligno, winchester, and regins rfa status up front, picard and campoli on the back end too. although with the younguns comin up, ideally those two can go off to greener pastures, but signing Volchenkov you would have to think would have to be automatic.
If he keeps playin the way he's playin, (which in my rose coloured biased sens goggles looks great :D) he keeps driving up his stock!
I love the balanced attack on this team now.
Other teams can no longer simply just cover the top line. Alfie (Praise Alfie!), Spezza, Michalek, Kovalev, Cheechoo and Fisher are all legitimate scoring threats.
Hell, we are even getting timely scoring from Foligno, Ruutu and Donovan!
Scott 2:55 PM
No way Volchenkov plays his way out of Ottawa. With the stockpile of defencemen Ottawa has, they don't need to qualify Picard and/or Campoli. Regin's pay won't increase dramatically nor will Winchester's (if we even decide to keep him which I don't think we will). One or more of Wiercioch, Lee, and Cowen will be on the team next year so expect one of Picard or Campoli (or maybe both) to not be signed back, and Winchester probably to walk to make room for Smith next year. As well, one of Kelly or Ruutu will probably be traded closer to the trade deadline depending on how their seasons go. They're both making too much for the fourth line. As per our RFA signings, no one next year with the exception of Volchenkov is due for a significant raise.
Expect Volch to sign a 4 year, $16 million extension and one of Campoli/Picard and a forward, Donovan Kelly or Ruutu to be traded at the deadline for a pending UFA top-six forward or top four defenceman.
I think Volchie will sign for a bit of a discount, but it's a good point by Scott that the time is now (or soon). His agent is likely seeing dollar signs.
I think one of Picard or Campoli (maybe both) will be dealt before too long and depending on what happens BM may need to move some guys to make room for Anton. Kelly's name always comes up and that should just about cover Anton's raise I hope. I can't see him making more than 4.5-5, even at his best since points count in contract talks.
Shannon may be the odd guy out though unless he either stays cheap or finds a role that makes someone else expendable. Regin and Foligno worry me a bit as RFAs as they might each be in a position to look for decent money (or attract an offer sheet).
We get out from under Kovalev and Cheechoo's contracts after 10/11 (Ruutu as well for that matter) so there's also the possibility of signing some of the above to 1 year deals for now if needs be.
To Hax - Yes, I forgot Cowen was in the WHL, my bad. Thanks for correcting me. I do agree experience is never a bad thing, but he looked weak even when the team we were playing looked flat. That doesn't give me much confidence. I'll give him more time and keep my mouth shut for another 10-15 games and see if he improves.
On another note, the fact that Karlsson talks well to the media doesn't do much for me. Thats similar to Muckler saying Wade Redden is a better player than Zdeno Chara because Redden provides more for Ottawa community. I want a cup, not a smooth talker. However, having a brain is always nice to see in an athlete.
Go Sens go!
Carkner had the best line......When it was pointed out that Downie appeared to try and kick him, Carkner confirmed that’s what had happened and called Downie a “dirty little player” who he was just trying to send a message. Said Carkner: “I told him, 'Don’t kick me bud or it’ll get real nasty.’ ”
Hey Anon 10:31 AM;
Stop being such a douche-bag downer. No one wants to read your pessimistic drival after last night's sweet win. Here's an idea for you: go put on your wizard cape and act out scenes from Harry Potter with your imaginary drama troupe while the rest of us enjoy this victory. And don't forget your tin foil hat - it will protect you from the peices of sky that seem to be falling all around you.
Just "something to think about."
Go Sens Go.
Spendzza
great game sens, keep it up. going to be at the game on saturday in montreal sitting in the reds. i'm hoping for another exciting game.
just curious, where can i get the best fish and chips in ottawa. the stuff i've had so far has been pretty crappy. joeys is not that good and the oak is junk. any other suggestions?
I'm not sure if this link was already posted here, so sorry if this is a duplication:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tumm-XD2TEU
It seems that the Deano hit was at least a partial motive for last night's tilt!
So sick.
Go Sens Go.
Spendzza
Bud - I didn't mean so much that Karlsson was "well spoken", just that I like what he's had to say to the media about his play. That is, acknowledging that he's not playing great and saying that he is trying to learn from his mistakes etc.
Yeah I don't really care if a guy is nice to the media or speaks english well etc - it's more the content of what I read from them that I go by.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdFgwDPzABo
Fight!
Funny how we aren't hearing the trade Kelly, trade Picard talks so much these days. Let me point out that Ruutu is second in scoring, and Picard (team leading +7 btw) and Kelly are tied for third on the team right now.
Probably not indicative of what it will look like at the end of the season but if Kelly, Ruutu and Donavon continue to generate chances like they have been on 4th line minutes, some of you will have no choice but to shut your traps and acknowledge their value.
And in a scenario where we need to make some room for Volchenkov, Campoli is traded before Picard IMO.
Mat - very true on all accounts. I get tired of the 'rush' to trade our depth guys.
Reality of course is that we can afford to deal any of our bottom six or press-box guys or any of our bottom 2 D or scratches/Lee - but that doesn't mean we have to.
If we get a good offer then great, or if we need to closer to the trade deadline to make room for Volchenkov, fine. But with the number of pre-break games we've got, a few extra bodies that we know we can trust are pretty valuable.
Foligno, Shannon, Regin - I would only trade if something great was coming back since these guys are cheap and only going to get better.
Kelly, Ruutu, Neil - Are only expendable because of the money they make. But that of course makes them hard to trade too. I like all 3 and wouldn't want any to go unless we get something good back or we "have" to in order to keep Volchenkov or other UFA/RFAs.
Donovan, Winchester - only expendable because we don't have room for them when everyone's healthy. But really, how often is EVERYONE healthy in the NHL? And they're both cheap and versitile - ideal 13th men.
Carkner is a keeper to me since he's physical and cheap and solid in his own end, but if he's part of a package that brings back a guy who can do all that and also contribute more on offence then fine.
Campoli, Picard and Lee are all relatively cheap as well and have varying degrees of upside, so none are dead weight. Again, I'd only deal one of them if they're part of a package that brings in a stud of some sort. Or if we get to a point when one of them has clearly defined himself as the 8th D and we can get a prospect of pick for him.
Wow - that was long. Sorry Lou.
Hax - seems to me we're on the same page, cheers!
Go Sens go!
Hax: For now, I'm just happy that in times of injuries (as is the case now) this team has enough depth to cover and not fall behind as a result. We haven't seen depth like this in a while in Ottawa and that will certainly contribute to our success this year.
And no doubt will it also raise the value of our players for teams that will end up underperforming this year (Montreal, Toronto, NJ, Nashville, Minnesota, NYI, etc...)
For now though, I'm content with the status quo...
sens chirp any more on zubov. i think it would be a mistake to release him as he would have value as part of a deadline package.
Hax great summary. I think one of kelly or Ruutu may get traded but i love how they have raised their game. what might have got us a 3rd or 4th round pick a month ago may well get us a 2nd round or better coming back by trade deadline day.
Post a Comment