The margin for error in the Eastern Conference is so small right now which makes games like this one all the more important. Jersey has played some quality hockey of late, winning back to back games and posting an impressive 7-3-0 record in their last ten.
Meanwhile, the Senators are also coming off consecutive victories, including a 3-2 shootout triumph over the Sabres on New Year's Eve.
The Sens were without Sergei Gonchar for that game after he took a puck to the back of the head during warm up. He was held out of the line up for precautionary reasons but is expected to return to the line up for this one. His return means that Matt Carkner will look on from the press box.
Tonight marks the start of an extremely difficult month for the Sens that will include 14 games, ten of which will be played away from Scotiabank Place. With a tough home and home coming up with the Flyers this weekend, it's important that the Senators find a way to pick up points in home games against the Devils tonight, and Tampa Bay on Thursday.
No changes are expected to the forward combinations.
Greening-Spezza-Michalek
Condra-Turris-Alfredsson
Foligno-Smith-Butler
Daugavins-Konopka-Neil
Kuba-Karlsson
Cowen-Gonchar
Phillips-Lee
Craig Anderson gets the start in the Ottawa goal. Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7:30 PM with all the action available on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
- Three more days to vote! Fan voting for the NHL All Star Game will close at midnight on January 4th so we need to keep voting. The Sens players are in a great position heading into the last couple days but we can't let up now. You can vote 90 times per account. Maxed out all your votes? Don't be afraid to hit up friends and family! Go here to cast your ballot.
You can also vote 30 times from your phone and 30 via text message. So I guess 90 in total.
Hey Chirp, I was over at Capgeek's site and noticed that the Sens will have about 28Mil in cap space next yr. All the buyouts are off the books and a few roster players are either UFA or RFA. Given B. Murray's approach is to rebuild this team with young talent, what are your thoughts with this team resigning UFAs, Auld, Carkner, Kuba, Winchester, Konopka and RFAs Regin, Folingo, Daugavins, Karlsson (no brainer here) and Lee into 2012?
Good question. Some tough decisions to be made with all those free agents. Not sure there will be room for any of the UFAs moving forward. I think Foligno, Daugavins, Lee and Karlsson (obviously) are all locked up moving forward. Just my initial thoughts.
What do others think?
Don't get me wrong I'm loving this season and at this point really hope to see some sens playoff games but I just can't contain my excitement for this offseason and the many different headlines going in to next year.
Has anyone noticed how much more TSN, SportsNet,and The Score have been paying attention to the sens. We are the new Edmonton. People around the league can see we are stockpilling with talent. We no longer have any unnecessary contracts(at least past 2013) we have so many options and directions to more forward.
We have the AllStar game coming up, the new jumbotron, the best players playing on the best teams in the world juniors. I'm sorry but its a good time to be a Sens fan!!
The others I agree...and if Carkner will sign for a low amount he is a good fall back guy to have
I don't see any of the guys currently in bingo cracking the top 6 full time next season.
Karlsson gets more or less what he wants, Foligno has already done enough for a new contract. Daugavins and Da Costa staying around depends on whether they will accept a 2 way contract I think.
Bubble guys like Carkner and Winchester are liked by the organisation and that might be enough for them to stay.
I would agree Karlsson Foligno Daugavins and possible DaCosta, Carkner, the rest we can fill with UFA to get us to the cap floor and the fresh guys coming in, Silverburg, Zibby, Petersson, Hoffman.
If Kuba was resigned there would be a ton of head shaking fans.
Lee is a decent defenceman, but just decent, would not be upset if we keep him or upset if he leaves.
Agreed.
The logjam on D has sort of been solved. Rundblad leaving creates space and bizarrely so does Cowen being as good as he is. He is a top 4 dman on this team next year with no doubt.
As already mentioned we have a ton of cap space next year and will need to sign some people to make it to the floor. Karlsson and Foligno eats up a bunch of space.
Depending on how the organisation view the development of Gryba, Boro and WireCock they could see more value at signing Kuba for 1 year than a UFA who will need to learn the system although if they can get Ryan Suter.....
I still think our 6 d next year are Gonchar, Phillips, Cowen, Karlsson, Lee and Carkner with the bingo guys pushing and getting games where they can but I do see a way Kuba is here next year and that's a bit scary.
If the price is right Winchester & Carkner will stay.
Guys like Auld and Konopka are out to make room for some younger guys.
Regin is to injury prone and is too much of a liability (aka Ottawa's Hemsky...soo much talent, but injury prone). I'd be tempted to let another team put an offer sheet for him and if the compensation pick is decent, let Regin go. Turris and DaCosta or Z-Bad make him disposable.
Folingno, Daugavins and Karlsson stay with the club. Modest increases for the first two, whereas Karlsson will be a 3.5-4Mil man.
Lee, he's never really had a fair chance. I bet they sign him for a max 2years. If he fails to perform, Wiercioch gets called up.
calling it for fun.
great way to start the year if either works out.
Dude are you kidding me? Karlsson is easily going to get over 4 million. Most likely he'll settle for 5 million a year. He's easily on of the top 10 defensmen in the league and if guys like Tomas Fleichmann make around 3.5 million a year then karlsson deserves a lot more.
I agree that Kuba should be gone at the deadline but the removal of Rundblad from the equation means it isn't the slam dunk we all thought it would be.
Agree that Regin is a casualty of his own ill-health and the stockpiling of forward prospects over the past 2 seasons, plus Foligno really making a statement this year.
I think Foligno gets more than a modest increase and I think you are at least a million short for Karlsson.
What i meant by a modest increase for Folingo would be a $800k-1.2Mil for an even 2-2.5Mil. No where close to a 400-500% increase like Karlsson!
I don't even think his term will be that long, it's gonna be more like $5.5M or even $6M at 6-8 years max. But like you said, worth every penny, this kid is only going to improve and will be our PP QB for years to come...
@ MattZ,
Agrre with your thinking all the way.
If Redden can earn $6.5 million, and a few others are in that range, he will be worth around $5 to $6 million,on his first big contract.
AULD - Not resigned
CARKNER - Resigned on a 2 way
KUBA - GONE!!!! Traded at deadline
WINCHSTER - Traded at some point
KONOPKA - Possibly resigned on another one year deal
REGIN - GONE!!! I don't even think they will get anything for him if they try...
FOLIGNO - Resigned on a 2-3 year deal
DAUGAVINS - Signed to a one way but will spend time in the press box often to make room for guys like Stone, Zibby, etc..
Just my 2 cents...
Can't see them signing Auld.. I think Lehner comes up. Kuba goes -- Carkner stays along with those that Chirp mentioned.
Uncalled for.
Tyler Myers got 5.5 for a 7 year deal. There's your starting point for negotiations.
If Karlsson signs for 3-5 years he will get 5.5 or so million. Any term like 6 - 10 years I think we are looking at Drew Doughty money at 6.5 or 7 million a year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6iQz5YKvN8&feature=fvwrel
Uhh, no, he won't be getting Doughty money, but it's going to be more than $5M/season, no question...
Also I would like to see Murray get a second first round pick somehow later in the in the first round.
I woould like to see the Senators pick Tom Wilson!
The Greatest Blunder in Ottawa Senators history, and that includes drafting Daigle!
I'm pretty sure if it's longer term, the per year hit will decrease, not increase. I get your point that it might be his next contract that's the big one, but I think most will agree that the per year hit will decrease over a longer contract. I see him signing for 6 years, 5.5 per.
@ Nick,
That is the most logical amount and term ,which happens to be right in middle of my $5 to $6 million, and if well earned, he deserves more in next contract !
If its Myers or Green or Redden or Doughty type contract there is no incentive to play well. Just look that calibre of those players when they signed those ridiculous contracts and compare their play to post contract signing. You'll see a huge decline in production.
I agree that the scenario of longer term less money is the more standard deal but the scenario I see with Karlsson is that it will be the team looking for the longer term rather than the player, that will drive the price up.
Plus you have to factor in that the longer term contracts are normally given to players older than Karlsson and are structured in such a way that the actual salary sharply decreases at the end of the contract lowering the cap hit. I don't see that being the case for Karlsson.
If Karlsson signs a 10 year deal he'll still only be 31when it's done and that's the prime of his career. To ensure that we have Karlsson in the prime we are going to have to pay him and we might have to pay him twice.
I think we sign him for about 6per for 6 years but I wouldn't be surprised to see it edge up. Karlsson is THE franchise player moving forward. He's getting paid big bucks by a team with a lot of cap space to burn.
Battle of 2 super goaltenders !!
False, bob not bryz.
@ CaMo,
He may not be Bryz, but I have seen him kill many top shooters, just as good as Bryz.
This tandem is just as effective as Thomas / Rask !!
All the UFAs will be shipped at the deadline if we can get anything half decent in return. Regin is the only RFA who should be worried. Once Kuba is gone, Lee will be a full-time D.
Once the team for next year is close to set you might see Murray bring back Konopka, Carkner or Winchester as spare parts but none of them are part of the rebuild (with the possible exception of Winchester if he plays super strong and works his way into the 4th line long-term).
SMH
go sens go
Karl'S Agent can't count up to what he is asking for...$6 for 6 years is the opening bid! I think it will finish somewhere around there.
Bryan Murray loves this re-build but he also loves to keep everybody...thi s will be very interesting...e ven he doesn't know what he is going to do yet!
Karlsson will get the money he gets... and he'll be worth every penny. We're very privileged in Ottawa to get to see this kid play every night.
Finally nice to see a draft pick of ours fully materialize, become a star in the league, and resigned to a long deal. Havent really had one since Spezza.
This teams just gonna get better and better.
[quote name="SensChirp "][quote name="SensFanIn Toronto"]I'm l
I think Kuba is gone at the deadline with Carkner and Konopka being resigned.
Still feeling the effects of that puck in the head during warm up before the Saturday game.
Chirp,
You know how you said that Lee will be resigned. Murray will not resign Brian Lee we already have a enough defencemen I just don't see enough room on this team for Brian Lee next year.
That Turris line is flying
UFA's
1.Jesse Winchester-Not resigned
2.Zenon Konopka-Resigned
3.Filip Kuba-Not resigned
4.Matt Carkner-Rsigned
5.Alex Auld-Not resigned
RFA's
1.Nick Foligno-Resigned
2.Peter Regin-Not resigned
3.Kaspars Daugavins-Resigned
4.Brian Lee-Not Resigned
So here if Murray is going to look at a free anget or two
to add this team next summer here are few names that come to
mind.
Forwards
1.Zack Parise
2.Dustin Penner (I know not having a good season having horrible season)
3.Taylor Pyatt
Defencemen
1. Kurtis Foster (Would like to see Murray sign Foster)
1.Tom wilson (Someone compared Tom Wilson to Milan Lucic)
2.Emil Lundberg(Big sweedish forward someone compared Emil Lundberg to Johan Franzen)
So we already have two many D so Lee should be let go, but then we should go out and sign another D?
And why would Carkner agree to a 2-way deal?
Sigh, just .... sigh.
Why can't the Sens just score.
Resign Konopka and Carkner to minimal money/low-term type contracts...
Resign Winchester, Daug, Lee and Foligno to decent/resonabl e contracts...
Give Karlsson a blank cotnract and let him fill in the numbers...
If we can somehow get Parise to sign here, great, otherwise continue with the rebuild and replace the three vacancies with prospects...
We would be winning this game if they had scored on the ton of chances they've had.
Poor.
Some times it's tough to avoid hearing the score but if I'm not at SBP, I much prefer to PVR the game.
Let's see another comeback. It's only two goals baby!
#Cardiackids
End sarcasm
You feel good things.
That's an issue our entire defensive core (excluding Cowen) has.
Hopefully Parise decides to sign with the Senators during the offseason!
Depends if Crosby retires or not.
Vulcan
Yep.
Alfie again.
This is the first game in the last 2 seasons that I jumped up and yelled(way too loud with kids sleeping) when we scored.
GO SENS GO!
Wow.
Unlike the current team,when this team was stacked with talent, they often failed to deliver. If only Maclean could have coached the 2006 team that had Alfie, Spezza, Havlat, Chara, Hossa and Redden. There would have been no loss to New Jersey in game 7 of the CF.
It's about time man, I was off the fail for nail bandwagon over 30 games ago lol
Fuck that fail nor nail shit.
We're winning hockey games. We ain't failin for nothin.
I hope we aren't buyers. If we're still in the playoffs by the trade deadline, I wouldn't want to give up any draft picks or prospects for any rental players. Also, I really wouldn't want to mess around with team chemistry.
If we can make the playoffs with this current roster, there's no telling what they'll be capable of doing in the playoffs.
Go sens! What a flippin game tonite!!!!!!
I think you meant to say 2003 when we lost to Jersey.
This is a tough month. If we can come out winners, we will make the playoffs.
GO SENS GO ALFIE
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