Fresh off an impressive performance against the Montreal Canadiens, the Ottawa Senators now sit and wait for news on their number one centre.
Sens GM Bryan Murray has called an 11:00 AM news conference to update the status of forward Jason Spezza. Spezza finished the game against the Penguins but has missed the last couple games with what the team is calling an upper body injury. This morning we’ll find out just how serious that injury is.
Speculation was running wild yesterday and almost all of it seemed to be negative. Spezza was apparently in Toronto to see a specialist about his injury but there was no immediate word on what he was told. He has obviously also spoken with the team doctors to see what his options are.
This morning at 11:00 AM, we’ll find out which “option” Spezza and the Senators have settled on. Based on everything I’ve heard, I’m not expecting good news.
We’ll all know soon enough.
This will be a long injury which sucks - but is not the end of the world. The boys will have to step up and in doing so will be better players for it.
Andy can keep us in it until Spezza is back.
#Senators expected 2 announce Jason Spezza will undergo surgical procedure on his back. Club doesn't considered this major surgery I'm told.
So maybe 4-6 weeks only? And hopefully something that should mean he's not likely to have problems again? The traditional option of "surgery now and be 100% or play through pain"??
That would have to be considered good news at this point and would explain why he consulted a specialist. Wanted to see what his options are.
the sens came out, got under the skin of mtl and busted their backup goalie for 5 goals.
anderson and karlsson were again well ahead of the pack. literally in leagues of their own on the ice.
for all the alfie nay-sayers yesterday on the other post - including Tookie - please stop being an ostrich.
smith - greening - neil : these guys ran over Mtl yesterday. Smith and greening with 2 pts, Neil with the goal. Smith And Neil with fights.
sens PK was destructive - did more damage to mtl than any of the sens 5 goals.
really liked sens top line with KT7, MM9 and #11. poise, control and constant threat.
as much as latendresse sucks at scoring, he defintitely had a bone to pick with every mtl player because he threw some massive hits all game long.
I think silfverberg is primed for a goal burst soon. one of those rippers will go in soon.
sens defense had a heck of a game. i thought phillips looked much much better.
just an amazing game. wow. here is hoping spezz comes back soon. btw i know it sucks that he is out for short or long term, but its the right thing to do. i dont think sens need to play their top man injured, its not playoff time and its early in the season too and the sens are off to a good start and looks like they can manage. get him fit. get the problem fixed for good through short term or long term absence, come back with crazy motivation and good health.
I think the way we're playing, and it's "Year 2 of the rebuild" It might not be a bad idea if Spezza to get surgery to fix this problem, as opposed to the traditional "REHAB." (Simillar to what Alfie did 1 or 2 seasons ago)
It'll give an opportunity for the younger guys, and with the way we're playing, the depth, and a great coach, I think it's OK.
And who knows, maybe, we'll all be pleasantly surprised with what we have in Bingo.
Best case scenario: Spezza gets surgery, and comes back in time for the play-offs.
I'm sure many have noticed, but if boston loses against the sabres tonight, Sens will be #1 ranked Eastern team.
Did he hurt his back during the pens game or did he come back from Europe with problems?
If nothing else, it should make Turris that much better I guess.
This is one of the deepest teams we have had... maybe ever. We're getting scoring from all 4 lines and the boys are playing with so much confidence in all areas of the game. We played 3 inexperienced defencemen last night and Benoit, Wiercioch and Boro all played a very solid game. Phillips seems to have shaken off the rust and has looked solid since that Tampa Bay game. Gonchar is playing really good hockey and the top pairing of Methot and Karlsson is out of this world.
If Andy can continue to give the guys confidence and Spezza isn't out for the season, I honestly believe the Sens could be contenders.
Not gonna assume anything until we hear from Murray.
Surgery but not major the latest chatter. We'll see what kind of time frame that comes with.
Certainly better than some of the speculation last night.
Still, given the shortened season that is the equivalent of 2-4 months...
This will hurt the team large, no doubt about that!
methot is a steal and i think we are seeing a new deadly kind of poise and confidence on Karlsson with Methot next to him. Its almost like Kuba was holding EK65 back now that you look at it. The best part for me last night was when in the 3rd on a PP they had it all setup and I think they had Methot out and Karlsson and Alfie kept passing the puck to him on the point to have him shoot but he kept passing back - was pretty hilarious because i think they were deliberately trying to get him to shoot lol
Still have to wait for Murray to make it official.
Maybe if wasn't "fixed" correctly the first time?
Maybe other issues/complica tions occured?
Maybe it's something new?
Best we can do is wish him luck and the best, long health and a very speedy recovery.
That's right, it is chronic - we need to realize that last season was an anomaly in that he played 82 games. The previous two seasons, he played 60 and 62 games...
Thank you doctor tookie but:
Pretty sure the best he can wish for is for him to be 100% better...
Worse he could wish for is that this makes his back even worse and he is forced to retire early...
Your prediction is a slightly gloomy middle-ground.. .as per usual...
Yeah I agree, sure we looked good last night or maybe it was just playing vs back ups, but we cant go on long stretches without our 1C. And if some of the more injury prone guys go down, ouch, were not looking good.
See this is what you dont understand, you cant FIX it, sure it will be 100% when its all said and done but it WILL come back eventually, thus being chronic...
He had the surgery I dont know when, it helped he played 82 games last year and I'm sure he played through pain cuz in the playoffs he just wasnt moving the same.
Surgery just delays the inevitable. But its worth it if he can be 100% down the stretch.
On other SensTookieChip. ca News:
If Anderson gets hit by a bus, we will lose games
If Turris gets sick, we will lose games
3 reasons we should trade Alfie while we can
Top 10 reasons why Sens will not win the cup in the next 5 years.
Why the Sens will lose to the leafs
and many, many......many more depressing topics....thank s tookie...
don't worry folks, this is where I stop feeding the trolls.
didn't homer simpson once have a dented up old oil drum that he used to push people on to fix their back problems???
Turris is a big downgrade from Spezza of course but he wouldn't be the worst 1C in the league.
The downgrade from Turris to Regin is more of a concern or at least wildcard. And if Regin can't step in there then Smith isn't a great option long-term either. Other options are DaCosta or Zibanejad.
While all have varying degrees of potential, none are close to proven or guaranteed and when you compare to the other 2Cs around the league it gets a bit scary.
Not saying they can't step up and whomever slots in 3C and 4C when the dust settles are actually better than average there - so it's not a disaster but that's the bigger question mark IMO.
If Murray ends up considering a trade, it will likely be for an expiring contract for a legit 2C or a guy that can handle 2C well and play 3C or wing when everyone is healthy.
Post of the day!
Remember that we are still ina rebuild boys. Let DaCosta come up and give him a shot, show undrafted prospects and college guys that the Sens truly reward the kids on the farm and have a good developmental program. Don't mortgage the future for a rebuilding year!
I am joking by the way. you guys are so much smarter than leaf fans!
all good.
Kudos for him for having Bingo in a good spot (thank you lehner) :)
Nobody's talking about mortgaging the future. Spezza's injury doesn't hurt the rebuild of course - it actually helps sort of, but we still have a good shot at playoff success this year and a playoff run helps the rebuild even more.
No way would Murray make any move like trading away picks and prospects for a player that's not going to be around for several years. He's likely not going to make a move at all to replace Spezza since we do have plenty of internal options and the team is playing well. But IF the team struggles and puts Murray in a position where he needs to do something, he'll look first for a guy that we'd want anyway and who'll be part of the team longer term or some "bargain" guy who can play 2C for a couple months at least. But not someone that costs a lot which would hurt the rebuild.
He tweaked his back looking for Celery at the local Loblaws. It happened Monday morning.
Well thats what I'm kinda going with, to us, losing Spezza has a huge effect on our team, I'm sure Turris could do well for a couple of games at 1C but that 2C would be very lacking, unless Murray gets a vet to play 1C or 2C.
And yes we still are in a rebuild, just cuz we make the playoffs, doesnt mean the rebuild is over. IMO I dont care if we make the playoffs or not, its not expected that we do. I just want the staff to develop the players the right way and not rush anyone cuz really there is no point in doing that.
I think this team can be in playoff contention without him but it will not be easy.
Rather than try to add some stop-gap center maybe just intensify the search for a top 4 D with some offensive upside?
Take comfort in the fact we won the last two without him.
I really doubt he would. If we continue to compete without Spezz + Cowen this season, imagine the boost we get back next year...
That being said he almost always makes a significant move less than half-way through the season, he is likely to do something like that again I suppose. I figured initially it might be blue line help but now who knows.
Living With a Hernia - Weird Al
Imagine where we'd be if we were .500 right now? Those early points are going to help come April.
The team will have to continue to pull together and keep doing what they've been doing. I'm not worried. Recover well Spezza...we look forward to your return when we're ready for the playoffs to begin.
What it might mean is that Murray is less willing to move a centre as part of a deal to pick up a top 4 blueliner. Although I have no problem with a short term move back to procure a long term march forward.
when is the trade deadline this year?
we might be best served to just let the chips fall where they may.
How about Nate MacKinnon?
Deflate for Nate?
No winnin' for MacKinnon?
Ok, I'm just stirring the sh*t to try to cheer myself up...
WHAT?? Hoffman too, That was new for me. damn...
We had him before, and he didn't want to resign with Ottawa.
Its SLACK FOR MACK, get it right ;)
And Cullen, in my opinion, did very little during the time he was here. So no thank you.
cullen was awesome while in ottawa, especially in the playoffs. it wasn't a question of not wanting to resign him we just didnt have the same need for him at the time with spezza, fisher and kelly in the fold...
and for the record he had 8 points in 6 playoff games.. but ya he pretty much did nothing...
The other concern I noticed was that of replying to other posts. Would you guys prefer a tree style set up where your replies appear directly underneath the post your responding too? Or keep it as is by quoting the person?
Thanks Dr.Hockey - that sounds like it will help and not overly burden Chirp either.
I'm not too concerned with the current quoting format but a tree format works too IMO.
Will Chirp also be able to see who is flagging up the comments? I don't put it past some people to deliberately flag posts because they either don't agree with the opinion being put forth or they don't like the owner of the opinion.
If somebody continually miss-flags posts and wastes time they should feel the wrath of the chirp!
I think that was going to happen anyway. And he's already well into his contract since he's been playing in the AHL. You're thinking of junior-eligible players (or Euros) that get sent back before playing their 6th game.
I think Zbads contract year goes regardless of how many games he plays for the big team. The 5 game deal only relates to players who can be sent back to junior hockey.
I think so anyway.
I thought that Melnyk overstepped his bounds when he said, "We are the envy of the league" but the truth is we have a depth at all positions that most clubs only dream of.
It will hurt to not have Spezza but this team can succeed without him for a period of time. The talent on this club is unbelievable. Yes, they will stumble from time to time but they have the pieces to be a great club for years to come.
GO SENS GO!
Murray said no rush for exploring trade options right now...
Sooo go Zibby Go!!!
Hax that is a very bad comparison haha...
No it doesnt mean we start losing but its sure going to be harder to win games vs better clubs. Once we start playing starting goalies and teams with their best players not injured. Karlsson, Turris, Alfie, Michalek and Silf are going to be leaned upon heavily.
If Anderson keeps playing the way he has I think Alfie and Karlsson can go down to injuries and we shouldnt worry!! LOL
Good point and I agree with this too. It sucks that Chirp has to play nurse maid to a few sniveling brats on this site but that's the internet for you.
Yep the notification will contain the person/persons who flag the comment, as well as the comment in it's entirety. Chirp will know what and how much you've been flagging. The flagging option is also only available to registered users which should cut down on erroneous reports.
Not saying that's is the same at all, but losing the best player in the world didn't mean the Penguins packed it in and losing on of the best shouldn't mean we do. We can stay in playoff contention without Spezza - not easily but we are capable of it.
So how about an ignore button? Chirp would also see how many people are ignoring certain users as well right?
Yes this will definitely happen and I'm guessing it will happen to me. Some people will just flag my posts cuz its me, wether the comment is fact or not. But I dont care I know SC got my back :)
Did you have to say BACK?! :(
Haha yea I know people pretty well around here and will know if people are abusing the system. I read most of the comments anyway so can usually tell where the problems originate.
Unfortunately there's no way to implement an ignore feature for users right now. But rest assured Chirp and myself will be keeping an eye on reports and users who continually get a stream of "thumbs down's" (A few we've all come to know) and we will be handing out temporary or permanent bans if necessary.
Well thats your view point, IMO Malkin is better and proved it when Crosby was out. Dont get me wrong, Crosby is insane! I just think Malkin is more dynamic.
I agree we should make 7th or 8th, I dont see why that would be so hard but, just 1 more injury to lets say, Alfie or Michalek, etc... and that would be a hard road to overcome but that can happen to any team...look at Florida, no versteeg, no weiss no Gudbranson...
Yea sorry, wont burn the year off the contract, but it will count as his rookie year.
SO who do we throw in as 1C? I'd like to see Zibanejad with Michalek and Silf....the other lines are running fine (excluding Tenderness)
He has to play a certain amount of games to be qualified as a rookie, not sure what the exact # is but its over 20.
That's cool. If Chirp is able to monitor and hand out minor and major penalties then that should help a lot. I can only think of 2 or 3 users I'd want to ignore and they'd likely be at the top of Chirp's list as well.
Thanks for working to keep this site getting better.
Why do that to the kid, I dont think you comprehend what 1C duties mean, one simply doesnt walk into 1C. He's gaining tons of confidence on that 3rd line and playing well.
I doubt Sens management would throw the kid to the wolves like that, he's developing nicely in his current role.
Pittsburgh already beat you to the punch. Any word on when round head (gonchar) is back in action?
Ignore buttons are complicated things.
I ignored myself on IMDB and went back in time.
http://slaterottawa.wordpress.com/
Good point but I don't see how one could mess with the other lines...any suggestions or do you just want to criticize? Here we go...
Expected to play next game - was more "rest" then anything (though it had to have been a bit more than that to sit him with Spezza out).
Michalek - Turris - Alfredsson
Latendresse - Regin - Silfverberg
Greening - Smith - Neil
Zibanejad - O'Brien - Condra
(If Lats can't get going then Daugs bumps Zib and Greening up)
That would be fun to watch though (MM-Zib-Silf) flying...
thanks for ruining my fun Tookie
People are too concerned with "protecting" players egos. Such as "what does hoffman think of z-bad moving ahead of him", "lehner is angry in the ahl", "spezza hates ottawa due to trade rumours"...thes e guys are pros and learn to deal with this stuff. last thing I want on my team is a player we have to emotionally cater too like a princess.
Having said this, I do wonder if costa has developed enough to plug 2C?
And I have to agree Hax...those lines are good. I have really not been impressed by Lat, and would rather put in Daug with a short leash for a tryout.
He's already getting PP time and PMac will often put guys together late are showing jump.
And I bet if Regin can't get going Da Costa will get some games sooner than later.
My suggestion would be and I hate to say this but its gonna be Regin in 2C and Turris will be moved up, so something like this.
Michalek Turris Alfie
Lats Regin Silf
Zib O'Brien Condra
Greening Smith Neil
It's not like our first line is way better than the 2nd line anyway. Our top 6 is pretty interchangeable if you ask me, there is going to be a fair amount of juggling going on.
Also in the short term we see what Regin and Zbad can do on the second line. If they struggle or if Da Costa's play in Bingo demands it I'm sure he will get a call up.
Smith and O'Brien centre the bottom 6.
Anderson and Karlsson are really the keys to our recent run. If they stay near the top of their games, playoffs are definitely in the picture.
tricky position for BM to be in. He doesnt need to make a big trade I think in any case at any point due to this. But he does have a piece that can net a decent return in Bishop. Getting too big of a return is great but it will create a logjam in the future.
Any mitigating action ofcourse goes away if Regin takes the load and runs with it. I think from Regin's perspective, he will not get a better opportunity than this. The ice time is there for atleast 8 weeks for sure, the position is there for 8 weeks if he grabs it and runs with it. Now is the time he makes a play for his NHL career and his spot on this team. If he doesnt, then I think Murray is in a tighter spot because then the whole line of Lats+Regin+Silf is a test case. Before, the test cases were spread around. Silf with spezz. Lats with Turris and Regin between Condra and O'Brien. All three of them in nice safe spots.
A solution might be to plant alfie with regin because alfie has instant chemistry anywhere in the lineup. Silfverberg with Turris could be a good try. But again the coach obviously knows best.
DaCosta also presents an interesting option. He has matured down in the AHL and obviously with this year's experience with Silfverberg is a good option to try in Regin's spot.
My bet is that there will some kind of trade for sure involving Regin and Lundin this season.
...which would be an insane thing to do to your fanchise centre.
The positive in this is we will have Spezza back well-rested, healthy and hungry just as we begin our push for the playoffs. Much better than tired and sore and skating through pain.
No, he started training camp feeling 100%
The odd pains here and there afterwards, but then really felt it in pitts.
Now there is a ridiculous comment. Why in the hell would the sens do that. And we all know he has had back issues forever. Come on
Too bad we even have to address this. A cry for "ignore" button is more the behavior I'd expect from some sucky Dungeons and Dragons nerdlingers and not Sens fan but...
That being said for one or two select people it may be awesome. The tool whose name I shall not mutter? It is going to drive him crazy to be on ignore by almost everyone here! #AwesomeSauce
Who's going to give us ANYTHING for those two?
But what do we do with so many great players at center within the org? Spezza, Turris, O'Rielly, Zibanejad, Smith... a bit much much is it not? Most of those guys are probably 1C or 2C.
We kick ass! Zibby can play the wing, and Turris or O'Reilly can play wing on the power play. Smith is an ideal 4th line center. Depth at center worked pretty good for Pittsburgh with Crosby, Malkin and Stall.
2 7th round picks?
Maybe at least a 3rd rounder for Regin
How is that statement ridiculous? It's in their contract and it is a buisness no? He make a lot of money as well... (I'm not saying that they would.)
What are you talking about HAX, didnt you hear...EDM is offering Yakupov for Lundin and they will take Regin off our hands too cuz they dont like Yak's clutchness...
Saying anything at all about it means that you do think they would. And there is no way that Murrs would do that to his 1C and star Spez. As I said before, he has had nagging back injuries pretty much his entire career. Murrs also stated that he came into camp 100%.
with them alone probably nothing - maybe an AHL-er lol
but coupled with Bishop maybe something.
i myself think they are better off sticking with it and just playing this situation out.
However, early season form for Regin suggests that the case of the team holding up with spezza away may be more challenging. IMO he has not shown 2C level play - which btw he was originally projected as before getting injured.
a somewhat positive way (probably not) to spin this is that now he has a real opportunity and probably the best one he has had in a long time. there is nothing in the organization outside of DaCosta that can cost him right now. stone and hoffman are injured. They also don't have winchester anymore.
Quoting DenisVial:
Don't get me wrong it would be a nice problem to have! May as well acquire Weiss from Florida as well, and we can have two first lines of nothing but talented centers!
if O'Reilly hits the market it will be a bidding war because he is proven, young with serious potential. I dont think BM wins those because he is too conservative in trading lol he usually sticks to steals like Lehner and Turris.
Or he just goes out there and scoops it leaving other GMs to WTF? Nobody told me ME he was available!
You know... that's how Bryan rolls...
We need his offense as well as his chemistry with some of our young guns.
Regin is solid but doesn't seem to be able to create chances. DaCosta on the other and is an expert at creating time and space for his line mates which is exactly what guys like Silfverberg and Latendresse need right now. They haven't been able to get the puck in the slot to let their rippers loose.
The only question is how would DaCosta be on the defensive side of the game. If he can at least hold his own against other teams 2C or 3C, he to me is the obvious choice at this point. He really has earned his shot and so far Regin has done nothing but prove he's not 2C worthy. However I do think PM will want to give him at east a few more games to see what he's got since he pretty much hasn't played in 2 years.
Last year of contract, cap hit: 3.1 millions, need a fresh start and is a legit 2nd line center....
i dont think its that easy. he is a known commodity and unlike turris at the time of his trade he has had an upward performance trend for three years. his performance is not questioned and he is not necessarily looking for a fresh start - he just has a contract dispute. even then turris bagged a pretty good return in Rundblad. As you can see that gamble has paid off mightily because the sens now have EK65, JC3, PW46 and Cody Ceci coming up - add that to Borocop, Gryba and maybe Ben Blood at some point. So Col will ask for much more. and knowing the sens are deep in prospects, they will drive the price higher.
this is not Ryan O'Reilly former second round pick we are talking about. this guy outperformed Duchene last year and basically became Colorado's top centreman. there is a good reason he wants more money, and he is only 21.
I like the tree style. Easier to parse the replies in my opinion.
I don't know if it's just me, but there's just something about this team, where they always come through, even against all odds and in the face of adversity.
The guys will band together and get the job done. One thing about this team is that they never quit.
I'm afraid I have to veto the tree style. Feel like the conversation flows better this way.
Regardless of what anyone tells you, the tree style is assy for more reasons that I can mention, including site structure and search engine find-ability for the content here.
There is a reason why nobody decent out there ever uses it.
Good call Chirp.
Cuz its a blog and less is more.
Maybe you've heard of TL:DR...
By the way who is JC3? Jakub Culek? haha
Realistically (particularly when JOB is hot) the other three lines will play similar minutes 5-on-5. No way would I put Zibanejad as official 2C anytime soon.
Jared Cowen... Wears the number 3... remember, that big guy that used to troll our blue line
Niko was probably talking about Cowen and got his number wrong (#2).
Herniated disk he had surgery on 2006. Injured it against the Pens. Gee, the same team that took him out with that shoulder injury a few years ago.
The Sens hopefully can hold their own with teams of their calibre.. but going against the Bruins, Rangers & the Pens will be tough. He will be missed mostly in the faceoff circle. He is strong... Time to give the practice to Turris and let him run with it. Load up the top line with MM9, Turris, Alfie and let the kids handle the rest.
Too bad Stone is out with a broken finger & Hoffman with the broken collarbone.. They were next in line.
Do we know what exactly is wrong with Gonchar?
This team was very lucky last season in that, other than ANderson, had no real lon term injuries. It's catching up to them this year..
One of those years it was his shoulder courtesy of Kris Letang.. It wasn't his back..
Yeah it's been nagging him... but a herniated disk has to be fixed...
I agree, keep this style.
Murray indicated in the presser that Gonchar will play next game.
He wanted too much money..
Ouch. When sarcasm backfires!
Good luck on the back surgery Spezza, the team will pull through for you and be waiting for your return in the post season.
(kidding)
Ok is it just me or does Jared Cowen not wear the #2. Some folks here are pretty sure he wear #3...
Great this will help my 3 year old get his players and numbers right, he still calls #18 Winchester!! LOL
do you guys think the direction of atleast the first rounder changes now that the depth is there?
He wears 2 and nobody has worn 3 with the Sens since Chara (until Methot).
I'm assuming Niko made a typo and I was referring NorCal's sarcasm biting him in the ass.
EDIT: Lawrence Nycholat wore #3 briefly in 2008
da costa has been playing decent in bingo maybe call him up if hoff and stone are hurt, costa jimmy b condra sounds like a good line
unless hoff and stone are good to go one of them should be called up get some games in
Haha yes - thought of that after I posted and was just talking the other day about how he's the first since Chara - but even that isn't true.
Yes they are both hurt. Hoffman has a broken collarbone and Stone has an injured hand/finger (can't recall exactly).
Da Costa only gets called up if he's getting a shot at 2C. No point on having him and JOB on the same line when you have plenty of muckers to choose from (i.e. Daugavins)
daugavins should be playing, but in the next couple years its going to be very very interesting when more and more players from bingo or junior come on to the team, gonna be some hard workin guys gone
in next 2-3 years obvs
Perhaps, though your question goes to the age-old "do you draft for need, or for best player?" question.
And I don't think Murray's draft record provides many anwers to that.
Authentic source?
(FROM OTT) Player: VLADIMIR TARASENKO. :'(
Which we turned in to Turris. Only time will tell, but I think the right decision was made.
I agree. It's crazy how far back a move goes that brings you something back.
On what the injury or my thoughts on Da Costa?
I'm not claiming to have a source, but just stating my opinion. I'm pretty sure the injuries are accurate. I haven't bothered to google though.
Dammit... yup my bad
Sad part is that there's still more talent in his injured back than what you'll ever have.
Rogers TV Cable 22 will be showing both Binghamton Senators games locally this weekend as the team travels out east to face the St. John's Ice Caps for a doubleheader. For details on the broadcast, check out this link: http://ottsens.com/W3eA7k
Who would u target CHIRP? Or how would u handle this situation?
Also, I don't bother worrying about "missing out/losing" tarasenko. Who is to say Murray would have taken him? Personally, It's a useless discussion that only serves to frustrate. We got turris out of that sequence of events and he is going to need as much support as we can give him in the near future.
No guarantees Murray would have even taken him even if we had kept the pick so no point thinking about it
Tarasenko is going to be a great player.. but I believe the Sens are better off with Turris..
The Sens have a lot of forward prospects -- there may not be room for all of them in the O-Sens lineup.. ie, Stone, DaCosta, Hoffman, Prince et all in top 6 then add Grant, Dzursynski (sp is off on that one) et all in the bottom 6..
The quantity for quality may work.. but right now with the injuries in Bingo and Zibby up in Ottawa.. their ranks are thin.
Personally I think we upgraded even though we lost that 2nd rounder. If you don't think we upgraded then think of it this way: We traded a 15th overall and a 2nd rounder for a 3rd overall.
It's a pretty safe bet that they would not have taken him. Sens were already sour on Russian draft picks by then...
There were a number of steals in the last couple of years due to Russian players sliding in the draft with the exception of yak and gal. Washington and Tampa will end up being a couple of the main benefactors.
Historically we've been a mess without him and so far our schedule has been a joke. Lots of tough games to come. Really hope some players step up
Sens combined record with Spezza since Spezza has been a point per game: 221-150-47
Points % without Spezza: 58.0%
Points % with Spezza: 58.5%
The Sens are ever so slightly better with Spezza than without.
If the Sens go about 50% or a little better in the games left.. will that be enough to get them into the playoffs?
GO SENS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!
And we are all supposed to pretend there is no colusion happening
What a farce
http://www.nhl.com/ice/teamstats.htm?fetchKey=20132ALLSAAAll&sort=advantages&viewName=powerPlay
Sharks do and I agree with all the comments that we probably wouldn't of picked Tarasenko any way. Turris is the man as well.
Cant tell if you are joking or not. They are usually middle of the pack every year and were dead last in 09-10.
Langkow has always been a serviceable player, but he's only been that way when in the top 6. I can't say I know much about what he's been up too, so who's to say he'd be in better shape than many of our young guys? It's one thing to look for added depth and experience but at a cost of conditioning, you have to be careful. The Sens play a much quicker game now, more possession, more skating. If they have intentions of signing someone, that player has to fit the team mold. Just not sure DL does.
"There really is no need to point out, once again, that defending Norris trophy winner Erik Karlsson was drafted 15th overall in the 2008 NHL draft, one spot behind Zach Boychuk. So I won't."
That made me feel better, because in 2005, we drafted Brian Lee 9th overall, instead of Anze Kopitar (11th) or Marc Staal (12th), or even Letang (62nd)
F*ck'n Muckler.
Lehner is being interviewed on NHL Network radio and he was asked about his relationship with Bishop and Anderson and what its like competing against them;
"I don't get mad at them if they play over me, I would get mad at the coach, it is his decision, not theirs."
He was joking around with his answer, before anyone freaks out ;)
I'll have the game day post up by 1:00 PM
The freaking game isn't being shown on any CI channel tonight in reg def or HD... what a crock!
Carolina does not have the player devlopment staff that we do so I doubt that even if they got Karlsson he would have been as good as he is now. Obviously Karlsson would have been a better chioce than Boychuk but still. You could also look at Turris. He was drafted by the Coyotes and turned out to be a bust for a third overall. Then he comes to Ottawa and we are able to get his game to where it should be. Just proves what a great staff we have in Ottawa.
Tell that to Alexander Daigle and Brian Lee...
I think this is more about highlighting how much of a crapshot drafting is...
I'm using Chrome, and the comment box to write in is smaller, is that just me?
This is where your wrong, Justin Faulk is gonna be one hell of a good player, and maybe you've heard of Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner? And to some extent Larose.
Also the Canes have won a Cup, the Sens have not under that great staff you say we have.
Our opportunity will come, but it will be up to Murray to realize when that time is, and make the right trades. The problem though is that there really is a very small window, and if you miss it, you will probably enter either another rebuild or stay stagnant (Caps, Flames, Canucks, Flyers, Sharks).
Thank you for the stats on with and without Spezza in the lineup !
This means that we are 50-50 and should still make the playoffs.
Thanks also to Chirp for letting us know that the Game Day Post will be around or
at 1PM!
Daigle was drafted under a completely different staff than Lee, who was also drafted by a different staff than Karlsson.
So you cannot use those as examples when talking about the current staff or players drafted under Murray's regime.
Our next window, if players develop like we hope they should, will probably be in 3 years. Especially with Alfie retiring and the pending issue of Spezza's back.
Those guys will have to be replaced and as of right now, we dont have any top end talent or any that project to even be elite player status.
It just takes time but as for the NOW, were doing pretty good, It probaly wont stay that way with the loss of our #1C longterm.
And like many have said, our schedule so far has been a joke, while its good to get those points no matter what, we havent played any of the big boys or had an extended road trip yet.
Erik Karlsson says hello.
Yes and he also says he's not a forward nor a prospect...and cannot replace Spezza or Alfie...
I think Craig Anderson should change the name on the back of his jersey to "THE" and change his number to 1!
Hello Mr. Anderson
Yes Boivo I understand we have a chance but its a slim chance, games in the playoffs are usually close no matter the team u play, its just the nature of the beast. But we had Alfie and Spezza, imagine without them...
Haha this is awesome, why the hell do teams do this, do they underestimate us?
Were getting the most back ups than any other team in the NHL.
Who is the back up for Carolina? its not coming to me right now? Weeks? lol
Yes, losing Spezza is a huge hit against this team. Instead of blowing up every line; crapping on the great talent Murray has filled the Sens' cupboards with; or going on about how the Sens are now going to be bottom-feeders without Spezza in the lineup...how about we all take a breath and let's see how this team responds first.
This team has played some great hockey lately, picking up two wins without Spezza in the lineup. Try and look at the positives for a change because your negative posts are getting seriously tiring.
Dan Ellis, I have no idea why they do this, but it is all good for Ottawa.
Cam Ward has been terrible, I'd prefer to face him tonight.
Cam Ward is 6-1-1 with a 1.97 GAA at home against the Senators. We don't need to be the team that gets him back to form.
2 wins since our #1 center is out.
Sens played AMAZING last game.
Youth are showing amazing potential.
So much to complain about...Maybe someone should come back in 3 years when "we have a realistic chance at winning the cup". Cause seriously, nothing good to talk about until then.
I'm sure even after we win the cup...it'll be something like:
"sure we won the cup, but it was against Vancouver, and they played Luongo instead of Schneider...and we shouldn't of won it because one of the sedin's had the flu...it was just a fluke..." Geezus...It's like listening to charlie brown talk....
sigh....
CAN'T WAIT FOR THE GAME TONIGHT!!!
I was too young to understand the hype back then, but I've been told that Daigle was over-hyped by the media too much, and Ottawa going in with their first-ever draft pick, didn't have the scouting staff that we do now. (Budget team back then)
Look at Columbus picking Filatov at 6th overall. I think it's all about the scouting, and understanding the players, and the development of young players.
I think that Daigle had all the talents in the world, but his heart was never into hockey (He tried to run a start-up business).
As our fellow poster pointed out:
Quoting NadislavLagy:
Is it sad that I consider this good news???
He's probably the only player that has dissapointed me so far this year (except that one pass to turris). That and Regin is playing not as good as i though he would (I had my hopes up for him, and he's been so-so).
Whats negative about my post, your the one that takes it negatively. Show me where I say we are bottom dwellers...yeah cant find it can u...
Where am I crapping on talent we have? Im not saying they suck, I said we dont have top end players to replace Spezz or Alfie when they retire. And guess what, I'm right. Not my fault you dont like it.
And do you even acknowlede that our schedule has bee a joke thus far, 3 back ups in 6 games.
Its so easy taking the high road like u do but I'm realistic not homerific.
As of right NOW I did say were doing pretty good, many other teams are also doing pretty good, you think the NYI, TOR, MTL, EDM will keep going this way? No...
This day just keeps getting better and better.
Yes and no... While it's true we had a chance last year, much of that chance was in part due to facing a team we beat consistently in the Rangers. Had it been the Flyers? Pens? Bruins? I'm not so sure we would have taken it to 7 games.
You might say well the Kings did it... to that point, the Kings while it's true they got in on the 8th seed, they were also in a very stacked division where points were only 1 or 2 apart. They could have gotten in on the 3rd seed or 2nd seed really. They happened to have been a mature team that peaked at just the right time... hence my previous comment on teams seeing that window right in front of them...
You must be one of them "new" fans cuz any regular or longtime fan would NOT have high hopes for Regin...
You can't put us in the same category, or compare us to those teams. They are bottom dwellers that are over achieving right now. Ottawa is not, they are just good plain and simple.
Tookie has and ALWAYS will say it like it is. Why everyone has to have a field day with responses is crazy. I've read enough of his posts now to know he's just critical and doesn't cheer for the Sens wearing any rose colored glasses. He does however cheer for the Sens.
I think we can all agree the Sens are doing great right now. We can all agree they are in the midst of a rebuild or retool, whatever you call it. And I think we can all agree that Spezza being out of the lineup for a significant time, does make people worry.
As for the Cup, everyone has a chance. But he's right, Playoffs are a different beast. It requires teams to jump to a new level, which means it is somewhat of a slim chance due to how close games end. Most of them end in a 1 goal differential, or an OT winner.
Daug on the third line eh, should be interesting
Finally someone with some common sense. Thank you.
The Kings also had a roster that trumped ours by a mile. They underachieved while we overachieved.
I agree we are short on the top-end players. I see us being similar to a St. Louis. Tarasenko and Karlsson being the exceptions.
I'm still hoping and expecting Latts to get going a lot better, especially his skating.
Disappointing he hasn't been better to this point, but it's still young in a shortened season, we'll see how he develops.
See it doesnt matter how correct you are or even being nice about it (which Im not) You still get the thumbs down, this is why I think the system should be removed, Chirp will be getting way too many notifications from Sens homers not liking the post.
And just for the record I never thumbs down anyone, not even the EEYYYORE guy...
And I agree we are better than those teams but not by alot, Sens fans are stuck on the small picture of us being in 1st after 7 games. While its great, it wont stay that way.
No one thinks it is going to stay that way, its just cool to say for now. Number one in the east. see it sounds good and for the time being makes us happy lol
You really don't even believe that Zibanejad and Silfverberg have the *Potential* to become elite players...or even top end talent? Come on. I am not saying they will become ones but to completely disregard them as even having the potential shows ignorance imo. With all due respect
Look where those teams are right now with the top-end talent. I know it's early in the season, and this isn't me being a homer, but I'll take 4 hard working lines that produce with a majority of talented young kids and no-namers that put on a good show and work as a team to pull out the wins vs overpaid egos that are doing very little.
I'm enjoying this team and season win or lose. Almost every game has been exciting and enjoyable. We have a great core.
I don't like him logging those minutes long term, he needs to spread it out over the season and keep healthy. If Spezz is gone for possibly 2 months+ time to make that adjustment sooner than later I think.
Haha your one of the few who doesnt twist their panties in a knot...I probably have already been flagged by several people cuz they didnt like my post. I feel bad for Chirp having to deal with such children'esq behaviour.
Ok, who told you about the panties? Its just they are so much softer.
It's strictly a comfort thing!
All Chirp will have on his radar is stuff that people "report to admin" or something that gets a huge amount of thumbs down. And even then the thumbs down stuff doesn't need to be censored.
The thumbs are more if someone says "I'd like to see Greening on the first line" and people can up/down to agree or not.
If you need to feel happy, use the new emoticons!
Potenetial is about as important as +-...
And no I dont believe they have the "potential" to be elite players, you cans ee it in they're play, they are not explosive like Yakupov or Leaders like Landeskog or playmakers like Crosby.
They will be serviceable but not great or elite players like Alfie and Spezza are.
Not sure WTF is up with the Bruin's schedule but after the loss last night, they play the Laffs tomorrow then not again until Wednesday, that is only 2 games over the course of an entire week! At some point they will start getting pounded with back-to-backs.
They play 11 times this month, we play 14...
And the next 6 for us are are totally winnable games, especially with Anderson in pipes:
CAR/MTL/BUF/CAR/WIN/BUF, four of those at home, before we face the Penguins again mid month...
What is with Malkin this season? I've always used him as an example to defend the anti-Russian stance and said before the season started that if I could pick one player to build a franchise around it would probably be him.
Since then? He is running around the ice complaining to the refs every 30 seconds like a whiny little bitch. Probably worse so far this season that even Crosby ever was.
What gives?
And you dont think that those top tier teams wont be in a btter place come playoff time?
I also have been enjoying the season but when I come on here and see "Put Zib on the top line kid is a BEAST!! ZOMG!!"
or "REGIN IS DISSAPOINTING THIS YEAR, DERP?!?!"
Its kinda ridiculous when u think about it.
I love reading Tookie's comments. They keep most of us "over-optimisti c" fans in check, and keeps most of us honest.
He's a super realist, and he's right on most things.
But what I love about our team, is the that they prove a lot of these realists wrong most times.
Thats a tough one, different positions and all. But I have to say he is def in the top 5 of overall players in the NHL.
BUF will be tough but yeah I agree we can win atleast 5 of 6 (split with BUF)
I think both Zbad and Silf have the potential to become very good players in this league. But there is a difference between very good and elite. You can see that on our own roster.
Karlsson is elite. Spezza is close I believe, nobody else is.
Elite players are players like Crosby and Malkin are or Lidstrom and Pronger were. From what I have seen I don't believe we have elite level prospects in Bingo, because they wouldn't be in Bingo they would be in Ottawa.
What I think we have is a lot of players who if they get to the top level of their potential will be good to very good.
it'd be interesting if anyone has reported anything so far...i would hardly doubt it will ever be an issue.
i think a lot of people were anxious to see how regin would show up due to him being healthy (first time in a long time)....and are now a little disapointed with the results (not only "new" fans). Isn't that what fans do? hope that things turn out good...instead of assuming things will end-up bad (like your prediction of where we would end up last year?). It's easy to keep low expectations on everything and then coming up with an excuse when you were wrong.
some of us are happy for what we have so far. We can't be happy about beating elite teams...because we haven't had a chance to prove that yet (close game vs pitts...but that was a pretty bad game overall).
I cant deny that, the staff have done a great job with the players they have. Its all about Cause & Effect.
We don't play back-to-back until Feb 12/13th. Do we keep Anderson all five games before that if he's chomping at the bit to go, or do we make sure to work Bishop in to evaluate and/or showcase him?
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU THNK!
The 'Stache will put on nets whever he thinks is better on NETS!
If YOU SMELLLL WHAT the 'STache! IS... Cooking.
Couldn't help it. I'm such a mark.
I dont make excuses, I own up to what I said was wrong, I even had a fun little bet that I honored for the rest of the playoffs and off season...I didnt have to but I did. (Im just cool like that)
Anyways as for this year, as of what I've seen so far in 7 games, were going to be as competitive as a 6th-8th seed can be. No Cup.
I dont care either it was only for Chirp's sake as he will probably see alot of my posts being flagged...Waste of time for him to be honest.
The realist in me agrees with you. The homer in me wants to say "I can't wait for our team to prove you wrong... again!"
I also think there is a difference between appreciating what we have accomplished, and being a homer. I'm glad we are ranked 1st in the east, I do not expect to end the year there. Its ok to be happy for what a team has accomplished... no matter why they have accomplished it.
Hahahah good one, that made my day also.
I say yes, keep him in there until the back to back, play Bishop the 2nd game.
Anderson could literally play the whole season, he's used to playing 50+. But I know small training camp, shortened season, he may get tired earlier.
Give Bishop the 2nd game of back to backs and only rest Anderson closer to the playoffs...(ass uming we make them)
Who says anyone gets flagged for thumbs down? That is silly.
Reported comments only would be my guess.
You think Chirp wants 40 SMS alerts a night when he is trying to sleep?
You are not on the same page as the convo, he isnt talking about thumbs up or down
some people here are using the backup excuse for the sens win against mtl. i think thats really selling the sens short. Mtl has a vaunted PP to start this season and the sens gave them a truckload of opportunities - especially in the first.
it is just plain malarkey say that the sens won because of a backup when what they really did is revealed how weak and unglued Mtl's whole lineup is outside of Price.
and the penguins are elite? really? 4-1 loss to NYI makes them elite? Toronto showing them up 5-2 is elite? WPG also taking their licks on Crosby and Malkin is elite?
with today's parity in the league - elite status is dead. many experts suggest this is the blues year - who is elite on that team? Oshie?
didnt tookie say we wont make the playoffs last year? some people never learn....
You will see some of these teams get their act together soon and start a winning run.
are you really disputing the fact that the Pens are elite? Really? After 6 or 7 games? Did the Leafs not win their first 5 games last season to sit on top of the East for... maybe two weeks?
The Penguins are absolutely an elite team. So are the Rangers, and the Wings, and Hawks, and Canucks. Teams that dominate in the reg season AND push in the playoffs.
If you don't think that a team with James Neal, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang is elite. I have no idea what you're watching.
http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/21807/sens-will-fill-spezza-vacancy-by-committee
im not disputing their capabilities as a team and aa a contender and their chances of winning due to their lineup. however, i think that the term elite is becoming irrelevant because of the parity in the league now. p.s the wings- even though im a fan-are not the same anymore.