There are still a number of quality candidates associated with the job in Ottawa but I really feel like Murray has narrowed the field considerably. Earlier this week I mentioned that Wings assistant Paul MacLean may be the favourite. As of this morning, I'm no longer convinced that is the case.
Not saying he is out of the running by any means, but that's just the sense I'm getting.
I've mentioned it on a few occasions but I don't think Dave Cameron is a legitimate candidate at this point in time either. Either way, after speaking with a couple people this morning, it's quite clear that Bryan Murray is very close to making up his mind.
Will continue to update the site whenever possible.
It will happen. No concern there.
You complain too much...
Oh and have you forgotten our bet, you know the one where you said Condra will have more than 20pts this season. lol
I don't like reading Eklund but I'm bored.
I like the bit where he said that he doesn't like to be vague.
That was so funny it made milk come out my nose.
boredom gets the best of us.
Reading Eklund is like saying the Sens have a bright future, its inaccurate and most of the time gets a good laugh.
And I tire of your over-zealousnes s.
I would have said the same until last night. Clouston's posted a good winning percentage but never won anything cept a gold at WJC, so Cameron draws far closer comparisons there. I'd say its much easier to coach a team full of superstars than a mess like Bingo had this year even if it was a semi-talented mess, it was still a mess with the callups and injuries. KK gets my vote of confidence, I just do not want Crawford.
That logic worked awesome with Kovalev. LOL.
a) The obvious. This guy just steered the baby Sens to the 2nd biggest prize in North American club hockey. This despite having had key players taken away from him at key times and still managing to secure a playoff berth.
b) He's a good organization man, hand picked by the Murrays.
c) As a coach, he's been a winner in most if not all of his endeavours thus far. Calder Cup, USA U18 Championship, Assistant coach of the NJ Devils (who don't tolerate fools) etc. He even won a championship in the UK league after one season!
As much as I like Muller, he is a winner. That won't jibe well with "The Murray" philosophy of pointing to half-achievemen ts and hires with other teams.
Pretty much expecting Kleinendorst, Cameron or someone of that ilk. Easy to fire and deflect blame onto.
Ek, is that you on here? lol
e) Hiring KK creates a seamless organizational web. He knows what's currently down on the farm and who among them should be starting for the big club in 11/12. He no doubt also has a good idea of what would be needed in terms of the top 6 to make an impact.
f) He has no ambition (as far as I know) to become a GM at this point in his career, an apparent preoccupation of BM when it comes to hiring his coaches (at least based on the evidence of Hartsburg, Clouston et al.). Bryan doesn't want what happened to Muckler to happen to him.
Res Ipsa Loquitor (the evidence speaks for itself)
Oh look! 1st year law school!
ZING!
"A lot of relief and a lot of happiness," Lehner said. "This is the best team I've ever been with. I've never done anything bigger. I had a lot of critics that I had to show up. I had a lot of doubters, a lot of nay-sayers. They can never take this away from me and this team. This team is the most amazing team I've ever played with. This is huge."
Where the hell is that David guy who used to come in here and shit all over the kid? He's got his foot so far down his throat he's kicking his own as right now! haha
Actually, reading Eklund is like reading Tookie - the law of averages are such that you'd expect to occasionally find something worthwhile, but it always ends up being a waste of time...its inaccurate and most of the time gets a good laugh...
Oh look! 1st year law school!
Nope. Ten years practising (not that that makes my opinion any more valid). I just think things ought to be done on merit, and Kurt's the guy imho.
You're right, of course. Murray won't hire the best coach, he'll hire the coach that insulates his job best, since having someone to blame is a far better means of keeping your job than having successful employees.
Do you realize how ridiculous your comment was?
He should have great rapport with his players... KK appears to have that (along with Stirling). Clouston was a good coach.. but lacked that rapport with his players...at least it seemed that way.
With KK it seemed to come naturally... with Clouston it appeared to be forced... ie his congrat. to Karlsson on make the All-Star game.
Also a nice touch by the B-Sens. They are taking the Cup to Stirling in the hospital... and are also letting him place the winning game puck in the final slot 'on their game board' for the 16th win.
IF Stirling is healthy enough and able... what's wrong with him guiding the B-Sens next season. It's obvious the players have a lot of respect and feelings for him.
Sounds like another Tyler Ennis, would love to trade up a few spots to grab him too.
Strome and Grimaldi would be a huge lift to this team.
Anyone see hockeybuzz today, MAJOR RUMOR Sens and Flames talking 5 player mega deal! haha Eklund's at it again!
Murray was just extended a 3 year contract. Do you really think at this point, and after last year's horrible season, and after all the coaches we've already gone through, he's concerned that hiring a good coach who thinks freely will jeopardize his job? It's pretty obvious Melnyk extended him because he's giving him full control and obviously has no intention of firing him. Murray isn't worried about his job right now at all, especially since this team still has 1, if not 2 seasons of growing pains to go through.
In Murray We Trust!
He is 1 year into an 11 year 58Mil contract that has a cap hit of ONLY 5.2Mil per year, and with the cap increasing every year this locked 5.2Mil will be but a dot in the cap.
He would fillthe 2nd C spot nicely I would think :)
Anyone who thinks Phillips is at all valuable to this team is a soft ass hockey fan who buys into NAMES and Off ice contributions, clearly ignoring the disaster he is on the ice.
He didn't have the worst +/- in the league for no reason
He is a doofus, he is aging and only going to get worse, if you can believe that.
Expect another year of:
Giveaways, bad passes, bad clears, dumb penalties, atrocious +/- , zero points... expect NOTHING good from the "big rig"
Shut down my ass...
He may be shutting down the sens, but that's about it.
We made it to the cup finals and the doofus scores on his own fuckin net... Enough said
Let's say the Sens stay where they are - no picks traded.. would they risk one of the 3 second round picks on this guy? What do they have to lose?
Everyone on the team had a bad +/-. Most of that contributed to what they had between the pipes until Anderson.
Wow. You realize that last years stats cannot be compared to anything for any player. Erik Karlsson was in the bottom 3 last year as well for plus minus. You gonna say he needs to be gone too?
Philips offers experience and off ice product. Ask Binghamton how it feels to have a vet that can offer experience on a team that had 15 players who never played an AHL playoff game and yet still managed to pull up the cup... you think someone like Benoit wasn't needed.
Filip Kuba is the problem with this club as next year all defencemen should get better with a solid goalie who has good communication skills is behind them.
Learn your hockey buddy instead of calling someone out for one lousy season...
The reason he is still in busines is because of bored people... and people who really lack common sense...
He's about the only player I'd give up our 21st (plus secondary prospect like Wiercoch or Potulny or something) for. But I wouldn't give up anything else. Philly will surely loose this trade as they are the ones desperatetly against the cap.
Quote from Lehner in the Bingo newspaper:
"It's so good," Lehner said. "It's unbelievable. All you naysayers and critics, you can go hide somewhere. You can never take this away from me. I'm not saying I'm going to go play in the NHL. That's a long road ahead. But you can never take away from me that I'm a Calder Cup champion and that I got the MVP here."
Well said kid.... well said.
All the great stories in between! Butler all-star mvp, Locke league mvp, Bass man of the year, Brust's cross checking ability, Lehner playoff mvp, Kinrade and Benoit carrying a decimated defense at the end of the season and start of playoffs. They both deserve a shout out!
And the incredible incredible coaching staff, KK and Stirls not allowing any "passengers" no matter how touted a prospect or how veteran they were!
Gotta head to the parade in a bit!!
Strongly agreed
And "I find your lack of faith disturbing"
-DV
Please somehow hire Muller
Someone with NHL pedigree will sit veterans, regardless of pay when they have to...this is only my opinion of course, but I may be wrong.
If Phillips had only one bad season your point would be valid. But Phillips was terrible last year and the year before that and the year before that saw the start of his decline.
I wouldn't throw him to the wolves in the way the OP did but I was very disappointed in the 3rd year of his deal.
I think (could be wrong) that these are the two guys Ottawa wants the most...
very well said, I cannot for the life of me understand how you reward this with another 3 years, at just under 3 mil, with a NTC in the first year... it is very confusing, if not unresponsible.
to be honest, I would have let him go to UFA and signed him for half if he really wanted to say in Ottawa.
Where has it failed so much?
Clouston and Dave Allison were the only two bench bosses Ottawa has ever had without prior NHL head coach experience.
Phillips is not good, stop defending him people, he's been on a massive decline for awhile now, and signing him to a 3 year contract with a NMC was pretty dumb when you consider the amount of D talent we have coming up in that amount of time. Kuba just needs to DIEEEEEEEEE....
Re: Carter - I wouldn't touch that monster contract with a 10 foot pole. If for some reason he got injured and was never the same, you're stuck with him and paying that. The risk I feel does not match the benefit. However, we could certainly fleece the Flyers with a trade for Leino! He'd be a perfect fit on this team!
Clouston, Hartsburgh (very limited NHL experience a lightweight) Paddock (same as Hartsburgh)
Murray's hires, are not a Tortarella, or a Crawford, or even a MacLean or Muller for that matter, the past hires were fortunate to have been picked by Murray, not a job competition where we won the best man.
This time I want the best man, who will coach the team his way with no interference from anyone.
Yes I am suggesting we might take on one of their overpaid loafers just to stock another first round pick.
What would make that sweeter will be if the ass-clowns in Toronto give up a pick for exclusive negotiating rights with Richards... but then he signs with NYR anyways, due in part to the fact that we facilitated it...
*wrings his hands cackling madly*
I think they grab him. He may be their third choice if Landeskog and Huberdeau are gone, so I don't think they'd want to risk losing him.
My thought as well. Its not THAT big of a jump.
I know there are lots of Murray haters out there, but I have a feeling he is going to be real active on Draft day - trying to nove up, or trade pick(s) for a top six player.
I really think he has a plan.
Queue the responses from the haters...Tookie ...?
From Citizen.
Read that as basically, winning isn't that important, just showing up to play a game is important. Not keeping my hopes up for the forseeable future.
I have faith in Murray. I think he holds onto that 1st pick though, 2nd pick is def up for sale.
Murray's self-preservati on instinct overrides the good of the team with Murray. He'll react to either blame someone, fire someone or trade someone if things go badly. That's how he is, he doesn't take responsibility for his actions.
I'll trust Murray when he puts together a team in Ottawa that goes to the Conference finals and beyond.
As for Phillips, it was a good old boys signing and a nod to a vet, not a hockey signing...
I wouldn't touch Carter with a 10 foot pole either. Seems Flyers think that he's soft and supposedly he's been challenged by Richards a few times in their dressing room. Sens need character - Butler will pop a few goals with Spezza this year. Let our young players and picks develop we'll be OK> + TOOKIE thinks its a good idea so it has to be way off.
1) Almost everyone seems to disagree with what Tookie says. Why don't you guys just ignore him??
2) I too would like to see McLean or Muller the next coach, but wouldn't mind KK. He seems to be much more of a players coach then Clouston and I think that's what the team needs.
3) Murray just wants to hire a coach he can control?? That's ridiculous and you can't prove that without knowing the guy personally. That being said, Murray was a decent coach himself and I hope he does work hand in hand with whoever we hire. I can only see that being a good thing.
4) Praise Alfie I seem to agree with pretty much everything you say. However I don't think Phillips is as useless as you do. Other then that keep up the great post bud!
5) Way to go Bingo!
Guess I have to stop tiptoeing around it. It will NOT be Dave Cameron. A couple key contacts have been very clear about that much.
I agree. If KK gets the job i will be very happy for him, the players and the organization. I think he might be the BEST guy for the job, but if not then at least there are a handful of excellent options this time and i trust the murrays (especially Tim).
CC is a loser, KK is a winner. They can't be compared. That argument imo shows a lack of knowledge. They both coached in the AHL, similarities end there.
Maclean, Muller would also be good options imo, but none of us know enough about all of them to decide.
I like MacT
My guess is those three are Muller/MacT/KK
On the opposite side, I'm very curious about McLean but he's not used to being in a rebuilding phase of a hockey team.
MacT over MacLean?
No thx.
If that means Cameron... we are sunk.
I really can't see him 'outclassing' the other candidates for the HC job that were interviewed.
His hire will raise a lot of questions & ire in Ottawa. I hope they would be prepared for that.
Sorry Chirp... I don't like that either.
They were saying McLean can be a little brash? Can you confirm that? I don't know a lot about him.
I heard MacT was rumoured to be going to Minnesota.
Mclean has been part of an organization that everyone has a ton of respect for, has been good forever, and players take pay cuts to play in.
KK has won in the AHL, WJ, players seem to love him, and he demands a ton out of his players. He gets a ton of respect, and players want to play for him.
Just an FYI.... John Paddock has won the Calder Cup with three different teams. AHL success does not necessarily equal NHL success. Just like a player who can score in the AHL does not necessarily translate into a scorer in the NHL... See Denis Hamel
Coach - Preferred is Paul MacLean. I'd really like to see KK as an assistant coach however. Don't me wrong, I really like KK. He's a winner and has proven that time and again. I just have a feeling that MacLean is ready to be a head coach and has learned from one of the best. I also think he's the safest pick.
Murray - I'm a big Murray fan, especially considering how he handled the house cleaning (Anderson in particular - for Elliott ... got to love that trade. Now, do I think he should make big free agent signings ... nooooooo. Stick to the plan, build through the draft, bring in MacLean and let's get it done. Future looks bright.
Phillips - please shut up. It's done. He's under contract. It's not like we just signed Redden to $6M.
Draft - any of the players they brought in work for me.
Trade - please don't trade with Calgary unless it's for #13 or Backlund. Yes to trading with LA.
6.) Huberdeau/ Landeskog/ Strome/ Couturier
21.) McNeill/ Armia/ Phillips/ Biggs
35.) Biggs/ Grimaldi/ Ambroz/ J. Gibson/ C. Gibson
48.) J. Gibson/ C. Gibson/ Prince/ Catenacci
59/60.) Catenacci/ Hellberg/ Labate/ Dahlbeck
65.) Labate/ Zerressen/ Lowry/ Conz
95.) Wruck
Love Carter's cap hit but hate the term. I think the best way to add an experienced top 6 center/winger would be to wait until July 1 when Sather signs Richards with a 7 million cap hit and then Murray signs Dubinsky or Callahan to an offer sheet. Hell, if he matches on one of them, Murray could then do the same thing with other. I just can't decide which one I like better. Of course thats if Sather doesn't get them signed by July 1. I also think that Columbus might make Philly a good offer for Carter in the hopes of finally landing a center for Nash.
No way Grimaldi falls to 35. He will go in the top 25 for sure.
Might as well have
That is pretty dramatic. On a rebuilding team with a really young defensive corps, Phillips is valuable even if his best days are over with... He can teach Cowen a lot about positioning and decision making at the NHL level...
Fair, but I only take him at 21 if all those other guys are gone. I don't really want to take him at 21, while he has huge upside and I think he could be great one day, it is simple to say he is a huge risk as well being so small. That major risk can be taken with our 2nd rounders.
Bingo just got announced on Coaches Corner, and Don Cherry specifically mentioned Lehner.
Nice to hear on the Leafs Network (CBC)
"Murray will also phone the agent for @ryanshannon26 on Thursday. Still a chance he is re-signed by OTT before July 1st."
"Bryan Murray will have a phone chat with Kurt Kleinendorst on Thursday to schedule a formal interview."
Ian Mendes via Twitter
Signing Shannon would mean even less room for Murray's UFA hopeful.
RS is actually a good player, but didn't think he is a guy we need moving forward.
im thinkin, oilers, blues, leafs, dallas.
i think id rather go after laich to slide into the two slot but id still be excited with Carter.
So do you guys think that Murray needs to make this team bigger?
What about Murray offering up a 2nd round pick for Ryan Malone?
I want to sse Murray sign ville Lieno.
Don't know how... he is still under contract for next season -- unless the Sens give him permission... but would they?
hes better suited to the third line and sens have plenty of those.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLszYAbVhSY
I think we should get Erik Cole and Andrew Ladd
LMAO!!!
I'd like Leino though. He's a UFA, but someone will probably overpay to get him though.
Yeah I had a couple of beers but I'm pretty sure he said "congrats to Burke and BbBBbbringhton. ..." he couldn't mention the word Senators or get our GM right. I may be wrong but I remember drunk Rick being a little sour about this.
Why are you here? You obvoiusly don't like the team and you lack what most would consider and KNOWLEDGE of hockey? Did we lose a bet? Are we cursed? Did they bad you from watching dancing with the starts so you have nothing better to do but piss us off? Do everyone a favor and join another group.