While the Senators players have gone their separate ways for the summer, the busy off season for Sens GM Bryan Murray is just beginning.
And while his top priority will be signing RFA defenceman Erik Karlsson to a new contract, there is no shortage of work to be done by Murray over the course of the off season. Also on Murray's to do list? Decisions on the teams unrestricted free agents.
While none of the UFAs to be can be considered "key" players, each present Murray with a unique and difficult decision. In total, there are three forwards, three defenceman and one goalie that are unrestricted and looking for new contracts this off season.
Start with an easy one in Alex Auld. A solid pro, Auld will get squeezed out in a numbers game with Anderson, Bishop and Lehner all looking for a spot on the roster.
Up front, the group includes Jesse Winchester, Zenon Konopka and Rob Klinkhammer. Winchester's season was hampered by injury but when he was in the line up, he was a valuable bottom six guy that could take a regular shift on the PK. The decision on Winchester will likely come down to health.
Konopka, who spent many games in the press box during the regular season, was a key player come playoff time. His ability to win crucial draws, both in the offensive and defensive zone, made him an extremely useful player during the Sens series against New York. Konopka is well liked in the locker room and has enjoyed him time here in Ottawa.
Klinkhammer had a strong season in Binghamton and played well during a brief stint up in Ottawa. If he's willing to take a two way deal and is interested in returning, I could see the Sens bringing him back.
On the blueline tthere are some tougher calls to be made. Filip Kuba, Matt Gilroy and Matt Carkner will all be looking for new contracts.
After being a whipping boy in previous seasons, Kuba became an extremely valuable defender under Paul MacLean. Kuba played in all situations and spent the majority of the season partnered with Erik Karlsson, who obviously had a massive season. At 35, there's a chance Kuba will be signing the last contract of his career and I could see him getting better offers on the open market.
Acquired at the deadline in exchange for Brian Lee, Matt Gilroy never seemed to get comfortable in an Ottawa uniform. We saw flashes of the player the Senators hoped he could be but just not on a consistent basis. Would be shocked if Gilroy returns.
Matt Carkner is another guy that was a healthy scratch regularly during the regular season but took his game to another level during playoffs. Well liked in the locker room but hampered with persistent knee issues, this will be a tough decision for Murray to make. Personally, I'd like to see Carkner return.
Will continue to update the status of the players mentioned above as the off season moves along.
What do you think the Senators should do with the UFAs?
I'd also hope that Murray tries to trade Regin away. I can't see him returning to "form", whatever his form was. He has potential, I just don't think he'll get to maximize it with this team.
My wishlist
RFA
Foligno - Gone
Regin - Gone
Obrien - Keep
Daugavins - Keep
Karlsson - Keep obviously
UFA
Winchester - Gone
Konopka - Keep
Klinkhammer - AHL
Kuba - Probably Gone
Gilroy - Gone
Carkner - Short term contract
Auld - Gone (Have Bishop)
What probably will happen
RFA
Foligno - Keep
Regin - Gone
Obrien - Keep
Daugavins - Keep
Karlsson - Keep
UFA
Winchester - Gone
Konopka - Keep
Klinkhammer - AHL
Kuba - Gone
Gilroy - Gone
Carkner - Short term contract
Auld - Gone
On D, I think Kuba priced himself out of town playing with Karlsson. He's 35 and likely looking for a multi-year contract, which I don't see the Sens entertaining. Gilroy didn't impress enough to warrant resigning and maybe other guys could be brought in to replace him (Gryba, Borowiecki...ev en a FA like Benoit from the previous year). Carkner's knee is screwed to the point where he might not be able to contribute like he once did, but he's well-liked in the room, so I'm on the fence about him.
RFA
Foligno - On a 1-2 year deal for a small raise(if he doesn't fit in could be decent trade bait, and absolutely no more than 2 mil
Regin - Gone 100%
Obrien - Keep 2-way
Daugavins - Keep 2-way
Karlsson - Not sure why more effort hasn't been put in to get this done already
UFA
Winchester - Gone
Konopka - indifferent, like him but likely won't be in the equation in 2+ years...so maybe another 1-2 year deal at roughly the same amount
Klinkhammer - 2-way
Kuba - Gone...give some guys experience next year
Gilroy - Skip exit interview, have locker cleaned by someone else and pretend this never happened.
Carkner - Keep(7th D)
Auld - Gone (Have Bishop)
Had not thought about Carkners knee....makes the decision a bit tougher on him.
Foligno - Traded for a D prospect or player (Doug Murray)
Regin - Gone
Obrien - Keep
Daugavins - Gone
Karlsson - long term deal 7-10 years at 6.5 per
UFA
Winchester - Keep
Konopka - Gone, he did his job by teaching Spezza and Turris how to be better in the circle
Klinkhammer - 2-way
Kuba - 2 year deal at 2.75 per
Gilroy - gone
Carkner - 2 year deal at current rate
Auld - Gone
Foligno - sign and trade to sabres at the draft
Regin - keep sigm cheap
Obrien - 2way
Daugavins - 2way
Karlsson - I dont even know why this isnt done
UFA
Winchester - Gone
Konopka - Keep
Klinkhammer - AHL
Kuba - Gone
Gilroy - Gone
Carkner - id say gone bur he will probably stay toughness is a key
Auld - gone
RFA
Foligno - 2 year deal, preferrably around $1.5 million, but no more than $2 million per.
Regin - Gone
Obrien - Keep on 2-way
Daugavins - Keep on 2-way
Karlsson - Definitely back. I'll guess a cap hit between $5.5 and $6 million.
UFA
Winchester - I hope he's back, but on a 1 year deal to prove he can stay healthy, because he is effective when he plays.
Konopka - Very useful in the playoffs, I say another 1 year deal then the younger guys take over.
Klinkhammer - 2-way
Kuba - He was good during the season, but sucked in the playoffs. Bring him back on a 1 year deal for less money and if a big name UFA D can be signed, stick him with Phillips on the 3rd D pairing.
Gilroy - Gone!!
Carkner - Bring back as a depth defensman so he can be used in games where more toughness is needed.
Auld - No need for him since we have Bishop now.
As for UFA's we have no room for Gilroy and Kenopka, they will be gone. Winnie willstay depending on health. Kuba probably to expensive, Klink, doesn't really matter. Carkner should stay
Who to target: Said it before, say it again, David Jones should be Murray #3 priority behind Parise and Parenteau. Suter I just don't see it happening with Detroit as the obvious location
He made $1.2 million this year. compare that to Bobby Butler who is making an astonishing 1.02 million this year and for the upcoming year.
Now compare stats (you know Foligno camp will bring up bobby in negotiations)
Bobby (playing lots of 1st line minutes): 6g, 10a, 16pts
Foligno: 15g. 32a, 47pts
Foligno will probably get close to $2.5 million and deservedly so. The onyl time our second line really was all that effective this year was when Foligno was on it. Think before Turris trade, and then think towards end of year when Folingo was put there.
He may be our best trade asset, but don't kid yourself thinking he is only worth between 1 and 2 million lol
Chris Neil makes 2 mill, brian boyle makes 1.75 mill, joel ward 3 mill, matt cooke 1.8
Foligno outscored all of these guys, and plays with just as gritty an edge (safe Neil perhaps). Foligno is valuable to us, sure he needs to stop getting offensive zone penalties, but aside from him we don't have a top 6 capable forward willing to really go get dirty the wya he does
Once again this is a case of sens fans taking a small sample size(game 6 and 7) and blowing it up saying said player has to go because he doesn't bring enough.
he tied with gonchar and alfie for 3rd on our team in assists
in playoffs he had 4th most shots
IN regular season only Neil and Kenopka had more penalty pinutes. This is important, because Foligno is that grit and intimidation you need during a play. Neil and Kenopka aren't out there to protect anyone, because they can only ever be reactionary or revenge guys when finally put on ice. Foligno can be there to jump in at any given time
Now I'm not his biggets cheerleader, and if the right deal comes sure, trade him, btu I can't for the life of me understand why sens fans want to trade or get ride (I've even heard people say not qualify) a guy who was an offensive leader for us, and our only guy to really get dirty up front
We trade him and replace him with silf and our top 6 will slowly go back to the way we used to be, all soft guys who play the perimeter
Not qualifying him would be stupid.
He fought 3 times this year
once in Vancouver when he got the boarding major
once versus Phaneuf (remember Brian Burke cheering on Dion)
Once versus Luke Schenn
Hockefights.com has Foligno voted the winner in all 3
Doesn't fight often, but is always first into a scrum for any teammate
Watching them now.
Van fight...looks like a decent enough fighter
Tor(Phaneuf) fight...Not as convincing, surprised the score is so much towards him, but held his own
Tor(Schenn)...Kinda Meh
Overall I will give him a 6 hahahaha(since it matters)
As for the defense corp that is in question. Let me share my 2 cents about Kuba. Yes he was a big improvement from last season but anyone whos is looking at his plus minus has to understand HE PLAYED WITH FREAKIN KARLSSON!!!!! The dude put up 78 points!!! You pair that with Spezza's return to fine form and no shit his plus minus is going to go up! In the playoffs, the dude was not strong enough. For his size, he should have been dominating down low and there was no drive in his game to battle people off of the puck. Man he made me mad this post-season. I hope he takes a contract elsewhere to finish his carrer. Again, just my 2 cents.
Carkner I would like to see back for another season as a 6-7 guy. He played great in the playoffs and twice now has turned the momentum of our first round series. The fight (if you can call it that) with Boyle and the triple overtime winner against the Pens. He is a solid guy for the money he will be paid.
Gilroy I could see us signing to a cheap 2 way deal. He could be used for depth in Bingo and that would provide us the depth to bring up Borocop or someone else who stands out at camp in the fall.
This is what I would like to see the organization do moving forward.
Oh and if possible, make a bid for Suter. I would rather him than Parise at thise point. We will be better offensively with Zibby and JS on the way.
As for Kuba, you only keep him around if he accepts a 2 year deal and for no more than 3.5 million. If not Cowen becomes EK65's full time partner.
As for guys like Daugavins, Klinkhammer, Gilroy and Konopka, they are a dime a dozen. You can replace them easily. I really like the Daug but realistically he is a 4th liner at best.
O'Brien is a keeper. He has improved by leaps and bounds since getting drafted. He has some offensive talent and his skating is getting much better. Mark Stone should talk to him about doing the same skating training.
These are all issues that can be fixed, i think this kid has a lot of upside assuming the above can be rectified. He is worth keeping so he can be molded into the kind of player the sens want. Easily worth 2mil a year if not a bit more.
as for Kuba there is no way we are going to pay him what other teams will be offering so he will be gone.
RFAs Foligno, Regin, O'Brien and Daugavins all have significant value and/or upsides but could easily be expendable in trades or if the numbers game gets tight.
UFAs Winchester, Konopka, Klinkhammer are all pretty much dependent on the numbers game (as Chirp points out, if Klinkhammer will sign a 2-way he's definitely back).
If Murray has firm plans to sign a top 4 D this summer then Kuba will be sent packing I'm sure. But if Murray feels there's no chance of getting a top 4 guy then he may very well try to get Kuba on a short deal (2 years if we can so we're not "saddled" with him). A less likely factor is if Murray thinks one of the Bingo D is ready for heavy minutes - but that seems unlikely at this point. We might see Murray leave Kuba unsigned until July 1st to A) test the market himself for a better option and B) allow Kuba to see what he could get elsewhere (like he did with Neil). But as pointed out, no way we match what some other team will likely pay - so Kuba would need to be open to a "haircut" of sorts.
And I know Murray would love to keep Carkner as a 7th D if he can, unless his knees are really bad. Both because he's a great guy to have around and available against dirty teams and because Murray likes to reward "character guys" when he can.
Actually, a lot of this might depend on Butler (but no, his contract will in any way factor into RFA discussions). If Butler can be moved or if Murray commits to burying him in Bingo at least at the start of the year then there's one extra roster spot to potentially keep a guy like Winchester or Konopka etc.
No matter what happens I think we'll have more guys leaving that we'd kind of liked to have stick around than we'll have guys here that we would rather be without.
Foligno - sign for 2 yrs $2.5 mil per yr
Regin - sign for 1 yr @ $1 mil
Obrien - keep
Daugavins - Gone or sign on a two way
Karlsson - 5 yrs @ $5.5 to $6 mil per yr
UFA
Winchester - Gone - has been replaced by JOB
Konopka - keep or prefferably replace with Paul Gaustad
Klinkhammer - 2-way
Kuba - Gone, too old, too soft & too slow
Gilroy - Keep for 1 yr, he may surprise a few people
Carkner - Keep on a 1 year deal
Auld - Gone
Locke - gone
Parrish - gone
Conboy - gone
Schira - may have to keep for another yr
McKenna - gone, replace with UFA
Butler - trade, waive or buy-out
Is Sweden the most stacked team or what?! If they don't take this, I'll be surprised! Alfredsson, Eriksson, Franzen, Landeskog, Zetterberg, Hedman, Karlsson, Kronwall, and Ericsson AND Enroth!!! ANDDDD NO LEAFS PLAYER LOL Dream TEAM right there!!!
Hoping Alfie leads them to gold :) He really deserves it after the year he had with us, and leading the team into the playoffs!
$2.5M per year for Foligno? I like him but that's too much I think/hope. Unless it's a 4-5 year deal and we gamble slightly that he'll continue to improve. And I'm a Foligno supporter.
Not sure how we can keep Gilroy and Carkner on 1 year deals. But I guess if Gilroy stays as a 6/7 guy with room to "surprise" I'd be okay with that - i.e. if we don't keep Carkner because his knees are gone??
I kind of wish Alfie would tell us all if winning the WHC will factor into his decision to play next year.
I've seen people suggest that if he does win gold that he'll retire on that "high note" and others suggest winning gold will only cement his desire to play another year. Both are totally valid theories but if Alfie were to confirm one or the other I'd know who to cheer for (or against).
Bye-bye Daugavins, Winchester and Regin. Let the propects fight for those jobs with any free agent we may sign (I'd wait until next year to start star gazing)
Keep Foligno for 1.8 per 2 years. Karlsson signed to 4 year $22.5 million is reasonable.
just my 2 cents
GO SENS
Foligno - Keep, just had his highest offensive season yet. Needs improvement, but is a valuable player
Regin - Gone, unless he takes a two way deal because of health concerns
Obrien - Keep, but I'd like a two way deal. I like his 4th line role, but he's got a lot to prove before getting a one way deal that locks up a roster spot
Daugavins - Gone - I find he fumbles the puck every time he goes to get it deep. Two way deal sure, but I don't want him on our roster
Karlsson - Lock up
UFA
Winchester - Keep (good on draws, strong on the boards. Effective when playing. Good PK(
Konopka - Indifferent. I couldn't stand him regular season, but his role was big in the playoffs.
Klinkhammer - two way keeper
Kuba - Unless we get him at a mill, mill 5 and short term (1 year), gone. Someone will over value him and cripple themselves with a bad contract
Gilroy - Depending on how the Borocop is coming, or what Murray sees available to replace him, I'd keep him at cheap. If they find someone else, then see ya later
Carkner - One year deal, 7th D.
Auld - He's like done in the NHL
2.5 is just about right for foligno. Again he was 5th in team scoring behind spezza karlsso michalek and alfie
Chris Neil makes 2 million, Bobby Butler makes 1 million. Joel Ward makes 3 million. List goes on and on
$2.5 million for a 47 point man is justified
You might be right but I'd still go with more term then since he may be worth more in a few years.
Butler's contract is irrelevant though. If Foligno's agent tries to use Bobby as a comparable Murray can laugh that off. You can't use a guy as a comparable that never plays and is clearly someone we'd like to dump. The same way nobody can use Gomez or Redden as comparables. (Not that Butler is THAT much of a bust just yet.)
Very true
If I'm Foligno why would I accept a long term lower hit contract when I'm still young and know I can only improve (especially after Murray challenged him to score 25)
I could see this going to arbitration, more likely I could simply see a 2yr 5mill contract being given out
Foligno played 82 games the most on the team, i would like to see his stats on off sides, shots that missed the net and penalties taken at crucial times of the game. If his name wasn't foligno there's no way he'd be on this team. He is not hockey smart and coukd cost the team games. He could improve and prove me wrong but lots of mistakes by him cost us goals against and potential goals for. He is replaceable in every way, he doesn't stand out from players who playedin bingo last year and its his 4th year.
Sign him 2 mil at max or trade up our 15th plus foligno to buffalo if ceci is still available at buffalos pick. Foligno is an average 3rd or 4th line player, he is not a special player.
If foligno was awarded 5 mil through abitration there's not a team in the league who would take him, he'd be sitting in the sidelines wondering what happened to his nhl career until he came to his senses.
Regin... It's wrong to just cut him out because he got injured... But, it's up to him to come to camp ready... I think Murray has excellent motivational skills... So, either he comes to camp ready, or he doesn't...
Foligno is consistently inconsistent... He was not the best player to play with Alfie and Turris... Nothing he did really worked with what they were doing... Condra did better on that line (too bad Condra doesn't score)...
Again, i believe in Murray's motivational skills...
But, we're starting to have too many players/prospec ts... So, we should trade some when they have high value... Regin has no trade value, Foligno does have trade value... Regin could be close to as valuable as Foligno was... Especially if he plays with Turris and Alfie...
I thought Butler sucked all year... But, i thought he played real good in the playoffs... I think next year will be a break out year for him... It has to be, or he's out of the league... He should be ready... At the moment he has no trade value...
Daugavins... I really like him... Too bad he doesn't do anything great... He also has little or no trade value...
If we are a rebuild team... What does that mean? How many new players/prospec ts are we supposed to bring in per year?
So, i'm hoping that Murray motivates the "no trade value guys" to step it up... And meanwhile trade some of the tradeable assets, to make room for the younger guys to develop...
He doesn't stand out?
Which of these other players from bingo had 47 pts in 82 games (0.57 ppg)?
Greening 17-20-37 (mostly on the top line) (0.45 ppg)
Smith 14-12-26 (0.32 ppg)
Condra 8-17-25 (0.31 ppg)
Butler 6-10-16 (0.28 ppg)
Daugavins 5-6-11 (0.17 ppg)
O'Brien 3-3-6 (0.21 ppg)
I know there's more to what a player brings than points (obviously), but where are those 47 pts going to come from?
Who else on that list have you seen who can carry the puck or cycle the puck like Foligo. Sure he makes mistakes and takes penalties, but I would argue that's more from trying to do too much rather than not being good enough. I think he has more skills and is more valuable to the sens over the next 2 years than anyone else on that list.
Foligno has a lot of heart, which is a great asset. He also has decent hands but again, no finish. I think it is why he is, IMO, overvalued by the Sens fan base. Yes, he had 45 points but as far as I am concerned, they are inflated numbers. he only contributes about 1/3 of the games and is a liability the other two. And those games he contributes are usually 5-6 in a row, then dissapears for 20 or so, just like he did AGAIN this January. The year before he went like 30 games without a goal. his numbers do him more justice than he deserves. Probably not many guys you can say that about but I'd rather use those inflated numbers to try to land a steady NHL proven defenseman. Sign him and trade him now while he has value.
How do you know this? Are you "in the room"?
Sounds like YOU are getting impatient with him and YOU are not happy at all with him...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVMlZ-lCsIY
game on soon
To clarify:
Foligno is not a top 6 guy but could be a very valuable third line guy come playoff time. And similar to MM9 he can play top 6 if his role is to be mostly "make some room for the skill guys".
Foligno is getting better, however it is going slowly and I'm sure everyone (including him) are frustrated a bit with it.
And a freebie: Nobody's going to offer up anything in return for Butler when he's on a 1-way deal and couldn't crack our lineup even though we're rebuilding and finished 8th.
Pretty much
And I'm sounding like the biggest Foligno fan and I'm not. I just know a spade is spade, and Foligno stats and worth will net him over 2 mill. He is the ultimate 3rd line guy who can play up if need be and can play pp also
Again 2.5 mill for a 3rd line player who can score 15-20g and 40-45pts is a steal. Its less than what we paid Chris Kelly to do, its less than David Jones who just scored 20 with Colorado, its less than Joel Ward, less than many others.
So yes he can improve, but please don't tell me other people in our system has his ability to put up points and his experience (remember this is an asset for him, hes been with this team for a while now)
Also where is all this Buffalo talk coming from? Just cause his bro plays there and his father did at one time??
GAME IS NOW LIVE!
Except for last year, he has shown consistently higher numbers from one year to the next, on a points per game basis.
I think your perspective is skewed because he has been around for 5 years...
I think Turris will outscore Foligno's 47 and I think Silvferberg will get the 29 points Turris had this year to replace those points. Plus we fill a need ideally in a trade for a defenseman
FA-Spezza-Michalek
Silfverberg-Turris-Alfie
Foligno-Smith-Greening
Neil-Winchester-O'Brien/Condra/Konopka
Phillips-BoroCop
Karlsson-FA
Gonchar-Cowen
Carkner
Anderson
Bishop or Lehner...
Thank you, someone with a voice of reason
I don't read other fan boards but something tells me Sens fans are the worst at taking a player and running them out of town for a perceived lack of value and how easy it is to replace them
We all thought Butler could replace a top 6 guy, instead Foligno became that guy
You can't use Turris - he wasn't here all year. And it's not as simple as just replacing points directly.
I will agree that we can build a very good team without Foligno but we can also have a very good team with Foligno on our third line or playing on a stacked second line.
Silfverberg will fill in on the top line at first, and will keep/lose this job depending on his play. Ottawa could obviously bennefit from signing high profile UFA/RFA's like Sutter and parise, but whether or not Murray can entice them to coming here without throwing ridiculous amounts of money at them will be key.
Predicting lineups is fairly pointless this early because it all comes down to individual player's performace/chem istry, but herse a rough sketch of a possibility:
Michalek-Spezza-Silf
Zbad-Turris-Alfie (hopefully)
Foligno-Smith-Neil
Condra-Winchester-Greening
Foligno - deal
Regin - deal
OBrien - deal
Daugavins - AHL
Karlsson - 6 years 5 million.
E.K. # 65.
UFA
Winchester - out
Konopka - deal
Klinkhammer - AHL
Kuba - on the market
Gilroy - out
Carkner - deal
Auld - out
The broadcasters are hilarious. It's like two PxP guys fighting for the mic.
The one guys sounds like a Swedish version of Christopher Walken.
You forgot Regin. The #Sens have re-signed forward Peter Regin to a one-year, one-way contract.
Haha, no of course I wasnt in the room. Were YOU in the room when they challenged him this year to get 25? Of course not, but you still knew that right? Because you listened to an interview right? Well, I have a memory and every year they say they want Foligno to be a reliable 25 goal scorer. And every year he isnt. He has potential to be a good grinding energy guy who can score a few goals here and there. a 4th liner on this sens team, with the direction they are heading. I'm fine with that if it is less than 2M per year and even better with them trading him now for a defenceman.
Ottawa Senators @NHL_Sens
The #Sens have re-signed forward Peter Regin to a one-year, one-way contract: http://ottsens.com/J7LTBc
I mentioned Hudler a few posts back as a possible guy I'd like to see Ottawa take a stab at. He's already played under the same system in Detroit, would come cheaper than a few of the options available, proven 20 goal scorer and also plays 1st line wing.
When he scored with 5 seconds left to beat florida we all loved him
This is the first year he has really played with this edge. give him a year to really learn the fine line. And IMO there is nothing wrong with having a player that is known for crashing creases (respectably) because it should open things up in the end
He is the ideal 3rd line guy, forechecks like mad, can cycle, takes the body, is responsible defensively, and wont cost us that much. Lots of 3rd liners in the league make 2+ million
if we ship out foligno for a dman, then give the keys to lets say silfverberg and/or stone and they dont respond..then what?
we back to having condra and greening play top 6 minutes again? that worked out well..at least with foligno on the 3rd line, he contributes, and he can play a regular shift in the top 6 if need be
Winchester - keep (useful bottom 6 if healthy)
Konopka - keep (worth the dollar value)
Klinkhammer - 2-way
Kuba - 1 year discount price or he's Gone
Gilroy - Gone
Carkner - Keep (Maybe sign a 2 way as we could see other Bingo D come to the big club)
Auld - Gone
As for the RFA's.
Foligno - Keep (Will sign)
Regin - Gone (He's NHL time is done)
OBrien - Keep 2 way deal
Daugavins - 2 way deal or walk
Karlsson - Signed forever
deserves a spot on the lineup over foligno
(based on what these forums are telling us)
Or borat!
I like it, free asset with decent potential. Depth + trade bait. Call me crazy but I bet he opens a lot of eyes the next two seasons...
Ok, so the guy shows some hint of talent and Ottawa continues to give him a break. He's had hard luck for sure, injuries were horrible. After all the healing, but no ice time, could this year be different? I'm not against him, but I just didn't feel he was the type of guy we'd hold in the future with all the young guys who emerged this year. After signing a 1 way, they can still loan him to another league right? I just have a feeling that's what'll happen.
Ooopsie.
As for the signing, I like it since you have to assume the medical reports look promising. Not super-thrilled to have yet another 1-way deal but I'll assume Murray has run the numbers against what his other plans are and feels okay. Or it could be a sign and trade but I don't know if any teams would offer much given the uncertainty around Regin's health.
Doesn't bode well for a few of the other RFAs worried about the number of spots up for grabs.
I'm a little indifferent given the Spezza snub but still would like to see most of those guys do well.
Silfverberg just scored for Sweden. 4-on-3 PP goal makes it 1-0 over Norway with 2:50 left in first.
I'm ready to get used to this!
I don't hate it...he had skills, kinda a relatively low risk situation.
What idiot would thumbs-down a post about Canada winning?
If we can assume he's fully healed from his shoulder surgery this makes perfect sense. A slight risk of course but there is with any player (a bit higher risk given the time he's missed). But he was penciled into the second line this time last year so why not see if he make a run at the top 6?
I'm not happy with the team canada selections this year, i'm not cheering for them. Lowe is making a mockery of the selection since he's added ryan murray as a player he might select, two leafs that he might consider for a trade with toronto and get schen and murray and a 2nd for the 1st overall, this team is tainted from management its a disgrace.
Go sweden
From what I found online he averaged less than 16 minutes a game and still scored 50 points. The fact he remains unsigned leads me to believe he wants more $ than Detroit is offering or they would rather spend the money on Parise. I could see his rights being dealt if they can't come to terms before July 1st. He is probably going to cost 4-4.5 million and I think he will only improve with more ice time. I'd love to see him on Spezza's wing, bumping Michalek to Turris's line.
Dont forget Dubynyk as most likely back-up goalie. Can't argue Eberle or RNH tho
Were you born in Sweden?
I'm the idiot, read my post above why.
Don't forget he has "character" issues as well, already previusly bolting for Europe and missing a year of NHl time, hes just lucky Detroit are so stacked they didn't put up a huge fuss
That's true. i've always been a fan of Regin, he has just had terrible bad luck. i just thought with the direction and progress the team has made moving forward that maybe it was time to cut some of the dead weight that hasn't worked out. But he is still young and has all the potential in the world. When he's healthy he's actually a good player.
I just hope Murray has the balls to let the guys go who really need to go. Like Winchester. Really like what he's done, but honestly, he really shouldn't be back.
we're not resigning him, he's fine his shoulder healed...we are however re-signing him ;)
Goal scored by Silfverberg, assisted by Karlsson.
I think Murray is making the right decisions... Regin did not play his way off the team... He needs to reassure the team that if they play hard and get injured they will be taken care of... It's up to Regin now to make the lineup in September...
Whether or not Regin makes the team in September, I think this is the right move from Murray...
Proud to be a sens fan... It hasn't always been easy to be proud of the sens... But, since Murray... Yep, i'm proud...
Didn't forget Regin... the notice came after I wrote this.
Sweden up 1-0 after the 1st period... Score on PP - Karlsson to Silfverberg... then great shot in the net...
The future of Ottawa's PP.
Yeah that does look fishy... especially Ryan Murray... while he will be a great young D in the future.. you mean to tell me that no other Cdn NHL defensemen were not available to this team?
It appears for the most part the team was selected from teams that did not make the playoffs... a lot of Oiler influence...
But, and I'm sure you'll agree - not enough reason for you to hope against Canada...
No.
I would absolutely be devastated if the Sens don't re-sign Foligno. He's been good and deserves to stay. Actually surprised Regin got re-signed before anyone else considering he's barely played in years.
His stats seem similar to Foligno, right? But isn't he a "softer" type of player?
I can only imagine the negativity on this board if we get him and he doesn't "play tough" or score every game... imagine, a first line winger who only gets 50 pts.
Jared Cowen anyone.......
He has skill and will be used on one of the wings... If he is injured a lot... gives Zibanejad a chance to fill in.
My guess is this is the end of Bobby Butler. I fully expect him to be traded at the draft... but then again.. I don't expect him to fetch much.
I'm not hoping against them, i'm just choosing not to cheer for them. Hockey canada shouldn't allow lowe to have this roster that purely helps edmontons scouts and decisions on draft day and their thoughts of trading down for murray.
I for one would love to how Regin would play with Turris and Alfie.
Fair enough.
I could see a Regin-Turris-Al fie line being real good
Parenteau(UFA)-Spezza-Michalek
Regin-Turris-Al fie
Foligno-David Jones (UFA)-Greening
Smith-O'Brien-Neil
Karlsson-Wideman
Gonchar-Cowen
Phillips-Borocop
I like it!
Of course Silfverberg draws in somewhere also, but thats through trades for room (ie Foligno/Greening/Regin)
If we don't sign parenteau insert silf there also, if Regin gets injured again ditto
That 2nd line would get pushed around by just about every other line in the NHL. Turris and Alfie need a bit more grit than Regin offers, in my opinion.
I'd agree and say Foligno could provide that grit, but then Ill get 10 posts saying how he is not worth 2 million and shoudl be a 4th liner...
(Not suggesting Regin replaces Alfie - but just that having an extra spot means he can sign an extra body to fight for spots.)
or he already has plans to trade Condra/Daug/O'b rien etc to make room for prospects
That is a bad thought. Quit it.
Trust me the Murrays are VERY WELL AWARE of the glut of B-class talent we have at forward. They are up to something fo sho.
maybe a Slovakian
here's a revolutionary concept for you to come to terms with, not everybody on these boards is Canadian
Regin can kill penalties (and if Condra was good at PK we wouldn't be mid to low pack in that area last year) Regin can play all 3 forward positions, and has much more offensive ability
He's more defensive than Butler so if he lands on 4th line, its not end of world or waste of a spot (like BUtler)
None of those guys make room for Regin. They all pencil into the fourth line (or press box). But yeah maybe he's got some plans to deal some of our top 6 talent (or guys who played top 6 this year). Maybe Foligno? Michalek? Not sure I'd like to lose those guys in favor of Regin of course.
Foligno will not be a 2nd line, the sens have better talent coming in, noeson might make the cut and he has size and skill.
Sure they do, Teams can only have so many roster spots, and if we want to get a UFA or 2, plus bring in prospects as in silf and/or zibby etc then we can't have all these guys on 4t line and pressbox when players like foligno/greenin g/smith/O'brien all deserve playing time/roster spots of Condra/Daug/But ler
LOL 'traz.
Condra is VERY good on the PK but he's just one guy. And by very good I'm not saying he's the best in the world or anything but well above average.
I do agree though that Regin has more parts of his game where he's better than Condra than where Condra's better. But Condra can play all three forward positions as well.
Obviously "much more offensive ability" is very true though. And certainly that gap is more than enough to cover any minimal gap in Condra on the PK over Regin.
Gimme a break, we are all entitled to our opinions.
For 800k I love the signing
Point taken. Thanks.
All being said, i think it's clear that Regin has entered the last chance saloon.
The Bleacher Report was calling Hudler mini Holmstom because he goes to the dirty areas to score his goals. He's not a big guy but obviously not afraid of gritty play.
Alfie assisted on the 2nd goal
Sweden was on the PP and Alfie was playing left point. He blasted one of his wicked one-time bullets right on the net and the announcers were quite impressed with the velocity. Something we are used to.
I'll take Regin over Foligno on the top lines any way. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who thinks that!
And to the posts about Hudler... PLEASE!!! This is the guy that I've been calling for! He would fit in great on the top lines here, and he must be familiar with PM. If Murray can somehow manage to sign Hudler, that'd be genius. He's real skilled, gritty, and can potentially put up 70/80+ points.
Not to mention a goal from Silfverberg with an assist from Karlsson! Cannot wait till that becomes the norm in Ottawa!
I wouldn't trade Condra yet... If Regins shoulder doesn't hold up they would be down essentially 2 PK guys...
I guess Daug is a good as gone? We all Butler is...
Plus you have Zibanejad, Da Costa and possibly O'Brien, Winchester or Konopka to push for spots in the middle (or someone moves to the wing).
i would give smith a try at wing as a power forward, the kid has lots of spunk and could be a great character guy. He's seemed to lay off on penalties but has shown lack of pace by the end of season mainly do to the long haul he's had along with the others who played in last years bingo run. we have lots of centers now and we are missing that game changing power forward who lays the heavys on the opponents top guys ala dustin brown.
Yeah not sure who's spot he'd take on the wing but I could see him as a third line winger. He has shown flashes of having some offensive flair too (not enough to play top 6 IMO but still).
And of course Regin's best few games were on Spezza's wing. True for just about everyone who's played on Spezza's wing though - another reason not to trade the guy ;)
For a guy that is a healthy scratch for the majority of the season and is dirt cheap, why not?
I won't be sad if he goes, but re-signing him wouldn't be a bad idea.
I'm also a big fan of Nick Foligno. I honestly hope he finishes his career as a Sen. Just one of those guys that you'd like to keep around. Although he does have his weeknesses, for the price, he's probably the most rewarding player production to dollar wise. The game he brings is welcoming and it would be a shame to see him go.
For me, if Regin re-signed after being injured the past two years, Foligno has to be a given.
can not forget who our head coach is. he knows hudler just as well as he knows any sens player.
another player i would love to sign is bryan allen.
or we can try to lead the league in # of gingers and have carkner neil and commodore
Regin's still young... We don't really know what we'll get out of him... Rookie, Sophomore, Injury, Injury...
I prefer putting faith in our own organization, rather than signing a mediocre equivalent player...
We should only sign a free agent if it adds something we're missing...
Agreed.
I think Murray's path on July 1st will be something like this:
Can I sign Suter?
If not, can I get Kuba back for 1 year cheap?
If not, can I sign a decent D for a short/cheap deal - preferably one I can potentially move at the deadline if needs be?
If not, let's see which rookies are going to make the team (and get Carkner's agent on the phone).
Can I sign Parise?
If not, can I sign another decent top-6 guy I can then trade away at the deadline once the young guys are ready to play more minutes?
If not, which of Winchester, Klinkhammer etc are still around?
Bottom line is he doesn't need to sign ANY UFAs right now - in 2013 or 2014 he'll be looking for the best he can get and (hopefully) a bigger budget to work with. But now, even if we lost every single UFA of our own (plus Alfie even) and didn't sign any others we'd still have a solid looking rebuilding team:
Michalek - Spezza - Silfverberg
Foligno - Turris - Zibanejad
Greening - Regin - Neil
O'Brien - Smith - Condra
(Daugavins/Butler)
With guys like Noesen, Puemple, Petersson, Stone, Prince and Hoffman all pushing to get their shot at camp.
It's unlikely I'd want that to be our team 3 years from now given that a few of those guys will probably never make it (statistically speaking) but why not give them a shot next year if that's what it comes down to? Find out who's a stud and replace the rest in the summer of '13 or '14.
Silfverberg Spezza Stone
Michalek Turris Alfie
Folingo Regin Zibanejad
Greening Smith Neil
Cowen Karlsson
Condra Obrien Konopka Daugs need too fight for jobs cause the top end young talent are coming in
You and I are definitely on the same page. Today I brought up Hudler and the other day Bryan Allen. Allen is from Kingston, 31 yrs old, 6'4 and 230. He logs big minutes and could pair with Karlson to protect him and be the stay at home guy who can clear the front of the net.
Sorta interesting nunbers
i wouldnt be too worried, as someone said in that comment section, lately the CHL has been getting more and more russians (yakupov grigorenko etc). its still a pretty interesting read.
on a similar note, apparently cap's kuznetsov wont be coming to the NHL for atleast another 2 years. and it seems that the blue's tarasenko may not be coming either.
these 2 both have talents to dominate the league almost like ovechkin/malkin /kovulchuk have done before
My lines
Silfverberg Spezza Stone
Michalek Turris Alfie
Folingo Regin Zibanejad
Greening Smith Neil
I like those lines. Looks good. 3rd lines as all the ingredients to be good.
I get the impression that players have not been fond of previous ottawa management.
some of murray's moves are very kind to the players. and i think that is because he may be going out of his way to show other players that he is gonna treat them well. players that want to leave(heatley) can leave, loyal players that show up every-single-ga me(phillips) get contracts, and players that deserve second chances(regin) get them.
I don't know if this is exactly what murray is thinking but that's how i see it.
I am assuming that is due to the carter and wiznewski deals.
this got me pondering. If 2 big deals like this drew almost 8% increase in ticket sales then it makes me wonder how much thought the ownership of ottawa (or any team) puts on signing 1 or 2 superstars. suter and parise for example. Is the quick return worth the big contracts? and does it damage the future of a rebuilding team?
just my thoughts at work today.
how do you feel about also adding chris kelly back?
http://m.ottawasun.com/2012/05/04/trade-andy-now
FORWARDS
Milan Michalek ($4.333m) / Jason Spezza ($7.000m) / Jakob Silfverberg ($0.900m)
P-A Parenteau ($2.200m) / Kyle Turris ($1.400m) / Daniel Alfredsson ($4.875m)
Colin Greening ($0.817m) / Peter Regin ($0.800m) / Nick Foligno ($1.550m)
Chris Neil ($2.000m) / Zack Smith ($0.700m) / Erik Condra ($0.625m)
DEFENSEMEN
Jared Cowen ($1.265m) / Sergei Gonchar ($5.500m)
Shane O'Brien ($2.100m) / Erik Karlsson ($5.500m)
Mark Borowiecki ($0.610m) / Chris Phillips ($3.083m)
GOALTENDERS
Craig Anderson ($3.188m)
Ben Bishop ($0.650m)
The Regin deal makes sense. Cheap and limited term. We have a glut of forwards in the bottom six, some of which won't be signed, but I could see some trades at the draft for middle to late picks to improve the depth in Binghamtom after they lost a lot of players last year. Hopefully build a stronger team there for this year and Lehner will have a better statistical year.
I really liked Chris Kelly as a player. The Ottawa Sun has a love on for that guy. I can't see them bringing him back though. Unless there are many trades at the draft that open up a spot somewhere. If they do bring him back, it might help Smith hone his skills.
On defense, I think Kuba would be ok on a one or two year deal, but I wouldn't give him more than 2.5-3.0 million. He'll definately get more than that on the open market though, so decisions will need to be made by him and his agent. As it might be his last contract, now is as good as time as ever for him to 'cash-in' It should be interesting to see what our blueline looks like next year. I also like Carkner as a 7th dman.
In no way do we trade anderson, he gives us a chance everynight and allows for our team to play "run and gun" hockey. Andy is a hero here in ottawa and some are thinking trade him? So let me get this straight, if we were to trade andy to tampa then the leafs have a better chance landing loungo, and this helps us how? Man i know people have opinions but this is just plain stupid, we dont need a 5 year rebuild.
Andy stays, fans that think he should be traded need to go.
This is the best goaltending weve had in years!!!
My Lines:
Michalek Spezza Silfverburg
Foligno Turris Zibenejad
Greening Kelly Regin
Smith Neil Condra
Stone
We should do what we can to get Shane O'Brien. He is big, mean, and effective. With so many young guys, you need guys like Neil, Carkner, and O'Brien
O'Brien Karlsson
Gonchar Cowen
Kuba Phillips
Carkner
Anderson
Lehrner/Bishop
I agree Andy stays. For the sake of having fans to discuss ideas I was merely just curious as to what we could get. It's no different than 50 different line combinations with the plethora of free agents we're 'going' to sign. It's a forum for a reason. It's no more stupid than the talk of some that discuss trading Spezza.
Yes that could happen but unlikely, he'll play in ottawa if he's fit to play.it also gives murray leverage on the foligno contract dollar wise, it'll stop the foligno camp from asking for 3+ mil per. Its a good strategy for murray, regin has more potential than foligno therefore foligno cant over price himself or he'll be out the door. Thats why we saw regin get signed before any foligno contract talks.
daugavins one of the 2 goal scorers. gotta love that guys energy
ie. Try to trade Gonchar (tell him "you're benched unless you waive your ntc") and Daugavins or O'Brien for another top 6 forward. There are already lots of depth guys who can fill out the ranks.
Guys like Greening (while good players) shouldn't be our # 1 or maybe even # 2 line.
However, if Carks and Konopka both leave, we'll lose a lot of toughness.
After Alfie leaves at the end of next season (I expect he will be back) that gives the Sens another vet for the young kids to look up to.
Don Brennan is a nut job... They are not trading Anderson 1 yr into his contract. If they trade any of the goaltenders my guess is it will be Bishop. They may be able to keep Robin in Binghamton for part of next season.. but in no way past the end of 2012/13.. A decision will have to be made sometime next season on what they want in their goaltending.. you can't run with 3.
Murray will have a tough decision on who of the bottom 6 will not be re-signed.
I also expect him to do some trading at the draft..
Stone and Mika probably start the year in Binghamton.
Me too.
Not the best team.. but still some good players. They had a few that could not or would not go like Stamkos, Crosby, Jorden Staal.. But what I don't get is young Ryan Murray... were there not NHL experienced D available?
This is an important tournament.. that seats the teams for the next Olympics, I believe.
Maybe it will take another game or so before they get in sync...
Sweden and the US both look good however..
Parise - Spezza - Michalek
Folingo - Turris - Alfredsson
Regin - Smith - Neil
Condra - Winchester - Greening
O'Brien and Konopka
I'd like to see Murray move Butler at the draft. The young guys like Stone, z, Silver etc could spend some time in the AHL to develop further and be called up when needed.
Suter - Karlsson
Cowen - Gonchar
Carkner - Phillips
Anderson
Bishop
Lehner being RFA after next year id hate too see him leave for Sweden cause he is unhappy with his treatment and i dont blame him one bit .. id hate to be stuck with just Bishop
Yeah, cause that will surely drive the desire up for free agents to sign contracts in Ottawa lol get real
I am fine with trading gonch if we get something decent and depending who we pick up in FA but that was a really stupid comment. Not trying to be a douche but that has shit storm written all over it
If I were an incoming player I'd say "damn, these guys are serious and will settle for nothing less than the best" - I'd take it be a compliment that they're trying to land a player like me if they were willing to replace legends like Gonchar with me.
i think what you meant to say is that the "ottawa sun" reporters are a bunch of meth heads and we are complaining about the shit they write and we try to discuss it resonably, but we can't because its just to damn dumb.
the only logical expanation would be is that they are owned by a company in toronto, then it would explain everything.
Wonder what we could get for him.
Going:
Carkner
Winchester
Gilroy
Kuba
Daugavins
I just don't see how you can keep any of these guys given who is coming up and the current status of certain players...
Coming (back):
Kenopka (depth)
Kelly - yes, he will be signed here in Ottawa - book it. I said this before the Sun wrote there article
Barrett Jackman
Alfredsson
Fringe Players:
Foligno
Condra
Butler
I don't think Murray will get a top 6 forward, he may explore one via trade but he won't get one unless Alfie retires. To be honest, I'd like to see Murray try and fetch one of Suter or Parise, but they likely won't be able too lure one and so I'd wait til next Free Agency (2013 Class) because its waaaay deeper and you'll likely have a better sense of the direction of this team then.
Silfverberg - Spez - Michalek
Alfie - Turris - Zibanejad
Neil - Smith/Kelly - Greening
Obrien - Smith/Kelly - Regin (will have to play his way up)
-Kenopka
Stone will play in the AHL next year, Zibby may too, but I gotta give him a top 6 spot at this point.
On D, here is my thoughts for next season
Karlsson - Cowen
Phillips - Jackman
Gonchar - Boroweicki
Like I said, its gonna be tough for someone to predict what the team will look like, but Maclean will have his hands full deciding.
Lehner won't go anywhere. Bottom line is this, a lot of Elite goalies spend years in the minors, fine tuning. He shouldnt expect anything and if he darts for Sweden, it says a lot about his character. Sens don't owe him anything - he needs to earn it.
With their pick you get Forsberg.
What people have to remember is we are in a rebuild and by the tim we are legit contenders for the cup, Anderson won,t be here but Forsberg, Lehrner, Zibenejad, Silverburg, Turris,Prince, McArthur, Spezza, Stone, Karlsson, Cowen will be.
And that is a very strong core
I would be surprised to see it happen with any of our goalies tho....and I'd be shocked if anyone did it withiut including our first(depending who was available would dictate the worth)
The kid is good to good to be held back by Murrays
.Im not sure which elite goalie your talking about ?!?
No one looked down on Silfverberg wanting to play in Sweden to fine tune his skill so thats a bunch of bullshit ..Earn it the kid has won MVP and AHL champinship started for his Country .. Lehner has more accolades then Bishop but then Bishop gets 1way deal and handful of NHL games ..
So with 3 years on Andys deal and Bishop backing up why not go to Sweden and start in 2nd best league in the world
When he leaves dont blame him blame Murray for taking his sweet ass time and disrespecting the kid time and time again
Don't bring back KELLY - lets sign a top 6 or bust. Kelly isn't better than what we have. Prefer Smith over Kelly much tougher.
Murray would be in big competition for those 2 especially with Burke. So who would they go with?
If a goalie is traded I believe it will be Bishop... Forget about Ryan Murray.. I think Edmonton takes him..
But how far up in the draft could the Sens go by trading their 15th overall + Bishop -- and who could they get. They need defensive D...
Get our D through Free agency or our current guys in the minors.
D take WAY more time to be at their potential ...again the absolutely only Guy I see them moving up for is forsberg
That is true as well.... but realistically what good D will still be available on July 1st... most of them are re-signed by their teams.
But the Sens do need to draft another stud D for the future... Their forward prospects are set for now... moreso than their D...
Filip Forsberg is a good one though... sooner him than the Russians...
Whats his ranking right now? I know second behind Forsberg, but what overall?
Sounds crazy, but in most mock drafts....15th
edit: was just looking at the 2008 mock draft at mynhldraft.com and I noticed that Karlsson wasn't even projected to go top 30!! WTF.
Hmmm wild and very interesting...D raft day can be so stressful, because if that were to actually pan out I have no problem holding onto that pick and doing nothing...altho ugh things rarely follow exactly.
I personally think we should be looking into getting some D. Someone like Reinhart, Dumba (probably wont be avail. where we pick), or Ceci to play with Karl in a few year, or play on our second D pairing.
I'm not nearly as concerned about our D as most on here, I still would love at least one more very high end offensive talent, and then concentrate on the D in later rounds/FA...but hey I am not Murray and have 1/9373922th the experience(and am likely being generous there)
It would be a win-win for both organisations.
A pick for Paarjvi is an interesting option. He only produced 7 goals and 25 points in 34 AHL games. This after scoring 15 and 35 in the NHL in his first season. Call it the sophmore slump if you want but I feel like there was more to it than that. When he was picked scouts said he would have difficulty translating the way he scored goals to the NHL level. It seems that's true even at the AHL level. It's possible it's just a confidence issue but right now he probably projects to be a defensively solid 3rd liner with excellent speed. He's a lock to do at least that much probably. The 15th overall projects to be either a top 6 forward or top four defender - or nothing at all. So it's really just whether you want to take a chance that Paarjvi's upside is higher than a 3rd line winger. Those types of guys are a dime a dozen. Using our pick doesn't give us a lock but it at least gives us a shot at getting a star player who can have a higher impact. Probably better to go for broke with picks because you can always sign players to fill the 3rd and 4th line roles on hockey teams.
Do the Sens qualify him? Has he learnt a hard lesson in that he has to work to get anywhere. Kurt Kleinendorst had nice things to say about him before he left for the KHL.
Does he stay in Russia.. or will he tough it out in the AHL..
A blogger on hockeybuzz (Ian Esplen)was giving info on some draft eligible players in this draft.
He mentioned Pontus Aberg. Played in Djurgarden.. hmmm same as Mika... He's 5'11" 195 -- says his potenial is a top 6 player... could be like a Daniel Alfredsson... If that's true... sign me up....
Take it for what it is worth... I don't know a lot about this kid... does anyone else?
He's not been disrespected at all. He won the AHL LAST SEASON, but you can't just not play hard the next and expect to be the guy. I don't know why you think he should just be handed the thrown. And your right, a lot of Elite goalies don't wait, but a lot of good ones do. Goalies aren't like typical players, they don't all just blossom over night - a lot of fine tuning. Bishop had to be signed to one way deal or he could walk - Lehner doesn't have that right given his age. What do Jimmy Howard, Ryan Miller, Tuuka Rask, Jonas Hiller, J. Quick, Corey Scheneider and the list goes on - they're all good goalies who served anywhere from 1-3 years in the minors. Sure, you could make a case for the Lundqvists and C.Price of the world, but not everyone is the same and I'd rather protect my future over rush them...
If after next season he isn't getting a look and deserves one by proving he is solid - then we'll talk.
For now, I have no problem with "Len-Sanity" (what a dumb nickname) waiting in the wings -
He will get his chance. But right now, Anderson is the guy and he proved it this year with some of the best goaltending Ottawa has EVER had.
Oh, and the Swedish League isn't 2nd best in the world.
please never say that again
Haha ..See thats where we differ i think Lehner is the future but i believe the future is now
And Andy is not the best goalie we ever had that Hasek guy was pretty good
And yes SEL is the 2nd best league in the world
Exactly -- well said... If only Peel wasn't picked to ref that game.. what could have been.
How did hasek play in the playoffs for us?
Reg season don't count.
Anderson is the best goalie we have ever had, he was the reason we went 7 games vs the top seed and the reason why we were in the playoffs in the first place.
Re-sign - Konopka, Carkner, Gilroy & Klinkhammer (2-way)
RFAs - Regin, Karlsson, O'Brien, Foligno, Daugavins, Filatov, Gryba, Cannone, Schira, Da Costa
Re-sign - all but Daugavins
Trade, Waive or Buyout - Butler
2012 - 2013 Ottawa Senators Lineup
Silfverberg - Spezza - Michalek
Foligno - Turris - Alfredsson
Greening - Regin - Condra
Z. Smith - O'Brien - Neil/Konopka
Cowen - Karlsson
Phillips - Gilroy
UFA - Gonchar/Carkner
Anderson - Bishop
2012 - 2013 Binghamton Senators
Klinkhammer - Da Costa - Petersson
Hoffman - Cannone - Zibanejad
Schneider - Grant - Stone
Dzuirzynski - Hamilton - Downing/Kramer
extras - Prince, Pageau, Caporusso, Cowick, Culek
Boroweicki - Wideman
Wiercioch - Gryba
Blood - Schira
Lehner - UFA
Yeah your right reg season doesnt count you just need too win those games to get into the playoffs but if they dont mean anything then why play them lol give your head a shake
Yeah your right again he is the reason we went 7 games lol if he could stop a puck in game 6 or game 7 we still be playing right ..
Think before speaking lol
You're blaming Anderson for losing games 6 and 7? give your head a shake and learn some facts about hockey, wow. You don't win many games by scoring 2 goals, and even less by scoring 1, if the Rangers had scored 5 or 6 in each MAYBE you'd have a point.
You are actually the biggest fucktard I have ever seen. And buddy don't you think it's time to change that stupid ass name of yours? It seems you were one of those cocksuckers who thought we would be challenging for last weren't you? That means you should be more than blessed that dandy andy stole a few games this year in order to even GET US into the post season.
I think someone else needs to be thinking before speaking...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o97Bl39guQ0
the goal comes around the 24 second mark of the video.
Thanks, was just coming back to post the link since I just found it lol. What a snipe. Barely even had the puck on his stick.
Edmonton needs a grittier potential star forward
Ottawa needs a dangler beside Spezza
I would love to see a Zibby for Eberle deal...
If Alfredson retires we can see the following:
Michalek - Spezza - Eberle (Grit - Setup guy - Goal scorer)
Foligno - Turris - Silfverberg (Grit - Setup guy - Scorer)
Z. Smith - O'Brien - Neil/Konopka
Greening - Regin - Condra
This would be an exciting group to watch...
Murray ftw!
your kidding right? Edmonton is not trading eberle anytime soon, every team would linup for him. C'mon yes we need an eberle type player thats clutch and we have a kid named stone. back to back 110+ pts seasons in the chl. thats as clutch as they come.
Yes, saw this on hockeybuzz from the oilers blogger....but I am almost inclined to do this.
he proposed, our fist rd pick, zbad and Lehner for The first overall pick (yakupov).
I would tweak this to say Bishop instead of Lehner and make this trade.
Just a thought....
why is everybody so keen on trading away one of our goalies? where is it written that you aren't allowed 3 good goalies in your system
maybe, i can see Bishop getting traded at the deadline, but before that seems to just be a way to potentially derail the future
Wow, that's a crazy offer to consider, but would a team like Edmonton see that as enough? I think it comes down to what a team is really in need of. In my eyes Edmonton is so stocked in forwards. It would surprise me ALOT if they moved that pick for another forward and a Goalie, when defense is such a question mark. I'd expect them to look for a D being added to the package. And even if Lehner was the guy in the deal (I'd offer Bishop instead as well) they appear to be moving forward with Dubnyk who actually showed a little promise at the end of the year. They also have two young 20 year old goalies in the system in Roy and Bunz who they believe could eventually be starters in a few years, Bunz being the higher potential. Knowing Edmonton, one of them will be rushed into the leauge in the next year.
The problem I see is that it would cost too much to get Forsberg who I think will go top 3 and Ceci going feasibly go anywhere between 5 and 12 so we could have a trade in play with, for example, Carolina at 8 and still miss out on him.
If we are goinf to draft a good D prospect we can do that at 15, 2 of Pouliot, Finn and Koekkoek are likely still going to be there.
Plus, for some reason, I have a sneaky feeling that we'll pick Collberg if he's available. Pretty sure we have done OK with drafting Swedes recently.
I agree Apostle, it's not written anywhere. I don't see a problem with having 3 quality goalies in our system, it's the 1st time in Ottawa history and it's a good thing. But for some reason too many people are worried that Lehner will have a hissy fit and leave town if he doesn't make the big club this year, so that immediately starts the trade talk for Bishop. Now I can understand the discussion, Lehner is ready for the backup role for sure, but right now, Bishop is signed to a 1 way so he won't be in Bingo. And Andy isn't going anywhere right now. This makes the trade conversation even more interesting as it means if Lehner is coming up, Bishop has to be dealt. And that could be Ottawa's move, it may have been the idea the whole time, who knows. But I just wish people would stop worrying about Lehner, he's a big kid, knows he's valued in our organization and he's been given the reins in Bingo. He didn't prove it last year and will NEED to do that this year, he's young and has time and will only get better, especially with a better team in front of his next season.