The loss of Cowen is obviously a significant one for the BSens and also hurts the big team’s blueline, should the NHL season ever get underway. Heading into his second season in the NHL, Cowen was expected to take on increased responsibility and his absence leaves a significant hole on the back end.
Through training camp and during his three games in Binghamton, Cowen was one of the best players on the Binghamton roster.
He was able to assert himself physically and was actually showing a little more offensive upside and creativity with the puck. This time in Bingo would have been huge for Cowen’s development which makes the injury all the more frustrating for the organization.
The recovery time for this type of injury is typically 4-6 months.
With Cowen out of the picture for the foreseeable future, there will suddenly be increased expectations for guys like Mike Lundin, Mark Borowiecki, Andre Benoit and Patrick Wiercioch to replace the minutes left available by Cowen.
- Some disappointing news for a former Senator last night as goaltender Pascal Leclaire has announced his retirement from the NHL. After multiple hip surgeries, Leclaire has decided to hang’ em up. Leclaire will be remembered as a goalie with all the talent in the world who just couldn’t stay healthy long enough to put it all together. Leclaire’s Ottawa career included 48 games over the span of two seasons.
- Today is an important fundraising day here in Ottawa as the Sens Foundation will host their annual 24h Tremblant event and corresponding Tweetathon. Head to this link to find out how you can make a donation and for more information on the initiative head to the Sens Foundation website.
FREEBIRD!
Cowen's injury is hard news to swallow but at least he's not missing NHL games right now. I know the development would have been great in the A, but if there is ever a good time to miss due to injury the lockout is the time. We all remember what happened to Selanne during the last lockout. What looked like an end to his career turned out to be a blessing when he opt'd for surgery during the lockout, he had time for a full recovery. He came back to play and has remained playing. Hopefully Cowen will get back into game form for next season.
I never caught any of the highlights regarding the NHL inductees into the Hall of Fame. But I heard on the Team today that Alfie provided an opening to Sundin? Now that's class!!!
Cowen really hurts - SENS might have to make a trade for a D-man out of the gates if this season ever gets started.
FREEBIRD !!
Maybe Subban is still available in a trade.
We basically have 2 top 4 defensmen in Karlsson and Methot
Gonchar is better suited to a 5th w pp time, Phillips is better suited to 6th or 7th same as borocop and the rest of farm hands.
That's a pretty ugly looking d core currently
Really sad about Jared Cowen out for the season, just when he was truly developing into a great shutdown defenseman!
GO SENS GO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=409406
Essentially says, take a deal now before it gets worse and if you read between the lines Fehr is the reason we are where we are
If Murray can't swing a deal for another top 4 Dman, I could see him signing Kurtis Foster for the duration of the season should there be one. Then he could let Borocop, Gyrba and Wiercoch platoon as the 7th Dman based on their AHL performance. I wouldn't panic as this is still a rebuild and wouldn't want to trade any valuable assets until the following season when we could make a serious run in the 2013-14 season. I just hope Alfie considers one more season because we will have the cap space, and assets to really improve the team moving forward.
They won't know the exact recovery time until after surgery... but it doesn't sound good.
I know you guys don`t like Pierre McGuire.. but this morning he said Lundin was a good pickup. He is not a flashy, physical player but he gets the job done.
What defenseman, other than Foster, are there available as UFA?
We know the Sens are not Cup contenders, YET.... but would they call up one of Gryba, Boro or Weircioch or maybe Benoit to fill the void?
The other option is by trade.
How much better would the D look if Justin Schultz had of decided on Ottawa rather than Edmonton...
We'd be much better by the look of things....Campo li is a ufa this year. Not a great option but might work as a temporary stop gap. Realistically though we need more of a physical presence
I think the position would be given to Benoit to fill the void. He's proven himself in the A at this point and has the most experience to lend to the NHL level. I think it would be his to lose. Behind him I'd saw maybe Boro over Gryba because of his physical edge, and the fact that Gryba was injured. Wiercioch is earning his stripes though, so that's not a bad option either for point production.
BAAAAH
Brownie the Clownie is probably the worst radio play-by-play guy in all of hockey.
He'd rather talk about restaurants in New Jersey or Alex Ovechkin's dog than describe the game WHILE IT"S BEING PLAYED
He should have been fired years ago and replaced by Grady from Binghampton.
@TSNBobMcKenzie : "Jared has a small tear in his labrum (hip). He will have surgery Saturday morning in New York. I expect he will be out for the season."
18. Hall of Famer Brad Park was known for his look-offs and head fakes. "I'll tell you who's the best now," he told HNIC Radio last week. "It's this kid [Erik] Karlsson in Ottawa. This kid doesn't make any mistakes ... He sees it so well. He's a throwback to myself and Bobby Orr with his offensive capabilities. This kid is that good. When you're carrying the puck, you know you're going to the right wing, but you've got to sell left wing."
GIVE ME BACK MY F-ING HOCKEY!!
Good find. High praise from a Hall of Famer.
By the end of the month you'll be an Australian Rules Football Fanatic.
You'll never be back.
UGH!
WE've already had this discussion, Sandy Im surprise you, of all people, forgot
PK SUBBAN IS STILL A FREE AGENT
I'd say Murray needs to get his head examined if he's not considering an offer sheet
wishful thinking but hes the best option available, and I really dont think Murray is up for the whole "sign a player to fill a gap" strategy... any player we acquire would have to fit the rebuild, hence Subban
Slowly but surely even die hards who come to theses sites are giving way to other forms of entertainment.
Back in 2004 i came very close to the "I could not care less about hockey when it is the business that is obviously more important to the players than the hockey is"
Owners are businessmen first and they will run it like a business, but players ought to be more like fans than business people, otherwise the real love of hockey is gone.
And right now I know the middle of the pack fan is gone, leaving a few diehards who are now moving on to better things.
Roy McGregor tried his best to wake up all these fools, Mark Recchi has also tried, but I am not sure I will ever be able to be as passionate about the NHL as I was ever before,
I have moved on to my sons minor hockey, and the OHL for my hockey fix, and will ask that reporters please move the NHL info over to the Businees Section of the newspapers, where it really should belong from now on!
Screw you NHL and NHLPA,
"Even Kindergarten kids could split up a popsicle before it melted away"
Idiots you piece of the pie is melting away for both of you!!!
With the reality of an 82 game season not being there, and that pressure moving away, the owners offer will not improve. I fear Fehr has played a little bit too much hard ball and has lost his opportunity.
Just my opinion, I'm an IT guy, not a lawyer.
But how many times have we heard this sentiment over the last few months. Every week someone is claiming the offer will never get better, and then it does, then they claim it again and it still improves. It's a negotiation, going backwards will only cement the other side in their position even more.
Has it improved since November 1st (the "deadline" which the league pretty much put on them having a full season)? All I recall is Fehr showing up 6 hours late to a meeting, and them getting into a huge fight.
My point was that the owners kept improving their offer considerably (at least compared to what the players were) because they really wanted a full season. That hope has pretty much vanished since the start of November, and now the owners aren't as willing to move.
I didn't imply that they would offer a "worse" offer (I'm not sure where you got that from), simply that the players will only hurt themselves and the league if they keep refusing to budge.
Truth is however, nobody knows what is truly being said by whom...I was just bored and wrote my 2 cents.
I'm not sure if you've missed the news, but at this point it's the owners not budging. Also, plenty of people said before the season that that was the best offer, then before x date that would be the best and so on. As I said, it's all rhetoric and part of the game.
If the NHL came back, BM would have to do something to fill the top 4 with Cowen out. He's a major piece of this young core and I'm sure Lundin will be a good stop gap in the top 6, but you almost have to assume something would get done. I would expect they'd take a body from the BSens with the understanding that it's a one year thing, but then Bingo would have to fill that void too.
I guess there is nothing to speculate right now, with the freeze, but I can't wait to see the rumors heat up on this topic if/when the NHL comes back.
I have heard the news.
Soooo....you are agreeing with my original statement; that the owners will no longer easily move due to this having been dragged out for so long (dragging like this convo, so i will agree to disagree after this)?
I'm just trying to get your angle, you keep bringing up other people saying that the league would not budge on their original offer...and that's just silly, this is a negotiation, they will both move. Recchi was pointing out that players will more than likely suffer if this goes on for too long (due to lost revenues/fans/a nd league no longer improving their offer enough for the pros to outweigh the cons), and I agreed with him. That's how I read his statement anyways.
My take on Cowen:
It is a big lost to our team if the lockout ends, This kid is solid. However, due to the rebuild, and Euge sticking on a budget...they will fix it from the "inside"; whether that is Boro, Weircioch, Benoit...it will be stopgap, not bringing in new bodies from the outside.
Guys the reality is that, this is the best offer they will get, accept this now, or expect something similar or worse at the start of Sept 2013.
Remember the whole, "The Players will NEVER accept a Salary Cap period!"
One very long year later, a full season lost, many fans lost, full salaries, and even careers for some players, and a fired Goodenow, and guess what, ? A Salary cap was accepted.
Players you have to accept it, please lets not lose the full year again
Fool me once palyers!
I completely agree, (and so does Recchi apparently)and that's what I've been trying to say from the start...not sure what the argument is. The offer may change slightly, but not enough to justify them missing the whole year over.
I was referring to the situation now that Cowen is out for the season....
I know Subban is an RFA.. but he does not want to leave Mtl (his words.
Do we know if Offer Sheets will even exist in the new CBA. Although not used much... they drive up prices...
From Twitter:
@GMillerTSN: @DarrenDreger I spoke with an NHL exec who thinks that this dispute will wipe out this season, and continue into the start of next season.
completetely agree, and we dont make half as much as Fehr and Bettman do ( at least i dont ), but have twice as much logic then the both of them... Patrick, give us one day, a lunch, and we can come up with an ageement before they do :)
For some of these players I will not look to them the same way as in the past.
I read somewhere that Fehr and the NHLPA have been late for every meeting. That is not very professional in my books. It appears IMO -- that the Fehr's and the PA are just trying to antagonize Bettman and the Owners.
I wonder if Fehr mentioned to the players that at the end of this... should it go to Dec 2013 (which one player agent said was Fehr's end date) that 200 or so of the players would be out of a job? That's after losing a year and a half of salary?
Fehr was brought in to negotiate this ONE CBA. He doesn't know hockey. Doesn't give a damn about the good of the game.. Doesn't give a damn about the damage he is doing (same can be said of Bettman to this point). MLB was set back a long way as a result of that player strike (from what I have read and heard). By the way, I also read that MLB players get 47% share of revenues -- that's less than the NHL is offering it's players under a salary cap.
I'm hoping cooler heads prevail. That most of the negotiating is done with Daly & Steve Fehr. There is too much hate for Bettman and Donald Fehr -- they do negotiations no good. They should be brought in at the end of this... to sign it off.
I have nothing against the guy but seriously, a strong year of development this year with our guys in Binghamtom will only sharpen their skills for when the NHL decides to resume. I can see Puempel & Silverberg already occupying those spots. So long Guillaume, you were hardly a Sen!
I think a lot of players will find themselves in that same situation as Latendresse... if the season is lost.
Don't forget... this Sunday afternoon - Noeson and his team play the 67's. Go out to see him and Ceci and also support the 67's.
Dean Brown is proof positive that you can take the windbag out of talk radio but can never take the talk radio out of the windbag.
He is currently on pace to break the junior goal scoring record for a defenseman and he's playing for Frolunda next season...
http://www.the6thsens.com/2012-articles/november/report-wikstrand-to-join-froelunda.html