I am going to borrow liberally from SensChirp (http://senschirp.blogspot.com/) and their poll they have. Since Wade Redden was one of our alternate captains and he is no longer with the club, who should take over his big A? Well, I am going to break down my opinion based off of the four candidates SensChirp presented.
Dany Heatley:
The second I traded Wade Redden away on my copy of NHL08 for the Xbox 360, Heater was awarded the alternate captaincy by the computer. I didn't bother to fix it because I honestly don't care and the game certainly doesn't either. Unfortunately this isn't a video game and there are some big time things to consider. Heatley is already our premiere player who typically will be on the ice with Alfredsson most of the time. Backing up on the blueline there stands a good chance that Big Rig, Chris Phillips, will also see a lot of time with Heater on the ice. That is reason enough to waive Heater from contention -- who wants to see all "leaders" on the ice at once? Spread the love around. Is he qualified? Sure. Would he respond to the pressure? More than likely, but there's no reason to bunch our eggs in the same basket.
Mike Fisher:
Last year he was wearing the A when Alfie was injured and the media asked him how it felt. He jokingly responded "right where it belongs". Nevertheless, he could very well be right. Mike is a tireless force who is always there for the team. He doesn't have the same scoring touch as say Heater, but he is a solid player with a presence of mind both up and down the ice that a leader requires. Atop of that he is a fan favourite in Ottawa and is signed for a number of years to come.
Jason Smith:
I am not a huge fan of honouring a previous captain of another team with a A or C for their current club. Respect is something earned and not given immediately regardless of tenure in the league. The guys may know of Smith, but may not know him very well. As it stands he would be a short term alternate captain and though he could probably do the job justice we would return in a year or two and ask this very question again.
Chris Kelly:
Former captain of the Binghamton Senators and one of the Sens smartest young players, Kelly has a total package of a born leader. He is, however, young though the club seems to respond well when he is on the ice. For him to get the Big A would require more ice time than he current is afforded and his presence with that time would need to increase quite a bit.
So what do I think? If you know me then you know my obvious answer is Mike Fisher. I am a big fan of Fish -- to me the quintessential Canadian hockey player -- and I think it's high time we recognize his accomplishments.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
What's with all the Swedes?!
To be honest I am not sure if I should be impressed by the ignorance or bravery of some fans. There has been a lot of rumbling around the groups about picking up some Swedes low in the draft and how it is signs of Sens scouting going to the proverbial water closet. Today I am going to chime in on this hot button topic -- since it seems that the Meszaros rumours are pretty lax as of late and Murray is not budging one iota on his contract -- and talk about the Swedish picks.
The Ottawa Senators have always been an organization to step away from the conventional scouting of the NHL. I don't mean to boast liberally, but it is the truth. When you pick someone who is so low down that they're not seen as neither an impact player or a depth player and they turn out to be the rookie of the year and our longest standing captain ... that's pretty outside the box. The Senators knew then what they still know now: central scouting is focused on North America from a purely economical stance. It is cheaper for teams to keep their scouts in the continent than it is to jet set them around the globe to seek talent outside of the pool. However, they have been keen on placing key people in positions where they can get a feel for what is outside of the Stars and Stripes as well as the Maple Leaf. My return question is ... why are people surprised by the Sens drafting from Sweden?
Consider two major things. Daniel Alfredsson -- that low pick, then rookie, now captain Swedish kid -- does have a bit of a say with the team's direction. Not that I am implying that he makes all the calls, but if he knows of a kid back home that is being overlooked then why would he sit on it and not share this information? Further to this point the Senators will open the NHL season in Sweden against the Penguins. Again ... a chance for a couple of up and coming hockey stars to play on home ice could be foreseeable, but also helps build some reporte with the country that the NHL is not Euro-phobic.
What should really shock Sens fans it that Bryan Murray has stepped out of his comfort zone of favouring Canadian boys. Perhaps picking Karlsson -- top defenceman of the u-18 tournement -- wasn't entirely bad idea. Now that the cliche that only clubs captained by a Canadian is busted -- thank you Nik Lindstrom -- the blow hards in the media that I so faithfully adore can lay off just a touch. Did it surprise me that Murray picked a Swede first (or a few times for the matter)? No. Does it bother me? No. Do I want to see more Canadian kids in the NHL? That's complex. I want to see the best game put forward by the best players out there. I don't care what country they come from, their religious practices, their sex -- yup, I said it, sex. For those not in the know ... women's ice hockey prior to the WWII was brutal and spectacular ... too bad it's "girls" now -- or even what kind of food preferences they have.
Why should you?
The Ottawa Senators have always been an organization to step away from the conventional scouting of the NHL. I don't mean to boast liberally, but it is the truth. When you pick someone who is so low down that they're not seen as neither an impact player or a depth player and they turn out to be the rookie of the year and our longest standing captain ... that's pretty outside the box. The Senators knew then what they still know now: central scouting is focused on North America from a purely economical stance. It is cheaper for teams to keep their scouts in the continent than it is to jet set them around the globe to seek talent outside of the pool. However, they have been keen on placing key people in positions where they can get a feel for what is outside of the Stars and Stripes as well as the Maple Leaf. My return question is ... why are people surprised by the Sens drafting from Sweden?
Consider two major things. Daniel Alfredsson -- that low pick, then rookie, now captain Swedish kid -- does have a bit of a say with the team's direction. Not that I am implying that he makes all the calls, but if he knows of a kid back home that is being overlooked then why would he sit on it and not share this information? Further to this point the Senators will open the NHL season in Sweden against the Penguins. Again ... a chance for a couple of up and coming hockey stars to play on home ice could be foreseeable, but also helps build some reporte with the country that the NHL is not Euro-phobic.
What should really shock Sens fans it that Bryan Murray has stepped out of his comfort zone of favouring Canadian boys. Perhaps picking Karlsson -- top defenceman of the u-18 tournement -- wasn't entirely bad idea. Now that the cliche that only clubs captained by a Canadian is busted -- thank you Nik Lindstrom -- the blow hards in the media that I so faithfully adore can lay off just a touch. Did it surprise me that Murray picked a Swede first (or a few times for the matter)? No. Does it bother me? No. Do I want to see more Canadian kids in the NHL? That's complex. I want to see the best game put forward by the best players out there. I don't care what country they come from, their religious practices, their sex -- yup, I said it, sex. For those not in the know ... women's ice hockey prior to the WWII was brutal and spectacular ... too bad it's "girls" now -- or even what kind of food preferences they have.
Why should you?
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sum-sum-sum-summertime.
I know. It looks like Big Will abandoned his big heart in March and walked away from the team. That's not true. Regardless I am back and ready give my input on all things Senators. Where to start?
Let us roll back to the embarrassing playoff performance of our beloved red team. I was dead wrong with how Murray coming back to the bench would change many things, but I was dead right that entering the playoffs would not change a thing. The truth is that the team sucked as a team and that blaming any one individual seems like scapegoating -- I'll get back to this.
Let us fast forward now to the draft. What a wonderful weekend in Ottawa. Although the Sens were not high ranked in the picks we managed to add a little depth on the lines with some Swedish and Canadian kids. Kind of surprised me a little that we picked a couple of prospects from Sweden, but it is nice to see the recognition that the Canadian game has branched out and it might be a bit of a nod to Alfie and his host country. That and the NHL season openers being played in Sweden between the Senators and the Penguins may have something to do with it to. What about goal tending?
Remember that bit about scapegoating? Ray Emery was the toast of the town a year ago for taking the team to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in modern history ... on a broken wrist no less. He was always known for his egomaniac lifestyle and cocky attitude, but when he was playing it was no big deal. Soon as Gerber was hot Emery was out while his rehab took longer than usual and soon he became an apparent distraction with his antics. Last I checked we are fans of grown men playing a game in which they make millions to do so per year ... If they are rattled by one guy then they all should retire. Thankfully I don't buy this for one second despite Emery being bought out and turned into the black eye of the league. That is what you call a scapegoat. We did the same thing to Lalime after he fell in front of the Leafs regardless of standing up for the team and himself in previous season -- let alone the shutouts he had in the playoffs as well. Will Emery fail to bounce back like Lalime did? Patty never got it all back, but I think Ray is too cocky to be kicked down and kept there for long.
Moving on we saw Wade Redden leaving the orginization. We all saw that happening. We have also added to our roster the links of Jarrko Ruutu -- who adds the pest factor --, Alex Auld -- who replaces Emery to contest for the starting goalie netminder job --, Jeson Smith -- yet more grit and defensive prowess -- and Brendan Bell -- starting to sense a theme of grit here? I am --. We also re-signed Donovan, Glass and Vermette. I cannot wait for the the training camp to begin so we can get a closer look the team.
Now to a more serious note. One of my favourite sports media personalities in Ottawa, if not the world, passed away only a week ago. Tim "Buzz" Kilpatrick was one third of the popular Team 1200 morning show Three Guys on the Radio. Throughout my school days I would wake up around 6:00am and flip on TGOR for a good morning fix. Maybe I am bias because my first Senators game in five years came from writing them an email, but I became an instant fan and listened almost daily (live or through podcast). Listening to the tribute show that Steve Warne and Stuntman Stu put on with Kenny Walls (producer) was tear jerking and heartfelt. Buzz you will be sadly missed.
Lastly, but not leastly, the blogs and the future. So, I noticed that there is a new blog out there called SensChirp (http://senschirp.blogspot.com/) dedicated to the rumour mills. So far this summer he has only been dead wrong once which makes me wonder who he is sleeping within the organisation. Ok, maybe not that extreme, but still ... he has some serious connections. He makes both Eklund and Garrioch look infinitely more terrible than they already are at keeping track of rumours with the Ottawa Senators. Another blog is by a friend of mine and is amusingly named Don't Pick Daigle (http://dontpickdaigle.blogspot.com/) that is much like this one really. Brad puts his heart and soul into talking hockey, but we're often quite different in opinions so if you don't like what I have to say you can always go read his. Ha! Finally, Sens Undgerground podcast ... I gave them a listen once. I really didn't like what they had to say, but I decided to turn over a new leaf with them and give them another listen. I am currently wating on their latest podcast to download and I will give it a listen.
So there you have it Sens Fans and Fanatics. Big Will's summer wrap up (at least up to the end of July). As news and rumours break I will take a few minutes to respond whenever I have the time. Other than that let's get ready for the 2008-09 season and see how this new face of the Ottawa Senators looks with a few less teeth and a whole lot more grittiness.
Let us roll back to the embarrassing playoff performance of our beloved red team. I was dead wrong with how Murray coming back to the bench would change many things, but I was dead right that entering the playoffs would not change a thing. The truth is that the team sucked as a team and that blaming any one individual seems like scapegoating -- I'll get back to this.
Let us fast forward now to the draft. What a wonderful weekend in Ottawa. Although the Sens were not high ranked in the picks we managed to add a little depth on the lines with some Swedish and Canadian kids. Kind of surprised me a little that we picked a couple of prospects from Sweden, but it is nice to see the recognition that the Canadian game has branched out and it might be a bit of a nod to Alfie and his host country. That and the NHL season openers being played in Sweden between the Senators and the Penguins may have something to do with it to. What about goal tending?
Remember that bit about scapegoating? Ray Emery was the toast of the town a year ago for taking the team to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in modern history ... on a broken wrist no less. He was always known for his egomaniac lifestyle and cocky attitude, but when he was playing it was no big deal. Soon as Gerber was hot Emery was out while his rehab took longer than usual and soon he became an apparent distraction with his antics. Last I checked we are fans of grown men playing a game in which they make millions to do so per year ... If they are rattled by one guy then they all should retire. Thankfully I don't buy this for one second despite Emery being bought out and turned into the black eye of the league. That is what you call a scapegoat. We did the same thing to Lalime after he fell in front of the Leafs regardless of standing up for the team and himself in previous season -- let alone the shutouts he had in the playoffs as well. Will Emery fail to bounce back like Lalime did? Patty never got it all back, but I think Ray is too cocky to be kicked down and kept there for long.
Moving on we saw Wade Redden leaving the orginization. We all saw that happening. We have also added to our roster the links of Jarrko Ruutu -- who adds the pest factor --, Alex Auld -- who replaces Emery to contest for the starting goalie netminder job --, Jeson Smith -- yet more grit and defensive prowess -- and Brendan Bell -- starting to sense a theme of grit here? I am --. We also re-signed Donovan, Glass and Vermette. I cannot wait for the the training camp to begin so we can get a closer look the team.
Now to a more serious note. One of my favourite sports media personalities in Ottawa, if not the world, passed away only a week ago. Tim "Buzz" Kilpatrick was one third of the popular Team 1200 morning show Three Guys on the Radio. Throughout my school days I would wake up around 6:00am and flip on TGOR for a good morning fix. Maybe I am bias because my first Senators game in five years came from writing them an email, but I became an instant fan and listened almost daily (live or through podcast). Listening to the tribute show that Steve Warne and Stuntman Stu put on with Kenny Walls (producer) was tear jerking and heartfelt. Buzz you will be sadly missed.
Lastly, but not leastly, the blogs and the future. So, I noticed that there is a new blog out there called SensChirp (http://senschirp.blogspot.com/) dedicated to the rumour mills. So far this summer he has only been dead wrong once which makes me wonder who he is sleeping within the organisation. Ok, maybe not that extreme, but still ... he has some serious connections. He makes both Eklund and Garrioch look infinitely more terrible than they already are at keeping track of rumours with the Ottawa Senators. Another blog is by a friend of mine and is amusingly named Don't Pick Daigle (http://dontpickdaigle.blogspot.com/) that is much like this one really. Brad puts his heart and soul into talking hockey, but we're often quite different in opinions so if you don't like what I have to say you can always go read his. Ha! Finally, Sens Undgerground podcast ... I gave them a listen once. I really didn't like what they had to say, but I decided to turn over a new leaf with them and give them another listen. I am currently wating on their latest podcast to download and I will give it a listen.
So there you have it Sens Fans and Fanatics. Big Will's summer wrap up (at least up to the end of July). As news and rumours break I will take a few minutes to respond whenever I have the time. Other than that let's get ready for the 2008-09 season and see how this new face of the Ottawa Senators looks with a few less teeth and a whole lot more grittiness.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
