In February I started to get very busy, but I had also lost hope in the Senators. I just up and stopped posting because I could not find the time to do so and before I knew it there was nothing to say. The Sens were out of the playoff race months ago and all I could hope for was the next season ... then in late Spring, Dany Heatley provided me with something to consider. He wants out of Ottawa.
Let me be frank when I say this, but Dany drove his own trade value into the floor when his agent(s) broke the news in the media. At the end of the season, Heatley had his meeting with the coaching staff and then management where he expressed his displeasure with his "new" role under coach Clouston. Senators GM Bryan Murray asked Heatley to give it some time and think about what he wants to do and Dany went off to play in the World's. Apparently Heatley's decision did not change and rather than taking his trade request quietly to Murray and letting him do his dealing, Heatley's agent(s) approached the media with the news of a trade demand. Reason stated was the new role on the club and how Heatley did not get along with Clouston.
Well, naturally the fans in Ottawa immediately started forming the mob, grabbing up pitchforks and lighting the torches. We are one thing if not adapt at running players out of here (re: Yashin, Schaefer, Corvo to an extent, Emery, etc). I am not saying that previous players have not deserved to be run out, but not all of them should have been chased away so readily. Needless to say, however, Heatley is worthy of the ire of the fans. Consider that he resigned with Ottawa for an extensive period of time. He wanted to play here when the ink was signed on the paper and rather than deal with Clouston man to man, Heatley decided to take the whiners route. Of course the fans have every right to be mad...
That said, what is Murray going to do with Heatley now? Leading up to the draft, calls were fielded and offers were made, but none of them were reasonable. The one I know of for sure was the NY Rangers offering Zherdev (a RFA worth a junk of change) and Rozsival (7mil) which to say the least was a win for the Rangers but a complete failure for Ottawa. Murray knew if he took that the angry mob would turn on him for already blowing deals that saw other players leave the club for free (we're about to see Comrie walk for the second time unless a miracle happens). Murray is/was looking for a top 6 forward, a prospect / younger player with NHL readiness and a pick. More importantly, Murray was looking to reduce his cap hit from Heatley's contract by 2-3-million if possible so he could wade deeper into the Free Agent oceans on Canada Day.
So now what? Heatley is either going to be dealt before Canada's 142nd birthday, or owner Melnyk will be signing a cheque to the tune of $4-million (which, by the way, is not something he wants to do for an ungrateful player already) and Heatley will be told to attend training camp. That would put the ball back into Dany's court and he would have to face the music or be shamed by his public perception. He would become the next Yashin if he chose to take the latter path, but could Ottawa ride it out and get a quality pick and a unappreciated talent (Spezza and Chara anyone) again?
One thine is for sure is that if Ottawa holds to their guns and if Melnyk eats the $4-million bonus, Heatley will immediately have his trade value increased. However, what I would like to see is something from Dany's lips to the public. He should at least come out to his fans who supported him through thick and thin in Ottawa and explain what is so wrong with Clouston's coaching style? Is it that Cory wants him to actually be active in a play rather than waiting for the puck all time? Perhaps it is because Dany does not want to spread offence around and wants to see everyone else play to his calibre? I want answers.
- BigW
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
To Trade or not to Trade...
Senators General Manager, Bryan Murray, stated that he is not done making deals leading up to the March 4th NHL Trade Deadline. Currently talks are underway with both UFAs Neil and Kuba to see if there can be a reasonable contract offer for either. Additionally Murray is seeking to resign RFA Comrie who returned to the Senators from the Isles. If the Senators are looking to trade then they will first look at who can leave Ottawa for nothing come summertime.
CHRIS NEIL
As a strong, aggressive and multi-facetted player, Chris Neil is high on the trading block right now. Many teams are rumoured to have been calling looking for his rugged dependability as something to bring to a possible cup contending club. Neil has not been a success for Ottawa the past couple of years because of the changing role requirements placed on him. When the Sens went all the way to the Stanley Cup and lost, Neil was a new father with a new role. He went from being the club’s bruiser to being a deep checker who can chip in on plays. Since then he shifted back to an aggressive checker under Paddock and with Hartsburg he was asked to drop the mitts more often than use them on the stick. If Neil and Murray do not come to terms on a deal then Neil may be shipped out. If and when he is shipped to a different club Neil will most likely be asked to return to his 2006/07 roll and the Senators will be watching from the Links while Neil continues on to a potential cup.
What is Chris Neil’s current market value? Not very high. He can garner a mid-second round pick as he is right now as opposed to what clubs will ask of him. There are some people believing we have a Chris Neil style player waiting on the Injury Reserve in Cody Bass though. Personally I wouldn’t bank on a kid who had his season come to a dead stop from a shoulder injury. More importantly it is the nature of the injury that alarms me. I am more concerned Bass is more like Eaves and less like Neil.
FILIP KUBA
After acquiring Kuba from Tampa Bay he has become a solid blueliner for the Senators. However, there are a few rumours swirling that he may end up traded this year if he chooses to wave his No Trade clause. Murray and Kuba are currently negotiating a long term deal because Kuba enjoys playing here and has no intention of leaving. The only reason why he would go is if both sides could not come to an agreement and it all depends on the NTC or an offer sheet in the summer. Murray is, obviously, going to want the NTC waved over the waltzing out of the capital for nothing.
MIKE FISHER
More often than not I hear two names pop up about possible trades fans want and do not want to see. First is Mike Fisher. Most people want to see Fisher leave the Ottawa Senators it seems and for the life of me I cannot figure out why. He is a mobile player who can usually pot in a fair share of points while being the club’s top energy guy. Just got scored on? Throw Fisher back on the ice and get some energy from a few great hits. Just got a goal but want tempo? Throw Fisher on and see if he can’t nab another one. There is more to a hockey player than stats. If (big if too) Fisher is traded then he is most likely only going to get a mid-to-high end pick in the late first to early second round; maybe. Perhaps a young unsung talent, but otherwise, Mike’s place is here in Ottawa.
JASON SPEZZA
Yup, Spezza. Listen. Spezza is a talented young center, but he is a liability on the ice as much as he is an asset. He often cannot and will not play well without Heatley whereas Heatley has proven in the past to play fine with any talented center willing to shovel him pucks. Spezza’s cocky attitude both off and on the ice has been noted over the years and sooner or later it will catch up with him. However, why Spezza is such a great idea in my books is because of his trade value. If Murray is trying to signal that this is a rebuild year then unloading some cap space for younger more mouldable talent is the way to go. Spezza can be moulded still, but Clouston is going to have to ride him hard (if permitted) and correct him at every mistake. So far Clouston has done that, but I am not entirely sold on Spez’s future with Ottawa. It feels as though he has been mailing in this season knowing the Sens will not make the play offs.
IN THE END
No matter what happens between now and the trade deadline, Murray needs to make some key and bright decisions. If he makes a bad trade now his career is fated to end. If he does not make a trade at all he is going to be lynched by the fans. After twelve years of making the playoffs the Ottawa Senators fans want to have a cup. We got inches from it once and since then the team, at its nucleus, has not been the same. Either it has to change or something huge has to be done to spark them.
- W
CHRIS NEIL
As a strong, aggressive and multi-facetted player, Chris Neil is high on the trading block right now. Many teams are rumoured to have been calling looking for his rugged dependability as something to bring to a possible cup contending club. Neil has not been a success for Ottawa the past couple of years because of the changing role requirements placed on him. When the Sens went all the way to the Stanley Cup and lost, Neil was a new father with a new role. He went from being the club’s bruiser to being a deep checker who can chip in on plays. Since then he shifted back to an aggressive checker under Paddock and with Hartsburg he was asked to drop the mitts more often than use them on the stick. If Neil and Murray do not come to terms on a deal then Neil may be shipped out. If and when he is shipped to a different club Neil will most likely be asked to return to his 2006/07 roll and the Senators will be watching from the Links while Neil continues on to a potential cup.
What is Chris Neil’s current market value? Not very high. He can garner a mid-second round pick as he is right now as opposed to what clubs will ask of him. There are some people believing we have a Chris Neil style player waiting on the Injury Reserve in Cody Bass though. Personally I wouldn’t bank on a kid who had his season come to a dead stop from a shoulder injury. More importantly it is the nature of the injury that alarms me. I am more concerned Bass is more like Eaves and less like Neil.
FILIP KUBA
After acquiring Kuba from Tampa Bay he has become a solid blueliner for the Senators. However, there are a few rumours swirling that he may end up traded this year if he chooses to wave his No Trade clause. Murray and Kuba are currently negotiating a long term deal because Kuba enjoys playing here and has no intention of leaving. The only reason why he would go is if both sides could not come to an agreement and it all depends on the NTC or an offer sheet in the summer. Murray is, obviously, going to want the NTC waved over the waltzing out of the capital for nothing.
MIKE FISHER
More often than not I hear two names pop up about possible trades fans want and do not want to see. First is Mike Fisher. Most people want to see Fisher leave the Ottawa Senators it seems and for the life of me I cannot figure out why. He is a mobile player who can usually pot in a fair share of points while being the club’s top energy guy. Just got scored on? Throw Fisher back on the ice and get some energy from a few great hits. Just got a goal but want tempo? Throw Fisher on and see if he can’t nab another one. There is more to a hockey player than stats. If (big if too) Fisher is traded then he is most likely only going to get a mid-to-high end pick in the late first to early second round; maybe. Perhaps a young unsung talent, but otherwise, Mike’s place is here in Ottawa.
JASON SPEZZA
Yup, Spezza. Listen. Spezza is a talented young center, but he is a liability on the ice as much as he is an asset. He often cannot and will not play well without Heatley whereas Heatley has proven in the past to play fine with any talented center willing to shovel him pucks. Spezza’s cocky attitude both off and on the ice has been noted over the years and sooner or later it will catch up with him. However, why Spezza is such a great idea in my books is because of his trade value. If Murray is trying to signal that this is a rebuild year then unloading some cap space for younger more mouldable talent is the way to go. Spezza can be moulded still, but Clouston is going to have to ride him hard (if permitted) and correct him at every mistake. So far Clouston has done that, but I am not entirely sold on Spez’s future with Ottawa. It feels as though he has been mailing in this season knowing the Sens will not make the play offs.
IN THE END
No matter what happens between now and the trade deadline, Murray needs to make some key and bright decisions. If he makes a bad trade now his career is fated to end. If he does not make a trade at all he is going to be lynched by the fans. After twelve years of making the playoffs the Ottawa Senators fans want to have a cup. We got inches from it once and since then the team, at its nucleus, has not been the same. Either it has to change or something huge has to be done to spark them.
- W
Monday, February 16, 2009
May I have some ice cream with my humble pie?
I am absolutely astonished. You might remember when Clouston was hired on as our coach I was certain that was the end of the season. I was dead certain that the Ottawa Senators would not respond and they would fall off to obscurity. Well, so far, it appears that I have a slice of humble pie coming my way.
Although a four game streak usually does not rank high on my list of amazing accomplishments, it is how the Sens got there. Home and home wins over the Sabres – one from a shootout the other from domination on the ice – tickled me red, white, black and gold again. Then there was the wild game against Minnesota!
IT’S A COME BACK KIDS!
I didn’t get to watch the game, but I checked the score at the end of the first period and I sighed deeply. How disappointing to hear a three goal deficit. My wife even came in and pointed out how poorly the Senators have played from behind. To my total amazement the Senators came back from three goals down and beat the Wild to the tune of 5-3. That win proved to me that not only do the Senators have the ability to overcome this adversity, but that the new coach was the right decision.
CLOUSTON, WE HAVE LIFT OFF
Yup. There we go. My first cliché about Clouston’s name... I figured I’d get that out of the way quickly. The Senators have played great hockey as of late. Clouston’s philosophy is one of offence and even the once fading away Dany Heatley has rebounded and started contributing again. The Ottawa Senators are poised to become a playoff spoiler for a number of teams and by the end of the month they could have leapt from 12th in the conference to playoff contention.
Playoff contention ... I said it. Can I have some ice cream too?
If you look at the teams the Senators play between now and March 1st, you can’t help but feel optimistic.
Feb 16 – Predators: 11th in the west
Feb 17 – Avalanche: 15th in the west
Feb 19 – Canucks: 5th in the west
Feb 21 – Canadiens: 5th in the east
Feb 24 – Hurricanes: 9th in the east
Feb 26 – Sharks: 1st in the west
Feb 28 – Maple Leafs: 11th in the east
Of these teams the obvious issue will be the Sharks. However, even might Boston had issues containing the Senators and the Sens had yet to fully turn the corner since Clouston’s hiring. If the Senators are able to pick up five wins in this schedule they will likely leap into 10th spot in the standings or so. Seems like a big feet to consider? Well, the Predators and Avs should pose as good tuning games when you get down to it. Although the west is a close race in points (in the under 70pts bracket), the Preds and Avs are unlikely to change momentum and get back into the hunt entirely. The Canadiens are another team that the Senators will need to exploit. They are destined for greatness, but it appears that this isn’t their year. As for the Leafs, well, the Sens have played horribly against them this year. However, they were never permitted to play a run and gun kind of game ... the sort of game the Leafs back end cannot stop. That leaves the ‘Nucks, Sharks and Canes. I think that the Canucks and the Sharks will be the true test of this club. The Canes are good, but the Nucks are starting to prove to be a powerhouse in the west.
Either way... I’ll admit it. I may have been wrong about this whole Clouston thing. I am happy to see Murray didn’t pull the trigger on any deals too. He is now in a position of strength if he feels the need to redo his club because he waited until they were playing better hockey. Perhaps now should simply let the team ride and focus on resigning some of the RFA/UFA market? We’ll have to see.
- W
Although a four game streak usually does not rank high on my list of amazing accomplishments, it is how the Sens got there. Home and home wins over the Sabres – one from a shootout the other from domination on the ice – tickled me red, white, black and gold again. Then there was the wild game against Minnesota!
IT’S A COME BACK KIDS!
I didn’t get to watch the game, but I checked the score at the end of the first period and I sighed deeply. How disappointing to hear a three goal deficit. My wife even came in and pointed out how poorly the Senators have played from behind. To my total amazement the Senators came back from three goals down and beat the Wild to the tune of 5-3. That win proved to me that not only do the Senators have the ability to overcome this adversity, but that the new coach was the right decision.
CLOUSTON, WE HAVE LIFT OFF
Yup. There we go. My first cliché about Clouston’s name... I figured I’d get that out of the way quickly. The Senators have played great hockey as of late. Clouston’s philosophy is one of offence and even the once fading away Dany Heatley has rebounded and started contributing again. The Ottawa Senators are poised to become a playoff spoiler for a number of teams and by the end of the month they could have leapt from 12th in the conference to playoff contention.
Playoff contention ... I said it. Can I have some ice cream too?
If you look at the teams the Senators play between now and March 1st, you can’t help but feel optimistic.
Feb 16 – Predators: 11th in the west
Feb 17 – Avalanche: 15th in the west
Feb 19 – Canucks: 5th in the west
Feb 21 – Canadiens: 5th in the east
Feb 24 – Hurricanes: 9th in the east
Feb 26 – Sharks: 1st in the west
Feb 28 – Maple Leafs: 11th in the east
Of these teams the obvious issue will be the Sharks. However, even might Boston had issues containing the Senators and the Sens had yet to fully turn the corner since Clouston’s hiring. If the Senators are able to pick up five wins in this schedule they will likely leap into 10th spot in the standings or so. Seems like a big feet to consider? Well, the Predators and Avs should pose as good tuning games when you get down to it. Although the west is a close race in points (in the under 70pts bracket), the Preds and Avs are unlikely to change momentum and get back into the hunt entirely. The Canadiens are another team that the Senators will need to exploit. They are destined for greatness, but it appears that this isn’t their year. As for the Leafs, well, the Sens have played horribly against them this year. However, they were never permitted to play a run and gun kind of game ... the sort of game the Leafs back end cannot stop. That leaves the ‘Nucks, Sharks and Canes. I think that the Canucks and the Sharks will be the true test of this club. The Canes are good, but the Nucks are starting to prove to be a powerhouse in the west.
Either way... I’ll admit it. I may have been wrong about this whole Clouston thing. I am happy to see Murray didn’t pull the trigger on any deals too. He is now in a position of strength if he feels the need to redo his club because he waited until they were playing better hockey. Perhaps now should simply let the team ride and focus on resigning some of the RFA/UFA market? We’ll have to see.
- W
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
