Well that escalated quickly...

The Ottawa Senators fan base slow burn towards owner Eugene Melnyk had some gas thrown on it yesterday as comments and rumors, some that may be true and others that may not be, started to swirl about the relationship between players and management, dressing room confrontations, and overall dissention.

It is about to boil over, and I don't think there is much anyone can do about it. Apparently Erik Karlsson has a foot out the door already, whether it is because of the way things went down with Daniel Alfredsson and Kyle Turris or the rumour that Melnyk burst into the dressing room during an intermission earlier this season and breated the club for its inabilit to compete and put the cherry on that sundae by accusing Karlsson of owing him $350 for an UBER ride he charged on the company card. Maybe Melnyk was just worried about the cap circumvention??? It seems far-fetched that that story could be true, but it is Eugene Melnyk after all.

From crowd-funding over $10,000 for a #melnykout billboard to sagging first-week season ticket renewals, I think Melnyk is getting the message, or is about to, which will set up a huge showdown, because he doesn't have the back-down personality and isn't going to give in easily. I compared him to a certain politician in that area a few weeks ago with some backlash, but sometimes Melnyk seems to be in his own world and doesn't seem to see reality for what it is, and that he has lost this market and probably won't get it back any time soon.

For a franchise that is still in its infancy compared to the two closest geographical neighbors, and the uphill fight they have had to try to find an identity to woo those inheriting primarily Maple Leaf and Hab fandom from their parents is now being lost. Now is the time where the generation that hasn't known anything but Senators hockey is reaching the age where they have the means to support the team with their wallets, but the disarray with which the team has been run inspires no loyalty and it is getting messy. Or messier. Or messiest.

The Brassard and Phaneuf trades might just be the appetizer, and I fully expect that it will essentially be an AHL roster for the rest of this season.

And that could start today, for the game against the Flyers. If Pierre Dorion has any inkling that he is going to deal Erik Karlsson, that the horse is out the door and there is no chance at repairing the apparent damage that has been done, you have to sit him out today.

Let's face it, the Senators aren't going to win any deal involving Karlsson, but you can get OK return, or you can get hosed. I think your best chance at getting the best return, even though fewer teams might be involved, is to do it now where the team acquiring him has him for this year and next, or two playoff runs. If you get good return, I am at peace with that move and have been in that mode since about December when it became apparent that his asking price wasn't going to be in line with his current performance, and where that contract was going to take him combined with where the team was in its cycle.

I appreciate what Karlsson has done in a Senators uniform, and he is arguably the most talented player to ever don the jersey, but they aren't going to win here any time soon and I don't blame him at all for wanting to exercise probably his only option to get out of this mess.

Oh yeah, there is a game this afternoon as well, as the Flyers pay a visit to Canadian Tire Centre, and it should be an interesting atmosphere.

With a huge hole at 2nd line centre after the Brassard departure, will it be Zack Smith or Jean-Gabriel Pageau stepping into that void?

I would guess the forwards look something like:

Ryan - Duchene - Hoffman
Dzingel - Smith - Stone
Pyatt - Pageau - Paajarvi
McCormick - Shore - Gaborik


While a lot will depend on how close Dorion is to making a Karlsson deal will determine if he plays or not, but I don't imagine newly acquired Ian Cole will ever suit up for the Senators before he moves on to a contender before Monday at 3pm.

Philadelphia is indeed flying right now, with an 8-0-2 record in their last 10 and are within 2 points of the Penguins for first in the Metropolitan Division.

They will want to avoid falling into the dreaded trap game against the Senators', but the Sens don't have much to play for already.

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