See, I think that part where he told Alfie about Ryan was either
1. Total BS

- Charliebox

Bryan Murray is a liar then?

Bryan Murray is a liar then?
- Talkshowhost

Ya, I'm pretty sure that if Murray had made this up, then Alfie probably would have shot it back down, since most people don't like having lies told that involve an unpopular decision that he made. Makes him look worse.

Murray was certainly being honest about it.

Ya, I'm pretty sure that if Murray had made this up, then Alfie probably would have shot it back down, since most people don't like having lies told that involve an unpopular decision that he made. Makes him look worse.

Murray was certainly being honest about it.
- the_terror

Yea, I agree with you totally.

Ya, I'm pretty sure that if Murray had made this up, then Alfie probably would have shot it back down, since most people don't like having lies told that involve an unpopular decision that he made. Makes him look worse.

Murray was certainly being honest about it.
- the_terror

That is not true.

Originally, Alfie tried to take the 'high road' by saying that he thought Detroit had a better shot at the cup.

Then Melnyk went on a stupid rant about him and his agent (mostly the agent).

Then Alfie said, 'oh yeah'? And told everyone what the real reason was (that the Sens were lowballing him and Richarding him around the whole time).

The original comment made Alfie look much worse (that he felt he had a better shot in Detroit) considering Ottawa just got Ryan (and he knew it was 'in the works'), but he has so much respect for Murray that he didn't want to tell everyone the real reason.

This is why he backtracked and told everyone the truth. He doesn't feel as though Detroit has a better shot. He just got screwed around and took enough pay cuts to play in Ottawa and he was sick of it.

Just to add: Alfie has a ton of respect for Murray. The only reason he changed his tune is because Melnyk had to stick his nose into it all and start crap.

With the Ryan situation, no one is starting crap. I'm not saying Murray lied, but what I am saying is that if he and Alfie only had the conversation in passing (ie this is what we are trying to do.. but not.. this IS what we ARE doing), there's no reason for Alfie to address it.

Any GM can say they are 'trying' to get anyone at any point in time. It doesn't mean it's going to actually happen.

Easy tiger. I just threw names out there. Gotta read the whole thing.
- the_terror

I read it.

Big difference between Silfverberg+ being traded for a disgruntled Bobby Ryan on a Ducks team with 2 big contracts on the first line vs. the teams & player names that you threw in there. ZBad and Connacher are not going to land a player like Yakupov or Kane. Just my opinion though - sometimes you can land a Russ Courtnall and only give up a John Kordic (RIP).

This is genius. Mika was invited in BM office. He's been informed of the plan and was sent down to further develop under Luke. In the meantime, DaCosta could be lost on waiver so they will showcase him to other teams (Oilers or other in need of a young center) and when the trade is made, he comes back. This is temporary
- SENSpatriot

It better be. because Zibanejad >> DaCosta, Pageau, Smith. In fact if you asked to trade those 3 or Zibanejad-- it'd be a close call

First, Alfie... then Silfverberg and now Zibanejad... are we getting rid of our swedish identity? Did Alfie leave a sour taste in management's mouth? Are Lehner and Karlsson next?

Just kidding of course.

Getting back to the matter at hand ... DaCosta on the 4th line?!? How does this make sense? Isn't Mika's game better suited for playing on the 4th line? I just don't get the rationale, from a purely hockey standpoint.

Also, Ottawa now has the 28th overall payroll as currently constructed. Keep on reaching for the bottom Melnyk, it's within reach!

Getting back to the matter at hand ... DaCosta on the 4th line?!? How does this make sense? Isn't Mika's game better suited for playing on the 4th line? I just don't get the rationale, from a purely hockey standpoint.

Also, Ottawa now has the 28th overall payroll as currently constructed. Keep on reaching for the bottom Melnyk, it's within reach!
- TreeSens

I'm in the same boat, it seems like Turris was the go to center on that second line. So where does Da Costa slot in. Maybe he's going to play wing?


Could this mean spezzas injury problem in more series...

I'm in the same boat, it seems like Turris was the go to center on that second line. So where does Da Costa slot in. Maybe he's going to play wing?


Could this mean spezzas injury problem in more series...
- david22

God, I hope not (to both parts, really. Conacher is also not a great 4th line option ...).

Zibby is simply a victim of his contract situation. Money is a also a factor or else we would be carrying a full roster, but I don't think it was a decisive one in this certain situation.

Also, I think it's pretty clear Ottawa wants to move Da Costa for something of value. As I said about a week ago, teams will not give poop after watching him "showcased" in a pointless preseason game. So having him play in the regular season to start things off is logical, but won't guarantee him being moved.

I don't agree with sending Zibby down, but it isn't the end of the world. He'll be back here pretty quickly. First injury to a forward, he will be the first one called up.

If we were to make a trade ,I hope its for a gritty winger ,that can fight and play a regular shift .Its what we seem to be lacking in the bottom 6 at the moment

I think this is a terrible move. Not only do I think that Zbad is better than Pageau and SDC, I never thought it was close. His current talent and future potential is higher than the rookies, and he is much bigger and stronger. We should already want to avoid becoming a smaller team. I can only think this is a moneyball move to play cheap players who bring a buzz. Maybe more people come to watch Pageau, and we are showcasing SDC, but we are in no way a better team with Mika in Bingo.

Please, I'd love to know what's wrong with what I wrote. Do tell.
- TreeSens

It would be an exercise is futility. I pretty much summed it up months ago. People will ultimately hear what they want to hear. Ex. A couple of blogs ago with Melnyk "not knowing" they were over budget.

Alfie was not happy about the club not extending him before the lockout. Team wasn't comfortable doing so without knowing what the new CBA would look like. He wanted a two year deal with a signing bonus that would compensate his low salary from last year. Team told him no. Both parties decided to negotiate year to year.

A big part of him has always wanted to play with Datsyuk and Zetterberg(who wouldn't?) and fellow Swedes for a while. Seeds were planted some time ago.

Alfie wanted to move to a place where the pressure of being the face of the franchise would not exist. He has a lot of personal pride and wanted all of his energies to be focused on being a strong player and contributor. He felt Detroit was the perfect fit for that.

The negotiations at seasons end were just a red herring. They were set up to fail intentionally by JP Barry. Murray was onto this by mid week and intentionally setup the Maclean extension presser to pre-address and hopefully put Pressure on Alfie to not walk away. Most of the staff believed Alfie was coming back and it was just a negotiation ploy to get a little more money. Murray was not convinced of that.

As far as Bobby Ryan is concerned,those trade discussions were over a year old and were never closed off. Anaheim wanted to get Getzlaf/Perry signed long term before they would consider movin Ryan. Sens were always the front runner for him after they failed to land Nash.
Obviously Alfie leaving made them pay a steeper price than what they had hoped to give up but the circumstances dictated that it had to be done.

Season ticket totals are at their highest point since the Cup run. Alfie leaving was not creating a mass exodus as was previously speculated here. The sales department have worked their asses off to get it to where it is today.

When it comes to Melnyk, he most certainly talks out both sides of his mouth and ass(sometimes all at once, quite talented) but he really does want to win. He has been seeking a partner now for several years but hasn't had any luck only because the portion he has been willing to give up is less than enticing. If he got his casino bid that would change.

If he really sinks to an unsustainable level(many believe we are there) there will be zero chance the team will be moved and a new ownership group would arise quickly( a group that would include Minto homes).

Until then he will continue to turn over every rock in his path to find his golden key. He wants to stay here as owner and wants to win a cup. Unfortunately there isn't much racetrack left.

End of non-sensical IPhone rambling. Hope this was helpful in some way.

Dacosta would have been plucked on waivers. This isn't necessarily a showcase but more of an extended evaluation. I think they team wants to see more of Dacosta themselves, so don't dilute out the possibility of him being in their future plans if continues his trajectory.

Internal competition is sometimes as important as the external to drive some players. No young player should feel entitled to their spot. It will be really interesting to see how these guys respond post camp. Ie Dacosta,Zbad,CC and Pageau.

That is not true.

Originally, Alfie tried to take the 'high road' by saying that he thought Detroit had a better shot at the cup.

Then Melnyk went on a stupid rant about him and his agent (mostly the agent).

Then Alfie said, 'oh yeah'? And told everyone what the real reason was (that the Sens were lowballing him and Richarding him around the whole time).

The original comment made Alfie look much worse (that he felt he had a better shot in Detroit) considering Ottawa just got Ryan (and he knew it was 'in the works'), but he has so much respect for Murray that he didn't want to tell everyone the real reason.

This is why he backtracked and told everyone the truth. He doesn't feel as though Detroit has a better shot. He just got screwed around and took enough pay cuts to play in Ottawa and he was sick of it.

Just to add: Alfie has a ton of respect for Murray. The only reason he changed his tune is because Melnyk had to stick his nose into it all and start crap.

With the Ryan situation, no one is starting crap. I'm not saying Murray lied, but what I am saying is that if he and Alfie only had the conversation in passing (ie this is what we are trying to do.. but not.. this IS what we ARE doing), there's no reason for Alfie to address it.

Any GM can say they are 'trying' to get anyone at any point in time. It doesn't mean it's going to actually happen.
- Charliebox

Ok, so by your logic Alfie takes the high road, gets thrown under the bus, yet fails to tell the truth about the Ryan information?

Doesn't sound quite right to me.

And according to your first statement you offered up Murray lying as a possibility. I simply don't believe that he was being dishonest when he told Alfie that he was going to go get Bobby Ryan. I think Alfie knew that and left because he didn't like getting jerked around, which I don't blame him for.

But for the record, I think now that the dust has settled, Ottawa is one of the 5 best teams in the NHL and they have one of the 5 lowest payrolls. Come deadline day, when they're pushing for a championship, they'll have the flexibility to add the right winger that line 2 needs, and whatever else they need as well. Not many top teams can say that.

So who gives a flying crap if they send Zibanejad down? 29 other teams in the league wish they had the depth at C to send a player of his caliber to the minors. Instead they're left signing dead weight like Mike Ribeiro and Derek Roy. Have to admire what the Senators have done here.

How are Sens fans feeling about the possibility of a Weircioch fantasy addition this year? Worth it?

It would be an exercise is futility. I pretty much summed it up months ago. People will ultimately hear what they want to hear. Ex. A couple of blogs ago with Melnyk "not knowing" they were over budget.

Alfie was not happy about the club not extending him before the lockout. Team wasn't comfortable doing so without knowing what the new CBA would look like. He wanted a two year deal with a signing bonus that would compensate his low salary from last year. Team told him no. Both parties decided to negotiate year to year.

A big part of him has always wanted to play with Datsyuk and Zetterberg(who wouldn't?) and fellow Swedes for a while. Seeds were planted some time ago.

Alfie wanted to move to a place where the pressure of being the face of the franchise would not exist. He has a lot of personal pride and wanted all of his energies to be focused on being a strong player and contributor. He felt Detroit was the perfect fit for that.

The negotiations at seasons end were just a red herring. They were set up to fail intentionally by JP Barry. Murray was onto this by mid week and intentionally setup the Maclean extension presser to pre-address and hopefully put Pressure on Alfie to not walk away. Most of the staff believed Alfie was coming back and it was just a negotiation ploy to get a little more money. Murray was not convinced of that.

As far as Bobby Ryan is concerned,those trade discussions were over a year old and were never closed off. Anaheim wanted to get Getzlaf/Perry signed long term before they would consider movin Ryan. Sens were always the front runner for him after they failed to land Nash.
Obviously Alfie leaving made them pay a steeper price than what they had hoped to give up but the circumstances dictated that it had to be done.

Season ticket totals are at their highest point since the Cup run. Alfie leaving was not creating a mass exodus as was previously speculated here. The sales department have worked their asses off to get it to where it is today.

When it comes to Melnyk, he most certainly talks out both sides of his mouth and ass(sometimes all at once, quite talented) but he really does want to win. He has been seeking a partner now for several years but hasn't had any luck only because the portion he has been willing to give up is less than enticing. If he got his casino bid that would change.

If he really sinks to an unsustainable level(many believe we are there) there will be zero chance the team will be moved and a new ownership group would arise quickly( a group that would include Minto homes).

Until then he will continue to turn over every rock in his path to find his golden key. He wants to stay here as owner and wants to win a cup. Unfortunately there isn't much racetrack left.

End of non-sensical IPhone rambling. Hope this was helpful in some way.
- Cup 06

As someone who agrees with most of this (we will never know 100% what happened), job well done sir, job well done. Perhaps, we can revisit this entire Alfie situation come playoff time where it might actually mean something.

How are Sens fans feeling about the possibility of a Weircioch fantasy addition this year? Worth it?
- TheSabresTaco

Cheap addition who will get his opportunity on the power play. Will get his points by osmosis. The only drawback is the hot and cold mentality of our power play unit.

Cheap addition who will get his opportunity on the power play. Will get his points by osmosis. The only drawback is the hot and cold mentality of our power play unit.
- van halen

I feel like if he's sharing the ice with Karlsson and Spezza, it's almost impossible not to have a 50 pt season.

Edit: And how has he looked in the preseason?

Coach Maclean would of kept him I'm sure if he was allowed to keep 23 players. Gotta think there is something going on behind the scenes to have this happen.

Melnyk announces the team is over budget, Mike gets cut = Ottawa never being able to be a prime time team.

Somewhere in Detroit Alfie is sitting in his stall saying, "I told you so."
- tuna99

Somewhere in Detroit Alfie is getting robbed

I feel like if he's sharing the ice with Karlsson and Spezza, it's almost impossible not to have a 50 pt season.

Edit: And how has he looked in the preseason?
- TheSabresTaco

He's looked really good, but 50pt season is highly unlikely IMO

I feel like if he's sharing the ice with Karlsson and Spezza, it's almost impossible not to have a 50 pt season.

Edit: And how has he looked in the preseason?
- TheSabresTaco

For the most part, he's looked solid in the pre-season. First pass precision is excellent. At times, he looks "uncoordinated" out there but has potential to grow into a reliable dman. I agree with the Karlsson/Spezza scenario providing the PP is working. If not, don't be surprised to see Corvo substitute for Weircoch as a replacement.

Agree with post above that 50 points is a reach. A big reach.

Travis Yost: Mika Zibanejad Cut
- Travis Yost

Cut what?

His Unibrow??

That kid can play, dumb move IMO

They're having a party or something for you in Cali... this just came up on FB.