He was bad in October (like everyone else), but it's worth noting.

Beyond that, I'm at a loss. Team's second-best defender at times. Healthy scratched fairly regularly.
- Travis Yost

I feel for Murray, the owner has him at a disadvantage with the low budget, his hands were tied with Spezza, and his job will be even more difficult moving ahead.
What happens with Ryan moving forward?

Travis,

I love the title for this one.. I could not have said it better myself

Here's a suggestion for your next blog title: Laughing Stock


Cheers


Conor

Yes, you are right. Gallant is great signing, he will get Huberdeau back on track.
- spatso

I think what's gonna get him on track is coming into the season not built like a frat girl. He is putting on some muscle so he doesn't get his butt whooped every shift.

I feel for Murray, the owner has him at a disadvantage with the low budget, his hands were tied with Spezza, and his job will be even more difficult moving ahead.
What happens with Ryan moving forward?
- puckhead17

I think they make every effort to extend him. Even overpaying.

I don't think they can afford to lose him.

I feel for Murray, the owner has him at a disadvantage with the low budget, his hands were tied with Spezza, and his job will be even more difficult moving ahead.
What happens with Ryan moving forward?
- puckhead17

I don't know how Ryan re-signs there unless some serious winning is happening. There are 29 teams that would kick tires on him, though.

Would you do?

NYI: Cowen
Ott: Strome
- tuna99

Nope we need a cowen more than we need a strome

I feel for Murray, the owner has him at a disadvantage with the low budget, his hands were tied with Spezza, and his job will be even more difficult moving ahead.
What happens with Ryan moving forward?
- puckhead17

Murray signed Phillips under his own free will.. he didnt need to give him that contract

cant blame eugene for everything.. that money could have been used (in addition to spezza saving) for a much more useful player


lets not forget when Murray kept Anderson, instead of a cheaper, younger, Bishop... that wasnt Eugene's fault either... Travis knew the goaltending numbers would fall.. why didnt Murray know?

Murray is (frank)ing 90 years old... If you're going to feel bad for him, feel bad that he's going senile..

I don't know how Ryan re-signs there unless some serious winning is happening. There are 29 teams that would kick tires on him, though.
- Panthers88

Something tells me that is why were is so many Ottawa deals being rumored to try and make something happen thus making Ryan want to stay.

I think they make every effort to extend him. Even overpaying.

I don't think they can afford to lose him.
- Travis Yost

Are there any rumblings of him not wanting to stay?
This is a situation that, "the Spezza situation", kind of pushed to the back runner a bit, but may be harder to extend him during the season.
Didn't he get the rep, (in Anaheim), tht he wanted Getzlaff, Perry, money?

He seems the type, the closer he gets to UFA status, the less likely he would want to stay.

Murray signed Phillips under his own free will.. he didnt need to give him that contract

cant blame eugene for everything.. that money could have been used (in addition to spezza saving) for a much more useful player


lets not forget when Murray kept Anderson, instead of a cheaper, younger, Bishop... that wasnt Eugene's fault either... Travis knew the goaltending numbers would fall.. why didnt Murray know?

Murray is (frank)ing 90 years old... If you're going to feel bad for him, feel bad that he's going senile..
- conor_smythe

At the time Anderson and Lehner were out playing Bishop I believe so he seemed like the expendable one.

The Phillips contract to me is a send off one. Should we have signed him prob not but since he has been a lifer here I see that as the only reason to have done that even if it hindered us.

So we ditch Cowen and keep weircoch because he is better at handling the puck.So our top 4 goes like this

Methot/Ek

Wier/ceci

FFS montreal,s forwards are going to laugh at that,its vanilla soft.


So weircoch gets a pass on being bad and vanilla at defense becuse he is young .And cowen gets kicked to the curb at 158 games played ,because he struggled in his second full year this is beyond dumb

Murray signed Phillips under his own free will.. he didnt need to give him that contract

cant blame eugene for everything.. that money could have been used (in addition to spezza saving) for a much more useful player


lets not forget when Murray kept Anderson, instead of a cheaper, younger, Bishop... that wasnt Eugene's fault either... Travis knew the goaltending numbers would fall.. why didnt Murray know?

Murray is (frank)ing 90 years old... If you're going to feel bad for him, feel bad that he's going senile..
- conor_smythe

All very good points, but his senility is nothing compared to the horrible GM we just replaced, your previously mentioned errors above, unfortunately seem like nothing in our land. Every GM makes mistakes, (even Lamoriello is opening some eyes making a few moves that may bite him down the line).

The Isles can trade you Bailey for a second rounder!!!

3.3 million dollar cap hit!!!

Just because Bruce Garrioch writes about it doesn't mean that the Senators are doing it. You can't really say the team is directionless if it's based on stuff people read in the Sun.

I will say that I agree with you on a number of fronts:

1) Acquiring Chris Stewart makes no sense.

2) Moving Patrick Wiercioch makes even less sense.

3) Having David Legwand on the team is interesting and makes a lot of sense, as long as he's going there to play a specific role.

4) The only reason Vincent Lecavalier makes sense is because Ottawa can afford him (theoretically), and that Philadelphia might be so desperate to move along that they would include a NHL dman in order for Ottawa to take Vinny.

5) Unloading Greening is something we can all get on board with.

6) Unloading Erik Condra would be nearly as dumb as unloading Wiercioch.

But again, I don't buy for a second that Bruce is plugged in with the team as much as he thinks he is. This article absolutely reeks of typical Sun fare, baseless speculation and character assassination by a couple of bloated journalists who think they understand the business angle of this sport, when they clearly don't. Don't forget, these are the guys that crushed the organization for moving up in the 2008 draft to take Erik Karlsson, they don't get it, so don't take them at face value.

I do think it's possible that Wiercioch gets moved, but only if the return coming back improves the blueline overall. And I just can't understand the concept of trading Condra. Solid depth NHL player and well worth having on the team, doubt he's going anywhere.

No matter how bad Cowen plays I do not see Ottawa sending him off anywhere at least for another year. This way they get to see if his hockey sense is that bad or it was just a slump year for him.

I much like everyone had high hopes for him after seeing him in junior, and when he plays mean in the odd game. Sadly he looks lost more often then not, and didn't do the basic things well. I think staff need to tell him to handle the puck less and focus on positional play and leave the play making to Karlsson.

The Isles can trade you Bailey for a second rounder!!!

3.3 million dollar cap hit!!!
- jimmc7722

Kudos to you guys for landing Grabovski, & Kulimen!

Nice pickups!

You don't even need the underlying numbers. That's what's scary. I mean:

56% - on-ice goal percentage (23rd)
0.96 - points per sixty (21st)
12 - individual shot generation per 60 (14th)

to say nothing of his territorial dominance.

there's more evidence he's first-pairing talent than healthy scratch talent at this point. it's mind-blowing.
- Travis Yost

Agree, but wouldnt those numbers be considered 'underlying'. Those arent commonly tracked stats are they?

Still, it's mind boggling that he gets benched over Jared 'I was on the ice for 8 goals in 5 periods' Cowen

So we ditch Cowen and keep weircoch because he is better at handling the puck.So our top 4 goes like this

Methot/Ek

Wier/ceci

FFS montreal,s forwards are going to laugh at that,its vanilla soft.


So weircoch gets a pass on being bad and vanilla at defense becuse he is young .And cowen gets kicked to the curb at 158 games played ,because he struggled in his second full year this is beyond dumb
- top shelf 15

I love satire. This post was a joke, right?

Would you do?

NYI: Cowen
Ott: Strome
- tuna99

Lol
NYI would be insane to do that. Strome is going to be top 6

Oh, this is where you all went.


bumholes.

So we ditch Cowen and keep weircoch because he is better at handling the puck.So our top 4 goes like this

Methot/Ek

Wier/ceci

FFS montreal,s forwards are going to laugh at that,its vanilla soft.


So weircoch gets a pass on being bad and vanilla at defense becuse he is young .And cowen gets kicked to the curb at 158 games played ,because he struggled in his second full year this is beyond dumb
- top shelf 15

No, saying you wouldn't trade Cowen one-for-one for Strome is beyond dumb.

No matter how bad Cowen plays I do not see Ottawa sending him off anywhere at least for another year. This way they get to see if his hockey sense is that bad or it was just a slump year for him.

I much like everyone had high hopes for him after seeing him in junior, and when he plays mean in the odd game. Sadly he looks lost more often then not, and didn't do the basic things well. I think staff need to tell him to handle the puck less and focus on positional play and leave the play making to Karlsson.
- Sensfanlifer

His skill that he brings to our top4 ,is something ek,ceci and above all WEIRCOCH cant bring like he does.Is how many forward he will crush,through open ice hits, clearing the crease and sometimes cracking a few heads .
Take him out and replace him with weircoch and we are the softest top 4 in the league

Travis,

I am on board with everything you said in this blog. My question to you is, why haven't you looked at Murray as the head of the Senators and why hasn't be been replaced? I mean this last year has been a disaster and it seems that things are continuing along the same path. The budget is what's 'saving' Murray from critisizm in my opinion but it shouldn't. OK he has a tight budget, but it doesn't excuse him from making bad deals, poorly evaluating players, signing bad contracts (Boro, Phillips, Neil, Greening) and openly giving away the playbook to the media.

No, saying you wouldn't trade Cowen one-for-one for Strome is beyond dumb.
- maaddmike

No so we need another prospect forward now???Because we have so many 6.5 230 pound 22 year old bully defensemen lying around

Kudos to you guys for landing Grabovski, & Kulimen!

Nice pickups!
- puckhead17

They add a lot of depth on the 2nd and 3rd line.

Should be interesting to see who gets moved for defence.

Need a solid top 4 guy!!! Offensive guy like Streit...