Don't we still have a few extra bodies?
- riceroni

i think they'll move 1-2 guys out, but only for picks/prospects.

i think tommy is right, the players that will make up ottawa's nhl roster this season are already on the roster, there won't be any new additions....IMO.

the only way i think something happens is if ryan says he won't re-sign

I don't think so, Spats.

Team said they're done.

Mac-Turris-Ryan stays together, second line will end up as Hoffman-Zibanejad-Chiasson by mid-season, and it will be a great line.
- TommyDeVito

I think you're going to see Stone up in our top 6. I think like most of the team, he'll start off slow, but really step up as the season progresses. I don't think Hoffman is going to be in the long term plan for this team unless he really lights it up.

Matt Kassian is gone.. So we trade smith & don't play Neil.. Who's left to drop the gloves on most nights ? Cowen ? I think he's got enough problems do deal with on his defensive zone coverage to have to worry about being an enforcer on most nights for the Sens.

I suppose Methot can scrap but he's not overly tough.
- Erik6Karlsson5

I think this is when you look Colin Greening in the eye and say "if you're only going to score 17 points you gotta fight"

he seemed to be a better player when he was fighting (which he didn't do at all last year) it doesn't come naturally to him but something about being the power-winger who scores that suited him more then the high-forward who covers for Neil/Smith that didn't suit him

I'm really interested to see how Puemple performs at training camp and pre season. If he is going to be an NHL player, you have to think this season would be the one to crack the NHL.

I don't think so, Spats.

Team said they're done.

Mac-Turris-Ryan stays together, second line will end up as Hoffman-Zibanejad-Chiasson by mid-season, and it will be a great line.
- TommyDeVito

You may be right. Also, if some of the guys get contract extensions (Ryan, MacArthur, Methot, Anderson) for next year there may not be nearly as much space as we think.

I think you're going to see Stone up in our top 6. I think like most of the team, he'll start off slow, but really step up as the season progresses. I don't think Hoffman is going to be in the long term plan for this team unless he really lights it up.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

i think hoffman will be very very good 3rd line player for this team, and i do feel like he'll be in the long term plan moving forward.

maclean and co. will eventually realize that greening/smith/neil are nothing but a 4th line, and only deserve small minutes....and when that happens, guys like hoffman will shine on the 3rd line with the extra minutes, IMO

I'm really interested to see how Puemple performs at training camp and pre season. If he is going to be an NHL player, you have to think this season would be the one to crack the NHL.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

i'm excited for him too......but i think he's the longest of long shots to make this team. short of him coming out and being one of the best players in camp, you have to think he's behind lazar, stone, hoffman for sure, and maybe even behind guys like pageau and grant.

i think another year in the AHL, picking up where he left off 2nd half of last year, will be very very good for his development.

i wish SO BAD we could put lazar in the AHL, i think that would be ideal.....stupid rule

i think hoffman will be very very good 3rd line player for this team, and i do feel like he'll be in the long term plan moving forward.

maclean and co. will eventually realize that greening/smith/neil are nothing but a 4th line, and only deserve small minutes....and when that happens, guys like hoffman will shine on the 3rd line with the extra minutes, IMO
- sensarmy_11

It's not too hard to be better than Neil and Greening, let's be honest. Hoffman is a good little player, but nothing special. He doesn't appear to have game breaking offensive ability and his defensive play is not great. He's been projected to make this team for a couple of years now and just never really has cracked it. He got a chance last season, but certainly didn't prove to anyone he is an NHL mainstay. I think he like Pag, is a victim of the Sens goggles. They seem better than they actually are.

It's not too hard to be better than Neil and Greening, let's be honest. Hoffman is a good little player, but nothing special. He doesn't appear to have game breaking offensive ability and his defensive play is not great. He's been projected to make this team for a couple of years now and just never really has cracked it. He got a chance last season, but certainly didn't prove to anyone he is an NHL mainstay. I think he like Pag, is a victim of the Sens goggles. They seem better than they actually are.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

maybe, i just look at his speed and possession numbers, both are excellent, which leads me to believe that he'll have a place on this team....especially when you consider he plays for less than 1 mil

ofcourse i could be wrong, but i have a feeling he'll be here for awhile.

CMCD is ours, (frank) off.
- Oilers4Life14

You guys are gonna be the first nhl team to have all your active forwards as top 5 picks, and still miss the playoffs

Cleary was only given 1.5 a year, wasn't he?
- TommyDeVito

He gets 1.5 for breathing and 2.5 if he plays 10 games.

this is exactly why i've been saying we shouldn't put ryan with turris....instead have:

mac - turris - stone
chiasson - zibby - ryan

it gives balance. those are 2 pretty equal lines, and hard for the opposition to focus solely on one of them.
- sensarmy_11

If I understand this correctly, you'd demote a player they just signed for $4M/yr right off of the scoring lines, play a 2nd year player out of position so that an even less experienced player can be promoted to the top line, and then demote Bobby Ryan to the 2nd line in his UFA contract year, at a time when they're trying to convince him to take less money than he'd get on the UFA market to stay with the team long-term? This is a good example of what I mean by some people being awfully unrealistic with their lineup speculation.

If I understand this correctly, you'd demote a player they just signed for $4M/yr right off of the scoring lines, play a 2nd year player out of position so that an even less experienced player can be promoted to the top line, and then demote Bobby Ryan to the 2nd line in his UFA contract year, at a time when they're trying to convince him to take less money than he'd get on the UFA market to stay with the team long-term? This is a good example of what I mean by some people being awfully unrealistic with their lineup speculation.
- khawk

how am i demoting legwand. NOBODY has said he's playing in the top six, and in fact, murray has said he wants zibby to be the #1 and turris to be the #2....so using that statement, ryan is actually still on the top line.

realistically, if you deploy those lines, the playing time should be damn near equal at ES, and you put ryan back with turris and Mac on the PP.

not sure with a group of very young forwards, it's in the teams best interest to load up on one line, and leave mostly rookie and 2nd year guys to fill out the rest of the top 9.

you could deploy the 2 lines i suggested, and then have a 3rd line of:

michalek - legwand - hoffman

that's 3 very balanced lines, young guys mixed with vets, all have some offensive punch, and very solid 2-way guys.

it also helps get some younger guys much needed ice time, and experience in tougher situations.

i think we can all agree that ottawa isn't contending this year, so why not get guys like stone/hoffman/zibby etc bigger minutes.

please post your lines, that are SOOO much more realistic.

i'm excited for him too......but i think he's the longest of long shots to make this team. short of him coming out and being one of the best players in camp, you have to think he's behind lazar, stone, hoffman for sure, and maybe even behind guys like pageau and grant.
i think another year in the AHL, picking up where he left off 2nd half of last year, will be very very good for his development.
i wish SO BAD we could put lazar in the AHL, i think that would be ideal.....stupid rule
- sensarmy_11

I agree, one half of a productive season in the AHL doesn't necessarily mean you're NHL-ready - and given that the first half of that same year was regarded as a difficult transition from junior, it suggets that Puempel might need some more time to really acclimatize to the professional game. That said, as a natural LW with intuitive scoring ability and decent NHL size, it shouldn't be more than a year or two before he succeeds the likes of Michalek or MacArthur on a scoring line.

As for Lazar, I agree - I think the AHL would be a perfect place for him right now, but the reality is that this can't happen. The question now is whether the team thinks he's ready to contribute in the NHL or not - and given that he nearly made the team out of junior at 18 suggests that might well be the case. I'm really interested to see what happens at training camp, especially in terms of things like determining where a player like Chiasson fits into the lineup, and if Lazar can make it difficult for them to even consider sending him back to junior.

We got to give greening a shot this season! If we can't figure out a trade for a top 6 LW then the line of greening-legwand-stone could be ok

I agree, one half of a productive season in the AHL doesn't necessarily mean you're NHL-ready - and given that the first half of that same year was regarded as a difficult transition from junior, it suggets that Puempel might need some more time to really acclimatize to the professional game. That said, as a natural LW with intuitive scoring ability and decent NHL size, it shouldn't be more than a year or two before he succeeds the likes of Michalek or MacArthur on a scoring line.

As for Lazar, I agree - I think the AHL would be a perfect place for him right now, but the reality is that this can't happen. The question now is whether the team thinks he's ready to contribute in the NHL or not - and given that he nearly made the team out of junior at 18 suggests that might well be the case. I'm really interested to see what happens at training camp, especially in terms of things like determining where a player like Chiasson fits into the lineup, and if Lazar can make it difficult for them to even consider sending him back to junior.
- khawk

I think lazar, if we're talking strictly skill, should make the team. that being said, given the current contract/roster situation......unless 1-2 bodies are moved out, i can't see him staying. the only guy who's waiver exempt and on a 2-way deal is stone, and quite frankly, at this point, stone is a better player than lazar (lazar imo will be better, but probably isn't right now....or atleast isn't as "NHL ready").

others options to make room for lazar:

hoffman - wouldn't clear waivers
greening - waive him and send him down.....but we all know melnyk won't pay an nhl salary to a guy in the AHL

you basically have the following guys guaranteed to be on the NHL roster

turris, ryan, macarthur, zibby, chiasson, michalek, smith, neil, condra, legwand

that leaves 2-3 spots for stone, greening, lazar, hoffman

so, unless someone is traded, i can't see how lazar makes the team.

We got to give greening a shot this season! If we can't figure out a trade for a top 6 LW then the line of greening-legwand-stone could be ok
- SensFan93

as a 2nd line?

if that's what you're suggesting....that is WITHOUT DOUBT the worst 2nd line in the entire nhl.

how am i demoting legwand. NOBODY has said he's playing in the top six, and in fact, murray has said he wants zibby to be the #1 and turris to be the #2....so using that statement, ryan is actually still on the top line.
i think we can all agree that ottawa isn't contending this year, so why not get guys like stone/hoffman/zibby etc bigger minutes.
please post your lines, that are SOOO much more realistic.
- sensarmy_11

I didn't even mention Legwand - Michalek is the player that was signed for $4M/yr, and given that the only other natural LW on the team are MacArthur, Hoffman, and Greening, I'm going with the radical opinion that he'll be a scoring line ahead of a 2nd year player playing out of position. Also, it doesn't matter a crap what Murray 'wants' - though if we're suddenly making that the benchmark for truth, then you're out to lunch if you think Ryan won't be getting premium minutes this year, certainly ahead of a rookie.

So, if you actually play people in their correct position (eg. Chiasson is a RW, Hoffman is LW), respect the fact that players on one-way contracts are generally going to be playing ahead of players with fractions of seasons under their belts (i.e. they're not going to pay millions of dollars to bench players when they don't have to), and assuming there aren't any trades made that change the current roster of players, an example of some fairly probable lines could be something along the following lines...

#1 - MacArthur-Turris-Ryan
#2A - Michalek-Legwand-Chiasson
#2B - Hoffman-Zibanejad-Lazar/Stone
#4 - Greening-Smith-Condra/Neil

I don't know that I like those lines, and I'm not suggesting this is any kind of a guarantee (eg. Legwand and Zibanejad might be switched, and that's where the Chiasson/Stone/Lazar mess rears its head) - but I'd be willing to bet money against Stone playing top-line, Ryan playing 2nd line, and Michalek playing 3rd line as something that Murray 'wants', or is likely to occur.

Legwand isn't a good replacement for Spezza
- Oilers4Life14

maybe... but Legwand + Chaisson is.

as a 2nd line?

if that's what you're suggesting....that is WITHOUT DOUBT the worst 2nd line in the entire nhl.
- sensarmy_11

I think he meant:

MacArthur - Turris - Ryan
Michalek - Zibanejad - Chaisson
Greening - Legwand - Stone *

I think he meant:

MacArthur - Turris - Ryan
Michalek - Zibanejad - Chaisson
Greening - Legwand - Stone *
- AlfieisKing

hope so, he mentioned top six and then threw out that line

I didn't even mention Legwand - Michalek is the player that was signed for $4M/yr, and given that the only other natural LW on the team are MacArthur, Hoffman, and Greening, I'm going with the radical opinion that he'll be a scoring line ahead of a 2nd year player playing out of position. Also, it doesn't matter a crap what Murray 'wants' - though if we're suddenly making that the benchmark for truth, then you're out to lunch if you think Ryan won't be getting premium minutes this year, certainly ahead of a rookie.

So, if you actually play people in their correct position (eg. Chiasson is a RW, Hoffman is LW), respect the fact that players on one-way contracts are generally going to be playing ahead of players with fractions of seasons under their belts (i.e. they're not going to pay millions of dollars to bench players when they don't have to), and assuming there aren't any trades made that change the current roster of players, an example of some fairly probable lines could be something along the following lines...

#1 - MacArthur-Turris-Ryan
#2A - Michalek-Legwand-Chiasson
#2B - Hoffman-Zibanejad-Lazar/Stone
#4 - Greening-Smith-Condra/Neil

I don't know that I like those lines, and I'm not suggesting this is any kind of a guarantee (eg. Legwand and Zibanejad might be switched, and that's where the Chiasson/Stone/Lazar mess rears its head) - but I'd be willing to bet money against Stone playing top-line, Ryan playing 2nd line, and Michalek playing 3rd line as something that Murray 'wants', or is likely to occur.
- khawk

I think all this lineup talk goes back to what I was saying earlier that we basically have one top line followed by 9 forwards that could be interchangeable depending on whose going. If I'm the opposing coach, I'm loving that. Outside the top line, there are so many questions surrounding the remaining 9 forwards, that it's almost impossible they will all thrive. For the past several seasons, we were able to throw out at least 2 lines that could be dangerous. Right now, we only have one. It's going to be another stumbling start at the beginning of the season sorting out our other 9 forwards. Too many questions surrounding them right now to assume they will provide quality play.

Greening was 7th in SH TOI among ottawa forwards and had just under 14 minutes per night total. If Ottawa can cut back on penalties this year, they could realistically cut his 1:14 SH ice time per night to 0 and let Greening focus on ES only and I think that would help him tremendously. Perhaps he could be used instead of NEil as a net front presence on the PP but Chiasson will add that element so it may not be necessary, period.

These are the best lines.
Mac-Turris-Ryan
Michalek-Zibanejad-Stone
Hoffman-Legwand-Chiasson
Greening/Lazar-Smith-Condra
Neil

Ideally they trade away Greening and let Lazar get some ice time.

I think you're going to see Stone up in our top 6. I think like most of the team, he'll start off slow, but really step up as the season progresses. I don't think Hoffman is going to be in the long term plan for this team unless he really lights it up.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

It is a show-me type of season for both Hoff and Stone - I say they both do well, but I give the edge to Hoffman. Breakout campaign.