What I keep hearing is that McPhee decided to (frank) the Senators because they refused to pay his ransom (prospect + 2018 1st).

By the time he realized the price was down on the wider market, he was locked in. Maybe he lowers the price on Methot for the Sens a bit (to just a 2018 1st or something), but since the Sens refuse to pay that inflated rate, he chooses to trade Methot to another team for a 2nd and 7th (effectively) and save a little face.

Richard move by McPhee, but sends the message that we should have paid the piper. Turns what could have been a win-win into a lose-lose (are you telling me McPhee wouldn't have rather had Wideman and/or Dzingel and a 2018 2nd than a 2017 7th and a 2018 2nd?)
- Mr_Clean

It's a 2020 2nd

Yes for the first point. But that trade proposal would acutally destroy our team chemistry. Brown is an ugly player with a bad reputation, Gaborek days are numbered and he isn't good defensively. The only peice I like in the trade is Muzin. I think the Senators have a lineup that will remain pretty close to what it is right now and block buster trades are not part of our management style. Also, i think vegas knights have very little to offer. I think most fans could have picked a better team. McPhee is a tool.

Alfredsson
No surprise, many players get waived the first time

Free Agency
Wouldn't be surprised to see Kulikov signed by Ottawa. I think it's a shorter deal (not 5 years but who knows)

Trade
my prediction - if it a deal happens - Phaneuf gets dealt to LA Kings and the Sens. I suggested earlier a crazy but beneficial idea of moving Phaneuf and Ryan for gaborik, brown, and ONE of Martinez or Muzzin - then moving atleast brown to vegas with a pick... maybe even more to get a valuable piece on vegas
- AlfieisKing

It's a 2020 2nd
- sensarmy_11

Right, I forgot!

Even worse from LV's end.

Right, I forgot!

Even worse from LV's end.
- Mr_Clean

To be fair......methot is basically a #4 dman who makes 5 mil. He was brutally overvalued because he played with karlsson. On any other team he's a 2nd or maybe 3rd pairing guy.

To be fair......methot is basically a #4 dman who makes 5 mil. He was brutally overvalued because he played with karlsson. On any other team he's a 2nd or maybe 3rd pairing guy.
- sensarmy_11

I don't get the Methot hate ... he's also a lot better than people give him credit for. He's atleast a top 3D man and one of the better shutdown guys in the east (west now)

I know that an expansion team Gm gets a fair bit of rope, but McPhee has done quite a terrible job(though i think at least part of it was intentional)
The rules of this expansion draft outlined for Vegas to be able to have a decent team almost immediately but instead McPhee decided to pretty much tank for the first couple of years (which would be fine if he decided to do it the right way).
1.Even if he didn't want good young players like Dumba and Manson on his team, the assumption is that he could have gotten a better return by picking them and trading them (now or at some point), than taking incentives that are far from guaranteed to pan out.
2. His choice from Calgary was a pending UFA who is from Vegas and would have signed there anyways on July 1st(and is not a good player)
3. If the Sens offered anything at all+ for VGK to choose Claessen and leave Methot (its reported that they offered something, just not sure what) then they would be better off than the 2nd + 7th rounders that they ended up with.

I know that an expansion team Gm gets a fair bit of rope, but McPhee has done quite a terrible job(though i think at least part of it was intentional)
The rules of this expansion draft outlined for Vegas to be able to have a decent team almost immediately but instead McPhee decided to pretty much tank for the first couple of years (which would be fine if he decided to do it the right way).
1.Even if he didn't want good young players like Dumba and Manson on his team, the assumption is that he could have gotten a better return by picking them and trading them (now or at some point), than taking incentives that are far from guaranteed to pan out.
2. His choice from Calgary was a pending UFA who is from Vegas and would have signed there anyways on July 1st(and is not a good player)
3. If the Sens offered anything at all+ for VGK to choose Claessen and leave Methot (its reported that they offered something, just not sure what) then they would be better off than the 2nd + 7th rounders that they ended up with.
- wilkobecks

I don't think mcphee did a terrible job outside of a few head scratchers like Winnipeg and calgary. The team will be terrible for a few years so they should stock up on lottery picks. He also managed to draft a potential top p.o. unit in the first round with glass Suzuki Hague brannstrom as well as a few other players with top line tallent in Theodore and gusev. As for getting more for guys like dumba and Manson, those guys most likely wouldn't of been left unprotected without the side deals in place. As far as the methot pick i do think he tried to hold you guys over the barrel and when dorion didn't give in he had to take methot as it would hurt his credibility in future negotiations if he got caught bluffing. Sucks for Ottawa but that's business.

I don't get the Methot hate ... he's also a lot better than people give him credit for. He's atleast a top 3D man and one of the better shutdown guys in the east (west now)
- AlfieisKing

Why does everyone consider it hate to say that karlsson made the guy look better than he actually is. That's what great players do........crosby turned kunitz, basically a 3rd liner, into a canadian Olympian. Karlsson turned methot, basically a #4, into a 5 mil dman. The fact that nobody was willing to offer more than Dallas (And you know mcphee called everyone) is pretty telling.

You can both like methot as a player and still think he was overvalued based on who his D partner was.

Why does everyone consider it hate to say that karlsson made the guy look better than he actually is. That's what great players do........crosby turned kunitz, basically a 3rd liner, into a canadian Olympian. Karlsson turned methot, basically a #4, into a 5 mil dman. The fact that nobody was willing to offer more than Dallas (And you know mcphee called everyone) is pretty telling.

You can both like methot as a player and still think he was overvalued based on who his D partner was.
- sensarmy_11

I didn't think of your first point as much..... I will certainly agree that the fact he played with Karl helped.... I just think some point turned too harshly on what he meant to this team

I didn't think of your first point as much..... I will certainly agree that the fact he played with Karl helped.... I just think some point turned too harshly on what he meant to this team
- AlfieisKing

I would have liked to keep him, but all things considered, dorion did the right thing.

I didn't think of your first point as much..... I will certainly agree that the fact he played with Karl helped.... I just think some point turned too harshly on what he meant to this team
- AlfieisKing

This sums up my feelings of the situation. Most of the criticism is fair, but we never really heard a word of this when he was still on the team or 6 months prior to teh lottery.

Alfredsson
No surprise, many players get waived the first time

Free Agency
Wouldn't be surprised to see Kulikov signed by Ottawa. I think it's a shorter deal (not 5 years but who knows)

Trade
my prediction - if it a deal happens - Phaneuf gets dealt to LA Kings and the Sens. I suggested earlier a crazy but beneficial idea of moving Phaneuf and Ryan for gaborik, brown, and ONE of Martinez or Muzzin - then moving atleast brown to vegas with a pick... maybe even more to get a valuable piece on vegas
- AlfieisKing

Kings could just sidestep the Sens with your scenario and trade Brown and a pick to Vegas without taking on the Ryan and Dion contracts. That would leave them with Muzzin and Martinez and only the Gabi contract. In your scenario, the Kings would have 2 bad contracts versus just 1 in Gabi.

The fact that nobody was willing to offer more than Dallas (And you know mcphee called everyone) is pretty telling.
- sensarmy_11

There could've been better offers, but those teams may have been on his list of teams he'd void a deal to (such as the rest of Canada)

Kings could just sidestep the Sens with your scenario and trade Brown and a pick to Vegas without taking on the Ryan and Dion contracts. That would leave them with Muzzin and Martinez and only the Gabi contract. In your scenario, the Kings would have 2 bad contracts versus just 1 in Gabi.
- Only_A_Ladd

Phaneuf is a legit top 4 and still a top 3 D-men. Blake likes Phanuef. Yes the cap hit is high but it expires in 4 years. I would want cap retention but it's being reported that a Brown for Phanuef deal is on the table / in the works

Kings could just sidestep the Sens with your scenario and trade Brown and a pick to Vegas without taking on the Ryan and Dion contracts. That would leave them with Muzzin and Martinez and only the Gabi contract. In your scenario, the Kings would have 2 bad contracts versus just 1 in Gabi.
- Only_A_Ladd

Also see Vegas Knights less willing to help a west team - but you never know

Phaneuf is a legit top 4 and still a top 3 D-men. Blake likes Phanuef. Yes the cap hit is high but it expires in 4 years. I would want cap retention but it's being reported that a Brown for Phanuef deal is on the table / in the works
- AlfieisKing

Where has that been reported, haven't seen it anywhere

Phaneuf is a legit top 4 and still a top 3 D-men. Blake likes Phanuef. Yes the cap hit is high but it expires in 4 years. I would want cap retention but it's being reported that a Brown for Phanuef deal is on the table / in the works
- AlfieisKing

That's different than what you proposed. I'm fine with Dion. Losing an extra year of Brown in order to take on Dion for 4 years might be worthwhile. So long as no high picks(<4th round) are coming from the Kings, I'd do this.

Something to this effect...... the the Sens target Duchene, Alzner, and others

To Sens
Alec Martinez
LV low pick or prospect

To Kings
Bobby Ryan
Dion Phaneuf
(1.1m retained)

To VegasKnights
Marian Gaborik
Dustin Brown
Picks + Prospects

That's different than what you proposed. I'm fine with Dion. Losing an extra year of Brown in order to take on Dion for 4 years might be worthwhile. So long as no high picks(<4th round) are coming from the Kings, I'd do this.
- Only_A_Ladd

I got you..........gaborik for ryan could be beneficial but gabs is on LTIR for most of future right? Ryan is a 2nd line winger now but he played amazing in the playoffs... bad season offensively but he plays well. Again about 2m overpaid

Phaneuf is a legit top 4 and still a top 3 D-men. Blake likes Phanuef. Yes the cap hit is high but it expires in 4 years. I would want cap retention but it's being reported that a Brown for Phanuef deal is on the table / in the works
- AlfieisKing

I heard that rumor too, and I cannot for the life of me understand why Ottawa would want to do that

I heard that rumor too, and I cannot for the life of me understand why Ottawa would want to do that
- wilkobecks

me either

Nice summary Jared ,i think your right on the money with letting Methot go. This team has to get a bit younger anyways.
Side note i am tired of all the public statements from Dorion about what he is doing .I thought we turned that Murray page over. I don't care for it.It's not wrong to hold your cards tight to your chest

Age aside, curious how Sens fans compare Methot to Hamonic? I think their game is similar in some regards, and I am surprised to see ppl say Methot sucks. That return is pretty putrid, but he seems to be a pretty decent responsible Dman.

All indications point out that Cleasson is a better fit with Karlsson than with Ceci. I think the coach will prefer balancing out the matchups to get a veteran on both pairings. I for one am hoping that Senators aquire Alzner from the free agency.

Alzner- Karlsson
Phaneuf- Ceci
Cleasson/ Boroweiki - Wideman/ Chabot (9 games trial)


That would make for a much better D overall and would allow the team to fully develop their younger defense.

My two cents.
- PtotheY

I like it but I don't like Alzner there. Am fine with Phaneuf - Ceci, I just want Phaneuf to get traded asap. Claesson with Karlsson would be an interesting try out.

Something to this effect...... the the Sens target Duchene, Alzner, and others

To Sens
Alec Martinez
LV low pick or prospect

To Kings
Bobby Ryan
Dion Phaneuf
(1.1m retained)

To VegasKnights
Marian Gaborik
Dustin Brown
Picks + Prospects
- AlfieisKing

So we move out Bobby Ryan and Phaneuf and Kings move out Martinez, Gaborik and Brown + picks and prospects. Not gonna happen my friend. Way too much for the Kings to get 2 terrible contracts back.