Again you feel the need flaunt "retired professional athlete" at least now we know it was skiing. You were good at falling down mountains, awesome. You really learned alot waxing your coaches skis and whatever else. When someone tells a joke either you get it or you don't. Now we all know that you have serious issues because you take way too much offense to a simple little joke.

Ps don't start the candian sh!t, your biggest off season addition is from my backyard.
- twotoekenn

And you have a massive backyard from what I've heard, all the boys like to play in it!

Yost has to stop with this nonsense... we get it... Melnyk is shady and Ottawa is in financial shambles.. Give us hockey related stories soon please, you're a good writer with plenty of stats.. hope you enjoyed your minor fame but this article does not prove you right or wrong.. redundant to post it

Fixed!
- Raven33

I'd take JVR over Michalek....

Yost has to stop with this nonsense... we get it... Melnyk is shady and Ottawa is in financial shambles.. Give us hockey related stories soon please, you're a good writer with plenty of stats.. hope you enjoyed your minor fame but this article does not prove you right or wrong.. redundant to post it
- Sens89

This word does,nt belong here ,we are only in financial trouble because of EM ,s financial troubles

Yost has to stop with this nonsense... we get it... Melnyk is shady and Ottawa is in financial shambles.. Give us hockey related stories soon please, you're a good writer with plenty of stats.. hope you enjoyed your minor fame but this article does not prove you right or wrong.. redundant to post it
- Sens89

There is a lot of denial that Eugene and the Sens are actually in financial trouble, for some reason. Like it or not this is the biggest story right now until we actually drop the puck. How long can we discuss Da Costa and Pagenau winning spots on this roster? Friday can't come soon enough.

There is a lot of denial that Eugene and the Sens are actually in financial trouble, for some reason. Like it or not this is the biggest story right now until we actually drop the puck. How long can we discuss Da Costa and Pagenau winning spots on this roster? Friday can't come soon enough.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

The owner stating we are overbudget ,time and time again .Will do this unfortunatley

I'd take JVR over Michalek....
- LondonSen

Really?! You prefer having a 35-40 points player over a 60 points players???

Here's the thing. None of these guys 'lose' money on their pro sports teams. The team might lose money, and they can show you whatever numbers they choose to show you to support that argument, but when you take in every other revenue stream that a pro sports team has available to it, there's no net loss. Even a billionaire can't afford to float something that loses him money indefinitely. Truth be told, those teams with no one in the stands still don't lose money. The league is set up to prevent this, and it's the one thing that Bettman actually deserves credit for.

Eugene isn't broke. Far from it. He may not be as well off as he was a decade ago, but 99.9999999% of us can't understand what being a billionaire actually is. If you have a billion dollars and you lose 10 million in a year, you still have 990 million dollars left to work with. That's like having a take home income of $100,000 and losing $1,000 over the course of a year. If you got paid 26 times annually, that about 40 bucks each pay that was gone. Is that gonna break you? That's one percent.

If all they show you is gates (aka ticket sales) vs salaries and operating costs, of course it's going to look not great. But add in TV revenue, advertising revenue, concession sales, merchandise sales, merchandising opportunities, licensing fees, profit sharing, etc, etc, etc....

Senators fans, you have NOTHING to worry about from an ownership perspective. You have one of the best rosters in the NHL and your GM has managed to do it on a budget. He could spend more money, but why bother? What is out there right now that could improve the roster by throwing money at it? NOTHING. Resigning Alfie at the price Detroit paid for him would have been a mistake. He's aging, there's no guarantee that he'll be the player he was, and most importantly, it was time to hand the leadership reins over to another player. Don't think for a second that Murray and Melnyk are as simple as it appears on the surface. Look at the team they built. They are evil geniuses.

And come trade deadline time, if Ottawa does what they should be capable of doing (which is being in contention to win the division), and they need a push, they have the flexibility to do it. Imagine what Toronto would be up against at the deadline if they're in the mix. They can't add anyone without subtracting anyone! Ottawa is better set up than arguably ANY team in the league because of how smart their management is from the top right down to the scouting and development staff. Your team is the envy of the league.

Eugene is unquestionably pulling his hair out over the fact that he wanted that casino, so he used the Senators as a leverage point because he knows how invested the city is in the team. It's a game he's playing, nothing more.
- the_terror

OK, you just need to stop .... stop it right now!!

we come here to read nonsense, hyperbole, conjecture and dimwittedness ...... and they odd Shakesperean quote from Spasto.

You are bringing sound, logical and analitical thinking to this forum and we'll have none of it.....

Here's the thing. None of these guys 'lose' money on their pro sports teams. The team might lose money, and they can show you whatever numbers they choose to show you to support that argument, but when you take in every other revenue stream that a pro sports team has available to it, there's no net loss. Even a billionaire can't afford to float something that loses him money indefinitely. Truth be told, those teams with no one in the stands still don't lose money. The league is set up to prevent this, and it's the one thing that Bettman actually deserves credit for.

Eugene isn't broke. Far from it. He may not be as well off as he was a decade ago, but 99.9999999% of us can't understand what being a billionaire actually is. If you have a billion dollars and you lose 10 million in a year, you still have 990 million dollars left to work with. That's like having a take home income of $100,000 and losing $1,000 over the course of a year. If you got paid 26 times annually, that about 40 bucks each pay that was gone. Is that gonna break you? That's one percent.

If all they show you is gates (aka ticket sales) vs salaries and operating costs, of course it's going to look not great. But add in TV revenue, advertising revenue, concession sales, merchandise sales, merchandising opportunities, licensing fees, profit sharing, etc, etc, etc....

Senators fans, you have NOTHING to worry about from an ownership perspective. You have one of the best rosters in the NHL and your GM has managed to do it on a budget. He could spend more money, but why bother? What is out there right now that could improve the roster by throwing money at it? NOTHING. Resigning Alfie at the price Detroit paid for him would have been a mistake. He's aging, there's no guarantee that he'll be the player he was, and most importantly, it was time to hand the leadership reins over to another player. Don't think for a second that Murray and Melnyk are as simple as it appears on the surface. Look at the team they built. They are evil geniuses.

And come trade deadline time, if Ottawa does what they should be capable of doing (which is being in contention to win the division), and they need a push, they have the flexibility to do it. Imagine what Toronto would be up against at the deadline if they're in the mix. They can't add anyone without subtracting anyone! Ottawa is better set up than arguably ANY team in the league because of how smart their management is from the top right down to the scouting and development staff. Your team is the envy of the league.

Eugene is unquestionably pulling his hair out over the fact that he wanted that casino, so he used the Senators as a leverage point because he knows how invested the city is in the team. It's a game he's playing, nothing more.
- the_terror

I think everyone who says what you've said in bold isn't understanding way some of us are concerned. There was no need to spend to the cap this season. No one is saying they should. Not paying Alfie and creating the illusion we had to choose him or Ryan is one thing. But personally, I see a problem come a year or two once certain players want more money and longer term deals. The Kessel deal should be scaring the pants off Sens fans and Eugene. Ryan will be seeking 8 million as well at contract time. Methot will be seeking a hefty raise. Lehner should prove himself to be a great goalie this season and want a legit deal come next season. If Pag, Da Costa, and Zibby become the real deal, we won't be paying them entry level deals anymore. And let's not forget resigning Spezza. This is the potential problem come a couple of years. We can get by as a budget team now, but we won't be able to come 2-3 years down the road. And if we are in fact "over budget" as Eugene has claimed we are, we will not be making more money back anytime soon to stash away for these guys.

I think everyone who says what you've said in bold isn't understanding way some of us are concerned. There was no need to spend to the cap this season. No one is saying they should. Not paying Alfie and creating the illusion we had to choose him or Ryan is one thing. But personally, I see a problem come a year or two once certain players want more money and longer term deals. The Kessel deal should be scaring the pants off Sens fans and Eugene. Ryan will be seeking 8 million as well at contract time. Methot will be seeking a hefty raise. Lehner should prove himself to be a great goalie this season and want a legit deal come next season. If Pag, Da Costa, and Zibby become the real deal, we won't be paying them entry level deals anymore. And let's not forget resigning Spezza. This is the potential problem come a couple of years. We can get by as a budget team now, but we won't be able to come 2-3 years down the road. And if we are in fact "over budget" as Eugene has claimed we are, we will not be making more money back anytime soon to stash away for these guys.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

Next summer will tell us truly where we are. All this other stuff is just pure speculation.

I'm ready for hockey, not over analyzing every sound bit relating directly or indirectly to the Sens or Melnyks financial situation. No new ground has been broken on this for quite a while. We are in neutral.

Lehner bought Alfie's house.

Liked the IKEA furniture I guess.

I'd take JVR over Michalek....
- LondonSen

same

Lehner bought Alfie's house.

Liked the IKEA furniture I guess.
- Cup 06

how sweed of him

Really?! You prefer having a 35-40 points player over a 60 points players???
- Raven33

thats not accurate.

JVR age 24
career avg over 82 games
22g 22a 44p

MM age 28
career avg over 82 games
25g 27a 52p

If you compare them at the same age, MM 20-24 is almost the exact same as JVR
JVR is entering his prime producing years.. MM is exiting his

JVR is the better choice right now imo

The owner stating we are overbudget ,time and time again .Will do this unfortunatley

- top shelf 15

Melnyk is all bad news and doom and gloom in a time when we should be celebrating the Sens.

Things Melnyk is mad at: he's mad at the Mayor and the city of Ottawa, his team is over budget, he threw a Alfie under the bus (a man who knows more about hockey, winning, Ottawa and commitment then Melnyk will ever know), - Sens Bloggers, horse tracks with small purses, getting his hair cut, having to hire armies to go to parts of Ottawa he has obviously never been to, The salary Cap, Lansdown Park, Players negotiating salaries

Things he is not mad at: The Toronto Maple Leafs

The NHL really blew the "opening night" opportunity they had. Only 3 games last night and only 3 games tonight. Some teams like Ottawa don't even play until Friday. Least hyped opening to a season I can remember.

thats not accurate.

JVR age 24
career avg over 82 games
22g 22a 44p

MM age 28
career avg over 82 games
25g 27a 52p

If you compare them at the same age, MM 20-24 is almost the exact same as JVR
JVR is entering his prime producing years.. MM is exiting his

JVR is the better choice right now imo
- senstroll

While the age factor counts much in JVRs favor, I would disagree that 28 years old is exiting a players prime.

MM injury factor would also be a knock agaisnt him

The NHL really blew the "opening night" opportunity they had. Only 3 games last night and only 3 games tonight. Some teams like Ottawa don't even play until Friday. Least hyped opening to a season I can remember.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

They put Leafs and Habs against each other which is smart, and Hawks being defending champs also good. Other than that though yeah, more than 3 games would of made sense...

Their owner is losing boatloads of money in his other businesses and using the senators as an atm.
- twotoekenn

Don't forget trying to hold the city hostage for more things (Casino, Entertainment complex, etc) by using scare tactics when we all know Bettman would never let a market growing faster then almost any in the league pick up and leave.