Rudy getting claimed will be good for his career - on SJS he's likely to get top 9 minutes given SJS forward depth a trainwreck. Still abhorrent asset management from Dorion - why on earth we picked up Austin Watson only to offload a player with much more upside in Balcers is beyond me. At least Chlapik will look to get taxi squad time, I guess that's a plus, and it's slight retribution to SJS on the EK trade.... But it just seems like a lost opportunity on our end.

Smith said some players during the scrimmage played themselves out of a position. He was probably talking about Balcers.

Really happy for Rudy. Glad he's out of this mess that the Sens are.
- granpa

Go cheer for another team dude, you’re an awful fan.

Smith said some players during the scrimmage played themselves out of a position. He was probably talking about Balcers.
- PogBoi

Balcers was out on waivers before the scrimmage

Rudy getting claimed will be good for his career - on SJS he's likely to get top 9 minutes given SJS forward depth a trainwreck. Still abhorrent asset management from Dorion - why on earth we picked up Austin Watson only to offload a player with much more upside in Balcers is beyond me. At least Chlapik will look to get taxi squad time, I guess that's a plus, and it's slight retribution to SJS on the EK trade.... But it just seems like a lost opportunity on our end.
- Bartacus

By "more upside", I assume you mean scoring in the AHL? Watson does a lot of things at the NHL level that Balcers just doesn't (e.g. being among the leading NHL forwards in blocked shots/60min and hits/60min, plus having the 4th most PK time among Predators forwards... not to mention being 6'4/205), while Balcers was kind of stagnant in his development, and perhaps even regressing in terms of NHL performance. Honestly, do you really see Balcers as a legitimate top-6 NHL scoring winger, or having the two-way game required for a 3rd line shutdown role? Like not just filling the role out of necessity, but playing those roles competitively at a high enough level to make a playoff run? If not, then he's realistically fighting for 4th line time, which is back to why Dorion/Smith would go with Watson instead.

Lajoie trade for Clark Bishop

Lajoie trade for Clark Bishop
- Crosside

Doesn't seem like a very good return for Maxime Lajoie, but Clark Bishop was the Captain in Cape Breton when both Drake Batherson and Pierre-Luc Dubois were there. So clearly, this foreshadows a major trade for Dubois.

Doesn't seem like a very good return for Maxime Lajoie, but Clark Bishop was the Captain in Cape Breton when both Drake Batherson and Pierre-Luc Dubois were there. So clearly, this foreshadows a major trade for Dubois.
- khawk

Certainly seems like a weird trade.

"why did you trade for Bishop"
"well he's Duboi's best friend"
"what?"
"What?"

Certainly seems like a weird trade.
"why did you trade for Bishop"
"well he's Duboi's best friend"
"what?"
"What?"
- david22

Maybe they can find out Dubois' favorite colour, and rebrand the logo accordingly.

Balcers was out on waivers before the scrimmage
- sensarmy_11

Didn't realize that... maybe it was Lajoie, lol.

Breaking news tim stuetzle will be changing his name back to his german spelling!!! Hahhha wow im was about to buy his Jersey but waited until final roster. Yikes i feel bad for people who bought his Jersey already

It sounds an awful lot as though Josh Norris officially beat out Logan Brown for the open roster spot at C, which seems to be a "young guns" line with Tkachuk and Batherson.
https://www.tsn.ca/josh-n...nators-top-line-1.1576363
https://torontosun.com/sp...t-ready-for-opening-night

It's not even all that clear that Brown will be on the taxi squad, though we'll see how they actually designate that space. Personally, I don't think he's got much to learn at the AHL level, and would be far better off rotating into the roster periodically, and continuing to practice regularly with the team. However, if he's being sent back to Belleville for the year, it's hard to see how he and his agent could be anything but royally pissed off about this turn of events.

To CBJ: Colin White, Logan Brown, Erik Brannstrom, Nikita Zaitsev (-1m)

To OTT: Pierre-Luc Dubois, David Savard

Brady Tkachuk - Pierre Luc Dubois - Drake Batherson
Tim Stuetzle - Derek Stepan - Evgeny Dadonov
Alex Galchenyuk - Chris Tierney - Connor Brown
Nick Paul - Cedic Paquette - Austin Watson

Thomas Chabot - Erik Gudbranson
Christian Wolanin - David Savard
Mike Rielly - Artem Zub

Matt Murray
Marcus Hogberg

It's STUTZLE not STUETZLE!

Stützle

Stützle
- khawk

touche

Does anyone think that Brown may be part of an offer to Columbus for PLD?

Does anyone think that Brown may be part of an offer to Columbus for PLD?
- HoweHatrick

Logically? I don't think so. It's hard to think Blue Jackets would want him but I could see him being a secondary piece.

Realistically I would go for Norris + White but I think Sens won't part with Norris. That said the Sens can certainly add Pinto or Greig with Logan and/or White.

The Sens also could offer a D-man in Brannstrom, Thomson, or Bernard Docker (although the last one I think is off limits with being so good with Sanderson)

Ranking Ottawa Senators Centers 2 years out:

(1) Tim Stuetzle
(2) Josh Norris
(3a) Colin White
(3b) Shane Pinto
(5) Logan Brown?
(6) Ridly Grieg

It sounds an awful lot as though Josh Norris officially beat out Logan Brown for the open roster spot at C, which seems to be a "young guns" line with Tkachuk and Batherson.
https://www.tsn.ca/josh-n...nators-top-line-1.1576363
https://torontosun.com/sp...t-ready-for-opening-night

It's not even all that clear that Brown will be on the taxi squad, though we'll see how they actually designate that space. Personally, I don't think he's got much to learn at the AHL level, and would be far better off rotating into the roster periodically, and continuing to practice regularly with the team. However, if he's being sent back to Belleville for the year, it's hard to see how he and his agent could be anything but royally pissed off about this turn of events.
- khawk

It'll be interesting to re-visit that decision at the end of March.

Quite a statement made by the team, in sending the likes of Logan Brown and Erik Brannstrom down to the AHL for the season. This move also, rather stunningly, allowed the likes of Jonathan Aspirot, Michael Haley, and Matthew Peca to make the Taxi Squad as forwards... while also carrying 14 forwards and 7 d-men on the main roster.
https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/senators

I realize it's theoretically more about development ice time, but the implication of having 17 forwards and 9 d-men making what many feel is still a last-place team ahead of Brown and Brannstrom is a bit difficult to process. Even more so, when a guy like Aspirot makes the Taxi Squad as an undrafted 21yo, with just 44GP of AHL experience (i.e. where is his development curve?). And it's not like other teams don't have good young players on their Taxi Squad... the Canucks included Hoglander, Rathbone, and DiPietro, who are arguably their top prospects at each of the F, D, and G positions.

Of course, keeping Brown/Brannstrom in the AHL is potentially saving the team a couple million dollars, which may be all the explanation you need... especially if they weren't too impressed with what they saw in training camp.

Quite a statement made by the team, in sending the likes of Logan Brown and Erik Brannstrom down to the AHL for the season. This move also, rather stunningly, allowed the likes of Jonathan Aspirot, Michael Haley, and Matthew Peca to make the Taxi Squad as forwards... while also carrying 14 forwards and 7 d-men on the main roster.
https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/senators

I realize it's theoretically more about development ice time, but the implication of having 17 forwards and 9 d-men making what many feel is still a last-place team ahead of Brown and Brannstrom is a bit difficult to process. Even more so, when a guy like Aspirot makes the Taxi Squad as an undrafted 21yo, with just 44GP of AHL experience (i.e. where is his development curve?). And it's not like other teams don't have good young players on their Taxi Squad... the Canucks included Hoglander, Rathbone, and DiPietro, who are arguably their top prospects at each of the F, D, and G positions.

Of course, keeping Brown/Brannstrom in the AHL is potentially saving the team a couple million dollars, which may be all the explanation you need... especially if they weren't too impressed with what they saw in training camp.
- khawk

By some accounts, neither really impressed at camp. Hard to definitively say with such a small window.

L Brown isn't that surprising. He just continues to fall short. He will likely get another chance but man, he's gotta force the coaching staff to put him into the lineup.

Brannstrom, I am not really sure what is going on. There is definitely a numbers game but maybe there is still animosity regarding which side he should play (right, his preference or left, the teams preference). Either way, you'd think they would want to try and highlight anything they got in the Stone trade.

The roster at game 40 will be much different than it is at game 1, but wouldn't be the Sens without a couple of eyebrow raising choices.

By some accounts, neither really impressed at camp. Hard to definitively say with such a small window.

L Brown isn't that surprising. He just continues to fall short. He will likely get another chance but man, he's gotta force the coaching staff to put him into the lineup.

Brannstrom, I am not really sure what is going on. There is definitely a numbers game but maybe there is still animosity regarding which side he should play (right, his preference or left, the teams preference). Either way, you'd think they would want to try and highlight anything they got in the Stone trade.

The roster at game 40 will be much different than it is at game 1, but wouldn't be the Sens without a couple of eyebrow raising choices.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

I hope that L. Brown will get a chance to play at least 20-25 games; I strongly believe that he's still got serious upside, jsut need more time to develop. Branstrom is/was injured and missed 95% of the camp; that's why he will start the season with the AHL; but I am confident he will have a call by mid season...Agreed that the team will look so different after 40 gamess; especially after the deadline where P.D. will ship out 4 to 5 vets.

L Brown isn't that surprising. He just continues to fall short. He will likely get another chance but man, he's gotta force the coaching staff to put him into the lineup.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

This is why I submitted the mailbag question a week or two back about what kind of leash Brown will be given this year to prove himself, and I guess I just got my answer. As much I'd like to continue being optimistic about Brown's development, I just don't see much evidence to support that perspective. Case in point, even Garrioch went down that path with this comment in his article yesterday about the training camp roster decisions:

"Going into camp, it was believed Norris and Logan Brown were competing for one job at centre, and, since Norris is still here, it’s expected Brown will be sent to Belleville. This is the 22-year-old Brown’s fourth year in the organization, so a change of scenery may be best for both sides."
https://torontosun.com/sp...t-ready-for-opening-night

Not unlike the situation Kyle Turris found himself in with the Coyotes, you have to wonder if at some point Brown and his agent won't just outright demand a trade. I've speculated before about the flip side of having so much prospect depth being that you'll have a lot of conflict for development time and roster positions. Dorion better get used to this problem, and be prepared to act before things fester to the point where GM's know you're in a bind, and you're getting nothing but pennies back on the dollar in trade, (eg. Lajoie) or just bleeding assets without any compensation (eg. Balcers).