Absolutely.
- HoweHatrick

Like spatso said, sometimes we as fans don't know who the right fit for a D partner is...ala Methot and I took it a step further with Kuba. If Bowness who was with the Pens since Marino was drafted thinks its a good fit, who are we to argue.

Exactly, they had to do it.....I'm telling you Brown wanted out....I will write about it at a later date but I knew this back at the Canadian Open...had the chance to talk to him then off the record.
- Kevin Francis

It is really hard for a good veteran player having to play with kids on a rebuilding team. Many nights Connor Brown was the best Ottawa player. But he seldom got first power play time and even though Smith gave him lots of ice time he was never made part of prime time. It is just the way you have to do it for a rebuilding team, you need to play the kids. I wish Connor Brown well...he is a good player.

Kevin Francis
@KevinFr65525204
Looks like Zaitsev is on his way to Chicago. If any coach can help his game it's Luke Richardson. Hawks are very thin on the blueline with only 5 D under contract & are stockpiling draft picks in their rebuild, as I stated in my blog a few days ago, Chicago or Buffalo for Zaits

It is really hard for a good veteran player having to play with kids on a rebuilding team. Many nights Connor Brown was the best Ottawa player. But he seldom got first power play time and even though Smith gave him lots of ice time he was never made part of prime time. It is just the way you have to do it for a rebuilding team, you need to play the kids. I wish Connor Brown well...he is a good player.
- spatso

Yup, a third liner wasn't getting 5M per season here on a new deal!

Kevin Francis
@KevinFr65525204
Looks like Zaitsev is on his way to Chicago. If any coach can help his game it's Luke Richardson. Hawks are very thin on the blueline with only 5 D under contract & are stockpiling draft picks in their rebuild, as I stated in my blog a few days ago, Chicago or Buffalo for Zaits
- Kevin Francis

whats going with Zeitsev for CHI to take him

whats going with Zeitsev for CHI to take him
- Mithos

Kevin Francis
@KevinFr65525204
Looks like Zaitsev is on his way to Chicago. If any coach can help his game it's Luke Richardson. Hawks are very thin on the blueline with only 5 D under contract & are stockpiling draft picks in their rebuild, as I stated in my blog a few days ago, Chicago or Buffalo for Zaits

whats going with Zeitsev for CHI to take him
- Mithos

Kevin Francis
@KevinFr65525204
Replying to
@TheKilixo
I wish I knew....but I was flat out told to expect soon....I hit the Connor Brown trade earlier...I was told at 545pm it was very close and then boom...it happened.

sooo Zeitsev and what going to CHI for what? or you do not have those details yet?

Kevin Francis
@KevinFr65525204
Looks like Zaitsev is on his way to Chicago. If any coach can help his game it's Luke Richardson. Hawks are very thin on the blueline with only 5 D under contract & are stockpiling draft picks in their rebuild, as I stated in my blog a few days ago, Chicago or Buffalo for Zaits
- Kevin Francis

If they move all of Zaitsev's contract, it should leave them about $17m below their $75m internal cap. After new contracts for Norris, Formenton and Joseph they will have around $5.5m for a Dman. If they pull it off, it is pretty skillful cap management.

sooo Zeitsev and what going to CHI for what? or you do not have those details yet?
- Mithos

I am pretty sure he would have posted that information if he had it. His whole deal is to post info before anyone else does.

sooo Zeitsev and what going to CHI for what? or you do not have those details yet?
- Mithos

I would imagine the Sens would be obliged to add a sweetener to get the Hawks to absorb the full contract.

If they move all of Zaitsev's contract, it should leave them about $17m below their $75m internal cap. After new contracts for Norris, Formenton and Joseph they will have around $5.5m for a Dman. If they pull it off, it is pretty skillful cap management.
- spatso

Chychrun is $4.6M.

If they move all of Zaitsev's contract, it should leave them about $17m below their $75m internal cap. After new contracts for Norris, Formenton and Joseph they will have around $5.5m for a Dman. If they pull it off, it is pretty skillful cap management.
- spatso

They will move it all....I know that

I am pretty sure he would have posted that information if he had it. His whole deal is to post info before anyone else does.
- HoweHatrick

Thanks! You got it. I am on text right now with a great Sens source in management....plus my AZ sources who a few of you on here know exactly what they are.

sooo Zeitsev and what going to CHI for what? or you do not have those details yet?
- Mithos

As i reported on Twitter before and in the blog....2nd round pick should do it for Zaitsev....more to come.

Like spatso said, sometimes we as fans don't know who the right fit for a D partner is...ala Methot and I took it a step further with Kuba. If Bowness who was with the Pens since Marino was drafted thinks its a good fit, who are we to argue.
- Kevin Francis

Right, but wasn't DJ Smith supposed to have some kind of inside knowledge about Zaitsev? Objectively, it's not a great sign when you have to "know a guy who knows a guy" in order to see the value of a $4M/yr hockey player. It's especially odd when that player also has such a bizarre development curve, where he went straight from having 3 relatively average NCAA seasons as a 6th round pick, to immediately playing 20min/GP in Pittsburgh's top-4 without even a single game played in the AHL.

Sens Bandwagon 2023

Right, but wasn't DJ Smith supposed to have some kind of inside knowledge about Zaitsev? Objectively, it's not a great sign when you have to "know a guy who knows a guy" in order to see the value of a $4M/yr hockey player. It's especially odd when that player also has such a bizarre development curve, where he went straight from having 3 relatively average NCAA seasons as a 6th round pick, to immediately playing 20min/GP in Pittsburgh's top-4 without even a single game played in the AHL.
- khawk

I'll say this about Zaitsev, his first year here wasn't bad at all....its been a decline the last 2 years....some has to do with coaching and defensive structure too.

Teams with a lot of cap space (aside from Arizona, Chicago and the Duck who are still in rebuild) are signing a lot of players. Still some teams over the cap or very close to it without being able to ice full rosters. Ducks are 14 mil under the floor so they have to do something to get to the floor.

East will be much more competitive this season compared to last. Sens added Debrincat, Giroux, Talbot. Wings added Copp, Husso, Perron, Chariot, Kubalik and a new head coach. Jackets add Gaudreau. Devils will likely do something. Won't be as many easy points in the East this season. Sens might add more and so could the Wings.

Sens made some nice moves but i wonder how it will go with the same old coach that doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes.

Teams with a lot of cap space (aside from Arizona, Chicago and the Duck who are still in rebuild) are signing a lot of players. Still some teams over the cap or very close to it without being able to ice full rosters. Ducks are 14 mil under the floor so they have to do something to get to the floor.

East will be much more competitive this season compared to last. Sens added Debrincat, Giroux, Talbot. Wings added Copp, Husso, Perron, Chariot, Kubalik and a new head coach. Jackets add Gaudreau. Devils will likely do something. Won't be as many easy points in the East this season. Sens might add more and so could the Wings.

Sens made some nice moves but i wonder how it will go with the same old coach that doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes.
- dcz28

I have a feeling this will be the year DJ has to win or he will be gone first 20games

I have a feeling this will be the year DJ has to win or he will be gone first 20games
- sens4life1971

I can tell you, I know for a fact they have discussed every possibility about the start of the season. PD will have contingency plans in place regarding the coaching staff...they wont wait until Christmas or US Thanksgiving if results arent what they should be!

Teams with a lot of cap space (aside from Arizona, Chicago and the Duck who are still in rebuild) are signing a lot of players. Still some teams over the cap or very close to it without being able to ice full rosters. Ducks are 14 mil under the floor so they have to do something to get to the floor.

East will be much more competitive this season compared to last. Sens added Debrincat, Giroux, Talbot. Wings added Copp, Husso, Perron, Chariot, Kubalik and a new head coach. Jackets add Gaudreau. Devils will likely do something. Won't be as many easy points in the East this season. Sens might add more and so could the Wings.

Sens made some nice moves but i wonder how it will go with the same old coach that doesn't seem to learn from his mistakes.
- dcz28

With the coach, it's not just about defensive structure, like you said....its learning from mistakes...he has to learn to make ingame adjustments....you name it...

I can tell you, I know for a fact they have discussed every possibility about the start of the season. PD will have contingency plans in place regarding the coaching staff...they wont wait until Christmas or US Thanksgiving if results arent what they should be!
- Kevin Francis

thats good

With the coach, it's not just about defensive structure, like you said....its learning from mistakes...he has to learn to make ingame adjustments....you name it...
- Kevin Francis

he has to learn how to be a hockey coach

that should scare everyone, i still think dorion is a moron, finding a dumber GM in letting Cat got a so little does not make him a genious, if he gets any D but Theodore or Chychrun its a massive L for OTT, Marino is Zeitsev 2.0 and weegar IMO is way overrated will want 6m+ long term on his next deal.
- Mithos

This whole thing is like some pagan spiritual/orgy ritual where the tribe gathers at some sacred spot, everyone drinks the secret magic potion and then proceed to experience hallucinogenic delusions which they believe are coming to them from the gods. You've even got you're self appointed high priests volunteering to oversee the proceedings so that can purge the gathering of all non believers. I believe you've already met at least one of them.

That secret magic potion is really powerful - so powerful is that it can persuade many of the acolytes to believe, amongst other things, that a 2nd round pick in 2024 is a fair and perfectly understandable return for Brown. Scary stuff!