Zaitsev is captain chaos.....no way he is better than Thomson now....
- Kevin Francis

Yeah eh?

(my ranking is as a group - not individually ranking them)

The only thing about Lassi Thomson for me WHEN we will see him take those strides. Will it be this year or will we have to wait until next year. The Sens can't afford to have an average blueline getting the puck up the ice. They've made significant contributions to their forward and goaltending groups - I don't know if relying on Thomson and/or JBD to find their stride is the right way to go - then again I haven't seen these players in so long and don't know what kind of condition they'll be in come training camp

I DO believe that Sanderson can and will make a significant impact and can handle 2nd pairing mins

if that's the ask for a top line D who is 23 and has 3 years left at a good cap hit can play both sides fine what is the hold up, is it Dorion thinks he cannot keep Zub and does not want to trade JBD or Thompson?
- Mithos

I know Zub's camp want either 4x5 or 5x5...as I wrote a few weeks ago. But at some point Dorion needs to make the jump on a key piece like this with the top 4 D. Not every prospect is going to pan out as they think either....you can hoard draft picks and prospects all you want....but they Giroux for nothing....Talbot on a nice trade.....DeBrincat, they gave up minimal draft capital. Personally, the window for this team starts now and who knows how long it will be for.....but these next 3-5 years you better make it count after 5 straight seasons of missing the playoffs! Dorion has shown he's willing to push all his chips in so far.....the most important piece is that Top 4 D!

Yeah eh?

(my ranking is as a group - not individually ranking them)

The only thing about Lassi Thomson for me WHEN we will see him take those strides. Will it be this year or will we have to wait until next year. The Sens can't afford to have an average blueline getting the puck up the ice. They've made significant contributions to their forward and goaltending groups - I don't know if relying on Thomson and/or JBD to find their stride is the right way to go - then again I haven't seen these players in so long and don't know what kind of condition they'll be in come training camp

I DO believe that Sanderson can and will make a significant impact and can handle 2nd pairing mins
- AlfieisKing

Well as I have said here dozens of times....it should've happened last year with Thomson but didn't due to our wonderful coach! Thomson needs to start the season in Ottawa, end of story....they need to give him a long stretch of games....JBD needs another year in Belleville. Sanderson has yet to play an NHL game so I have a hard time handing him guaranteed 2nd pairing minutes....let's see how he starts the season.

Zaitsev to Chicago seems like a no-brainer move. You almost have to do it. Of course, Chicago knows that and may be asking for a ridiculous sweetener right now - especially after all the bad press they got for the DeBrincat return.

Regarding Chychrun - I wish I knew what Arizona was asking for in return from Ottawa. It just feels like the deal you need to make happen. A legit top 4 players, good character and family, Ottawa roots. I even notice he is one of the few non-Senator NHL players that Brady follows on Twitter. So I think the fit in the room would be great too. Unless the Arizona ask is ridiculously one-sided I think Dorion should try to make this happen.
- punchanello77

Yes everyone, I am back from a long vacation. Anyone familiar with Luke Richardson, knows if he got Zaitsev he would make him look like a capable defenseman again lol.

Well as I have said here dozens of times....it should've happened last year with Thomson but didn't due to our wonderful coach! Thomson needs to start the season in Ottawa, end of story....they need to give him a long stretch of games....JBD needs another year in Belleville. Sanderson has yet to play an NHL game so I have a hard time handing him guaranteed 2nd pairing minutes....let's see how he starts the season.
- Kevin Francis

Zaitsev needs to be unloaded at all costs, we don't need this fool as a coach putting him out there over our youth for a 3rd year in a row.

I know Zub's camp want either 4x5 or 5x5...as I wrote a few weeks ago. But at some point Dorion needs to make the jump on a key piece like this with the top 4 D. Not every prospect is going to pan out as they think either....you can hoard draft picks and prospects all you want....but they Giroux for nothing....Talbot on a nice trade.....DeBrincat, they gave up minimal draft capital. Personally, the window for this team starts now and who knows how long it will be for.....but these next 3-5 years you better make it count after 5 straight seasons of missing the playoffs! Dorion has shown he's willing to push all his chips in so far.....the most important piece is that Top 4 D!
- Kevin Francis

For all the great things Dorion has done in adding DeBrincat, Giroux & Talbot. I do think his priority should've been adding the elusive top four defensemen at the draft, while trading DJ's teacher's pet Zaitsev.

Well as I have said here dozens of times....it should've happened last year with Thomson but didn't due to our wonderful coach! Thomson needs to start the season in Ottawa, end of story....they need to give him a long stretch of games....JBD needs another year in Belleville. Sanderson has yet to play an NHL game so I have a hard time handing him guaranteed 2nd pairing minutes....let's see how he starts the season.
- Kevin Francis

Some Wings fans are doing the same thing with Edvinsson putting him on the top pair with Seider or with Hronek. Basically some almost expect the same type of season that Seider had out of him and that is way too much to expect from a prospect.

Personally i wish Yzerman could find a way to trade for Sanheim or Theodore to push Chiarot to the 2nd pair (where i think he belongs) and Maata to the 3rd pair. If Edvinsson could beat Maata or Chiarot to make the team than fine otherwise send him to Grand Rapids to improve.

Sens fans seem to expect a lot out of Sanderson right from the start. It's possible he can step right in and look good but he could also struggle or just need some time in the AHL also.

One of JBD or Thomson become redundant anyways if the Sens trade for Chychrun, since JC has three more years, so why not include them in the deal?

You could make the argument Brannstrom is also redundant in the Sens trade for any RD with term.

People putting a lot of faith in Sanderson slotting into the lineup on day one. Forget the nagging injury he has...DJ has shown a lack of faith in young D already.

If the sens can get zub at 4 x5 they should do it asap.

Zaitsev needs to be unloaded at all costs, we don't need this fool as a coach putting him out there over our youth for a 3rd year in a row.
- LawyerSens4Life

Easy solution to this...get a new coach that isn't in love with defensemen that make the team worst and overplay them. If a GM has to trade away players because the coach misuses them way too much then he shouldn't be the coach.

Coaches all have their favorites and they sometimes dislike a player without any concrete reason to dislike them but it happens. Hartnell's 2nd story about Torts shows how some coaches just don't want to play certain players even if they are doing good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiTC_o9yM9A

One of JBD or Thomson become redundant anyways if the Sens trade for Chychrun, since JC has three more years, so why not include them in the deal?

You could make the argument Brannstrom is also redundant in the Sens trade for any RD with term.

People putting a lot of faith in Sanderson slotting into the lineup on day one. Forget the nagging injury he has...DJ has shown a lack of faith in young D already.

If the sens can get zub at 4 x5 they should do it asap.
- GrimmdaGoalie

There is no trade that moves Thomson or JBD that makes any sense in the long term. In order for this team to compete long term you need these two first round picks showing all kinds of promise to be part of the picture. Thomson looks more ready now but JBD will prove to be the better Dman in the future.

The real problem is Smith. The only way he will play either Thomson or JBD is if they get rid of Zaitsev and don't bring in anyone else. Even then he might move Brannstrom to the right side in order to block them. He will also try to block Sanderson by pairing him with captain chaos or Hamonic to increase his chances of failing so he can send him to Belleville.

If Dorion wanted to make this a Dorion summer he would fire Smith; but he won't because firing Smith is the next step to holding on to his job. It's his get out of jail free card.

What am I missing? I don't understand the preoccupation with the ice time given to Zaitsev. He and Hamonic log in as 5th and 6th Dmen in terms of average time on ice per game.. Chabot, Zub, Holden and Brannstrom all average more ice time.

The issue for me is more narrow. Zaitsev is the 2nd highest paid Dman at $4.5m and is 5th for TOI minutes. It would seem to me that is more on the GM than it is on the coach.

When a coach gives a player more (or less) minutes he is making a statement in terms of how he judges and values the player. Clearly TJ does not see Zaitsev as one of his more valued Dmen. I am hopeful Dorion will make the appropriate changes before the season start.

Cap is a killer. Usual suspects in the UFA market (Leafs, Rangers, Flyers, Bolts) have been frozen out. Only modest interest in Johnny Gaudreau. Kadri and Klinburg still trying to find a spot.

Cap is $82.5m for this season and it is only going up $1m to $83.5m for 2023-24. It will get really, really ugly for some teams.

Teams are giving priority to locking in their own RFAs with long term deals. But, they will need to shed more salary off their roster in order to make it work. It is almost impossible for Rangers to sign Lafreniere and Chytal without finding someone to take back a top salary like Panarin, Zibanejad or Trouba.

DeBrincat may prove easier to resign than I first thought. I was not a huge fan of the Giroux signing (3 years). But maybe Dorion just read the tea leaves better than others.

What am I missing? I don't understand the preoccupation with the ice time given to Zaitsev. He and Hamonic log in as 5th and 6th Dmen in terms of average time on ice per game.. Chabot, Zub, Holden and Brannstrom all average more ice time.

The issue for me is more narrow. Zaitsev is the 2nd highest paid Dman at $4.5m and is 5th for TOI minutes. It would seem to me that is more on the GM than it is on the coach.

When a coach gives a player more (or less) minutes he is making a statement in terms of how he judges and values the player. Clearly TJ does not see Zaitsev as one of his more valued Dmen. I am hopeful Dorion will make the appropriate changes before the season start.
- spatso

While I agree with all of what you are saying, I think circumstances can play a major role in ice time (injuries, slumps, teams playing from behind so needing offence more, etc). With that said, I agree 100% that if Zaitsev was making half of his $, we would be fine with what we are getting. The problem is when you DJ or anyone thinks of him as the D-man he was when he first came over from Russia to Toronto. Scary thing is Zub looks a lot like Zaitsev. More defense less offence but Zaitsev was REALLY good when he was in Toronto that first year; ergo he got that contract

While I agree with all of what you are saying, I think circumstances can play a major role in ice time (injuries, slumps, teams playing from behind so needing offence more, etc). With that said, I agree 100% that if Zaitsev was making half of his $, we would be fine with what we are getting. The problem is when you DJ or anyone thinks of him as the D-man he was when he first came over from Russia to Toronto. Scary thing is Zub looks a lot like Zaitsev. More defense less offence but Zaitsev was REALLY good when he was in Toronto that first year; ergo he got that contract
- AlfieisKing

Zub is very good at moving the puck up ice under control. Zaitsev is not.
Ottawa needs to add a top 4 HD to give itself the best shot at making the playoffs. Plus they need to change the coach.

Would A Zaitsev/JVR swap work. I can easily see Chuck making this type of move.
- hello it's me 2050

Actually I think this would be a very prudential move. Philly could use more cap wiggle room right now, it doesn't give up any futures, JVR is only under contract for one year, he scored 24 last year, he's big and plays both sides, and we might end up needing help up front with the WJC thing coming to a head. Assuming this could be viable, I'd ask Giroux what he thinks of bringing JVR on board and if he says he'd be a good add, pull the trigger. We do not have much forward depth, and the WJC business could leave us with serious holes. The real question here is why on earth Philly (or anyone) would want NZ, which is why it's likely a pipe dream.

What am I missing? I don't understand the preoccupation with the ice time given to Zaitsev. He and Hamonic log in as 5th and 6th Dmen in terms of average time on ice per game.. Chabot, Zub, Holden and Brannstrom all average more ice time.

The issue for me is more narrow. Zaitsev is the 2nd highest paid Dman at $4.5m and is 5th for TOI minutes. It would seem to me that is more on the GM than it is on the coach.

When a coach gives a player more (or less) minutes he is making a statement in terms of how he judges and values the player. Clearly TJ does not see Zaitsev as one of his more valued Dmen. I am hopeful Dorion will make the appropriate changes before the season start.
- spatso

Who said icetime? It's the fact DJ played Zaitsev over and over when others were more worthy. DJ scratched or sent down the likes of Brannstrom, Thomson and JBD when Zaitsev was a train wreck, so was Josh Brown. Nobody gives a damn about the icetime or a 5/6 guy that you are suggesting with Zaitsev. It's the issue that this coach can't get away from playing a guy that has no business being in the lineup, pretty cut and dry.

There is no trade that moves Thomson or JBD that makes any sense in the long term. In order for this team to compete long term you need these two first round picks showing all kinds of promise to be part of the picture. Thomson looks more ready now but JBD will prove to be the better Dman in the future.

The real problem is Smith. The only way he will play either Thomson or JBD is if they get rid of Zaitsev and don't bring in anyone else. Even then he might move Brannstrom to the right side in order to block them. He will also try to block Sanderson by pairing him with captain chaos or Hamonic to increase his chances of failing so he can send him to Belleville.

If Dorion wanted to make this a Dorion summer he would fire Smith; but he won't because firing Smith is the next step to holding on to his job. It's his get out of jail free card.
- Whatisavailable

It absolutely is Dorion's get out of jail free card. He won't survive past a 3rd coach, that is most GM's shelf life. Like you said, Zaitsev has to go, no matter what when September rolls around. Enough of the stupid decisions by DJ with the defense, we have seen 3 years of it. Don't block the youth from playing again this season on defense.

One of JBD or Thomson become redundant anyways if the Sens trade for Chychrun, since JC has three more years, so why not include them in the deal?

You could make the argument Brannstrom is also redundant in the Sens trade for any RD with term.

People putting a lot of faith in Sanderson slotting into the lineup on day one. Forget the nagging injury he has...DJ has shown a lack of faith in young D already.

If the sens can get zub at 4 x5 they should do it asap.
- GrimmdaGoalie

Yes, Sanderson coming off a double surgery, hand injury, expecting him to make an impact immediately might be fools gold. Give the guy time. I agree, if you get Chychryn, who cares if one of Thomson or JBD goes. Jakob is 24, so you swap out a 22 year old JBD for him, or a 21 year old Thomson. Look at the upgrade at the position, you get Jakob with 337 NHL games under his belt, compared to a dozen NHL games for either JBD or Thomson. Brannstrom has been in the league 3 years and only has 113 games, 22 years old.

Pro Hockey Rumors:

While the Blue Jackets’ trade of Oliver Bjorkstrand wasn’t ideal for management, the player, or the Blue Jackets fans, it was necessary. Kekalainen said dealing Bjorkstrand to Seattle was “the best of the no-good options,” and today, Portzline shed some light as to why that was the case. With the flat cap driving the prices to dump contracts to sky-high levels, Portzline believes that if the Blue Jackets preferred to shed Nyquist’s contract, it likely could have cost a 2023 first-round pick or even a top prospect. If the Blue Jackets wanted to trade Jakub Voracek and his $8.25MM cap hit over two more seasons, Portzline believes it may have even cost both a first-rounder and a top prospect. So, with that reality in mind, Bjorkstrand being the departing player rather than Nyquist or Voracek makes a bit more sense.

If this is true and the cost to dump a player with a 5 million cap hit for 1 year is a 2023 first round pick or top prospect, Zaitsev with 2 years left and a 4.5 million cap hit should cost a bit more. That might be why Zaitsev is not being moved and might not get moved this year.

If this is true and the cost to dump a player with a 5 million cap hit for 1 year is a 2023 first round pick or top prospect, Zaitsev with 2 years left and a 4.5 million cap hit should cost a bit more. That might be why Zaitsev is not being moved and might not get moved this year.
- dcz28

For teams that need to get to the cap floor, Zaitsev is perfect for a team. Sens already paid 2M bonus on July 1st, so cash out is only 2.5M. Talk about perfect fit for teams that need to get to the floor.

For teams that need to get to the cap floor, Zaitsev is perfect for a team. Sens already paid 2M bonus on July 1st, so cash out is only 2.5M. Talk about perfect fit for teams that need to get to the floor.
- LawyerSens4Life

They would still have to pay his full salary next season for a player they might not want. Only team below the cap floor is the Ducks (Arizona will reach it easy with their RFAs) and they can likely do that with UFAs they might actually want, trades from teams looking to make cap space by either getting a 1st round pick or top prospect to take the cap dump or a trade like Columbus did giving up a player they didn't want to trade so it doesn't cost them a 1st round pick or top prospect.

Wouldn't surprise me that the Ducks end up signing Klingberg for 1 year or Kadri if other teams they want to play for won't pay the price to clear cap space for them. They can also sign other vet UFAs that can't find an NHL team to play for to 1 year contracts to trade them at the deadline. Reaching the cap floor is easy...especially when there are still plenty of decent UFAs left on the market but very few teams with cap space left to sign them.

Who said icetime? It's the fact DJ played Zaitsev over and over when others were more worthy. DJ scratched or sent down the likes of Brannstrom, Thomson and JBD when Zaitsev was a train wreck, so was Josh Brown. Nobody gives a damn about the icetime or a 5/6 guy that you are suggesting with Zaitsev. It's the issue that this coach can't get away from playing a guy that has no business being in the lineup, pretty cut and dry.
- LawyerSens4Life

Coach is saying something pretty clearly when he limits second highest paid Dman to 5th ranked minutes for time on ice? Both Brannstrom and Holden log more ice time than Zaitsev.

Zaitsev is #5 for time on ice but #2 in salary ($4.5m)
Hamonic is #6 for time on ice but #3 in salary ($3.0m)

$7.5m for the #5 and #6 Dman is too much, especially when you consider the quality of home grown replacements that are already available within the system.

Spatso, you clearly didn't watch enough games.

he would repeatedly put Zaitsev out in situations where he would fail and get torched by other teams top lines. Key defensive draws where DJ Smith would voluntarily give up home ice advantage and throw his 3rd or 4th line out. AND If you're gonna throw your fourth line out - do you put your 5/6 pair out with your 4th line?...don't you think you'd want your top pair babysitting your fourth liners? DJ pulled this crap over and over.

He would put Brannstrom in positions to fail too. As if he's trying to prove a point that this little guy isn't a prospect at all.

But as the Lawyer guy pointed out. A lot of it is coaching. I have no doubt that Luke Richardson could fix Zaitsev. I've seen some ok stretches of hockey from him. He lacks confidence in his actions. We have a very weak coaching staff here. And this season - newly acquired, high skill players, are going to expose this coach and his staff as the JrB coaches they are. Because you'll see some looks on Giroux's face like......"wtf are you doing man??!"

Spatso, you clearly didn't watch enough games.

he would repeatedly put Zaitsev out in situations where he would fail and get torched by other teams top lines. Key defensive draws where DJ Smith would voluntarily give up home ice advantage and throw his 3rd or 4th line out. AND If you're gonna throw your fourth line out - do you put your 5/6 pair out with your 4th line?...don't you think you'd want your top pair babysitting your fourth liners? DJ pulled this crap over and over.

He would put Brannstrom in positions to fail too. As if he's trying to prove a point that this little guy isn't a prospect at all.

But as the Lawyer guy pointed out. A lot of it is coaching. I have no doubt that Luke Richardson could fix Zaitsev. I've seen some ok stretches of hockey from him. He lacks confidence in his actions. We have a very weak coaching staff here. And this season - newly acquired, high skill players, are going to expose this coach and his staff as the JrB coaches they are. Because you'll see some looks on Giroux's face like......"wtf are you doing man??!"
- Octavarium

I doubt that as Giroux specifically highlighted the coaching as one of the draws of coming to Ottawa. Commented on how difficult they were to play against due to coaching.

Not a DJ defender at all just mentioning that Giroux seems to be excited to work with DJ.

For teams that need to get to the cap floor, Zaitsev is perfect for a team. Sens already paid 2M bonus on July 1st, so cash out is only 2.5M. Talk about perfect fit for teams that need to get to the floor.
- LawyerSens4Life

Interesting on CF the ten teams with the most salary space all have two or less NHL RD. There's got to be a home for him. I wonder if Lou would be interested in Zaitsev? He's the one who signed him to that deal in the first place, though they have Dobson Romanov and Bellows to sign. Perhaps a Josh Bailey swap might work.