Spatso.

I'm gonna say absolutely not to both your choices. I love them both. They're fantastic humans. Who....know...how much about running a hockey org?
Lets be polite and say they don't.

Smaller staff means less people questioning your decisions and choices. That's what PD is all about. While Dorion wasn't responsible for hiring his baby sitter the board bean counters are fully cognizant of how much Maguire is being paid to be somewhere else.


Lets get some bums in seats. Lets get some wins. Lets get this coach fired, so a real one can take over.
- Octavarium

Alffy probably has 2-3 years of grooming before he's ever in a big seat if he wants it. Chara? I mean, he might still play next year

Just got my hockey news yearbook.

They have boston and washington falling out of hte playoffs...

To be replaced by NYI and Columbus!

Interesting to say the least. Gaudreau is a big add, but NYI didn't make big improvements like other teams in the conference did. They do tend to always remain competative though.

They have Ottawa making big strides, but its clear like many of us feel the team will be seen as a bubble team unless an improvement to the D occur.

Top 10 PP From Last Year

(1) TOR
(2) STL
(3) EDM
(4) NYR
(5) FLA
(6) NSH
(7) COL
(8) TBL
(9) VAN
(10) CAL

Top 10 PK From Last Year

(1) CAR
(2) SJS
(3) PIT
(4) NYI
(5) STL
(6) CAL
(7) NYR
(8) TOR
(9) BOS
(10) ANA

Surprising that OTT had a better PK last year than COL

According to DJ we have an adequate defense? Man that guy has nothing good to say. I'm beginning to think that he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Unless he's trying to put pressure under PD to make a move.

According to DJ we have an adequate defense? Man that guy has nothing good to say. I'm beginning to think that he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Unless he's trying to put pressure under PD to make a move.
- GrimmdaGoalie

Yes.

Did anyone see Brendan Lemieux on a podcast 2 days ago ripping on Brady saying he poked his eyes out lol?!

Did anyone see Brendan Lemieux on a podcast 2 days ago ripping on Brady saying he poked his eyes out lol?!
- Kevin Francis

He appears and sounds guilty. It is actually pretty funny. He says he doesn't care what anybody says or thinks. But, he appears very embarrassed talking about the bite.

He appears and sounds guilty. It is actually pretty funny. He says he doesn't care what anybody says or thinks. But, he appears very embarrassed talking about the bite.
- spatso

He looked very uncomfortable and he was doing the interview from his car....the guy is such a goof!

JT Miller gets 7 years 56M! Nice job by the Canucks!

JT Miller gets 7 years 56M! Nice job by the Canucks!
- Kevin Francis

Really? If he was something like 27 or 28, I might agree. But I'm pretty sure it won't look too good over the last 3-4 years of this contract, given that he'll turn 31 during the first year of the deal. Feels an awful lot more like they couldn't get the trade value they wanted.

Really? If he was something like 27 or 28, I might agree. But I'm pretty sure it won't look too good over the last 3-4 years of this contract, given that he'll turn 31 during the first year of the deal. Feels an awful lot more like they couldn't get the trade value they wanted.
- khawk

Crazy contract. Man will be 39 years old and earning $8m on the cap. Hard for some teams to adjust to our new reality. There may be a few exceptions, but, players over the age of 30 should never get a contract for more than 3 years and it should be for less money than they earned previously.

Cap space is an asset, it is also a weapon. Kadri did not have the line up of bidders he expected. Interest in Johnny Gaudreau was a lot less heated than expected. The market for players 30+ is dying as more and more teams use precious cap space to max out the kids coming off their entry level deals.

We are close to universal acceptance that it is not a bad option to take the diminished trade value deal. Or, even better, let the the impending UFA play out his final season so he can walk away. As more teams see the wisdom of just moving on (Kadri, Klingman, perhaps even Huberdeau fit in this group) we are going to see the contract value and term for 30+ players continue to drop.

The other side of this option means that there is going to be more and more really good 30+ players available for dollar rich but term short deals (eg. Claude Giroux).

JT Miller gets 7 years 56M! Nice job by the Canucks!
- Kevin Francis

Good grief. Terrible contract. They should have let him walk.

Brannstrom signs a one year deal. 900k

Makes sense. Last chance to show his worth in Ottawa, as by next year several of the Defence prospects "should" be knocking on the door.

Brannstrom signs a one year deal. 900k

Makes sense. Last chance to show his worth in Ottawa, as by next year several of the Defence prospects "should" be knocking on the door.
- david22

Also makes his trade value more attractive.

Brannstrom signs a one year deal. 900k

Makes sense. Last chance to show his worth in Ottawa, as by next year several of the Defence prospects "should" be knocking on the door.
- david22

They already are. The problem with us as fans is that we have bought into the perpetual rebuild. At some point the Sens need to figure out that they need to compete at the NHL level and abandon the farm system approach. This is not a development league and if they don't soon sell some home playoff tickets they are going to be nothing more than a feeder team for Real NHL franchises. This goes double for the coaching staff.

Sens top 9 is very good. Forward depth is solid enough to enable them to compete with any team in their Division on any night. If Stutzle leads the team in total scoring (30+ goals and 50+ assists) it is going to be a spectacular fun year..

Goaltending is adequate.

But, if they want to contend after Christmas they need an upgrade on defence.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/...es-after-busy-off-season/

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/senators-see-significant-surge-in-ticket-sales-after-busy-off-season/
- david22

Every Sens fan should read full article. So much on the business side that Sens' fans should be feeling good about!

Spatso, I love your eternal optimism but I can save everyone the trouble and say DON'T read that article. It's filled with the usual fluff n stuff nonsense the Sens pr department puts out. I won't believe a word of "ticket sales are up" donkeyspunk until I see some numbers. I call complete bs on "the girls are learning the business and it's not for sale". Very little, besides a polite handshake, has been done regarding lebretton. Why are you even looking at arenas.....you're not going to be the ones involved in it's construction or design. The NEW owner will be. The one who actually has the money to pay for it----which the girls don't. Not a single person in here believes after their father's passing a magical money rainbow showed up and cleared EM's hundreds of millions in debt, or secured "the girls..lol and their mother?....good one" with the BILLION + a new arena will cost.

Sens top 9 is very good. Forward depth is solid enough to enable them to compete with any team in their Division on any night. If Stutzle leads the team in total scoring (30+ goals and 50+ assists) it is going to be a spectacular fun year..

Goaltending is adequate.

But, if they want to contend after Christmas they need an upgrade on defence
- spatso

The simple roster change of moving Stutzle to #2C took them from having a 14-22-4 start to last season, to having a 19-20-3 finish. Over the course of a season, that projects to the difference between a 66pts season vs. a 80pts season. So the team was already effectively playing at the level of teams like CBJ and NYI, and then you consider the additions of DeBrincat/Giroux in the "more goals" department, Sanderson/Talbot in the "fewer goals against" department, plus getting full seasons out of Joseph/Pinto to help offset the loss of Brown/Paul. I would agree that another quality D-man would help a lot, but they're not far off the pace. Furthermore, I would be very surprised if all of PIT, BOS, and WSH pull off 100 point seasons again in 2022/23, which means there should be more of a legitimate wild card race in the Eastern Conference.

I am still not ready to pencil Sanderson in as a Top 4 D. He may very well make the jump and be serviceable but it is a big ask for him to become a real contributor without an NHL games under his belt.

I think the efforts for improvement are deserving of our support!

I am still not ready to pencil Sanderson in as a Top 4 D. He may very well make the jump and be serviceable but it is a big ask for him to become a real contributor without an NHL games under his belt.
- HoweHatrick

I agree. Sens need to pay the price to add a top 4 Dman

I am still not ready to pencil Sanderson in as a Top 4 D. He may very well make the jump and be serviceable but it is a big ask for him to become a real contributor without an NHL games under his belt.
- HoweHatrick

I understand your point but I disagree that a 5th overall pick 2 years ago can't come in and play a stable and significant role in the back end. Jamie Drysdale did it, Quinn Hughes did it, Moritz Seider did it....heck even Luke Schenn did it.

I don't see why he should be an exception otherwise Dorion made another mistake. I'm not saying play him 22-24 min a night but he needs to play a role on the backend for sure

I understand your point but I disagree that a 5th overall pick 2 years ago can't come in and play a stable and significant role in the back end. Jamie Drysdale did it, Quinn Hughes did it, Moritz Seider did it....heck even Luke Schenn did it.

I don't see why he should be an exception otherwise Dorion made another mistake. I'm not saying play him 22-24 min a night but he needs to play a role on the backend for sure
- AlfieisKing

He's still lanky as hell, but he's probably going to end up in the 4 slot by the end of the year if his development trajectory is anything to go by.