the lunch time gang on 1200 were discussing the D and they just seem to avoid Zaitsev altogether. So I texted in and said "stop avoiding the Zaitsev issue"....so then they proceed to mention that he "may be around" and "may be on the opening day roster". To which I then texted - "I'll bet you a large Gabrielle's pizza he IS on the opening day roster, double or nothing he's in the starting line-up".
- Octavarium

Those fools on the 10-2 show, I never listen....Steve Lloyd has to be the biggest fool on the air as he wants DJ, PD and all the players to be his best friend with his pathetic questions....it's truly that bad listening to him, so I now listen to sirius/xm where you get real sports talk.....I bet they didn't both following up with you on the 2nd text! The problem is PD tells Steve what he can be asked and that's why PD only goes on his show....because Steve is a suck hole!

Agreed with Khawk on exercising patience with a D acquisition.

Here is a nice article by Yost on Sanderson:

https://www.tsn.ca/travis...nators-blueline-1.1853880

I think the takeaway from the article is that the kid will not be well insulated with the current D roster and that rushing Sanderson would be a mistake. Give him the opportunities he needs but do not peg him as a Top D just yet. Management / coaching must let him grow into the roll if he isn't ready.
- HoweHatrick

It's funny because DJ said yesterday how they don't want to rush Kastelic, 23 years old and 2 years in the AHL. One season was shorter due to covid. Regardless, you need to take the same approach with both then.....but with DJ it's selective thinking so he can keep Gambrelle in the line up, it's like he's preparing the fanbase to know he ain't going to be here coming opening night. You play the best players that give you the best to chance to win!

It's funny because DJ said yesterday how they don't want to rush Kastelic, 23 years old and 2 years in the AHL. One season was shorter due to covid. Regardless, you need to take the same approach with both then.....but with DJ it's selective thinking so he can keep Gambrelle in the line up, it's like he's preparing the fanbase to know he ain't going to be here coming opening night. You play the best players that give you the best to chance to win!
- Kevin Francis

Smith is not going to change. He will play Pinto and I think he will find it hard to not give Sanderson a look, but not with Zub but rather with Hamonic who is not a second pairing D anymore.

You talk about coaches putting players in positions to succeed. Playing Sanderson with Hamonic on your second pair is not putting Sanderson in a position to succeed. Sanderson might be good enough to pull it off but if not it's off to Belleville.

The other Smith option in his mind would be to play Zaitsev with Chabot so he can move Zub back to play with Sanderson. He would rather die than try JBD who is actually the perfect kind of partner for Chabot.

No other young prospect will get much of a look if they get any look at all.

It's funny because DJ said yesterday how they don't want to rush Kastelic, 23 years old and 2 years in the AHL. One season was shorter due to covid. Regardless, you need to take the same approach with both then.....but with DJ it's selective thinking so he can keep Gambrelle in the line up, it's like he's preparing the fanbase to know he ain't going to be here coming opening night. You play the best players that give you the best to chance to win!
- Kevin Francis

Kastelic is ready now and would be a significant upgrade on Gambrell.

Problem is players have mostly been played more according to their cap hit than their ability. This is what needs to change.

Kastelic is ready now and would be a significant upgrade on Gambrell.
- SensFan25

100%! Anyone watching the 14 games Kastelic played last year and even on Saturday in Toronto would see that Kastelic is bigger, stronger and even faster! Oh and younger....

Problem is players have mostly been played more according to their cap hit than their ability. This is what needs to change.
- Bartacus

No just cap hit, but waiver exempt status too....I agree it has to change. DJ said to the media a few weeks ago, the best players will play. Now yesterday he's saying/backtracking saying whatever is better for their development! He is NHL ready!

Smith is not going to change. He will play Pinto and I think he will find it hard to not give Sanderson a look, but not with Zub but rather with Hamonic who is not a second pairing D anymore.

You talk about coaches putting players in positions to succeed. Playing Sanderson with Hamonic on your second pair is not putting Sanderson in a position to succeed. Sanderson might be good enough to pull it off but if not it's off to Belleville.

The other Smith option in his mind would be to play Zaitsev with Chabot so he can move Zub back to play with Sanderson. He would rather die than try JBD who is actually the perfect kind of partner for Chabot.

No other young prospect will get much of a look if they get any look at all.
- Whatisavailable

Oh he tried telling everyone he was going to but with his latest comments and makes you realize this guy is soooo out of his league still! You nailed it on Sanderson. I talked to a player personnel director again today, he flat out said, expecting Sanderson to be top 4 and 20 min. a night right away, they better be ready to live with the growing pains....mistakes, etc...that it's a lot of pressure! JBD from what I have been told with a few on the dev staff is that both him and Lassi are ready for the big club. Brannstrom looks to be teh same defensively as last year in just one game, same mistakes.

In the Athletic today by Pierre LeBrun, quote from Dorion! OMG!

“Let’s not fool ourselves: Acquiring a top defenseman is probably the hardest thing to do as a general manager,” Dorion said. “For us, or for any team, when you’re trying to improve your team you’re always looking to improve your back end.

“But after a few days of camp here, we feel comfortable with what we have on the back end. Let them sort it out, and if we feel we can improve, we’ll go look at it. But at this point in time, we’re really comfortable with what we have on the back end.”

If they are truly happy then let Lassi and JBD play......why is Zaitsev still here when you can just put him on waivers.....enough is enough PD!

PD on Zaitsev in the same article! The last 2 years PD have been awful....who cares what he did 3 years ago.....if we thought that way, Hamonic would be a top 2 D man from 3 years ago!

“Well he’s one guy battling to play,” Dorion said. “I will leave it up to D.J. He didn’t have a very good year last year; let’s be honest. And he’s coming to camp in the best shape of his life.

“So I think it’s up to him to show what he can do. First year with us, he was really solid — really played well. He’s got to get back to that level.”

Team Exec in his article.

“THREATS — They failed to address their defense, which is clearly their Achilles’ heel. Other than Chabot, all of their defensemen are playing too high in the lineup and will get exposed over an 82-game schedule. I know there is high hope for Sanderson, and he’s a terrific young player, but he isn’t the savior and they need to insulate him so he doesn’t get fried up and lose his confidence.

“The coaching staff will have to work hard to convince the young thoroughbreds to commit to play good defense.

“I’m sure the fan base is excited for the upcoming season. The issue for Ottawa will be the strength of their division and conference. Have they done enough to break into the top eight of the conference? We’ll soon find out, but their team still seems light on the back end, and their bottom six doesn’t look like it has enough to challenge the big boys.

Team Exec in his article.

“THREATS — They failed to address their defense, which is clearly their Achilles’ heel. Other than Chabot, all of their defensemen are playing too high in the lineup and will get exposed over an 82-game schedule. I know there is high hope for Sanderson, and he’s a terrific young player, but he isn’t the savior and they need to insulate him so he doesn’t get fried up and lose his confidence.

“The coaching staff will have to work hard to convince the young thoroughbreds to commit to play good defense.

“I’m sure the fan base is excited for the upcoming season. The issue for Ottawa will be the strength of their division and conference. Have they done enough to break into the top eight of the conference? We’ll soon find out, but their team still seems light on the back end, and their bottom six doesn’t look like it has enough to challenge the big boys.
- Kevin Francis

It was so incredibly stupid to get rid of Paul and Brown.

It was so incredibly stupid to get rid of Paul and Brown.
- Whatisavailable

The Brown one was really odd.....PD rushed it....like all of a sudden he was going to deal him no matter what to give Giroux his number! It happened fast....trust me....I had it on Twitter first, I said traded to Caps for 2nd rounder but I was told for a 2023 then it changed to 2024 as the Caps were looking at a few other things at the time and wanted 2023 draft capital. They could have moved Brown at the deadline easily for a 1st rounder!!!! Nobody really criticized PD for the trade, but the return was very unexpected and underwhelming as many NHL personnel people told me that the Oilers and a few other teams were pissed that PD didn't come back to them and say, hey this is what the Caps offered. He moved him within hours of Giroux signing....

It was so incredibly stupid to get rid of Paul and Brown.
- Whatisavailable

The question is - is it better to have Nick Paul at 3.75M~ or Mathieu Joseph at 2.95M? Joseph is 2 years younger

Zaitsev (4.5) and Watson (1.5) would've freed up a lot of cap space. I think both can be replaced.

Im on the fence about Watson. He really needs a good skating coach. But he's a former first rounder, he's got hands and seems to be good glue guy.

We've all hit all our usual talking points in here, even Spatso with his unwaivering positivity. But for me, it all centers around PD giving Smith the green light on way too much.


Take Smith's toys away, put the defense kids in the line up, deal with it. Oh wait....that should have been last year. Well---now we're here at THIS YEAR. Do it. We'll outscore them, and our goaltending will pick up some of the defensive growing pains.

New blog up!

The question is - is it better to have Nick Paul at 3.75M~ or Mathieu Joseph at 2.95M? Joseph is 2 years younger

Zaitsev (4.5) and Watson (1.5) would've freed up a lot of cap space. I think both can be replaced.
- AlfieisKing

Paul is actually getting 3.15 and I'm going to have to go with the Tampa management on this one and say "You betcha!".