I remember when we were kids playing hockey everyone wanted to be Bobby Hull or Boom Boom Geoffrion or some such. As children all we saw was the guy who scored goals. We weren't alone because those were the guys who generally were paid the most money by their respective teams.

I also remember being surprised by some of the players chosen for those best on best international tournaments. It was like smart hockey people knew that you needed different kinds of players on a hockey team in order to be successful.

That's why all the excitement surrounding Kleven. It's highly doubtful he'll ever be the Sens' best Dman but everybody knows he brings something to the back end that is missing.

The Sens have goal scoring from Tkachuk, Norris, Stutzle, Batherson, Giroux and Pinto is coming. They need to find a couple of guys to fill out their top nine at a price that won't force them to get rid of a good player in a year or two.

I have no idea who those guys might be just like I have no idea which goalie they should be looking to bring in to replace Talbot. That's what a scouting department is for and if they can't do better than Murray or Talbot or quite the list of bad signings we've been treated to these past years then they should be fired along with Dorion and Smith.

This team can win it all in the not too distant future but they can also be easily be turned into a perennial also ran by incompetent managers making bad decisions.

DeBrincat will be a major test coming up. Gambling big money on this diminutive second line LW will signal me that I won't be seeing any parades in Ottawa anytime soon.

Joseph comes to Ottawa, plays 11 games, 4 goals and 8 assists. Better than a PPG player. What a steal to sign him up for 3 million per. (sarcasm alert)



DeBrincat finally scores a couple of goals. Sign him up for 8 million plus! What a steal! (sarcasm alert)

Offer Sanderson 5.5 x 3 and low ball Pinto and get rid of Chabot. The brain trust is at work in overdrive I see.



I sure do hope the new owners at least have the good sense to hire competent hockey people to take this team forward.
- Whatisavailable

Observations are reasonable. Tone is a little off track.

Sanderson (8 years) and Pinto (5 years) need be locked in.

I don't know what to do in regard to a DeBrincat contract going forward. He is finishing the season playing as well as he has all season and he will likely finish up with around 30 goals. He is a very good player. That has never been the issue for me. I wanted to see one more physical top 6 big body to take some of the load off of Brady.. Preferably someone who can play head to head against the top centres in the league and leave them feeling sore by the end of the evening. I like Pierre Luc Dubois. I think he is available and don't believe the only option for him is Montreal. He would be a great fit in Ottawa and already has some solid history with Batherson, Chabot and Joseph.

I believe the Sens are so close to being a serious contender. A power forward and reliable goaltending are the only things that need be stabilized.

Love this team.

Observations are reasonable. Tone is a little off track.

Sanderson (8 years) and Pinto (5 years) need be locked in.

I don't know what to do in regard to a DeBrincat contract going forward. He is finishing the season playing as well as he has all season and he will likely finish up with around 30 goals. He is a very good player. That has never been the issue for me. I wanted to see one more physical top 6 big body to take some of the load off of Brady.. Preferably someone who can play head to head against the top centres in the league and leave them feeling sore by the end of the evening. I like Pierre Luc Dubois. I think he is available and don't believe the only option for him is Montreal. He would be a great fit in Ottawa and already has some solid history with Batherson, Chabot and Joseph.

I believe the Sens are so close to being a serious contender. A power forward and reliable goaltending are the only things that need be stabilized.

Love this team.
- spatso

Not sure I like Dubois but I do agree completely that they need to get bigger up front, not smaller, and not just one guy either and not just marginal or over the hill NHLers. That will cost some money.

They also need that reliable goalie and if they're going to be locking up Sanderson and Pinto which they'd be crazy not to then they can't be blowing their wad on DeBrincat. Period!

Goalies can be a real pain to scout and acquire and even the best of the best seem inconsistent. There is a reason you put any NHL Goalie in the AHL and their numbers simply won't look as good. Because the NHL has structure.

You get a great coach in Ottawa who builds a good system and gets great commitment from the players then I think Ottawa won't have a problem finding a great goaltender.

Remembering the drama that happened under Guy Boucher it makes total sense why DJ is here and despite the on-ice results is still the coach. I think Dorion had such a headache from the fallout of Hoffman and Karlsson and the players in the webcam mocking the coaching staff that he just wants a good guy who keeps the great players he's acquired in good, focused and competitive spirits.

When you hear about the behavior of esteemed coaches like Babcock and Quenneville I think Dorion wants no business with that type of coach. Might be why unfortunately both he and DJ may likely exit at the same time.

Hopefully Ottawa can find the unlikely balance of having a great guy and a solid structured coach who commands commitment from his team That kind of all rounder will cost money that will come with the new ownership group.

Pinto, and some picks to the Islanders for one of their goalies.

This team has been burned a few times now giving up on young goalie prospects too early. One would imagine if we got Gus' performance this year instead of Talbot's, playoffs would be a reality. The price for a Hart or Swayman won't be worth it - I wouldn't sell any meaningful assets to get a goalie, enough promising players will be available - Samsonov, Hill, Varlamov, Korpisalo, Brossoit, etc. won't require backing in a bank truck. Sign a Hill, -ov, or Brossoit, Give Sogard a chance at backup, Forsberg as an insurance policy, if this team can land on two 910 svg, it ought be sufficient to make the playoffs.

Just think Debrincat may be a luxury we cannot afford. Paying 2nd line wingers more than $8 million makes little sense in the new NHL.

I think we are set at forward for next year, beyond fourth line holes. People forget we have both Norris and Formenton coming back (or whatever they get for Formenton). We are running out of spots for players, especially if Grieg continues to improve.

Brassard? Do we resign? Like Hamonic, at the right term, I would be okay with it.

Only issues I have with Brannstrom is his size. He looks tiny out there and tends to get manhandled in front of his own net.

For next year I would like to see the Sens get off to a hot start (for once), get better defensive structure, and I want to see if a coaching change would improve the team (like it has in Vancouver, apparently). And....goaltending. I like Mads but behind him we have very little until Forsberg/Talbot gets better.

Joseph, Formenton and a first for either Demko or Gibson?