There is no way in hell Yzerman wants any part of Formenton. Nobody is touching that guy unless he is cleared of any wrongdoing and even then most teams would probably avoid him.

Thomson is interesting but the Wings already have too many defensemen so one would have to go back.

Kelly is a dime a dozen vanilla 4th liner, you can sign them every summer for nothing. Wings already have enough 4th liners.

Joseph like i said previously is not liked by Wings players and is overpaid worst than Zadina was.

If Yzerman gave up Kubalik and Berggren/Soderblom for Debrincat, he needs to be fired. 7 goals, 21 point difference between Kubalik and Debrincat last season. Kubalik is bigger, cheaper and better defensively.

I said it at the start of last season that i liked getting Kubalik for nothing but a cheap contract a hell of a lot more than the Sens getting Debrincat for the price they paid in assets and the cost of re-signing that guy.
- dcz28

Agree on Formenton - no one touching.
Lassi Thomson - yes. He's not untouchable for sure
Joseph - I agree - but I do think he would do A LOT better on up and coming team
Kubalik - useful player, not a top line player at all imo. DeBrincat had a BAD year. He easily could've got 30 and would've had 35 playing with Stutzle full time but that's Brady's spot. DeBrincat CAN be a top line player with two solid players and the right set up player.

I don't think Yzerman will do anything big. He strikes as a boring but patient GM - at least for another 2 years

As far as i know Yzerman hasn't traded for Debrincat and given him a 8 year contract so how is he getting played? Yzerman obviously doesn't like the Sens ask for Debrincat and/or his contract demands or else a deal would have been made already.

One thing we do know is that Yzerman trades don't usually end up in the media before it happens which gives me hope that he really has no interest in Debrincat and all this is made up by the media because Detroit was on his list. Would not be surprised if the Wings make a trade and it has nothing to do with Debrincat but some other player the media had not talked about moving at all...that is usually how Yzerman operates.
- dcz28

Fans are quick to turn on a guy when he doesn’t wanna play for your team.

To me, there’s no doubt that whoever gets debrincat is getting an elite scorer. I think anything under 8 is a steal.

If Yzerman can pull it off, I can’t see another player on the wings surpassing Cat in goals for years.

With that being said..I’m hoping somehow he’s either dealt back out West or he stays with the club. 1) I don’t like what the wings have 2) both teams are in the same competitive window 3) cat would be extra motivated playing in his hometown.

I don’t see how a deal between our two teams benefit the Sens because they’ve got a lot more to lose in the long run.

To STL: Alex DeBrincat, Mathieu Joseph, Erik Brannstrom, Lassi Thomson
To OTT: Pavel Buchnevich, Colton Parayko (35% salary retained)

Acquire Laughton from Philly before the trade deadline.

2024 NHL Playoffs:

Tkachuk - Norris - Batherson
Buchnevich - Stutzle - Tarasenko
Laughton - Pinto - Giroux
Grieg - Kastelic - Smejkal

Chabot - Chychrun
Sanderson - Parayko
Kleven - Benard Docker / Hamonic

To STL: Alex DeBrincat, Mathieu Joseph, Erik Brannstrom, Lassi Thomson
To OTT: Pavel Buchnevich, Colton Parayko (35% salary retained)

Acquire Laughton from Philly before the trade deadline.

2024 NHL Playoffs:

Tkachuk - Norris - Batherson
Buchnevich - Stutzle - Tarasenko
Laughton - Pinto - Giroux
Grieg - Kastelic - Smejkal

Chabot - Chychrun
Sanderson - Parayko
Kleven - Benard Docker / Hamonic
- AlfieisKing

Zub ? Plus, you're trading away our defensive depth. Can we all assume that, as per usual, Chabot and Chychrun may lose time to injuries?

Agree on Formenton - no one touching.
Lassi Thomson - yes. He's not untouchable for sure
Joseph - I agree - but I do think he would do A LOT better on up and coming team
Kubalik - useful player, not a top line player at all imo. DeBrincat had a BAD year. He easily could've got 30 and would've had 35 playing with Stutzle full time but that's Brady's spot. DeBrincat CAN be a top line player with two solid players and the right set up player.

I don't think Yzerman will do anything big. He strikes as a boring but patient GM - at least for another 2 years
- AlfieisKing

See that is the problem, Wings don't have an elite or even very good playmaker. As i've said in the past, Berggren is probably their best pure playmaker right now. He's not getting close to 40 goals with the players the Wings have now and i think at best he's a 30 goals guy with the Wings. Trading a bunch for him or signing him for 8+ million a year is lunacy to me for the Wings. He needs players to make him better and the Wings right now don't have the players to do that. If he plays with Larkin, he might hit 30 goals or he might have similar numbers to what he had with the Sens last season. If he plays with Copp or Compher, i don't think he hits 30 goals at all even if he plays on the top PP unit. He probably ends up with 25 goals and maybe 50 points.

Wings need players that will make other players better not one that needs other players to make him better...they already have plenty of those.

I would prefer several trades with Detroit and Calgary.

Debrincat to Detroit for a second round pick and a 3rd round pick, and either Carter Mazur or Albert Johansen. (or something like Mazur or Johansen plus a 3rd .... if DeBrincat re-signs with Detroit we also get a second). Let's just get this done and move on.

We can no longer fit DeBrincat in our cap system unless we trade a player or 2 out of the system. Plus we still have to re-sign Pinto to some sort of bridge deal.

After the trade and getting Pinto sorted out ..... go to Calgary (rumors are Ottawa is talking with Calgary .... but I suspect not for Debrincat LOL). That from several sources I read.
Maybe a trade for Elias Lindholm at 1 year $4.8 million (age 29 by next season) IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF IF we can re-sign him for 2-3 more years. Calgary gets 2nd round pick, Brannstrom, Greig, Sokolov. Or 2 of those plus a second round pick (some comb of the above).

Then trade Joseph, a 2nd round pick, Lassi Thompson (some combo of the them) to Philly for Scott Laughton. Let's be serious, Philly is not trading Konecny so give up that pipe dream.


Tkachuk/Stutzle/Giroux
Norris/Lindholm/Batherson ........ Linholm is centre so Norris does not have to take faceoffs until we are sure his shoulder has fully healed.
Laughton/Pinto/Jarventie
Crookshank/Kastelik and MacEwen, Kelly

Chabot/Zub
Sanderson/Chychrun
Klevin/Bernard-Docker/Hamonic

Korpisalo/Forsberg

Salary around $80 million for the year.
Still plenty of back-up/depth in Belleville ...... Mantipalo, Guenette, Smejkal, etc.

Zub ? Plus, you're trading away our defensive depth. Can we all assume that, as per usual, Chabot and Chychrun may lose time to injuries?
- OttawaB

Put Zub on third line! lol

One point I have been saying for a lot time (at least in my head lol) ---> teams win cups don't have more than 1 US center in their top 3. In fact go through all the teams that made the playoffs last year (I did). Only 1 team - Seattle - have 2 top 3 centers from the USA. Canadian centers win cups - usually ones that are drafted really high. And if you don't have that, then a center like Tim Stutzle or another Euro center (or russian if he was Datsyuk, Malkin, or Kuznetsov). That's why I never liked drafting USA centers --- Logan Brown, Colin White. Shane Pinto is good but Noesen smh. Tyler Boucher man, I don't get a good feeling either. Even Canadian guys like Lazar, Puempel - you can't keep missing on 1st round picks.

Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris, Ridly Grieg --- would be what I have down the middle to win a cup. I would trade Shane Pinto while his value is high. Colin White had an amazing first full year as well.

One point I have been saying for a lot time (at least in my head lol) ---> teams win cups don't have more than 1 US center in their top 3. In fact go through all the teams that made the playoffs last year (I did). Only 1 team - Seattle - have 2 top 3 centers from the USA. Canadian centers win cups - usually ones that are drafted really high. And if you don't have that, then a center like Tim Stutzle or another Euro center (or russian if he was Datsyuk, Malkin, or Kuznetsov). That's why I never liked drafting USA centers --- Logan Brown, Colin White. Shane Pinto is good but Noesen smh. Tyler Boucher man, I don't get a good feeling either. Even Canadian guys like Lazar, Puempel - you can't keep missing on 1st round picks.

Tim Stutzle, Josh Norris, Ridly Grieg --- would be what I have down the middle to win a cup. I would trade Shane Pinto while his value is high. Colin White had an amazing first full year as well.
- AlfieisKing

I would give Pinto a bridge deal .... 3 to 5 years at $2.5-3 million.

As per centremen .... Pinto has a much better faceoff percentage then Greig, albeit in limited action. But the way Greig plays will be more conducive to his being injured. Pinto is also a bigger body. That whole Canadian centre type of stats will soon go by the wayside as more and more Americans come into the NHL. There is no scientific, size, skill or other reason for this stat not to be altered over time.

Debrincat won't be traded to Detroit

DeBrincat wants an eight-year deal valued at between $8.75 million to $9 million per season.

Yzerman won’t move off five-years at $7.5 million a year.

They aren't even close for a new contract if these numbers are accurate so there is no deal to be had here.

These numbers also means the Islanders would have to get rid of 8 to 9 million in salary to be under the cap with signing Debrincat to that type of contract and Pageau would not be enough. They would have to lose another 4 million or so assuming Wahlstrom is included in the deal so they don't have to re-sign him.

Dorion will either have to keep him or trade him to a team he likely won't re-sign with as a rental.

Debrincat won't be traded to Detroit

DeBrincat wants an eight-year deal valued at between $8.75 million to $9 million per season.

Yzerman won’t move off five-years at $7.5 million a year.

They aren't even close for a new contract if these numbers are accurate so there is no deal to be had here.

These numbers also means the Islanders would have to get rid of 8 to 9 million in salary to be under the cap with signing Debrincat to that type of contract and Pageau would not be enough. They would have to lose another 4 million or so assuming Wahlstrom is included in the deal so they don't have to re-sign him.

Dorion will either have to keep him or trade him to a team he likely won't re-sign with as a rental.
- dcz28

Perhaps. But I doubt it. Yzerman has not been right very often, even since before a very long time ago. Dorion cannot afford to sign DeBrincat! He does not have the cap space that allows for the signing of DeBrincat, Sanderson and Chychrun. Somone has to go and both defensemen are far more important to the Sens than DeBrincat. Up front, DeBrincat was the Sens 4th leading scorer. Why is there so much noise around this file?

It smelled from day 1. Remember locker room clean out day. Garrioch, the underground reporter, who writes only what Dorion dictates, advises us DeBrincat would not be resigning long term and likely not coming back. It began the process with the Sens next opting out of the $9m offer for this year and choosing to pursue an arbitration hearing where they could have DeBrincat's contract reduced to $7.5m. Seriously, how keen are they to keep DeBrincat?

HB is now showing CGY as the team the Senators are talking to re: DeBrincat... which makes literally no sense whatsoever, barring a 3-way deal. If the holdup on the DeBrincat trade is the Senators being offered nothing but future assets like picks/prospects, then it would have to be a roster player on CGY of interest, which I just don't see.

It feels more like a random combination generator being used to try to solve a game of Clue... the Calgary Flames are inquiring about DeBrincat according to Mr. Green... in the conservatory, with the revolver.

HB is now showing CGY as the team the Senators are talking to re: DeBrincat... which makes literally no sense whatsoever, barring a 3-way deal. If the holdup on the DeBrincat trade is the Senators being offered nothing but future assets like picks/prospects, then it would have to be a roster player on CGY of interest, which I just don't see.

It feels more like a random combination generator being used to try to solve a game of Clue... the Calgary Flames are inquiring about DeBrincat according to Mr. Green... in the conservatory, with the revolver.
- khawk

Random combination makes sense. It could be Calgary has no interest in DeBrincat and we know Ottawa has no interest in DeBrincat and both may have an interest in generating assets that would be used to transact another unconnected deal. I believe the Sens priority is to avoid taking back anything other than a modest salary when trading DeBrincat. If you can only pay 2 out of 3, even after a significant cap increase, it is easy for me in making a choice for Sanderson and Chychrun over DeBrincat.

Random combination makes sense. It could be Calgary has no interest in DeBrincat and we know Ottawa has no interest in DeBrincat and both may have an interest in generating assets that would be used to transact another unconnected deal. I believe the Sens priority is to avoid taking back anything other than a modest salary when trading DeBrincat. If you can only pay 2 out of 3, even after a significant cap increase, it is easy for me in making a choice for Sanderson and Chychrun over DeBrincat.
- spatso

But you also have to remember that the salary cap is going up maybe $4 million next season and also the season after that which will take care of the Sanderson and Chychrun contracts. Plus, Giroux's contract will be due and at his age then, that contract should be lower then $6.5 million.

But you also have to remember that the salary cap is going up maybe $4 million next season and also the season after that which will take care of the Sanderson and Chychrun contracts. Plus, Giroux's contract will be due and at his age then, that contract should be lower then $6.5 million.
- OttawaB

Next summer will be an earthquake that will devastate multiple teams that do not put on some safety brakes. The cap will go up $5m per team or $160m in aggregate for the entire league. Probably not enough to cover a Sanderson increase.

But, the huge issue is team's have signed a bunch of short term deals this summer. They have spent a total of $355.5m on new deals. Small potatoes in terms of the glut of big contacts that are coming due next summer. Having some cap space next summer will be gold.

Perhaps. But I doubt it. Yzerman has not been right very often, even since before a very long time ago. Dorion cannot afford to sign DeBrincat! He does not have the cap space that allows for the signing of DeBrincat, Sanderson and Chychrun. Somone has to go and both defensemen are far more important to the Sens than DeBrincat. Up front, DeBrincat was the Sens 4th leading scorer. Why is there so much noise around this file?

It smelled from day 1. Remember locker room clean out day. Garrioch, the underground reporter, who writes only what Dorion dictates, advises us DeBrincat would not be resigning long term and likely not coming back. It began the process with the Sens next opting out of the $9m offer for this year and choosing to pursue an arbitration hearing where they could have DeBrincat's contract reduced to $7.5m. Seriously, how keen are they to keep DeBrincat?
- spatso

What is that suppose to mean? Yzerman has made a lot of good moves in Tampa and Detroit. He got rid of all the garbage Holland left him and managed the cap pretty well. The only player he has signed to more than 5 years is Larkin. Seider will likely get a long term extension as he should since he is part of the core already. Raymond is harder to say but he should get a nice extension too. Wings have plenty of cap space moving forward with the older UFAs he signed expire and be replaced with prospects on their ELCs. He has room (and assets) to sign or trade for elite talent if they become available. I don't like the Copp, Chiarot, Compher and Holl signings but they shouldn't be a problem moving forward.

I said it from the start that i thought it wasn't a good deal for Ottawa to give up what they did for Debrincat. I said that i liked getting Kubalik for no assets and a 2.5 million salary way better. Sens can't afford to sign Debrincat long term but if they move some salary out they could be able to keep him for this season. A Sanderson extension would only kick in next summer and Chychrun has 2 years left. It's either that or just move Debrincat to whoever for whatever they can get. Very few teams can get Debrincat for 1 year without moving out salary as it stands so if the Sens don't want much salary back, their options are very limited.

What is that suppose to mean? Yzerman has made a lot of good moves in Tampa and Detroit. He got rid of all the garbage Holland left him and managed the cap pretty well. The only player he has signed to more than 5 years is Larkin. Seider will likely get a long term extension as he should since he is part of the core already. Raymond is harder to say but he should get a nice extension too. Wings have plenty of cap space moving forward with the older UFAs he signed expire and be replaced with prospects on their ELCs. He has room (and assets) to sign or trade for elite talent if they become available. I don't like the Copp, Chiarot, Compher and Holl signings but they shouldn't be a problem moving forward.

I said it from the start that i thought it wasn't a good deal for Ottawa to give up what they did for Debrincat. I said that i liked getting Kubalik for no assets and a 2.5 million salary way better. Sens can't afford to sign Debrincat long term but if they move some salary out they could be able to keep him for this season. A Sanderson extension would only kick in next summer and Chychrun has 2 years left. It's either that or just move Debrincat to whoever for whatever they can get. Very few teams can get Debrincat for 1 year without moving out salary as it stands so if the Sens don't want much salary back, their options are very limited.
- dcz28

Yes, entirely correct. Just watch Yzerman will screw it up. Hope he doesn't but he does not seem to be able to stay out of his own way and he overhangs situations that should easily work. Most of his signings look pretty lame. Without Brisebois he is unable to figure it out.

Yes, entirely correct. Just watch Yzerman will screw it up. Hope he doesn't but he does not seem to be able to stay out of his own way and he overhangs situations that should easily work. Most of his signings look pretty lame. Without Brisebois he is unable to figure it out.
- spatso

I still don't get what you mean by he will screw it up. Do you mean he will screw up by trading for Debrincat and/or sign him or screw up by not trading for Debrincat at all?

I also don't get why you say he is not able to stay out of his own way and he overhangs situations that should work easily. Give me some examples of these things.

Majority of his singings are either low risk ones or just place holders until some of the prospects are ready for the NHL...hence why he never gives contracts over 5 years.

I still don't get what you mean by he will screw it up. Do you mean he will screw up by trading for Debrincat and/or sign him or screw up by not trading for Debrincat at all?

I also don't get why you say he is not able to stay out of his own way and he overhangs situations that should work easily. Give me some examples of these things.

Majority of his singings are either low risk ones or just place holders until some of the prospects are ready for the NHL...hence why he never gives contracts over 5 years.
- dcz28

He will go too long and in the end overpay on term. Or, he will continue to drag it out and nothing happens. Nobody is really sure (perhaps, including himself) if he is really committed to the idea of wanting DeBrincat. Does he have a vision for the Wings? He is indecisive to the point where random events drive him. Most of his signings over the last couple of years cause me to wonder if he any kind of a long term strategic markers. He seems to be randomly transactional and it is hard to get any kind of a feel yet for the kind of team he is ultimately trying to build.

I have absolutely no remorse over the original that trade Dorion made to get DeBrincat but, as most of you guys know, I am not a fan of too many little guys on any roster. I was cool to the signing of both Giroux and DeBrincat for that reason.

But, let's be honest. Did anyone expect Sanderson to play at that level? Does anyone second guess Dorion's stated priority of this summer to sign Sanderson to a long term deal (no doubt $8m x 8). Does anyone expect the similar approach for Chychrun next summer?

Reality is Giroux was a success. Sanderson was an over the top triumph. Chychrun offers great promise. Is there any Sens fan left that would prefer the Sens to sign DeBrincat to an 8 year deal?

He will go too long and in the end overpay on term. Or, he will continue to drag it out and nothing happens. Nobody is really sure (perhaps, including himself) if he is really committed to the idea of wanting DeBrincat. Does he have a vision for the Wings? He is indecisive to the point where random events drive him. Most of his signings over the last couple of years cause me to wonder if he any kind of a long term strategic markers. He seems to be randomly transactional and it is hard to get any kind of a feel yet for the kind of team he is ultimately trying to build.
- spatso

If you are looking at UFA signings as to what his vision of the team he wants is, you are looking at the wrong thing. Like i said those are just placeholders to keep the team somewhat competitive so the youngsters don't come into a poopshow of a team and to learn from. When it comes to UFAs he values character and work ethic a lot.

For his vision of the team, you have to look at the drafting. Size, mobile 2 way players with a strong work ethic and good character is what they look for. Wings are still rebuilding so don't think his UFA signings are for cup contention. He's just buying time with them until the prospects outplay them and take their jobs. Yzerman will not just hand a prospect a spot on the roster, they have to earn it and if they do he will trade or waive someone that he doesn't see as part of the future of this team when they are contenders.

He sold at the deadline while the Wings were still somewhat battling for a playoff spot. Why? Because he doesn't think they are close yet to competing for a cup. He sent Bertuzzi, Hronek, Sundqvist and Vrana packing. Unless they are in a playoff spot at this next deadline (maybe even then), he will sell again at the deadline. His goal isn't to just make the playoffs, it's to be a cup contender for a while.

I have absolutely no remorse over the original that trade Dorion made to get DeBrincat but, as most of you guys know, I am not a fan of too many little guys on any roster. I was cool to the signing of both Giroux and DeBrincat for that reason.

But, let's be honest. Did anyone expect Sanderson to play at that level? Does anyone second guess Dorion's stated priority of this summer to sign Sanderson to a long term deal (no doubt $8m x 8). Does anyone expect the similar approach for Chychrun next summer?

Reality is Giroux was a success. Sanderson was an over the top triumph. Chychrun offers great promise. Is there any Sens fan left that would prefer the Sens to sign DeBrincat to an 8 year deal?
- spatso

Sure. At an AAV of no higher than $8million

And he would still be a luxury we can't afford.

Let's put is this way...would u rather have Debrinact at 8 x 8 or Tarasenko for 1 x 6.6 and someone Kubalik from DET or Walhstrom from NY?

Sure. At an AAV of no higher than $8million

And he would still be a luxury we can't afford.

Let's put is this way...would u rather have Debrinact at 8 x 8 or Tarasenko for 1 x 6.6 and someone Kubalik from DET or Walhstrom from NY?
- GrimmdaGoalie

It is about the term. Sens already have 4 players making $8m on long term deals. Best the cap is going to do is go to $96m in 2 to 3 years. If the cap goes that high, the Sens can be comfortable carrying 6 players averaging $8m each. They can probably risk adding a big ticket salary on a short term deal if they get to the point of gearing up for a playoff run.

I am not the least bit opposed to allowing DeBrincat to play for a year and letting him walk at the end of the season. The $8m of free cap would allow the Sens to do some good stuff next summer when there is going to be a lot less money despite a $5m pop in the cap.

Debrincat to Detroit finally done.
Kubalik, sebrango, conditional 1st and a 4th rnd pick,
4 yrs 7.875 extension

To STL: Alex DeBrincat, Mathieu Joseph, Erik Brannstrom, Lassi Thomson
To OTT: Pavel Buchnevich, Colton Parayko (35% salary retained)

Acquire Laughton from Philly before the trade deadline.

2024 NHL Playoffs:

Tkachuk - Norris - Batherson
Buchnevich - Stutzle - Tarasenko
Laughton - Pinto - Giroux
Grieg - Kastelic - Smejkal

Chabot - Chychrun
Sanderson - Parayko
Kleven - Benard Docker / Hamonic
- AlfieisKing