Michael Stuart: Sizing Up the Atlantic Competition: Ottawa Senators

Real good blog. Good take.

I was ok with the White pick but I was more surprised with the Chabot pick. He's going to be hit or miss in my opinion. He did have a tremendous second half of the year in junior so the Sens are obviously gambling his development continues in that upward direction.

The Legwand salary dump was a great move for the Sens. It will allow them some room to play with capwise. Terrible signing last summer.

The Sens success next season greatly relies on Stone and Zibby (and Hoffman if resigned) continuing their development and providing scoring while Ryan, Turris, and Mac keep doing their thing.

I hope the draft grades are a joke.

The division has two teams that are above the others, montreal and tampa, who should be locks for the playoffs

After that there's Ottawa Detroit Boston and Florida who should fight it out for the last 1-3 playoff spots.

Each team has their question marks, florida and ottawa if their youth can build on momentum from last year.

Detroit if they can keep on keeping on as always, eventually someone will correctly predict them missing the playoffs, not sure I'm confident doing that though.

ANd Boston well, who knows what will happen to them next year.

I hope the draft grades are a joke.
- TheCalSen

?

Will this finish with a prediction on division standings?

?
- Michael_Stuart

Giving a negative rankings to a team will garner you some negative feed back.

I was a little curious as to the grade as well, I thought some of the picks seemed pretty decent, if not a little early. but these rankings seem pretty ambiguous and hard to gauge at this stage.

Bleacherreport gave the Sens an A, lastwordonsports an A- but I have no idea if they are a legitimate authority on this matter.

SI gave them a B+, i know they get knocked a lot for their (lack of) hockey knowledge though.

One thing though, murray has a track record of finding talent in the draft, so i'm not worried,.

Will this finish with a prediction on division standings?
- david22

I suppose it could. Good idea!

Giving a negative rankings to a team will garner you some negative feed back.

I was a little curious as to the grade as well, I thought some of the picks seemed pretty decent, if not a little early. but these rankings seem pretty ambiguous and hard to gauge at this stage.

Bleacherreport gave the Sens an A, lastwordonsports an A- but I have no idea if they are a legitimate authority on this matter.

SI gave them a B+, i know they get knocked a lot for their (lack of) hockey knowledge though.

One thing though, murray has a track record of finding talent in the draft, so i'm not worried,.
- david22

I don't watch enough Junior hockey to say that Player X is a better pick than Player Y, which is why I really like some of the new analytics models that are coming out to analyze prospects. I based my grade on there being (arguably) safer/better talent available on the board when Ottawa picked. Tampa was in the same boat (though worse, in my opinion).

I don't watch enough Junior hockey to say that Player X is a better pick than Player Y, which is why I really like some of the new analytics models that are coming out to analyze prospects. I based my grade on there being (arguably) safer/better talent available on the board when Ottawa picked. Tampa was in the same boat (though worse, in my opinion).
- Michael_Stuart

EDIT - I might have been a little harsh. Had it as a B or B- before editing.

EDIT - I might have been a little harsh. Had it as a B or B- before editing.
- Michael_Stuart

Don't change it on account of Sens fans. If you feel C+ is what it is than that's fair. Your basis is sound, I'm no expert in this stuff, hockey news had each player taken a little later, and chabot much later as well.

Don't change it on account of Sens fans. If you feel C+ is what it is than that's fair. Your basis is sound, I'm no expert in this stuff, hockey news had each player taken a little later, and chabot much later as well.
- david22

I've bumped it up to a B-. My argument isn't necessarily that the guys they picked are bad, just that there may have been safer guys available. A lot of seemingly good talent fell, for whatever reason.

Chabot and White are pretty conventuals selection for Dorion. Superior skaters, smart and a little off the grid. Chabot was the second Dman taken off his team. It is a huge bet. Dorion is a very sharp hockey mind.

Chabot and White are pretty conventuals selection for Dorion. Superior skaters, smart and a little off the grid. Chabot was the second Dman taken off his team. It is a huge bet. Dorion is a very sharp hockey mind.
- spatso

I've said this before but i'm quite intrigued by the Gagne pick. Murray trading up to draft a defensman. EDIT: winger.

I've said this before but i'm quite intrigued by the Gagne pick. Murray trading up to draft a defensman.
- david22

Gabriel Gagne is a RW.

Gabriel Gagne is a RW.
- HoweHatrick

Whoops i stand corrected, well murray trading up.

Gabriel Gagne is a RW.
- HoweHatrick

Already mentioned it in previous blogs but Gagne stood out as the best of the bunch in the two days I visited the dev camp.

With that being said, White looked very slow but excelled at shooting the puck into the goalies chest

Real good blog. Good take.

I was ok with the White pick but I was more surprised with the Chabot pick. He's going to be hit or miss in my opinion. He did have a tremendous second half of the year in junior so the Sens are obviously gambling his development continues in that upward direction.

The Legwand salary dump was a great move for the Sens. It will allow them some room to play with capwise. Terrible signing last summer.

The Sens success next season greatly relies on Stone and Zibby (and Hoffman if resigned) continuing their development and providing scoring while Ryan, Turris, and Mac keep doing their thing.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

agree.......altho keep in my legwand did come in with spezza leaving.

I hope the draft grades are a joke.
- TheCalSen

lol ye...its a joke, thats why its there

that grade comes out later.......why didn't the sens take TK from 67s ones asks

Already mentioned it in previous blogs but Gagne stood out as the best of the bunch in the two days I visited the dev camp.

With that being said, White looked very slow but excelled at shooting the puck into the goalies chest


- SENS 613

doesn't he remind you of lazar !!!!!

i think they want a team full of 200 way players that play in the playoffs - but still need skill doe-------61, 65, 7....who else

agree.......altho keep in my legwand did come in with spezza leaving.

lol ye...its a joke, thats why its there

that grade comes out later.......why didn't the sens take TK from 67s ones asks
- AlfieisKing

TK fell lower than most thought, seems a lot of teams were unsure about him. He also seems to be a player the Sens have in abundance. Good but not great centers.

I'm just glad they decided not to match the Bolts deal to Erik Condra, I think he will really round out the bottom six and help alot on the PK. The Bolts now have Boyle, Condra, Paquette, Callahan, and Filppula as very servicable PKers.

Now I hope Cooper is smart and does not play Palat and Johnson on the PK if they are not needed and let them focus on the PP with Kuch, Drouin, Killorn and Stamkos.

I really like the Condra signing, I was surprised that Ottawa did not match the deal its not like it was a horrible deal by the Bolts.

Namestnikov and Witkowski resigned, that leaves Carter Ashton for the AHL and that should be it. Then we wait on stammergeddon to run its course.

I'm just glad they decided not to match the Bolts deal to Erik Condra, I think he will really round out the bottom six and help alot on the PK. The Bolts now have Boyle, Condra, Paquette, Callahan, and Filppula as very servicable PKers.

Now I hope Cooper is smart and does not play Palat and Johnson on the PK if they are not needed and let them focus on the PP with Kuch, Drouin, Killorn and Stamkos.

I really like the Condra signing, I was surprised that Ottawa did not match the deal its not like it was a horrible deal by the Bolts.
- stammerman

Condra seems like a really good fit for the bolts. He's great on the PK, and a good possession player and can pass well. I was sad to see him go, but the silver lining is that it gives room for a young player to come up.

Fair warning, you will likely be shouting at the T.V at some point for his lack of offensive abilities. It really is baffling considering his other talents are much higher. Missed multiple open nets on the Sens.

Condra seems like a really good fit for the bolts. He's great on the PK, and a good possession player and can pass well. I was sad to see him go, but the silver lining is that it gives room for a young player to come up.

Fair warning, you will likely be shouting at the T.V at some point for his lack of offensive abilities. It really is baffling considering his other talents are much higher. Missed multiple open nets on the Sens.
- david22

I have heard all about it but thankfully the last thing the Lightning need from him is to score a goal. Its a luxury of being a Bolts fan right now that we don't take for granted.

I have heard all about it but thankfully the last thing the Lightning need from him is to score a goal. Its a luxury of being a Bolts fan right now that we don't take for granted.
- stammerman

Good counterpoint, that thought did cross my mind.