Michael Stuart: Mike's Mailbag: Salary Cap, Self-Isolation, Draft Picks, and More!

One thing I’ve been saying to everyone:

Right now is the perfect time for Seattle to announce their team name and logo. They may want to make a big show out of it but I don’t think you can get anything bigger than the only non-corona story in the world right now. People that don’t even watch football were even paying attention to the Tom Brady signing. Would bring back some normalcy during strange times.

15 million people live in Ontario.
4000 corona virus cases.

that means 0.02% of the population has it (in other words, 99.98% doesn't). The Sens are 4 of those cases ! Pretty crazy

15 million people live in Ontario.
4000 corona virus cases.

that means 0.02% of the population has it (in other words, 99.98% doesn't). The Sens are 4 of those cases ! Pretty crazy
- AlfieisKing

100% of the Senators players have been tested. That's not the case for the rest of the population.

100% of the Senators players have been tested. That's not the case for the rest of the population.
- SensFan25

Beat me to it! It's not an apples to apples comparison.

One thing I’ve been saying to everyone:

Right now is the perfect time for Seattle to announce their team name and logo. They may want to make a big show out of it but I don’t think you can get anything bigger than the only non-corona story in the world right now. People that don’t even watch football were even paying attention to the Tom Brady signing. Would bring back some normalcy during strange times.
- RedC21

Definitely a compelling argument from my point of view.

This is just me , but everytime we have a Sens mail bag . It s people I don t really see follow this blog. I don’t suspect you Mike to invent name lol but it s weird

This is just me , but everytime we have a Sens mail bag . It s people I don t really see follow this blog. I don’t suspect you Mike to invent name lol but it s weird
- Crosside

I don’t know about the others but one of the ones from this blog was mine, just changed the name at risk of looking like an idiot

I don’t know about the others but one of the ones from this blog was mine, just changed the name at risk of looking like an idiot
- RedC21

A ok this is the trick lol

This is just me , but everytime we have a Sens mail bag . It s people I don t really see follow this blog. I don’t suspect you Mike to invent name lol but it s weird
- Crosside

Maybe because Mike has great blogs and those of us that follow other teams are starving for good content? Not kissing Mike's behind, but...

it is the truth and ill keep saying, if OTT drafts Drysdale or Askarov with either of their first 2 picks, their rebuild is destroyed, they will be come the coyote/panthers of the north.

at this point sens need to go for need over best available, they need elite forwards not D or G....

it is the truth and ill keep saying, if OTT drafts Drysdale or Askarov with either of their first 2 picks, their rebuild is destroyed, they will be come the coyote/panthers of the north.

at this point sens need to go for need over best available, they need elite forwards not D or G....
- Athrin

Askarov I agree, Drysdale no. I don’t think adding a potentially elite D will hurt your rebuild. Ottawa’s prospect pool is log jammed at D but he’s already better than Bernard-Docker, Thomson, and will likely be better than Brannstrom.

I think Ottawa will risk passing on him for a forward but if that selection is 6-10 it would be a questionable decision. Also lurking around this blog recently I find that even sens fans aren’t as high on the potential of Norris, pinto, and batherson up front. I’m also lower on the forwards not projected top 5 as I’m not convinced they will be better than those 3.

Askarov I agree, Drysdale no. I don’t think adding a potentially elite D will hurt your rebuild. Ottawa’s prospect pool is log jammed at D but he’s already better than Bernard-Docker, Thomson, and will likely be better than Brannstrom.

I think Ottawa will risk passing on him for a forward but if that selection is 6-10 it would be a questionable decision. Also lurking around this blog recently I find that even sens fans aren’t as high on the potential of Norris, pinto, and batherson up front. I’m also lower on the forwards not projected top 5 as I’m not convinced they will be better than those 3.
- RedC21

I believe the Sens will spend some of their picks on NHL ready or under 30 vets to accelerate the rebuild. I can't see all these picks going into the system all at once. However having all these picks and them developing in college and junior and overseas would not over whelm their system and prove to be valuable trade bait 1-3 yrs down the road. I would think the later would be wiser, but the former is more tempting for a more competitive team sooner...........

it is the truth and ill keep saying, if OTT drafts Drysdale or Askarov with either of their first 2 picks, their rebuild is destroyed, they will be come the coyote/panthers of the north.

at this point sens need to go for need over best available, they need elite forwards not D or G....
- Athrin

The real truth is that you are not correct. You can never go wrong with wrong with grabbing a stud defensive prospect.

The real truth is that you are not correct. You can never go wrong with wrong with grabbing a stud defensive prospect.
- HoweHatrick

The 2008 draft would suggest otherwise

The 2008 draft would suggest otherwise
- Michael_Stuart

To be fair the forwards from that draft weren’t great either. A re-draft NHL.com put out two years ago: https://www.nhl.com/news/...ins-no-1-pick/c-299085064

100% of the Senators players have been tested. That's not the case for the rest of the population.
- SensFan25

fair point, still....... even in the NHL, Sens have been the outlier

Dhamion Rhodes! Duh.

The 2008 draft would suggest otherwise
- Michael_Stuart

Yeah. What were the Kings and Blues thinking taking Doughty and Pietrangelo. Very poor selections that had no impact on their respective franchises at all. Look at all of those other franchise defenders in there as well. All poor selections.

2003: R. Suter (7) B. Couburn (8) D. Phaneuf (9)
2004: C. Barker (3) L. Smid (9) B. Valabik (10)
2005: J. Johnson (3) B. Lee (9)
2006: E. Johnson (1)
2007: L. Hickey (4) K. Alzner (5) K. Ellerby (10)
2008: D. Doughty (2) Z. Bogosian (3) A. Pietrangelo (4) L. Schenn (5)
2009: Hedman (2) O.Ekman-Larsson (6) J.Cowen (9)
2010: Erik Gudbranson (3) Dylan McIlrath (10)
2011: A. Larsson (4) D. Hamilton (9) J. Brodin (10) Duncan Siemens (11)
2012: G. Reinhart (4) M. Rielly (5) H. Lindholm (6) M. Dumba (7)
D. Pouliot (8) J. Trouba (9) S. Koekkoek (10)
2013: S. Jones (4) D. Nurse (7) R. Ristolainen (8)
2014: A. Ekblad (1) H. Fleury (7)
2015: N. Hanifin (5) I. Provorov (7) Z. Werenski (8)
2016: O. Juolevi (5) M. Sergachev (9)
2017: M. Heiskanen (3) C. Makar (4)
2018: R. Dahlin (1) Q. Hughes (7) A. Boqvist (8) E. Bouchard (10)

About 17-20 of these 50 D-men will give you 8-10 years of hockey; some even less. It's hard to say it's a good idea to take a D-man unless it's a top pick OR you have a big need on D OR the best available F is not at the same level

The real truth is that you are not correct. You can never go wrong with wrong with grabbing a stud defensive prospect.
- HoweHatrick

This is an essential, underlying truth. An asset is an asset. It has a value and the asset is negotiable. The Sens can become an elite team by building the best D in the NHL.

Dorion and Smith believe that Chabot has already shown the skill and intensity that will make him a future Norris winner. They still have 5 more defensive slots to fill in every game time.

About 17-20 of these 50 D-men will give you 8-10 years of hockey; some even less. It's hard to say it's a good idea to take a D-man unless it's a top pick OR you have a big need on D OR the best available F is not at the same level
- AlfieisKing

This list / thesis is irrelevant. The exact same thing can be said of forwards.

Teams very rarely draft for need unless the need is desperate. Selecting the best player available is the way to go. You can sort your roster out later. Granted, BPA can be a crap shoot but that holds for any draft selection.

Every pick is a question mark. The point is that defensive prospects, besides being a necessity for an organizations on ice product, are huge bargaining chips. Defence wins playoff series - this is a lesson the Leafs have yet to learn.

Mann said in a interview that Batherson and Formenton are ready to make the jump in the nhl. Brown, Brannstrom and Abramov close but not ready

Mann said in a interview that Batherson and Formenton are ready to make the jump in the nhl. Brown, Brannstrom and Abramov close but not ready
- Crosside

Any word on Norris?
Brown appears to being passed on the depth chart.

Any word on Norris?
Brown appears to being passed on the depth chart.
- david22

I assume he is speaking of the article on the Athletic. No Norris mentioned for some reason. The Brown write up was interesting. Sounds like it's in his best interest to stay in the AHL full time for a year. Not a great progression.