Kevin Francis: Gameday - Sens at Jets/DJ Smith still hasn't changed!

In the Athletic yesterday 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!

Team Exec in his article. Experts from the 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."

I hope to see Thomson with Branns tonight. JBD not sure his ready, He have trouble clearing the puck of the zone, but he seem stronger. Would like to see Kelly - Kastelic- Boucher line tonight

“Let’s not fool ourselves: Acquiring a top defenseman is probably the hardest thing to do as a general manager,” Dorion said.
- Kevin Francis

He's not wrong, but if you can acquire 1 or 2 top-4 defensemen, then you can distribute the load more evenly. Still not EASY to do, but a lot more doable that trying to find a #1 or burn out your best one.

I hope to see Thomson with Branns tonight. JBD not sure his ready, He have trouble clearing the puck of the zone, but he seem stronger. Would like to see Kelly - Kastelic- Boucher line tonight
- Crosside

I like that line that you mention! As for JBD, he played very well on Saturday, he is definitely much stronger but I think Lassi is beyond NHL ready.....but from talking to scouts and dev coaches with the Sens, they feel JBD could start here but most likely will end up in Belleville. His first pass out of his zone is one of the strengths that he demonstrated in Belleville last year.....tonight will be interesting. Brannstrom struggled on Saturday night. Hope you had a good time at Sensfest. Anyone attending it is supposed to receive a free pair of tics for the game on Saturday here!

He's not wrong, but if you can acquire 1 or 2 top-4 defensemen, then you can distribute the load more evenly. Still not EASY to do, but a lot more doable that trying to find a #1 or burn out your best one.
- jmatchett383

Absolutely, right now outside of Chabot, everyone on the blue line is being asked to play up a spot than what they are capable of. Hamonic isn't a top 4 and Sanderson is a rookie without an NHL regular season game under his belt! Who knows if he can handle a top 4 role.

I like that line that you mention! As for JBD, he played very well on Saturday, he is definitely much stronger but I think Lassi is beyond NHL ready.....but from talking to scouts and dev coaches with the Sens, they feel JBD could start here but most likely will end up in Belleville. His first pass out of his zone is one of the strengths that he demonstrated in Belleville last year.....tonight will be interesting. Brannstrom struggled on Saturday night. Hope you had a good time at Sensfest. Anyone attending it is supposed to receive a free pair of tics for the game on Saturday here!
- Kevin Francis

I was really disappointed when they announce the news. I drive two hours to see players in action, not for autograph. I listen the press conference and leave after. I hope the ticket are in the 100 or 200

The purpose of this lineup mismatch against a strong Jets team is so Smith can say that they're obviously not ready for the NHL.

Zaitsev it is.

I'm most interested in seeing how JBD, Thomson, Pinto and Kastelic play.

Playing Chabot nearly 30 minutes in a meaningless exhibition game is a warning it'll be happening in the regular season. It's even worse when you look at the lineup being iced against Winnipeg.

Dorion has been brilliant over this summer. But what has he done this week? He still needs to add a top 4 Dman.

Asking is steep. Too expensive if it is Pinto or Grieg.

Need to be patient. Armstrong has frozen the market by being so hard on Chychrun. Once Chychrun get moved, the market will soften. Guys like Provolov, Ristolainen and Seth Jones will get there time in the sun.

Still think the Sens best option may be with Calgary in trying to acquire a top 4.

Morning practice lines for the group going to Winnipeg.

Motte-Pinto-Joseph
Kelly-Brassard-Sokolov
Dal Colle-Gambrell-Haweryluk
Reinhardt-Kastelic-Boucher
Xxxxx Daoust xxxxx

Brannstrom-Guenette
Heatherington-Thomson
Larsson-JBD
Roger-Bernard

Sogaard
Mandolese
Bibeau

The purpose of this lineup mismatch against a strong Jets team is so Smith can say that they're obviously not ready for the NHL.

Zaitsev it is.
- Whatisavailable

100% this.
And really, we're not over or under thinking this.
The coach is an easy read. He likes big guys. He likes smashmouth hockey.

100% this.
And really, we're not over or under thinking this.
The coach is an easy read. He likes big guys. He likes smashmouth hockey.
- Octavarium

Saw a post where someone noted that Adam Gaudette, Victor Matte and Matt Murray will likely be starting with the Leafs on opening night.

Smashmouth makes sense to me. You need skill and speed but down the stretch and in the playoffs you need to win in the corners.

Saw a post where someone noted that Adam Gaudette, Victor Matte and Matt Murray will likely be starting with the Leafs on opening night.

Smashmouth makes sense to me. You need skill and speed but down the stretch and in the playoffs you need to win in the corners.
- spatso

Baffling to me the amount of Sens cast offs are playing for T.O this year. It'll be good measuring stick for the coaches. Imagine if suddenly all three of those players are high impact players for the Leafs. What does it say about our coaching?

Baffling to me the amount of Sens cast offs are playing for T.O this year. It'll be good measuring stick for the coaches. Imagine if suddenly all three of those players are high impact players for the Leafs. What does it say about our coaching?
- Octavarium

I think it says more about the Leafs salary structure and their inability to build any depth (or youth).

100% this.
And really, we're not over or under thinking this.
The coach is an easy read. He likes big guys. He likes smashmouth hockey.
- Octavarium

Smith is setting these kids up for failure. Way to build their confidence, Smith! Hopefully one or more of the kids surprise everybody.

Bowness on the other hand is icing a blend because he's actually interested in finding out what he's got.

100% this.
And really, we're not over or under thinking this.
The coach is an easy read. He likes big guys. He likes smashmouth hockey.
- Octavarium

Might as well be walking' on the sun.

Dorion has been brilliant over this summer. But what has he done this week? He still needs to add a top 4 Dman.

Asking is steep. Too expensive if it is Pinto or Grieg.

Need to be patient. Armstrong has frozen the market by being so hard on Chychrun. Once Chychrun get moved, the market will soften. Guys like Provolov, Ristolainen and Seth Jones will get there time in the sun.

Still think the Sens best option may be with Calgary in trying to acquire a top 4.
- spatso

I like Pinto well enough, but is there a reason why so many people feel that he's untouchable? They just locked up Norris/Stutzle as 1C/2C for most of the coming decade, Giroux can play C if there's an injury, Greig is developing fast, and if they sign Brassard they have a veteran #3C to start the year. Plus, it's not like Pinto is any way an established #3C in the NHL, with just 17GP in his career... and even if he was, most teams don't value a #3C ahead of a top-4D.

Let's assume the ask is Chychrun for Pinto & 1st-2023 (plus whatever is needed to resolve the Zaitsev fiasco). Do you make that trade?

I like Pinto well enough, but is there a reason why so many people feel that he's untouchable? They just locked up Norris/Stutzle as 1C/2C for most of the coming decade, Giroux can play C if there's an injury, Greig is developing fast, and if they sign Brassard they have a veteran #3C to start the year. Plus, it's not like Pinto is any way an established #3C in the NHL, with just 17GP in his career... and even if he was, most teams don't value a #3C ahead of a top-4D.

Let's assume the ask is Chychrun for Pinto & 1st-2023 (plus whatever is needed to resolve the Zaitsev fiasco). Do you make that trade?
- khawk

NO! If Chychrun was an actual right shot RD there might be something to talk about but even the I would be very hesitant.

This team isn't ready to win anything this year and maybe not for a couple of more years so I'd rather see what happens with these young prospects and picks before I go giving them away just so they can play meaningful games in March with a quick first round exit for years to come at best.

Pinto, Greig and maybe JBD and Thomson are the only legitimate prospects this team has.

Would be nice to address the defense on way or another to add a legitimate body back there. Right now, there is a lot riding on young players to make a big impact or veteran player to bounce back. I am not sure this team has legitimate success with the current d-group, but I’d love to be proven wrong. This team should become a team to get in playoff contention, but defense might hold them back to actually get in.

I fear the unwillingness to move young players with the slightest ounce of promise might come back to bite the franchise like we have seen before (Lazar, Cowen, White, Ceci, etc). I agree with khawk that I’m a little confused to why Pinto is deemed as so untouchable. If he is in fact as highly sought after as it’s reported, a deal for Chychrun might not be as steep as initially thought.

Would I push hard for a Chychrun deal now that training camp is under way? I am not sure. I wanted to see an established d-man brought in before camp so they could get reps well under their belt. I’m sure most teams do as well.

I like Pinto well enough, but is there a reason why so many people feel that he's untouchable? They just locked up Norris/Stutzle as 1C/2C for most of the coming decade, Giroux can play C if there's an injury, Greig is developing fast, and if they sign Brassard they have a veteran #3C to start the year. Plus, it's not like Pinto is any way an established #3C in the NHL, with just 17GP in his career... and even if he was, most teams don't value a #3C ahead of a top-4D.

Let's assume the ask is Chychrun for Pinto & 1st-2023 (plus whatever is needed to resolve the Zaitsev fiasco). Do you make that trade?
- khawk

I would trade him for the points you just raised. Pinto hasn't proven much beyond he gets injured easily. We have the center position pretty well covered. Remember we could've had Hall for Ceci. There were very strong packages for Cowen on the table before he faded into obscurity. We have overbaked and vacillated on many prospects in the past, if it gets us what we need now, even if Pinto turns into a capable 2 or even 1C, I'd pull the trigger. He's an unknown. Play him a season and his value could go up, sure, but it also could go down real quick.

DJ was sold on Zaitsev enough to endorse Dorion trading for him. He seems to look a lot to Keefe for crib notes, maybe the Chychrun smoke partly stems from the fact Smith has finally noticed the fact that Keefe runs two LD on his top defensive pairing.

I would trade him for the points you just raised. Pinto hasn't proven much beyond he gets injured easily. We have the center position pretty well covered. Remember we could've had Hall for Ceci. There were very strong packages for Cowen on the table before he faded into obscurity. We have overbaked and vacillated on many prospects in the past, if it gets us what we need now, even if Pinto turns into a capable 2 or even 1C, I'd pull the trigger. He's an unknown. Play him a season and his value could go up, sure, but it also could go down real quick.
- Bartacus

Injuries are a concern for sure and I really hope Pinto hasn't done something to his shoulder that will plague him forever.

On the other hand Chychrun is apparently injured right now and has quite an injury history himself which goes way back to junior. I took a quick google search and found the most recent ones.

DATE INJURY
3/12/22 Ankle
12/11/21 Upper Body
3/27/21 Undisclosed
2/21/20 Lower Body
2/8/19 Lower Body
2/2/19 Lower body
4/4/18 Lower-body injury
1/18/18 Illness
10/3/17 Knee

Following is a record of games played per season. I know we saw a couple of Covid seasons but the ones before that show a pattern.

2014-15 Sarnia Sting OHL 42
2015-16 Sarnia Sting OHL 62
2016-17 Arizona Coyotes NHL 68
2017-18 Arizona Coyotes NHL 50
2018-19 Arizona Coyotes NHL 53
2019-20 Arizona Coyotes NHL 63
2020-21 Arizona Coyotes NHL 56
2021-22 Arizona Coyotes NHL 47

I'm not giving up what promises to be by pretty much everyone's account an excellent number 3 C at the very least with potential to move up the lineup if and when needed for a left shot LD with a long injury history.

ps: Oh yeah! I forgot that they want a 2023 first +. Give me a break. That's just ridiculous.