Melnyk: Win 27 of the next 37 or else...

They didnt have 7 million dollar contracts either. Like it or not, they have reach their pinacle when it comes to financal sucsess in the NHL and there is not even close to as much motivation as they had before.

It doesnt matter who is on the blue line, the effort is all on him, same as Heatley.

Spezza has put up a lot of points, thats about all he has done and has ever done in the OHL and NHL. Is he talked about as one of the greatest jr players ever? Nope, he is forgoten in that aspect because all he did was find a way to lose. His NHL career looks to be going the same way.

Spezza has never had the ability to make those around him better, being paid 7 million a year for 7 years, he has to. If he cant, well you cut bait. This was Spezza's make or break year, and so far its been a failing grade.

I can't argue that the paychecks might have something to do with it, but as an organization I would just hope that Murray, Melnyk and co. are doing their due diligence to try to ascertain if Spezza will be the next Datsyuk or the next Kovalev.

Hindsight being 20/20, the re negotiating of a lot of guys contracts came after tremendous over-achieving in the playoffs.

Datsyuk has had to work for everything he has gotten, Spezza for the most part of it, like Kovalev is blessed with tons of skill and is spoiled beond beleife.

They are either going to cut bait with Spezza this year or he will drag the Sens down with him. Losers are losers, leaders are leaders. Spezza up until this point in his life has a rap sheet of losing. Murray gets paid to use foresight, not hindsight.

Again, Ive said for the last year, Spezza has this year to show what he is made of and what he is about. Reality is going to hit Spezza in the face with a vengence very soon.

Then no one needs to worry, Murray will trade him on draft day for sure. I think he's been around the game long enough to make a valid decision for us on someone's work ethic, leadership etc.

I'm secretly hoping that Spezza is part of the solution, but if he's not, he's being paid way too much and Murray and Melnyk will know this and ensure he's moved for a pick(s).

Same applies for Heatley, but I'm of the firm opinion that this guy can snap himself out of it and start taking games over.

504Heater wrote:Then no one needs to worry, Murray will trade him on draft day for sure. I think he's been around the game long enough to make a valid decision for us on someone's work ethic, leadership etc.

I'm secretly hoping that Spezza is part of the solution, but if he's not, he's being paid way too much and Murray and Melnyk will know this and ensure he's moved for a pick(s).

From what Melnyk said today, I think he is controlling things a lot more then he leads on. He says he wont blow things up, thats not his choice if he lets the hockey minds do their job. Sounds like he doenst want Spezza going anywhere along with a few others.

Melnyk should learn when to shut up, and if he doenst allow Murray to do whats right for this team then things may drag on and he will have no one to blame but himself.

I know for sure Im waiting to renew my season tickets to see what happens.

I think that it may almost come to a coin toss between Heater and Spezza.

I can't say for sure whether Alfie is playing hurt or not, but I think his optimism and motivations are falling WAY short by now that if he can't rally his squad like he once could, then I think all of us can relate to an overwhelming feeling of pure dejection and the like.

Point being, as Heater and N4L have pointed out, Melnyk and Murray are not stupid. While Melnyk is a homer sometimes, he is after all an investor and a business man, and he didn't make and keep making millions by making dumb-arse decisions. With Murray, he's been in the game for a loonng time and he knows his s**t, so I have no doubts he TRULY knows who needs to go and who he would ideally like to land to help get this train back on track. All the Sens org needs from their sometimes tempermental fans is patience and faith for those in charge that they truly do have the org's best interest at heart.

As for Melnyk being a cheerleader, it's been mentioned that he's protecting his investment, and he most certainly is, and at the same time, it's just good PR to support your team and sound optimistic, although Melnyk has been shown to lay it on a little too thick, but he's not a media fella, he's a boardroom guy so I won't seriously fault him for that.

Mark my words: despite Melnyk issuing his ultimatum of sorts, he already has a coach and GM on board and all he has to do is hit speed dial. As an astute businessman, he'd be a complete idiot (not to mention he'd be penniless pretty quick) if he did not even attempt to have a plan B or C already on the go. Take a moment and watch the press conference and others of this year of he and Murray closely... Check out their body language and when they lean into the mics and when they lean back, their tone and how engaged to certain questions they are, which ones they slough off, etc... I'm telling you, there's a LOT already moving in the org right now, and soon enough, it will ALL come to light, and some fans will be happy, and others will not, but I think at the end of the day, those who TRULY love this city and adore this sport of ours, if they REALLY want the best for our beloved NHL team and want them to thrive and succeed, they will be MORE than happy with what happens later this season and into the beginning of next season.

Yeah Cronie, I agree. He's got a coach and a GM waiting in the wings if this goes south (any more so).

I've been saying for a while that I feel Murray would be best served moving to the Head Scout position with Tim Murray and letting Melnyk pick a new GM (one with tons and tons and tons of experience).

A fresh look at this group wouldn't be a bad idea. And it would be like Burke going in in TO, he doesn't give a Dung about guys like Kaberle/Phillips, Spezza, Heatley (although I guarantee no GM would trade him), Fisher, etc. etc. etc. Can't play the sentiment card with a new incoming GM.

well said Heater.

I wouldn't be opposed to having Bryan move to Head Scouting role.
Bring in some new blood and I don't think Hartsburg needs to be given the boot just yet either... Give him another half-season...

Neely4Life wrote:From what Melnyk said today, I think he is controlling things a lot more then he leads on. He says he wont blow things up, thats not his choice if he lets the hockey minds do their job. Sounds like he doenst want Spezza going anywhere along with a few others.

Melnyk should learn when to shut up, and if he doenst allow Murray to do whats right for this team then things may drag on and he will have no one to blame but himself.

I know for sure Im waiting to renew my season tickets to see what happens.

You know what? Melnyk paid a LOT OF DIDDLEDAMN money (out of pocket) to purchase this team so he should be allowed to say whatever the frank he wants, whenever the frank he wants to about the team. He owns the diddledamn thing for diddle's sakes.

SensGirl11 wrote:I love this > "I'm hoping it's a blip," he said (Melnyk)

And today's snowfall was a "dusting"... (10cm at my house and counting)
Some blip...

This was probably the most interesting thread I've read on this site.
Nice posting Co-Founders on this page too Cronie, you seem to know the plan that is in place..? Is that an accurate statement?

This is an absolutely fascinating thread.

One of the things that intrigues me, though, is that no one seems to have considered the importance of 'the culture of winning'.

What makes a champion?

It is NOT the individual players. It is having an organization that understands how to construct and manage a winner. Players who embrace the concept of team above individuality, and sacrifice above ego gratification.

Watching the 2008-09 Senators, there is no evidence the players embrace those concepts.

There are players on this team who are far too comfortable with their multi-million salaries and long term contracts.

Mr. Melnyk, for whatever faults one can find with him, clearly doesn't let himself get 'comfortable' with his success. While he could be, otherwise, relaxing on his ranch in Florida or his estate in Barbados, he has made a considerable committment to Ottawa and its hockey fans.

He bought the Senators when the team was collapsing, investing heavily in it, and reviving it. He brought the WJC to Ottawa; and the All-Star Game is due to be played here in 2010.

After hearing him speak and reading the transcript of his press conference, my impression of Eugene Melnyk is that he wants the Senators to be a championship team, and that he will do what it takes to make it happen.

Unfortunately, not enough of his players share that committment.

At this point, it would not be a surprise to see several of them wearing different jerseys next year. In fact, it would be surprising NOT to see several of them wearing different jerseys next year.

Have a great night, everyone.

davetherave wrote:This is an absolutely fascinating thread.

One of the things that intrigues me, though, is that no one seems to have considered the importance of 'the culture of winning'.

What makes a champion?

It is NOT the individual players. It is having an organization that understands how to construct and manage a winner. Players who embrace the concept of team above individuality, and sacrifice above ego gratification.

Watching the 2008-09 Senators, there is no evidence the players embrace those concepts.

There are players on this team who are far too comfortable with their multi-million salaries and long term contracts.

Mr. Melnyk, for whatever faults one can find with him, clearly doesn't let himself get 'comfortable' with his success. While he could be, otherwise, relaxing on his ranch in Florida or his estate in Barbados, he has made a considerable committment to Ottawa and its hockey fans.

He bought the Senators when the team was collapsing, investing heavily in it, and reviving it. He brought the WJC to Ottawa; and the All-Star Game is due to be played here in 2010.

After hearing him speak and reading the transcript of his press conference, my impression of Eugene Melnyk is that he wants the Senators to be a championship team, and that he will do what it takes to make it happen.

Unfortunately, not enough of his players share that committment.

At this point, it would not be a surprise to see several of them wearing different jerseys next year. In fact, it would be surprising NOT to see several of them wearing different jerseys next year.

Have a great night, everyone.

Good take. I'd be surprised to not see at least a few in another uniform this year. We have a few more UFA's coming and I'd like to see something in return for them if possible. I'm tired of seeing this team watch players walk away for nothing in return. Damn that Wade Redden!

I hope Nashville or Phoenix win the Cup and Bettman has to present the Stanley Cup to them on home ice.

I think last June's draft and how good some of those picks look already has saved Murray's job. Murray has failed to bring in a capable offensive defenceman. I don't blame Murray for dealing Meszaros and Corvo, along with not resigning Redden. I think he looked too hard for a bargain, and in retrospect, would probably have matched Campbell's offer.

dennycrane wrote:I hope Nashville or Phoenix win the Cup and Bettman has to present the Stanley Cup to them on home ice.

I think last June's draft and how good some of those picks look already has saved Murray's job. Murray has failed to bring in a capable offensive defenceman. I don't blame Murray for dealing Meszaros and Corvo, along with not resigning Redden. I think he looked too hard for a bargain, and in retrospect, would probably have matched Campbell's offer.

I don't want that contract. It's a pretty big anchor. Just wait until Keith, Barker, Toews, Kane, etc etc are making premium money. Then we'll see just how ugly.

I'd classify Boyle's deal as much of the same.

Just finished watching the Hawks-Ducks (great game) and the last period of the Preds-Nucks...so thought I'd drop in for a nightcap... :D

To Hem's point about Campbell and Boyle's contracts, IMHO he is missing the central logic behind the decision by Chicago and San Jose to pay these elevated salaries.

Nik Lidstrom is Detroit's highest paid player at 7.45MM/year, in fact, if what I read is correct, his contract stipulates that he be the Wings' highest paid player.

The effect of the demand for quality, (especially playmaking) D-men has driven the salaries upward, so that 6 or 7MM for a player of this calibre is now the norm. Chara 7.5MM, Campbell 7.1MM, Niedermayer 6.75MM, Boyle 6.6, Rafalski 6MM, and so on...the list has some staggering numbers, as NHLnumbers.com demonstrates:.
http://nhlnumbers.com/sort.php?pos=D&type=capnumber

Whether or not we agree with these numbers is irrelevant; the market is what it is.

So I will respectfully disagree with the esteemed Hemlock. These contracts are not 'anchors' as long as, like waterfront real estate and gold bullion, the demand is strong and the supply is low.

In Chicago's case, while one could argue that Campbell is not currently their best defenseman, there is no doubt his presence has made the entire Blackhawks d-corps better. From an economic perspective, management has factored in the risk. When Khabibulin and Havlat depart, 12.75MM is off the books, liberating dollars for Mssrs Toews, Kane, Keith et al when the time comes. The Blackhawks should be strong for several years, and are not that far away from being a Cup contender. Some say they may even challenge this year.

In San Jose and Boyle's case, Doug Wilson, one of the shrewdest GMs in the league (and a former Blackhawk BTW), understood he needed an infusion of experienced, Cup-winning defensemen to take his team to Cup contender status. Boyle was the crown jewel in that plan. So far, Wilson is being proven right.

A superficial analysis of what players 'are or aren't worth' usually relies only on individual statistical aspects. But from an investment and management viewpoint, acquiring key players and paying market value, or even above market value, is, when done by the top GMs, a roll of the dice that pays handsome dividends.

Conversely, there is no doubt that this kind of high-risk dealing can only be practised by experts.

Would acquiring a Dan Boyle or Bryan Campbell have made the Senators a contender this year? Surely not. There is a very sound argument that says there are far too many gaps in the roster to spend megadollars on a player who would not have an adequate supporting cast.

Both Chicago and San Jose were ready to make a significant leap forward, and take on premium UFAs, because they already had most of the pieces in place.

If Ottawa makes smart moves between now and the March deadline, good trades in June, and has a draft commensurate with its choices, as well as freeing up the necessary cap space, paying a premium for the right UFA defenseman or goalie makes sense.

davetherave wrote:Just finished watching the Hawks-Ducks (great game) and the last period of the Preds-Nucks...so thought I'd drop in for a nightcap... :D

To Hem's point about Campbell and Boyle's contracts, IMHO he is missing the central logic behind the decision by Chicago and San Jose to pay these elevated salaries.

Nik Lidstrom is Detroit's highest paid player at 7.45MM/year, in fact, if what I read is correct, his contract stipulates that he be the Wings' highest paid player.

The effect of the demand for quality, (especially playmaking) D-men has driven the salaries upward, so that 6 or 7MM for a player of this calibre is now the norm. Chara 7.5MM, Campbell 7.1MM, Niedermayer 6.75MM, Boyle 6.6, Rafalski 6MM, and so on...the list has some staggering numbers, as NHLnumbers.com demonstrates:.
http://nhlnumbers.com/sort.php?pos=D&type=capnumber

Whether or not we agree with these numbers is irrelevant; the market is what it is.

So I will respectfully disagree with the esteemed Hemlock. These contracts are not 'anchors' as long as, like waterfront real estate and gold bullion, the demand is strong and the supply is low.

In Chicago's case, while one could argue that Campbell is not currently their best defenseman, there is no doubt his presence has made the entire Blackhawks d-corps better. From an economic perspective, management has factored in the risk. When Khabibulin and Havlat depart, 12.75MM is off the books, liberating dollars for Mssrs Toews, Kane, Keith et al when the time comes. The Blackhawks should be strong for several years, and are not that far away from being a Cup contender. Some say they may even challenge this year.

In San Jose and Boyle's case, Doug Wilson, one of the shrewdest GMs in the league (and a former Blackhawk BTW), understood he needed an infusion of experienced, Cup-winning defensemen to take his team to Cup contender status. Boyle was the crown jewel in that plan. So far, Wilson is being proven right.

A superficial analysis of what players 'are or aren't worth' usually relies only on individual statistical aspects. But from an investment and management viewpoint, acquiring key players and paying market value, or even above market value, is, when done by the top GMs, a roll of the dice that pays handsome dividends.

Conversely, there is no doubt that this kind of high-risk dealing can only be practised by experts.

Would acquiring a Dan Boyle or Bryan Campbell have made the Senators a contender this year? Surely not. There is a very sound argument that says there are far too many gaps in the roster to spend megadollars on a player who would not have an adequate supporting cast.

Both Chicago and San Jose were ready to make a significant leap forward, and take on premium UFAs, because they already had most of the pieces in place.

If Ottawa makes smart moves between now and the March deadline, good trades in June, and has a draft commensurate with its choices, as well as freeing up the necessary cap space, paying a premium for the right UFA defenseman or goalie makes sense.

I agree with this. My issue with both of those contracts is more towards the length, which takes both guys close to the adult diaper years. The Sens could never afford another $6+ salary imo, with what we've currently got.

Yes, Chicago and SJ were ready to make those moves, and the market was such that the salaries are high. However, I think down the line both teams will be not looking at either of these contracts so favourably as they do today. Of course you could say that about 25 other contracts in the league today. Even a guy like Zetterberg getting 12 years seems like a tremendous gamble to me. Sure it's a deal today, and probably for the next several years, but noone can predict the future. If he suffers some kind of injury that hampers him as a player, they are stuck with that contract and cap hit.

I didn't know Lidstrom had a highest paid player clause. I knew that Hossa had to take equal, but I thought it was an unspoken agreement with the Wings organization that noone would earn more. Interesting.