Sens needs in order to be great!

1 - Goaltending - Leclaire, Elliott, Auld - In Theory this need is now addressed. As you can see we're heavy by one Goalie so we need to move one I think.

2 - Offensive D - Kuba, Campoli, Bell, Lee, Picard - We need to get rid of some dead wood and pick up a Stud to play along side Kuba.
(Future looks bright with Karlsson, Weircioch and the 09 Draft)

3 - Defensive D - Phillips, Volchenkov, Smith - If Phillips can return to form as a unit with Volchie this is set. Is there still room for Smith?

4 - First line Center - Is Spezza that guy? I won't get into this debate except to say I think he can be.

5 - Solid leadership group - Alfie, Phillips and Fisher are good veteran leaders IMO. Notice I left out an Assistant/Alternate Captain? Heatley has not been a good leader.

6 - Good Faceoff guy - Spezza can be that guy but you can never have enough.

7 - Good PK specialists - Alfie and Kelly are it. We need to get more or develop more.

8 - Secondary scoring - Foligno and Shannon are providing it now but I would feel better if this issue was addressed with another top six forward.

9 - Solid roll players - Donovan, Ruutu, Winchester form an excellent 4th line.

10 - Good coaching - Cory Clouston appears to be the guy. He can get the most out of his players and is doing great things with the young guys. He's also able to make succesful in game adjustments.

Again, the biggest question mark even in this thread is Spezza. Do you wait for him to come around? Thats the real quesion.

Our needs have not really changed that much since the start of the season. With the hopes that we have now addressed the goal tending situation in Leclaire, our needs remain: a stud puck-moving D-man and a top-6 forward to provide secondary scoring.

Except now we've lost a PK and Faceoff specialist who was an offensive threat on the PK in Vermette. We addressed goaltending but lost a big piece too.

Also leadership was not a question mark but after handing Heatley the A and that experiment failing it has come into question.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Except now we've lost a PK and Faceoff specialist who was an offensive threat on the PK in Vermette. We addressed goaltending but lost a big piece too.

Very true.

Is Sillinger still around?

With Leclaire on board, and Neil likely returning, what's our cap situation next year.

Nice thought to keep our existing players but add a PMD +++. The team cannot afford to bring any in, without moving big salary out. Bottom line

in the spirit of this thread, I would say the Sens number 1 priority is to be cap responsible. We were mighty close to the ceiling this year and Dung the bed. Do the math, you can't add without first subtracting

A number one, 23-29 minute stud on D and probably 2-2nd line forwards. Trimming the roster of extra bodies. Done.

beedub wrote:With Leclaire on board, and Neil likely returning, what's our cap situation next year.

Nice thought to keep our existing players but add a PMD +++. The team cannot afford to bring any in, without moving big salary out. Bottom line

No where in my needs list did I suggest that the roster would stay exactly as is and we'd just add everything we need.

I started a thread about what tweaks we could do to the roster and all people wanted to talk about is: Or better know as Mike Fisher.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I started a thread about what tweaks we could do to the roster and all people wanted to talk about is: Or better know as Mike Fisher.

I don't see anything here about Mike Fisher. Mike Sillinger made an appearance, though. I regret that we gave up on that guy so quick, but he's getting to that age where he could just fall off a cliff.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I started a thread about what tweaks we could do to the roster and all people wanted to talk about is: Or better know as Mike Fisher.

I don't see anything here about Mike Fisher. Mike Sillinger made an appearance, though. I regret that we gave up on that guy so quick, but he's getting to that age where he could just fall off a cliff.

Not in here SSF in the other thread I started which was supposed to be a discussion about what Murray plans to do and how he can accomplish that with the roster overflow he has. it was in the Bozak thread.

Great players is what's needed. We have pitiful forwards with the exception of the high priced guys - and even they're not getting it done. Foligno is approaching great, Shannon needs to show he can continue to be great - everyone else is a dime a dozen.

We have average D. Kuba is great, Volchenkov is great, Phillips is good - and that's it.

We have good goaltending, but I wouldn't call it great until I see how Elliott progresses and how Leclaire comes back from injury.

We need passion. Guys that want to win night in and night out. We missed this a lot this season.