Met Eugene Melnyk last night

http://photos-h.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2753/205/87/505351016/n505351016_2100191_7056519.jpg

He was at the Brampton-Mississauga game (he owns the Majors) and interviewed with Rogers in the 1st intermission. They asked him one Sens related question for their closing, and that was about the disappointing season, blowing things up and what the team needs. Melnyk said "a defenceman here, a 'fast' forward there"... but said all the team needed to do was play the way they are playing now for the first half and they would have had 108 points.

I didn't get to talk to him for long, but when he found out I was a Sens fan he gave me a thumbs up/fist pump and said "next year!". I think that means he has high hopes for next year, possibly some moves/changes coming as well?

That's pretty cool. Im hoping he has high hopes for next year. I know with the way the team has been playing I do

Nice job. Hopefully things do indeed look up next year.

J-Bow :##:

Playing like they have lately? LOL, they just got worked by the SE division. If he is still that off with his assestment of the team, he is going to be firing the entire front office next year.

This team STILL sucks!

They were 9 for 11 up until a few games ago, so that makes them like 9 for 13/14 maybe. They've been playing much better than they had been last half.

In the last 2 years, they have played well for 6, maybe 7 weeks. Its not like they are losing to the best teams in the league or that they are even close to a playoff spot.

The Sens suck, 1 players isnt going to turn this team around, especially when they might have cap problems. Melnyk is gonna be at more Majors games next year then Sens games if he thinks this team can even compete for a playoff spot right now.

The Sens are not a TEAM, there are so many key pieces missing to the Sens its kind of sad. There is no top line grit or heart, no real mean D men that make you pay. No one is scared to play this team and no one that top line with the exception of Alfi is hard to play against.

People are going to be awfully disappointed if they think the Sens are coming out next year and are a shoe-in for the playoffs, let alone anythng near a stanley cup contender.

Dash, great post. Great photo too of you with Uncle Gene. Thanks!

PS the Man clearly wants a winner. He's a passionate guy and probably fuming now. Let's hope he's ready to get his people to do whatever it takes to make things right again.

Point is Dave that the Sens are no where near a winning team and the fans should have no reason to believe they are. If fans want to hope that they do, then thats fine I'll never fault a fan for relying on hope. I'm th eguy that slaps people with reality though, besides the all impressive 15-2 start this year and a stretch of 2, 3 weeks this year where the Sens played well, its been an absolute failure from a team perspective. (which is the most important thing in a team sport, not the names on the back)

This team isnt a tune up away from bringing the cup home, they need to find a way to actually play hard every night and the top end guys be the hardest working guys. I'll garentee one thing, from what I've seen from Heatley since he was questioned/called out and him basically quitting on his team, the Sens will be out of the playoffs as long as he is on the team.

Forget the cup people or even thinking "well, maybe if we add this guy", the Sens are a bad team and will be for the foreseeable future.

Neely4Life wrote:Point is Dave that the Sens are no where near a winning team and the fans should have no reason to believe they are. If fans want to hope that they do, then thats fine I'll never fault a fan for relying on hope. I'm th eguy that slaps people with reality though, besides the all impressive 15-2 start this year and a stretch of 2, 3 weeks this year where the Sens played well, its been an absolute failure from a team perspective. (which is the most important thing in a team sport, not the names on the back)

This team isnt a tune up away from bringing the cup home, they need to find a way to actually play hard every night and the top end guys be the hardest working guys. I'll garentee one thing, from what I've seen from Heatley since he was questioned/called out and him basically quitting on his team, the Sens will be out of the playoffs as long as he is on the team.

Forget the cup people or even thinking "well, maybe if we add this guy", the Sens are a bad team and will be for the foreseeable future.

N4L...can't argue with any of the above.

Melnyk is, however, someone who doesn't seem to have a high tolerance for failure. So let's see what he does--or has his people do--next.

Knowing Gene's flair for the dramatic, we might be surprised.

The Sens need to do something dramtic. The players talk about changing the culture in the room, haha, its laughable because thats all that has been said for the last year.

When that "something" is done, if people are expecting for a guy like J Bo (as an example) to come in and have instant chemistry with a team that has no chemistry then the fans are going to be livid!

Leclaire is a nice start, so are the kids in our system, but the players we have now that are supposed to be the go to guys (2 of the top line) are easy to play against, soft, lazy, and have an overall attitude that makes them and the team they are supposed to lead losers.

The Sens have grit, but not where they are supposed to. A 4th line guy will slap his mother if it means staying in the NHL or in the lineup so when a guy like Neil drops them with who ever or even a guy like Winchester, that has to get your top guys going and willing to do the same thing.

Murray is the right guy here for a rebuild IMO, and again, where do you start a rebuild? Right in goal which is now our deepest and strongest position. Next, it's defense where Murray has 2 blue chip prospects, resigned a great number 2 guy, and we have the perfect 3, 4 tandom as well. Tons of depth there except that 1 minute munching, play in any situation guy and my guess is Murray goes after J Bo hard or waits until next year to rip Keith out of Chicago when they have no choice but to move him.

Next is up front and the guys we have now cant get it done. They got their contracts and it's been downhill ever since. Even if we dont have the ability to score goals like we used to, with the goaltending and defense we have now (or will have) it will allow younger guys to learn how to play on the other side of the puck and develope them the right way and win tight checking, 2-1, 3-2 games and stay competitive.

They also might very well have the right coach with a young team and they can count on some vets (Alfi, Fisher, Phillips) to really show them what it means to be in Ottawa and the right way to do things.

The stars here have been handled wrong from the start aside from Alfi (he was here for the original building of the team). They came into the best possible situation young guys can (a first place team that was built from the ground up) and have never had any kind of adversity. Now there has been 2 years worth and its been a total failure on their part. They never had to deal with losing and my guess is we can lose with 2 guys not making 14.5 million just as well and we can with them. The only difference is we can develope the young guys coming in, the guys we have right now, the boat might have sunk on that aspect, Heatley more than Spezza for sure.

I think Ottawa has some work to do, still, yes, but to say the team still sucks is factually incorrect. Are they going to win the Cup next year even if we add a top-D and a speedy forward? Umm, no, but neither will 28 other teams. Is this a league of 29 teams that suck?

Do Boston, Detroit and San Jose all suck? Because at least two of them will not win the Cup this year.

Without any changes this team has a better than good chance of making the playoffs next year. Leclaire, if healthy, can improve our situation in goal. Fisher couldn't be this horrible again, could he? Foligno continues to progress. Campoli and Shannon with full seasons in this lineup. Bass, Regin, Zubov -- even if they don't make it to the opening day roster, surely they are going to be pushing the guys ahead of them to earn a spot. Then there are the long shots of E. Karlsson or a top pick that's NHL ready. Then, of course, there's trades and UFA signings.

You just named a bunch of guys who have yet to prove they can be productive for a full season and stay healthy.

The investment in the forwards needs to be realocated into the defence. If things stay the same up front then the Sens are in for a long 3-6 years. Anyone who counts on a 19-20 year old D man to make an imidiate impact is hanging out to false hope.

Even if some players are added next year it still takes a long time to build chemistry and unless a big contract is moved and a real number 1 D man signed or traded for, then it will be another year without playoffs.

If you want to hope for the best next year, thats all well and good, but seriously, what has changed from the last 2 years? The go to guys are still the go to guys and they lack exactly what the Sens need, and thats heart. Until that changes, the Sens may get into the 7th, 8th spot, but they will just be bounced in 4 or 5.

Time to build the team the right way! It has already started with Leclaire, Elliott, and Auld being here.

Neely4Life wrote:You just named a bunch of guys who have yet to prove they can be productive for a full season and stay healthy.

The investment in the forwards needs to be realocated into the defence. If things stay the same up front then the Sens are in for a long 3-6 years. Anyone who counts on a 19-20 year old D man to make an imidiate impact is hanging out to false hope.

Even if some players are added next year it still takes a long time to build chemistry and unless a big contract is moved and a real number 1 D man signed or traded for, then it will be another year without playoffs.

If you want to hope for the best next year, thats all well and good, but seriously, what has changed from the last 2 years? The go to guys are still the go to guys and they lack exactly what the Sens need, and thats heart. Until that changes, the Sens may get into the 7th, 8th spot, but they will just be bounced in 4 or 5.

Time to build the team the right way! It has already started with Leclaire, Elliott, and Auld being here.

I wholeheartedly disagree. They will make the playoffs next season even if the lineup remains largely unchanged from what it is now. They ran out of runway this year. Of course they are not going to challenge for any trophies, but they will be competitive enough to make it to the post season.

And please respect what I wrote. I mentioned Karlsson at the very end, long after I made my point about them making it to the post-season. Not something Iwas banking on.

Now, you want optimism? The Leafs thinking that a couple of undrafter colleg guys can make a difference. Winchester had the exact same story and look where he ended up. NHL ready, yes, but not a game changer or not even a top-six player.

I wasnt refering to just you about Karlsson, I was refering to a lot of people who think he is instantly going to be a game changer, he wont! I like him as much if not more than anyone else, Ive watched him live when he was here 4 or 5 times, watched the Frolunda playoffs a bit and love what he will eventually one day be. That day wont be for 6 or 7 years and then going forward.

The Leafs are a long ways off, but they started to build from the blueline and net forward as well.

There is no reason to believe Spezza and Heatley can carry this team, because Alfi is going to be another year older, a little more brittle, and a little more tired. It has basically been proven this year and last that Spezza and Heatley cannot carry this team.

There are serious charachter issues on this team (Heatley and Spezza) when those two are the guys that need to have more than anyone else. Until that changes or is adressed, its going to be another disapointing year.

There is still no jam up front, none. There isnt a guy who gets dirty in front of the net, there isnt a guy who mucks it up in the corners and comes out with the puck that can dish or shoot. There isnt a guy who can score 25-30 and put up 45-60 points.

There is still no number 1 D man that can eat mins and play in every situtation.

The things a teams needs to be successful is 100% lacking in Ottawa and the only way its going to be fixed is by building the team the correct way, which again, is from the net out. Murray has started the job, drafted well doing the job, and will continue to do it well IMO.

There isnt 1 team that wins the cup without a TRUE power forward.
Detroit has Franzen and Holmstrom
Anahiem has Getzlaff
Carolina had COle
Tampa has Vinny

All guys who get the dirty goals and pay the price. The only price forwards in Ottawa pay are for luxury cars and million dollar homes.