Sergei Zubov still on the market?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/allan_muir/07/17/zubov.notes/

I know this is relatively old news but, all this talk of Heatley possibly returning to the Sens got me thinking. Imagine a healthy Zubov and a determined Dany Heatley on this squad? It would definitely take some master jedi Cap Wizardry to get it all to fit and Zubov would have to take a deep dish discount as well but I think on a one year deal why not go all in?

Some thoughts on how to make it work:

1 - Jason Smith on LTIR or traded. Cap relief = 2.6
2 - Brian Lee traded for prospect or pick. Cap relief = 1.275
3 - Schubert traded for a late round pick. Cap relief = 883,333
4 - Sign Zubov for 3M


Alfie - Spezza - Foligno

Kovalev - Fisher - Heatley

Shannon - Kelly - Ruutu

Donovan - Winchester - Neil

Extra forward: ?

Kuba - Zubov

Phillips - Volchenkov

Campoli - Karlsson

Extra Defenseman: Picard

Leclaire
Elliott

Even after we do 1 thru 3, the smart thing would be to hang on to that cap space.

SeawaySensFan wrote:Even after we do 1 thru 3, the smart thing would be to hang on to that cap space.

You're probably right but I'm just thinking of going all out this season and see what happens.

It would take a healthy Sergei Zubov at a bargain and a determined Dany Heatley ready to show potential suitors that he's a legitimate superstar winger. The experiment would either end at the Trade deadline or it works out and we go for it in the playoffs. We wouldn't be able to sustain it past this season.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:Even after we do 1 thru 3, the smart thing would be to hang on to that cap space.

You're probably right but I'm just thinking of going all out this season and see what happens.

It would take a healthy Sergei Zubov at a bargain and a determined Dany Heatley ready to show potential suitors that he's a legitimate superstar winger. The experiment would either end at the Trade deadline or it works out and we go for it in the playoffs. We wouldn't be able to sustain it past this season.

I absolutely agree. Having Heatley start in Ottawa will be a great opportunity to build value. In terms of hockey, Heatley is presently out of sight/out of mind. A few red lights should grease things up nicely.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:Even after we do 1 thru 3, the smart thing would be to hang on to that cap space.

You're probably right but I'm just thinking of going all out this season and see what happens.

It would take a healthy Sergei Zubov at a bargain and a determined Dany Heatley ready to show potential suitors that he's a legitimate superstar winger. The experiment would either end at the Trade deadline or it works out and we go for it in the playoffs. We wouldn't be able to sustain it past this season.

If you want to go all out this season then that 3rd line will kill you. Not bearly big enough for a shut down checking line, and they won't score any goals. Shannon really clicked with Foligno and Fisher, but Kelly will probably help his plus/minus more than his goal total.

We will have all the defense we need in 1-2 years. Patience.

Zubov is definitely done is DAL. They have something like 8 D now signed, all on 1-way deals. No room there.

I think he goes to CLB. He's exactly what they need, and they have the cap space to accommodate him.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

I absolutely agree. Having Heatley start in Ottawa will be a great opportunity to build value. In terms of hockey, Heatley is presently out of sight/out of mind. A few red lights should grease things up nicely.

It could equally be an opportunity to lose value. Think about it. OTT and Heatley will be under the microscope all season long if Heatley stays. Every time we lose, or go on a losing streak, or look soft, people will bring up Heatley. "Is he a distraction? tearing the team apart?" etc., etc. If the PP is bad, it will be chalked up to Heatley's presence; if the 5-on-5 is bad, it will be chalked up to Heatley's presence; and on and on.

Heatley is a great player, but can he perform consistently and well in that kind of environment? And if not, then what happens to his value?

It would be a big gamble keeping him on. With the cap set to go down and the Sens having so much money ($45+ mil) tied up in only 11 players for 2010-11, we'd be in a godawful spot if Heatley flopped this year and we couldn't trade him (again).

wprager wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:Even after we do 1 thru 3, the smart thing would be to hang on to that cap space.

You're probably right but I'm just thinking of going all out this season and see what happens.

It would take a healthy Sergei Zubov at a bargain and a determined Dany Heatley ready to show potential suitors that he's a legitimate superstar winger. The experiment would either end at the Trade deadline or it works out and we go for it in the playoffs. We wouldn't be able to sustain it past this season.

If you want to go all out this season then that 3rd line will kill you. Not bearly big enough for a shut down checking line, and they won't score any goals. Shannon really clicked with Foligno and Fisher, but Kelly will probably help his plus/minus more than his goal total.

We will have all the defense we need in 1-2 years. Patience.

Sure. But we can have our cake and eat it too in this scenario.

Our third line is too small and you like the FFS line OK. How about this?

Alfie - Spezza - Heatley

Kovalev - Fisher - Foligno

Shannon - Winchester - Neil

Ruutu - Kelly - Donovan

You get to keep the Fisher - Foligno chemistry and try telling me Kovy isn't going to make that line better than Shannon could?

Winchester and Neil make your third line bigger and grittier and with Shannon's speed and skill you have a scoring threat.

Your 4th line has size and speed with Donovan and the pest roll of Ruutu. Kelly will allow that line to play more minutes with his defensive mindedness.

i would be a little scared to play the sens this year if leclaire plays well, if heatley can get his act together and play to his potential or if the sens can get market value for him, they will have 2 scoring lines, i really like campoli--i don't know, i'm a habs fan but i'd be happy if the habs made this trade--gainey for b murray

i think all the GMs know heatley is an elite player in the NHL--if they low ball murray its not b/c he's not good, its the fact that they know he doesn't want to play so he would be a distraction for the team and they murray needs to trade him

i don't know why GMs would ever agree to no trade clauses

I don't mind the NTCs when they go to the players that "deserve" them; Sat the top 5% players in the league (actually if every team only had 1 NTC). It's when they're given to "fringe" players that I question the whole thing.

I read once that in business, you don't get what you deserve, you get what you negociate; I guess that's one of those cases where a good agent earns his/her keep.

i agree --some players deserve the NTCs but i just think you give someone way to much power and every type of relationship has a chance of going bad and if it does on this type what can you do as a GM/owner--it would be frustrating if it was my money invested in the bussiness but i can't make decisions that i want--it becomes like a waitor or waitress telling a restaurant owner how to run their their bussiness

sidstu wrote:i agree --some players deserve the NTCs but i just think you give someone way to much power and every type of relationship has a chance of going bad and if it does on this type what can you do as a GM/owner--it would be frustrating if it was my money invested in the bussiness but i can't make decisions that i want--it becomes like a waitor or waitress telling a restaurant owner how to run their their bussiness

I have to agree at this point. Enough is enough with these players with NTC and NMC controlling the hands of GMs. I like what Ferguson did in Toronto with Kaberle and Kubina. He gave then NTC, but if they missed the playoffs, there was a 2 month window where they could be moved - anywhere.

Burke took advantage with Kubina (dumb trade), but more to the point, it levels the playing field a little. No player should keep their NTC if they or the team fails.

I would push for these kinds of clauses if players insisted on having NTCs.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:You're probably right but I'm just thinking of going all out this season and see what happens.

It would take a healthy Sergei Zubov at a bargain and a determined Dany Heatley ready to show potential suitors that he's a legitimate superstar winger. The experiment would either end at the Trade deadline or it works out and we go for it in the playoffs. We wouldn't be able to sustain it past this season.

I won't lie, I would have offered Zubov this money as soon as I could possibly make arrangements. He'd be super cool to have on the blue line - even for 2 years so he can mentor Karlsson a little.

Imagine if he was healthy for us this year....now we're talking about a diddling solid team. What to do with Smith though? Lee can start the year in Bingo for a 1.3 saving, but it's Smith that could make or break this.

Neat idea. Hadn't given it much chance because I thought he'd be signed by Columbus by now to be honest.

Alfie Spezza Heatley
Kovalev Comrie Shannon
Foligno Fisher Bertuzzi
Rutuu Kelly Neil


Would be my dream line up for 09/10, and possibly doable if we can somehow depart with Smith, Schubert, Picard, and Donovan. (total 4.9 million) Comrie 2 million, Bertuzzi 1 million.