Ottawa Senators off-season talk

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Here's what I'd like to see.

Michalek - Spezza - Regin
Kovalev - Cullen - Alfredsson
Foligno - Fisher - Winchester
Ruutu - Kelly - Neil
Butler

Phillips - Kuba
Sutton - Karlsson
Campoli - Carkner

Close.

Regin - Spezza - Alfredsson (We already know this works)

Michalek - Cullen - Kovalev (Definitely an experiment but looks powerful good on paper, Kovalev is best on the right)

Foligno - Fisher - Winchester (Could be a devastating line physically and dangerous on offense as well)

Ruutu - Kelly - Neil (As they say in the "hood", DAY-UM!!!)

Butler (Bobby Butler is an amusing name)

Phillips - Campoli
Sutton - Karlsson
Gryba - Carkner

Are you just giving Kuba away or do we get something for him?

Yikes! No wonder you had Campoli on the bottom pairing... Too many good D in Ottawa?

Hanging on to Cullen and Sutton and adding healthy bodies just makes this an outstanding team.

I like the Campoli Carkner pairing and would give Campoli first unit PP time with Karlsson personally. That right there should boost his minutes. I'm not ready to hand Campoli the number 1 D job just yet.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I like the Campoli Carkner pairing and would give Campoli first unit PP time with Karlsson personally. That right there should boost his minutes. I'm not ready to hand Campoli the number 1 D job just yet.

I think Campoli is a 3, at best, but I also think he's a better number 1 than Kuba would be. We shall see.

When asked, Murray sounded serious about adding a puck-mover to compliment Karlsson and Kuba. I realize Campoli made some strides, but that was what he said. A guy that hits the opponent blueline and is creative and a guy who can clear the puck from our zone was what he said (on Team 1200).

Gonchar's probably out of the question, but what about Hamhuis or Michalek? These two are guys who move the puck with a little more efficiency than Volchenkov did - and they block shots - and they hit.

4 ish million X 6 for either of these guys and you have a lineup that has depth, experience and talent.

Matt Cullen is a necessity IMO. Cullen and a replacement for Volchenkov, Sutton being replaced by Gryba (unless he bombs).

Also, when doing something like this, always remember that it DOES matter which side they play on. For example Michalek can play right D, Hamhuis cannot I don't think. Etc. etc. etc.

Forwards CAN'T shift easily between the positions either. Something to keep in mind.

I think if Murray is as serious as he was last off season we can expect no new bodies other than from internal sources. If he ACTUALLY follows through then I would expect a true number 1 D and not a hybrid defensive D that has some offensive upside.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I think if Murray is as serious as he was last off season we can expect no new bodies other than from internal sources. If he ACTUALLY follows through then I would expect a true number 1 D and not a hybrid defensive D that has some offensive upside.

Murray should assume the vulture position and go at the Hawks, hard. They are over the cap with only 14 contracts!!!

DirtyDave wrote:Yablonski is a pure enforcer and there are probably better players that can do what he does.

uh.. have you seen him fight... not many better

Saw his fight -- in pre-season I think it was? -- and he got beat pretty bad. There's *always* a better fighter that comes along.

wprager wrote:

DirtyDave wrote:Yablonski is a pure enforcer and there are probably better players that can do what he does.

uh.. have you seen him fight... not many better

Saw his fight -- in pre-season I think it was? -- and he got beat pretty bad. There's *always* a better fighter that comes along.

Better than Tommy Gunn? Never!

Here's who I think the Sens could sign. Not saying I want all of them to sign here, but these are who I THINK have a good chance of being signed:

Kyle Wellwood
Mike Comrie
Adam Burish
Andrew Ebbett
Zenon Konopka
Shawn Thornton
Evgeny Artyukhin
Paul Martin
Rosti Klesla

Thoughts?

Big Ev wrote:Here's who I think the Sens could sign. Not saying I want all of them to sign here, but these are who I THINK have a good chance of being signed:

Kyle Wellwood
Mike Comrie
Adam Burish
Andrew Ebbett
Zenon Konopka
Shawn Thornton
Evgeny Artyukhin
Paul Martin
Rosti Klesla

Thoughts?

4 I'd want, but I can't see any signing with us personally. I would like Martin or Klesla, but I think they're out of our price range

Tuk Tuk wrote:

Big Ev wrote:Here's who I think the Sens could sign. Not saying I want all of them to sign here, but these are who I THINK have a good chance of being signed:

Kyle Wellwood
Mike Comrie
Adam Burish
Andrew Ebbett
Zenon Konopka
Shawn Thornton
Evgeny Artyukhin
Paul Martin
Rosti Klesla

Thoughts?

4 I'd want, but I can't see any signing with us personally. I would like Martin or Klesla, but I think they're out of our price range

I don't think we're going to necessarily sign people given the amount of players we have under contract. I think this will be a very busy off-season tradewise.

We aren't signing any mid-tiered players, no way. Maybe Paul Martin, but he'll re-sign in NJ.

Hamhuis, Sutton, Seidenberg, Leopold, Michalek, Volchenkov. One of those.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

wprager wrote:

DirtyDave wrote:Yablonski is a pure enforcer and there are probably better players that can do what he does.

uh.. have you seen him fight... not many better

Saw his fight -- in pre-season I think it was? -- and he got beat pretty bad. There's *always* a better fighter that comes along.

Better than Tommy Gunn? Never!

The fictional boxer (from Rocky XXIV) the pronstar or someone else? (sorry, had no idea so I googled)

SpezDispenser wrote:We aren't signing any mid-tiered players, no way. Maybe Paul Martin, but he'll re-sign in NJ.

Hamhuis, Sutton, Seidenberg, Leopold, Michalek, Volchenkov. One of those.

Hamhuis or Michalek please. Or Kubina.

realistically, I think in order to keep both Sutton and Cullen, we gotta give up on some RFAs....Winchester & Foligno? These are young power forwards, so my guess is that Sutton will be gone considering how Murray would like to transition to a young D-core. Cheechoo will be bought out for sure, but I think the sens make an attempt at free agency splash come summer of 2011, when all of Ruutu, Kovalev, and Leclaire come off the shelf. There's literally zero chance for the sens to sign someone this summer unless a big ticket is traded (spezza and/or kovalev, which won't happen).

I think the sens will find a way to keep Zach Smith on the roster, but Butler will be the AHL call-up all year long (a la Tyler Bozak). Winchester, Foligno, Lee, and Shannon could be trade bait.

This will be a solid team if both Sutton and Cullen are retained, but my guess (as well as others) is that cullen signs and Sutton leaves

Michallica wrote:realistically, I think in order to keep both Sutton and Cullen, we gotta give up on some RFAs....Winchester & Foligno? These are young power forwards, so my guess is that Sutton will be gone considering how Murray would like to transition to a young D-core. Cheechoo will be bought out for sure, but I think the sens make an attempt at free agency splash come summer of 2011, when all of Ruutu, Kovalev, and Leclaire come off the shelf. There's literally zero chance for the sens to sign someone this summer unless a big ticket is traded (spezza and/or kovalev, which won't happen).

I think the sens will find a way to keep Zach Smith on the roster, but Butler will be the AHL call-up all year long (a la Tyler Bozak). Winchester, Foligno, Lee, and Shannon could be trade bait.

This will be a solid team if both Sutton and Cullen are retained, but my guess (as well as others) is that cullen signs and Sutton leaves

Couldn't agree more. I actually forgot about Butler. There's not a lot of room on the Sens starting roster unless a trade is made and it's likely going to be money for money, RFA for RFA.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Nice assessment, but I disagree with the Cullen comments. It sounds, to me, like he's willing to take the same or similar money on a 3 or 4 year deal. The end of his deal puts him at Alfie age which is fine by me. I also don't think Z. Smith or "someone else" can fill the hole Cullen would leave personally. It wouldn't surprise me if Cullen isn't re-signed but I wouldn't be so quick to shrug it off as not a concern.

I would love to keep Cullen, and he did say in an interview he was willing to take less money for a 4 year deal. I say do it up! Apparently even his wife wants to go up to Canada so she can have an ice rink in the back yard for their boys. lol.

I say keep him if he wants less. That would be great!

Michallica wrote:realistically, I think in order to keep both Sutton and Cullen, we gotta give up on some RFAs....Winchester & Foligno? These are young power forwards, so my guess is that Sutton will be gone considering how Murray would like to transition to a young D-core. Cheechoo will be bought out for sure, but I think the sens make an attempt at free agency splash come summer of 2011, when all of Ruutu, Kovalev, and Leclaire come off the shelf. There's literally zero chance for the sens to sign someone this summer unless a big ticket is traded (spezza and/or kovalev, which won't happen).

I think the sens will find a way to keep Zach Smith on the roster, but Butler will be the AHL call-up all year long (a la Tyler Bozak). Winchester, Foligno, Lee, and Shannon could be trade bait.

This will be a solid team if both Sutton and Cullen are retained, but my guess (as well as others) is that cullen signs and Sutton leaves

I think the guy going in Foligno. Winchester is a Murray signing and it wouldnt look good trading a guy that a ton of teams were after 2 years after the fact. Foligno will also be making a lot more based on his number. Add on top of that he isnt a Murray draft pick and he did fall down to the 4th line a number of times this year, he also has more trade value then Winchester.

Smith will be in Ottawa next year, 100%. I would guess Butler is too, no subsititue for speed. He looked good in his first 2 NHL games for sure.

I think they will sign Cullen at all costs. He's a guy you want around your team, he takes a lot of pressure off the top end guys and is fantastic in the room by everything that has been said. Also, a big game player.