Hockeybums is reporting Malik has been signed???

PKC wrote:Why can't there be another Milbury or Keenan sitting around in the league waiting to absorb our garbage for a superstar? If Keenan was still in Florida, we'd have Vokoun and Bouwmeester right now for McAmmond, Neil, a party pack of Coors Light, edible lingerie, a bottle of strawberry massage lotion and lifetime subscription to Men's Health.

rooneypoo wrote:I can't even find the Malik rumour/report on HockeyBums anymore. They must have taken it down entirely.

rooneypoo wrote:

SensGirl11 wrote:Nothing has been announced anywhere about this today. I also think it's complete BS. I don't understand where these people get their information.

I can't even find the Malik rumour/report on HockeyBums anymore. They must have taken it down entirely.

For what it's worth (the phrase I always use to introduce specious rumours), Eklund's latest entry has OTT connected to/interested in Malik, G. Murray, and Hedican (all e3s).

If, however, we do intend intend to go with Nycholat as our 6th D (someone on this site said yesterday that Murray has said as much), I think we'll bank the cap space (that'd be a lot of money for deadline day, if we were hoping to make any moves then) and call it a day. Our D and G spots would be all full, and we'd have 2 too many forwards:

Heatley* - Spezza* - Alfie*
Vermette* - Fisher* - Foligno!
Winchester! - Kelly* - Neil$
Ruutu* - McAmmond$ - Schubert*
Bass! - Donovan*

[* = all locks to make the line up, I think, given their skill or recent (re)signing]
[$ = players contantly brought up in trade / movement talks]
[! = rookies, either on 2-way deals or exempted from regular waiver rules]

If we sign Murray, what 3 players do you subtract from that line up? Foligno, Winchester, and Bass, all sent to the minors? Do you try trade off or waive McAmmond to open up one spot? Do you have to do the same with Neil, too, to open up another?

I don't like the sound of any of that. As things stand now, I don't really like the fact that it looks like, of our young players, only Foligno will make the line up for sure; nor do I like the fact that Bass will probably not make this team, or at best that he and Winchester will have to fight to push McAmmond for ice time. I don't want to lose Neil, either. Nor do I want to lose McAmmond -- but he may have to go just to create space on the roster. Something has to give here, and acquiring yet another forward in Murray doesn't look like it will bring any clarity. It would be a huge mistake, I think, to not have any space to give our young players a chance to develop.

Cronenbergfan wrote:I can't see Murray doing this. I agree with Rooneypoo's take of how things may or probably will unfold. Time will tell I suppose.

jamvan wrote:

Cronenbergfan wrote:I can't see Murray doing this. I agree with Rooneypoo's take of how things may or probably will unfold. Time will tell I suppose.

Murray has said numerous times he'd like to add one more defenceman. Why wouldn't he do this? BTW, his point production isn't much less than Redden and Mezz, plus he's a defensive jugernaut.

cash wrote:
Donovan will certainly be in the lineup and I would be beyond shocked if we signed another forward. So shocked, in fact, that I will give a personal guarantee that it doesn't happen. You guys don't really know me, but I don't guarantee much and when I do I'm rarely wrong. Forget about Glen Murray...
If it were to happen, though; a trade is certainly on the horizon.
Personally, I'm starting to seriously doubt the idea that Winchester is on a one-way contract. If he is, he will certainly take up a roster spot. For whatever reason, I don't see Murray signing a kid out of college to a one-way contract. It doesn't make sense, unless he's just that skilled...and if he were that skilled, why are we only paying him the minimum?
Plus, Brennan is the only one to report the one-way...nope, I can't believe that.

I also have to say: I would be shocked if Schubert was not a D-man and still a member of this team, next season.
And I would also be against trading Neil and McAmmond, but - as always - it depends on what is coming the other way.

rooneypoo wrote:Everything I've read suggests Winchester's deal is 1-way.

1) An article on the offical Sens homepage says it: http://senators.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=366963

2) Brennan says it: http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Brennan/2008/06/29/6019821-sun.html).

3) NHLSCAP.com implies it by listing him with the big club: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/team.php?team=OTT

(Granted, they list Bass, Foligno, and Lee with the big club, and they're all on 2-way deals, but the distinction there is that they all played multiple games with the Sens last year and are expected to make the club again. Winchester is the only player who has ever played just one game for us and is listed on our main roster.

4) It's widely known that Winchester was a highly-sought after prospect, and so it's highly unlikely that he would sign to a 2-way deal. His first NHL deal (signed in late March 2008) had to be 2-way because it was an entry-level deal; that's an NHL rule that no player his age can avoid. It was only a 1-year deal, however, presumably so they could get that formality out of the way, and ge signed new 2-year deal with us in late May 2008.

In hindsight, item 1 was probably enough evidence... but I found it last.

PKC wrote:I just don't see why we'd sign this kid to a 1-way contract to have him play in the minors. Seems a bit excessive to pay him 550,000 down in Bingo, no?

Dawg's Wife wrote:

PKC wrote:I just don't see why we'd sign this kid to a 1-way contract to have him play in the minors. Seems a bit excessive to pay him 550,000 down in Bingo, no?

Winchester was one of the most sought after unsigned players in the NCAA last year. Ottawa went after him and in the end it took a one way deal to get him to commit.

I trust Murray on this one, his and his network of scouts has shown in the past they can find some real gems as over age players emerging from the NCAA

PKC wrote:A young Brind'amour? That does sound promising? Is he the top 6 forward we've been looking for?