All was quiet...not a mouse was stirring...when suddenly...

Well, just slightly over 2 weeks until D day and for the most part, it's pretty quiet in Sens land... And from a fans perspective, with Murray at the helm, that can possibly mean one thing: he's cookin' up something...

First, allow me to preface this by saying that what I was recently told this morning is mostly speculative in nature, but the sheer giddyness and enthusiam that was displayed whilst relaying this to me was palpable to say the least; however, I cannot stress enough that this is still, like many others, JUST A RUMOR.
Discuss at will

o.k. here it is. Two sources have basically echoed each other and laid this GEM on me about 20 mins ago. I've been digesting it and quite honestly, JUST FLOORED!!

Melnyk wants what's best for the team as a whole, and he's encouraged by the progress thus far under Clouston, so he's now thinking about a playoff push, albeit perhaps futile, but still mathematically possible... here's the crazy Dung:

1) Murray is said to be thinking of dangling A-Train out there to help drive up the price for Bow, Kuba and Kaberle, so that he can almost ensure that Toronto will not be getting ANY D-men back for a Kaberle swapl thereby almost ensuring their D remains pathetic so they continue to sink in the standings;
2) furthermore, he's aware of Gainey's panic to try and snag a PP QB, so by driving up the price for Kaberle and A-Train (don't worry he has NO intention of moving Volchie, simply a pawn) Gainey will have to offer the moon to secure one and his offence will continue to dwindle, also helping in the thought that they will continue to tumble in the standings.
3) Murray has Hamhuis on his radar, and is therefore hoping to offer an enticing package to Nashville that will not hurt our offence by any means and then use Hamhuis to push for more victories and a playoff spot, albeit a long shot.

They went on to say that this is one of the CRUCIAL reasons Melnyk has NOT fired Murray, because Melnyk knows FULL WELL that Murray is THE man to pull this off; and apparently, Murray's posibility of a GM extension is supposedly depending on this.

Bryan Murray is an old fox. He certainly knows how to maneuver in the shark-infested waters of NHL management.

Upon reflection, Murray's comments about 'My job is secure' indicate that his business relationship with Mr Melnyk may be more complex than most of us realize.

Imagine for a moment that Bryan Murray secured a contract when he was hired as GM by Melnyk that guaranteed Murray not only his salary, but a guaranteed percentage of the Senators' revenues for the next few years.

That would make it almost impossible for Melnyk to fire him.

whoa Dave... Now that's a very intriguing Theory!!

Way to go Murray. Drive up the price so your division rivals shoot themselves in the foot trying to get the big names and swoop in and get a guy no one was even thinking of :D

Cro, Murray has been in the NHL for...how long now?

He knows the value of a GM to a franchise. Believe me, this is NOT a strictly salaried position. There are bonus and performance clauses related to revenues and profits.

How much did Burke sign for in Toronto?

The theory is a credible one. If Murray was ready to take the job, you can reasonably assume he had guarantees built in to the contract that would ensure he got to do the job HIS way...and that a buy out would cost Mr Melnyk big time.

It's like a pre-nup agreement

Sorry, but explain to me how you drive up the asking price for defensemen by adding another name to the list of available ones? Increasing the supply should drive down demand.

And how does driving up the asking price for defensemen ensure that Toronto gets little back in return for Kaberle -- one of the best ones on that list?

Just throwing out what I was being told. As for the specifics, quite frankly, it's a growing headache...

the A-Train and Kaberle, I believe, were pure speculation at best, but what I retained from what they were saying is that Murray wants to ensure the bidding wars intensify to help weaken his eastern rivals... That much I got.

Cronenbergfan wrote:Well, just slightly over 2 weeks until D day and for the most part, it's pretty quiet in Sens land... And from a fans perspective, with Murray at the helm, that can possibly mean one thing: he's cookin' up something...

First, allow me to preface this by saying that what I was recently told this morning is mostly speculative in nature, but the sheer giddyness and enthusiam that was displayed whilst relaying this to me was palpable to say the least; however, I cannot stress enough that this is still, like many others, JUST A RUMOR.
Discuss at will

o.k. here it is. Two sources have basically echoed each other and laid this GEM on me about 20 mins ago. I've been digesting it and quite honestly, JUST FLOORED!!

Melnyk wants what's best for the team as a whole, and he's encouraged by the progress thus far under Clouston, so he's now thinking about a playoff push, albeit perhaps futile, but still mathematically possible... here's the crazy Dung:

1) Murray is said to be thinking of dangling A-Train out there to help drive up the price for Bow, Kuba and Kaberle, so that he can almost ensure that Toronto will not be getting ANY D-men back for a Kaberle swapl thereby almost ensuring their D remains pathetic so they continue to sink in the standings;
2) furthermore, he's aware of Gainey's panic to try and snag a PP QB, so by driving up the price for Kaberle and A-Train (don't worry he has NO intention of moving Volchie, simply a pawn) Gainey will have to offer the moon to secure one and his offence will continue to dwindle, also helping in the thought that they will continue to tumble in the standings.
3) Murray has Hamhuis on his radar, and is therefore hoping to offer an enticing package to Nashville that will not hurt our offence by any means and then use Hamhuis to push for more victories and a playoff spot, albeit a long shot.

They went on to say that this is one of the CRUCIAL reasons Melnyk has NOT fired Murray, because Melnyk knows FULL WELL that Murray is THE man to pull this off; and apparently, Murray's posibility of a GM extension is supposedly depending on this.

Am I the only one who thinks this is ridiculous? Unless Hamhuis can be had for a guy like Vermette, trading any youth for him is just plan dumb. I see the improved play. I'm actually enjoying it, but let's be realistic here. We aren't going to play .750 or .800 hockey. I would say calling this a long shot is being very, very kind.

I do like the idea of Murray driving up the price for a rival to acquire good players. I really think Murray should concentrate on making our team better though, and not making other teams worse. I really don't care if the Leafs suck or not, but I really care if the Sens are floundering.

This is starting to feel like a Metal Gear Solid scenario. Theories and conspiracies all over the internet, as the TDD approaches.
Now, does Bryan Murray hate the Leafs that much??

marakh wrote:This is starting to feel like a Metal Gear Solid scenario. Theories and conspiracies all over the internet, as the TDD approaches.
Now, does Bryan Murray hate the Leafs that much??

Possibly just Burke for stealing his thunder in 2007.

I still say Murray should be focusing on the Sens and their holes. Let Burke do what he always does....run team's future into the ground for his own shot at glory. It will be interesting to see if he has the patience to do a full rebuild and do it right.

Here's an intriguing sideline to the Bryan Murray saga.

Sportsnet's Ian Mendes, whose connections to the Senators often seem to straddle the line between sports reporter and PR voice, wrote a glowing piece making a case for Murray's continued tenure.

Have a read:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/blogs/2009/02/09/mendes_more_time_for_murray/
Mendes: More time for Murray

Monday, February 9, 2009 Sportsnet.ca


According to the world of Facebook, I'm actually a more hated man in Ottawa than Bryan Murray.

On the popular social networking site, the "Fire Bryan Murray" group has only 27 members, while the "Official Petition To Ban Ian Mendes From Ottawa" hate group currently has 118 members.

However, it should be noted that Murray's list is expanding with each passing day, while mine has stagnated for the past few months (I must admit, that I actually joined my own hate group in effort to increase the popularity. Sadly, this had no effect).

In the nation's capital, there are a growing number of Sens fans who think Murray should be fired at the end of the season. And I'm actually wondering why there is so much anger towards a general manager who has been on the job for approximately 20 months.

As a general rule of thumb, GMs get to stay in one place for a period of four or five years -- unless they are running the New York Islanders. Mike Milbury got to stick around for 11 years, while Neil Smith didn't even order a new desk chair in his six weeks on the job.

But we're not talking about the dysfunctional Islanders here. We're talking about a Canadian-based team where the expectation levels are through the roof. And so it doesn't come as a surprise that fans want some wholesale changes if the Senators miss the playoffs this spring.

Should those changes include the firing of Murray?

Probably not, when you consider the track record of other Canadian teams who play under a similar pressure-cooker environment.

Bob Gainey got to miss the post-season once in his tenure and it didn't cost him his job right away. It took the Canucks missing the playoffs for a second time in three seasons under Dave Nonis to get him fired last summer. Kevin Lowe missed the playoffs four times in seven years in Edmonton. And we all know how many mulligans John Ferguson Jr. received before he got his send-off from the Ontario Teacher's Pension Fund. I'm having a hard time thinking of a Canadian-based GM who was fired after missing the playoffs only once. Even Craig Button had a couple of chances in Calgary, right?

You're probably saying that Murray deserves to go because he's had a rotation of coaches unlike any of the men listed above. And while that fact is true, it's also erroneous to suggest that general managers only get to hire two coaches before they get fired themselves.

Down in Washington, George McPhee has hired four different coaches during his time as general manager. And he made two mistakes in a relatively short period of time -- in Bruce Cassidy and Glen Hanlon -- before he got it right with Bruce Boudreau. With the Blackhawks, Dale Tallon made a couple of mistakes behind the bench with Trent Yawney and Denis Savard. But they appear to be headed in the right direction under Joel Quennville.

Don Waddell, Larry Pleau and Glen Sather are also active general managers who have hired three different head coaches. And Lou Lamoreillo has hired no less than 13 coaches -- including some quick-fires like Kevin Constantine and Claude Julien -- during his time with the Devils.

So it's not really fair to suggest that Murray has officially overstayed his welcome when he fired Craig Hartsburg.

Murray is also not responsible for as many personnel gaffes as you may think. He didn't sign Martin Gerber to that three-year contract. He didn't pick Wade Redden over Zdeno Chara. He wasn't the one who passed on Marc Staal in the draft.

Granted, he's made some mistakes -- like signing Ray Emery to a long-term deal. But he quickly realized that mistake and bought him out last summer. Signing the likes of Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley and Mike Fisher to long-term deals was not a mistake if you take off your 20/20 hindsight glasses. Go back and read any columnist, blogger or analyst from the day of those signings, when Murray was praised for locking up the core of the franchise. Any general manager would have done the same thing if they were in Murray's shoes. Should we really fire Bryan Murray for doing what any other sane-minded GM would have done?

And now that this season has unraveled, Murray has to look at the big picture. His plan is to re-tool the Senators with prospects and the draft. He's only had one full NHL Entry Draft as GM of the Senators and by all accounts, he got it right by taking the highly-touted Erik Karlsson. He drafted exactly what his team needs: A skilled, puck-moving defenceman.

This year, the Senators hold two first-round picks in their back pocket. The last time Murray had two first-round picks in the same year, he landed Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry when he was the GM of the Ducks in 2003. I'm thinking that Murray deserves at least one more NHL Entry Draft and one more season before he gets chased out of town by the irrational masses.

And for those of you who disagree with me, feel free to stop by and join my hate group on Facebook.

---

Now, is the timing of this article an accident? The season has been all but lost, the Senators are on their fourth coach in two years, and Mr Mendes comes out with a piece that basically makes the case for The Bryan Murray Era.

As for rumour being discussed on this thread, our esteemed fellow GM Hockey members might bear in mind that companies--and why not sports franchises--routinely plant information on blogs to influence and/or measure the response of the public.

And that's not a 'conspiracy theory'--it's a standard Internet marketing technique.

Addressing the possibility that Bryan Murray might 'float' the prospect of Volchenkov being available to drive up the market for defensemen? Well, if he can do that, he's even smarter than we thought.

hemlock wrote:

Cronenbergfan wrote:Well, just slightly over 2 weeks until D day and for the most part, it's pretty quiet in Sens land... And from a fans perspective, with Murray at the helm, that can possibly mean one thing: he's cookin' up something...

First, allow me to preface this by saying that what I was recently told this morning is mostly speculative in nature, but the sheer giddyness and enthusiam that was displayed whilst relaying this to me was palpable to say the least; however, I cannot stress enough that this is still, like many others, JUST A RUMOR.
Discuss at will

o.k. here it is. Two sources have basically echoed each other and laid this GEM on me about 20 mins ago. I've been digesting it and quite honestly, JUST FLOORED!!

Melnyk wants what's best for the team as a whole, and he's encouraged by the progress thus far under Clouston, so he's now thinking about a playoff push, albeit perhaps futile, but still mathematically possible... here's the crazy Dung:

1) Murray is said to be thinking of dangling A-Train out there to help drive up the price for Bow, Kuba and Kaberle, so that he can almost ensure that Toronto will not be getting ANY D-men back for a Kaberle swapl thereby almost ensuring their D remains pathetic so they continue to sink in the standings;
2) furthermore, he's aware of Gainey's panic to try and snag a PP QB, so by driving up the price for Kaberle and A-Train (don't worry he has NO intention of moving Volchie, simply a pawn) Gainey will have to offer the moon to secure one and his offence will continue to dwindle, also helping in the thought that they will continue to tumble in the standings.
3) Murray has Hamhuis on his radar, and is therefore hoping to offer an enticing package to Nashville that will not hurt our offence by any means and then use Hamhuis to push for more victories and a playoff spot, albeit a long shot.

They went on to say that this is one of the CRUCIAL reasons Melnyk has NOT fired Murray, because Melnyk knows FULL WELL that Murray is THE man to pull this off; and apparently, Murray's posibility of a GM extension is supposedly depending on this.

Am I the only one who thinks this is ridiculous? Unless Hamhuis can be had for a guy like Vermette, trading any youth for him is just plan dumb. I see the improved play. I'm actually enjoying it, but let's be realistic here. We aren't going to play .750 or .800 hockey. I would say calling this a long shot is being very, very kind.

I do like the idea of Murray driving up the price for a rival to acquire good players. I really think Murray should concentrate on making our team better though, and not making other teams worse. I really don't care if the Leafs suck or not, but I really care if the Sens are floundering.

Couldn't agree more...

notwithstanding the last few games...this Sens team is brutal to watch...and has been for a couple years now...

by making other teams worse might help you in the standings...and that is a HUGE might...as this eam is not going to win 90% of their remaining games...

nonetheless...Murray should be trying to make this team better all around...so that when they face the other 20 or so decent teams and the 5 amazing teams...they can stay in the game...

Are you sure it isn't to drive down the value of the others?
Toronto would get less back, thus be weaker going forward (I hate that expression, thanks to The Name Dropper). J-Bo would be less likely to be traded, and Murray thus has more room to maneuver. Gainey may want to trade, but Burke won't send Kaberle to Montreal for anything less than a stellar deal, so Montreal gets screwed as a bonus too.

As for Hamhius, a potential deal may involve some of the kids in Bingo, so it may not touch the current roster. If Murray can get a pick for McGratton, then nothing would surprise me.

Deep down guys, like many (if not 98% of rumors out there) rumors, this could be, like DTR pointed out, simply a ruse.
While many people have their own sources and outlets for info and have their own levels of trust and validity attached to them, I don't doubt for an instant that what they (some of my outlets, if you will) were told was genuine; but was it legitimate?

Red herrings and smoke-screens are common place, especially as we inch closer and closer to the Deadline, and the trick is filtering through ALL the pieces of info and piecing together what the real is from the crap or outright laughable or outlandish. EDIT: I should point out that as a co-founder and member of this site, I have always held the position that if I come across something or hear something, whether it's WAY out there (like this one for instance) or anything at all, I share it with you, the members. While it may cause chuckles, waves of anger, or is plain just ignored, it's still a rumor and if anything, it will generate further intrigue and usually great discussions and and debates.

I truly believe Murray has this organization and team's best interest at heart and he will do everything he can to make them stronger, more competitive and more difficult to play against. Does that mean he is currently dangling A-Train or anybody else he doesn't intend to move? maybe, maybe not; but you can be assured that he is certainly wheeling and dealing so he can get the best return possible for whoever he chooses to ship out.

Cronie, none of us fault you for that, I hope you don't think it. It's sparking great discussion, and I'm glad you shared it. Keep it up dude.