Our new look team

So I have been up all night at work and decided to take a look at our team so far. I rounded up some numbers so there is a built in buffer and they were also taken from NHLSCAP.com. The numbers are approximate but it appears we have some room for another move along with having the prospects to make a trade if need be. I made note of the prospects that could potentially challenge for a spot or be brought up at some point. The team doesn't look to bad but I would prefer to bring in another proven sniper for the second line.

If this team falls flat and doesnt make the playoffs then I am sure Murray would be able to move Gerber and Neil for more assets or picks at the deadline. I am sure some team would want them for depth.


Present Team:

Fisher (4.2) – Spezza (7) – Heatley (7.5)

Folingo (0.850) – Vermette (2.77)- Alfie (4.4)

Donovan (0.600) – Kelly (2.125)- McAmmond (0.875)

Neil (1.1) – Bass (0.514) – Ruuto (1.3)


Phillips (3.5) – A Train (2.5)

Kuba (3) – Smith (2.6)

Lee (1.275) - Schubert (0.884)


Gerber (3.7)

Auld (1)


Prospects: Winchester (.550), Nikulin (.833), Zubov (.850),

Pickard (.800), Nycholat (.550), Hennessy (?), Bell (.500)


Salary Cap - 56.7

Emery Buyout – .500

Total Salary – 52.193

Cap Space – 4.507

we could afford Aucoin if we wanted

Phoenix30 wrote:So I have been up all night at work and decided to take a look at our team so far. I rounded up some numbers so there is a built in buffer and they were also taken from NHLSCAP.com. The numbers are approximate but it appears we have some room for another move along with having the prospects to make a trade if need be. I made note of the prospects that could potentially challenge for a spot or be brought up at some point. The team doesn't look to bad but I would prefer to bring in another proven sniper for the second line.

If this team falls flat and doesnt make the playoffs then I am sure Murray would be able to move Gerber and Neil for more assets or picks at the deadline. I am sure some team would want them for depth.


Present Team:

Fisher (4.2) – Spezza (7) – Heatley (7.5)

Folingo (0.850) – Vermette (2.77)- Alfie (4.4)

Donovan (0.600) – Kelly (2.125)- McAmmond (0.875)

Neil (1.1) – Bass (0.514) – Ruuto (1.3)


Phillips (3.5) – A Train (2.5)

Kuba (3) – Smith (2.6)

Lee (1.275) - Schubert (0.884)


Gerber (3.7)

Auld (1)


Prospects: Winchester (.550), Nikulin (.833), Zubov (.850),

Pickard (.800), Nycholat (.550), Hennessy (?), Bell (.500)


Salary Cap - 56.7

Emery Buyout – .500

Total Salary – 52.193

Cap Space – 4.507

I really like that your version of our new look team still has 11 of the same forwards as last year and 4 of 6 defensemen. We still have the same core chemistry, but have switched it up for some inexpensive, seemingly reliable defensive depth, grit and character. This is a very different approach than, say, Tampa.

I agree, one sniper would make a hell of a difference, but I don't know how many realistic options are out there.

Phoenix, I'm gonna test run my new blog here, because you bring up some most interesting points with salary. Let me know what you guys think!

Starting when the first puck drops in the rookie tournament and moving right into training camp and the pre-season comes a battle of epic proportions. Let’s be fair here: this is the NHL that these guys are competing for. The Show...the place every young hockey player aspires to be.

Now think of this. There are 12 spots on forwards, 6 on defense and a player who sits in the pressbox, maybe two. Spezza, Heatley, Alfredsson, Vermette, Fisher, McAmmond, Kelly, Neil, Ruutu, Donovan take up 10 of those possible spots. They’re locks, they’re not going to the AHL, that’s for sure. They might sit in the pressbox, but theoretically, they’re the 10 guys who are taking spots on forward for the Ottawa Senators this season. So then, you have two spots open. Figure that Foligno’s a pretty good bet to make the team out of camp (it would be a massive disappointment if he was demoted to the AHL), Bass is almost sure of a spot based on his solid play last season and into the playoffs. I mean...he was really, really effective as a 4th line, grinding/checker, why should he lose his job? Then there’s Jesse Winchester who Murray thinks so highly of, he signed him to a two year, one-way contract. A guy that Murray scouted for a full year and then beat 20 other teams to sign him. Do you really think he’s going anywhere?

What about Ilya Zubov and Alexander Nikulin? Didn’t Murray say that they’d be full time NHLers this season? So now you have Winchester, Zubov and Nikulin battling for the right to sit in the press box.

Next we have Phillips, Volchenkov, Schubert, Kuba, Smith and Lee who are locks to play on D. Even if Lee was sent to AHL to begin the year, there would still only be one spot left. But, I personally don’t think Lee will be sent to the AHL, I think he’ll start the year as a Senator, so Nycholat, Bell and Picard, have no place on this team right now. At best one of them will be in the pressbox and the Sens will carry two extra players, but that’s unlikely to happen in all 82 games.

So it all comes down to the kind of training camp where if you’re one of these three and you have a guy in your sites, you ‘accidently’ let ‘er go. If it happens to hurt the guy a little...oops. Well maybe not quite that far, but you can expect the kind of competition that would normally be reserved for NHL games. If you’re not ready and you’re on the bubble, you’re going down to Bingo. Bus rides, crappy food, run down motels - or nice, cushy planes, good food and big money if you blow Murray and Hartsburg out of their chairs.

Even Chris Neil and Dean McAmmond are playing for jobs in a sense. They’re playing for jobs on the Senators, that’s for sure. I mean...I like McAmmond a lot, I always have. He’s a great utility player that can play all 3 forward positions and can excel at each one. We can call upon him to play top 6 in a pinch, and while he won’t light it up, he’s not a detriment out there. But he didn’t recover well from the Downie hit. And while at times it looked like he was hitting his stride, he’d fade back into oblivion and be reduced to 4th line minutes. He makes a low salary, but it’s still almost a million. If he has a turkey of a training camp, is he on his way out? Can he even avoid it at this point?

I like Chris Neil too. He fights, and we’re losing guys who can drop ‘em pretty quick. He’s really tough, he likes to dole out punishing hits and he gets under guy’s skin. But he took too many dumb penalties last year - and Hartsburg won’t have patience with him if he keeps having these tremendous mental lapses. If he has a turkey, there are guys in the wings who want his place so badly. They can’t fight though, so Neil has a big edge here.

The NHL season will be an interesting one for the Ottawa Senators. I think we’ll be above average for sure, but as much of a roller coaster as this season might be, it’s nothing compared to what’s coming. In the following weeks we will see the most vicious competition we might see all year.

And they’re all on the same team.

Good stuff, Heater.

I totally agree with your assessment of our forwards. Right now, there is at best 1 roster spot open there, and Winchester and Bass seem like the likely candidates to fill it. I wouldn't rule out some movement here before the start of the season: it strikes me as likely that we may have to ship out someone, like McAmmond or Neil as you say, to create another open spot. I don't see Neil going anywhere: he's too young and has too much potential.

The only thing I'm a little surprised about with your assessment of the D is the assumption that Schubert is a lock. I grant it's very possible as he brings a lot to the table -- he's big, he hits, he can pass well, and he's got a huge shot -- but I'm not entirely sure we can write off Nycholat. Picard's got a 2-way deal, so I'm assuming he won't play with us this year, just because of the log-jam we have. But if Nycholat's AHL numbers are any indication, he seems like he might be able to challenge for a roster spot come training camp. Either that, or we move him for some kind of small return. I agree that Lee isn't going anywhere, however, unless he suffers some kind of serious set back and his play regresses, which I'm not expecting to see.

rooneypoo wrote:Good stuff, Heater.

I totally agree with your assessment of our forwards. Right now, there is at best 1 roster spot open there, and Winchester and Bass seem like the likely candidates to fill it. I wouldn't rule out some movement here before the start of the season: it strikes me as likely that we may have to ship out someone, like McAmmond or Neil as you say, to create another open spot. I don't see Neil going anywhere: he's too young and has too much potential.

The only thing I'm a little surprised about with your assessment of the D is the assumption that Schubert is a lock. I grant it's very possible as he brings a lot to the table -- he's big, he hits, he can pass well, and he's got a huge shot -- but I'm not entirely sure we can write off Nycholat. Picard's got a 2-way deal, so I'm assuming he won't play with us this year, just because of the log-jam we have. But if Nycholat's AHL numbers are any indication, he seems like he might be able to challenge for a roster spot come training camp. Either that, or we move him for some kind of small return. I agree that Lee isn't going anywhere, however, unless he suffers some kind of serious set back and his play regresses, which I'm not expecting to see.

Thanks Rooney. I put Schubert there as a lock because there's no room at all for him on forward.

504Heater wrote:Phoenix, I'm gonna test run my new blog here, because you bring up some most interesting points with salary. Let me know what you guys think!

Starting when the first puck drops in the rookie tournament and moving right into training camp and the pre-season comes a battle of epic proportions. Let’s be fair here: this is the NHL that these guys are competing for. The Show...the place every young hockey player aspires to be.

Now think of this. There are 12 spots on forwards, 6 on defense and a player who sits in the pressbox, maybe two. Spezza, Heatley, Alfredsson, Vermette, Fisher, McAmmond, Kelly, Neil, Ruutu, Donovan take up 10 of those possible spots. They’re locks, they’re not going to the AHL, that’s for sure. They might sit in the pressbox, but theoretically, they’re the 10 guys who are taking spots on forward for the Ottawa Senators this season. So then, you have two spots open. Figure that Foligno’s a pretty good bet to make the team out of camp (it would be a massive disappointment if he was demoted to the AHL), Bass is almost sure of a spot based on his solid play last season and into the playoffs. I mean...he was really, really effective as a 4th line, grinding/checker, why should he lose his job? Then there’s Jesse Winchester who Murray thinks so highly of, he signed him to a two year, one-way contract. A guy that Murray scouted for a full year and then beat 20 other teams to sign him. Do you really think he’s going anywhere?

What about Ilya Zubov and Alexander Nikulin? Didn’t Murray say that they’d be full time NHLers this season? So now you have Winchester, Zubov and Nikulin battling for the right to sit in the press box.

Next we have Phillips, Volchenkov, Schubert, Kuba, Smith and Lee who are locks to play on D. Even if Lee was sent to AHL to begin the year, there would still only be one spot left. But, I personally don’t think Lee will be sent to the AHL, I think he’ll start the year as a Senator, so Nycholat, Bell and Picard, have no place on this team right now. At best one of them will be in the pressbox and the Sens will carry two extra players, but that’s unlikely to happen in all 82 games.

So it all comes down to the kind of training camp where if you’re one of these three and you have a guy in your sites, you ‘accidently’ let ‘er go. If it happens to hurt the guy a little...oops. Well maybe not quite that far, but you can expect the kind of competition that would normally be reserved for NHL games. If you’re not ready and you’re on the bubble, you’re going down to Bingo. Bus rides, crappy food, run down motels - or nice, cushy planes, good food and big money if you blow Murray and Hartsburg out of their chairs.

Even Chris Neil and Dean McAmmond are playing for jobs in a sense. They’re playing for jobs on the Senators, that’s for sure. I mean...I like McAmmond a lot, I always have. He’s a great utility player that can play all 3 forward positions and can excel at each one. We can call upon him to play top 6 in a pinch, and while he won’t light it up, he’s not a detriment out there. But he didn’t recover well from the Downie hit. And while at times it looked like he was hitting his stride, he’d fade back into oblivion and be reduced to 4th line minutes. He makes a low salary, but it’s still almost a million. If he has a turkey of a training camp, is he on his way out? Can he even avoid it at this point?

I like Chris Neil too. He fights, and we’re losing guys who can drop ‘em pretty quick. He’s really tough, he likes to dole out punishing hits and he gets under guy’s skin. But he took too many dumb penalties last year - and Hartsburg won’t have patience with him if he keeps having these tremendous mental lapses. If he has a turkey, there are guys in the wings who want his place so badly. They can’t fight though, so Neil has a big edge here.

The NHL season will be an interesting one for the Ottawa Senators. I think we’ll be above average for sure, but as much of a roller coaster as this season might be, it’s nothing compared to what’s coming. In the following weeks we will see the most vicious competition we might see all year.

And they’re all on the same team.

Good points on this blog Heats. . . now I REALLY want to check out the rookie tourney and training camp. Anyone know how I would go about doing that?

beerandsens wrote:

Good points on this blog Heats. . . now I REALLY want to check out the rookie tourney and training camp. Anyone know how I would go about doing that?

I know...I'm gonna find a way to get there. I'm not sure when and how though, but as it gets closer I'm sure we'll get details.

504Heater wrote:Phoenix, I'm gonna test run my new blog here, because you bring up some most interesting points with salary. Let me know what you guys think!

Starting when the first puck drops in the rookie tournament and moving right into training camp and the pre-season comes a battle of epic proportions. Let’s be fair here: this is the NHL that these guys are competing for. The Show...the place every young hockey player aspires to be.

Now think of this. There are 12 spots on forwards, 6 on defense and a player who sits in the pressbox, maybe two. Spezza, Heatley, Alfredsson, Vermette, Fisher, McAmmond, Kelly, Neil, Ruutu, Donovan take up 10 of those possible spots. They’re locks, they’re not going to the AHL, that’s for sure. They might sit in the pressbox, but theoretically, they’re the 10 guys who are taking spots on forward for the Ottawa Senators this season. So then, you have two spots open. Figure that Foligno’s a pretty good bet to make the team out of camp (it would be a massive disappointment if he was demoted to the AHL), Bass is almost sure of a spot based on his solid play last season and into the playoffs. I mean...he was really, really effective as a 4th line, grinding/checker, why should he lose his job? Then there’s Jesse Winchester who Murray thinks so highly of, he signed him to a two year, one-way contract. A guy that Murray scouted for a full year and then beat 20 other teams to sign him. Do you really think he’s going anywhere?

What about Ilya Zubov and Alexander Nikulin? Didn’t Murray say that they’d be full time NHLers this season? So now you have Winchester, Zubov and Nikulin battling for the right to sit in the press box.

Next we have Phillips, Volchenkov, Schubert, Kuba, Smith and Lee who are locks to play on D. Even if Lee was sent to AHL to begin the year, there would still only be one spot left. But, I personally don’t think Lee will be sent to the AHL, I think he’ll start the year as a Senator, so Nycholat, Bell and Picard, have no place on this team right now. At best one of them will be in the pressbox and the Sens will carry two extra players, but that’s unlikely to happen in all 82 games.

So it all comes down to the kind of training camp where if you’re one of these three and you have a guy in your sites, you ‘accidently’ let ‘er go. If it happens to hurt the guy a little...oops. Well maybe not quite that far, but you can expect the kind of competition that would normally be reserved for NHL games. If you’re not ready and you’re on the bubble, you’re going down to Bingo. Bus rides, crappy food, run down motels - or nice, cushy planes, good food and big money if you blow Murray and Hartsburg out of their chairs.

Even Chris Neil and Dean McAmmond are playing for jobs in a sense. They’re playing for jobs on the Senators, that’s for sure. I mean...I like McAmmond a lot, I always have. He’s a great utility player that can play all 3 forward positions and can excel at each one. We can call upon him to play top 6 in a pinch, and while he won’t light it up, he’s not a detriment out there. But he didn’t recover well from the Downie hit. And while at times it looked like he was hitting his stride, he’d fade back into oblivion and be reduced to 4th line minutes. He makes a low salary, but it’s still almost a million. If he has a turkey of a training camp, is he on his way out? Can he even avoid it at this point?

I like Chris Neil too. He fights, and we’re losing guys who can drop ‘em pretty quick. He’s really tough, he likes to dole out punishing hits and he gets under guy’s skin. But he took too many dumb penalties last year - and Hartsburg won’t have patience with him if he keeps having these tremendous mental lapses. If he has a turkey, there are guys in the wings who want his place so badly. They can’t fight though, so Neil has a big edge here.

The NHL season will be an interesting one for the Ottawa Senators. I think we’ll be above average for sure, but as much of a roller coaster as this season might be, it’s nothing compared to what’s coming. In the following weeks we will see the most vicious competition we might see all year.

And they’re all on the same team.

Heater,

Love the feedback.

I suspect that the most likely players to be moved at some point this season would be Neil, Gerber, McAmmond as their all UFA's after this season.

Neil - I really do like Neil, Bass, Ruuto line but with Neil at 1.1/yr and a UFA. I suspect that if Winchester does well in camp and/or throughout the season in AHL, Neil becomes expendable. A void would be created from a scrapper side but Murray could always call up Carkner or someone else from the minor when needed. As well I suspect with a new coach, players, and system in place I think the team will respond and stand up for each other when there is no scrapper in the line up.

Gerber - it will really depend on how his season is going and how well the team is doing. I would hate to see him go personally but if he has a good season Murray might be inclined to move him to get a return. Especially if he is not part of the long term plans and the team is out of a playoff spot. Here is hoping that Murray has a back up plan for goaltending or Elliott really comes up big and knocks off our socks.

McAmmond - again I would had to see him go but as Heater mentions he is a good utility person. That being said I think that if Murray was to get another sniper then Folingo could fill in here regularly until he gains more experience. I suspect that McAmmond maybe moved prior to the deadline to a young team that is on the playoff bubble that is looking for leadership and experience. He maybe a good fit on Columbus, Nashville, Florida, and Chicago.

Kuba - I know we just acquired him and personally I would like Murray to keep him beyond this season for an extra year however if the team isnt doing well and not in a position to make the playoffs. I am certain that a playoff team would be willing to part with a prospect for what he could bring to the table.

Schubert - is another player I can see going depending on how the prospects do. He would be caught up in a numbers game and could fetch a decent return.

Now that all being said if Murray wants to get a quality sniper for the 2nd line early in the season I suspect that Schubert, Nikulin, McAmmond, and Neil could be used as trade bait. As it stands though I feel comfortable with the present team if no further moves are made at the moment but the future does look bright with our prospects. If trades occur with our UFA's for picks, prospects or a quality young player to fill out the team then the future is going to continue to look bright on the farm.

beerandsens wrote:
Good points on this blog Heats. . . now I REALLY want to check out the rookie tourney and training camp. Anyone know how I would go about doing that?

Yeah its easy - Just fly down to Kitchener where the rookie tourney is taking place.
I'm also interested in watching some of training camp. Any details you guys get, please pass along. Thanks

rooneypoo wrote:
...that Schubert is a lock. I grant it's very possible as he brings a lot to the table -- he's big, he hits, he can pass well, and he's got a huge shot -- but I'm not entirely sure we can write off Nycholat.

Look at all those things and consider the fact that he is defensively responsible, doesn't shy away from contact, and wants nothing more than to be a D-man, and then tell me again that you don't think he's a lock.
I've never been more certain of the names of our top-6.

Phoenix30 wrote:Heater,

Love the feedback.

I suspect that the most likely players to be moved at some point this season would be Neil, Gerber, McAmmond as their all UFA's after this season.

Neil - I really do like Neil, Bass, Ruuto line but with Neil at 1.1/yr and a UFA. I suspect that if Winchester does well in camp and/or throughout the season in AHL, Neil becomes expendable. A void would be created from a scrapper side but Murray could always call up Carkner or someone else from the minor when needed. As well I suspect with a new coach, players, and system in place I think the team will respond and stand up for each other when there is no scrapper in the line up.

Gerber - it will really depend on how his season is going and how well the team is doing. I would hate to see him go personally but if he has a good season Murray might be inclined to move him to get a return. Especially if he is not part of the long term plans and the team is out of a playoff spot. Here is hoping that Murray has a back up plan for goaltending or Elliott really comes up big and knocks off our socks.

McAmmond - again I would had to see him go but as Heater mentions he is a good utility person. That being said I think that if Murray was to get another sniper then Folingo could fill in here regularly until he gains more experience. I suspect that McAmmond maybe moved prior to the deadline to a young team that is on the playoff bubble that is looking for leadership and experience. He maybe a good fit on Columbus, Nashville, Florida, and Chicago.

Kuba - I know we just acquired him and personally I would like Murray to keep him beyond this season for an extra year however if the team isnt doing well and not in a position to make the playoffs. I am certain that a playoff team would be willing to part with a prospect for what he could bring to the table.

Schubert - is another player I can see going depending on how the prospects do. He would be caught up in a numbers game and could fetch a decent return.

Now that all being said if Murray wants to get a quality sniper for the 2nd line early in the season I suspect that Schubert, Nikulin, McAmmond, and Neil could be used as trade bait. As it stands though I feel comfortable with the present team if no further moves are made at the moment but the future does look bright with our prospects. If trades occur with our UFA's for picks, prospects or a quality young player to fill out the team then the future is going to continue to look bright on the farm.

We have a lot of assets to move if the move is there to strengthen the team this year and beyond, but I think the only guy I'd do that for right now would be Bouwmeester.

Your list is a good one. If Gerber plays lights out, I would expect him to be moved ASAP to get a return. It's just one of those unfortunate catch-22s. If he's awesome and we can get some value for him, then that's good for us. I personally wouldn't trade Schubert unless it was part of a huge package. I love that guy, he's a good D-man, a good forward and he delivers big, big hits. McAmmond, I'd be willing to see how is first before gassing him, he looked okay at some points last year. With Donovan and Kelly I think, which is where he'll probably end up.

Maybe I'm too pesimistic. cash caught me being nervous and thinking a Murray or Parish signing would be good, but that's not what's missing. I hope if we make another trade, we trade for a guy who has the potential to be a long term impact player here.

I'm guilty of looking at Rooney's avatar and wondering how much fun it would be to grab Schneider and Parros (and shipping Neil out) though.

504Heater wrote:
Your list is a good one. If Gerber plays lights out, I would expect him to be moved ASAP to get a return. It's just one of those unfortunate catch-22s. If he's awesome and we can get some value for him, then that's good for us. I personally wouldn't trade Schubert unless it was part of a huge package. I love that guy, he's a good D-man, a good forward and he delivers big, big hits. McAmmond, I'd be willing to see how is first before gassing him, he looked okay at some points last year. With Donovan and Kelly I think, which is where he'll probably end up.

I agree about Gerber, but I really think he can be the goalie who takes us all the way - He has made some miraculous saves, in his time with the team, and he would be great if he could control rebounds and keep his head straight.
Schubert's contract is TOO sweet - for what he provides - to move him anytime this year; maybe at the 2010 trade deadline, but I would really like to see him given an extension (unfortunately, his contract year is the same as Lee and Volchenkov, and there just might not be enough money for him...I hope thats not the case, though)
It was the the Schubert - McAmmond - Donovan line which was so great for us, last year. It was easily our best line in early March and pretty much won us a few games (which is a huge deal for a 4th line) I was irate when Murray split them and kept them split up at the end of the season. As great a GM as Murray is, he isn't a really great coach. imo...

cash wrote:
I agree about Gerber, but I really think he can be the goalie who takes us all the way - He has made some miraculous saves, in his time with the team, and he would be great if he could control rebounds and keep his head straight.
Schubert's contract is TOO sweet - for what he provides - to move him anytime this year; maybe at the 2010 trade deadline, but I would really like to see him given an extension (unfortunately, his contract year is the same as Lee and Volchenkov, and there just might not be enough money for him...I hope thats not the case, though)
It was the the Schubert - McAmmond - Donovan line which was so great for us, last year. It was easily our best line in early March and pretty much won us a few games (which is a huge deal for a 4th line) I was irate when Murray split them and kept them split up at the end of the season. As great a GM as Murray is, he isn't a really great coach. imo...

Was that the line? Huh, I wouldn't be upset to see that line put together again.

That 5 on 3 against the Rangers where he made like 10 amazing saves and then threw the puck out of our zone was one of the coolest things I saw last year for the Sens.

He has ability, I hope he can put it all together. It would be a welcome relief/surprise.

504Heater wrote:

We have a lot of assets to move if the move is there to strengthen the team this year and beyond, but I think the only guy I'd do that for right now would be Bouwmeester.

Your list is a good one. If Gerber plays lights out, I would expect him to be moved ASAP to get a return. It's just one of those unfortunate catch-22s. If he's awesome and we can get some value for him, then that's good for us. I personally wouldn't trade Schubert unless it was part of a huge package. I love that guy, he's a good D-man, a good forward and he delivers big, big hits. McAmmond, I'd be willing to see how is first before gassing him, he looked okay at some points last year. With Donovan and Kelly I think, which is where he'll probably end up.

Maybe I'm too pesimistic. cash caught me being nervous and thinking a Murray or Parish signing would be good, but that's not what's missing. I hope if we make another trade, we trade for a guy who has the potential to be a long term impact player here.

I'm guilty of looking at Rooney's avatar and wondering how much fun it would be to grab Schneider and Parros (and shipping Neil out) though.

Parros's pornstache would put us over the top, totally.

Honestly, looking at the way things are shaping up, I'd say Murray is definitely creating the space to make a move for an impact player, preferably on D or in net, either in February or July. Right now, we've got our core locked up for at least the next 2 years, and Gerber, Kuba, Neil, and McAmmond are all FA at the end of the year. That's almost $9 mil in cap space. Tack on a modest 5-7% increase in the cap this year, and all of a sudden the Sens have all kinds of cash to got after a goalie and a defenceman -- AND we open up a roster spot or two for Zubov, Nikulin, etc. We should be in a very good position come July 2009 to seriously improve this team without losing any significant pieces.