The Ubiquitous Top 6 Search

It feels like this will go on until the dawn of time...but Murray has publicly said that he's looking at 'a few' UFA forwards to try to get Ottawa's offense back on track permanently. People are quick to point out that Peter Regin is the Top 6 forward we've been looking for, but I'd prefer to call him a top 9 right now. And if he's centering line 3, then you need to put some hardworking and hopefully talented people with him. I'm thinking that you can break up the FFS line for intervals next year and have Regin with Shannon and Kelly. Winchester falls back to center a line with Bass and Ruutu. That gives you a great 3rd and 4th line, obviously a strong line 1 and two thirds of a great line 2 (providing Fisher plays like he can).

Potentially Z.Smith and O'Brien and Caparusso and Greening and whoever we draft this year and Zubov etc. will be able to make the jump soon. Perhaps not this upcoming season, but the season after. Does Bryan Murray try to add a character guy to this lineup. Someone who can put the puck in the net and add a stabilizing force as we start to get the young guys into the lineup?

It's a tough question. On the one hand, you cannot win without your youth being served. On the other hand, if those youths aren't ready, then you're in a pile of trouble - not only for the team, but for the prospects who are getting in over their heads.

There are three names I can think of that I would love to add to this team - if we (Murray) go that direction:

1.Steve Sullivan.
Potential asking price: 4 million per year, probably looking for a 3 year contract, possibly settling on 2.
Why?: He's Stillman to a T, he's slick, fast as lightning and if his health prevails, could actually end up putting up some mammoth numbers with Fisher and Foligno (or Spezza and Heatley if Clouston mixed things up a little). Not to mention he's a character guy who would be a great influence in the locker room.

2.Mikael Samuelsson
Potential asking price: 2.75 per year and counting, looking 4+ years I would imagine
Why?:Nice blend of skill and size, knows how to win and what it takes, can sometimes get caught out of position, but he shoots - and shoots again, something that is very important. The way he's playing in the playoffs will drive his price up - and also drive the number of teams interested as well, so I doubt he's in our range. Still, would make a nice addition to the team.

3.Tuomo Ruutu - RFA
Potential asking price: 3-3.5 per year, 3+ years
Why?: Why the heck not? Getting the Brothers Ruutu together on your team is an instant victory. At six feet, 200+ pounds, Ruutu is like Sharkko, but has beautiful finish, scoring a career high 26 goals for Carolina this past season. If some of the rumblings are true, Rutherford might be shopping Corvo or Babchuk when the playoffs are done for a top 6 winger. Perhaps he'd be open to making a deal for Ruutu? Lee and Picard? At least Rutherford wouldn't lose too much on the PP from the point in Picard. At the very least, this should be looked into. And never discount what having sibling on your team can do to persuade a player to come. Which is good, because we have 2 Ruutus already - I'm one who'd love to make it 3.

I dont think Ruutu is going anywhere. Carolina loves the guy and he will be resigned for sure... perfect 2nd line winger though.

Neely4Life wrote:I dont think Ruutu is going anywhere. Carolina loves the guy and he will be resigned for sure... perfect 2nd line winger though.

Is he ever. Yeah, I figured they might not want to let him go. Rutherford and Murray are 'good old boys' though, if Murray has a nice convo with Rutherford, perhaps we could work something out. But yeah, not too likely.

Once these experiments inevitably fail, again, I wonder if someone will wake up and get Fisher off the second line?

SeawaySensFan wrote:Once these experiments inevitably fail, again, I wonder if someone will wake up and get Fisher off the second line?

Which experiments are doomed to failure?

I think it's time to go with the youth and stop pretending we need a tweak here or there and we're a cup contending team again.

Give guys you mentioned shots in the top 9 and grow with them.

Start relying on guys like Foligno, Shannon, Winchester, Bass, Regin, Z. Smith, Zubov etc... to come in and play a meaningful roll in the top 9. If you get a guy who can step in from this draft then give him a roster spot along with a guy like Karlsson on D.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I think it's time to go with the youth and stop pretending we need a tweak here or there and we're a cup contending team again.

Give guys you mentioned shots in the top 9 and grow with them.

Start relying on guys like Foligno, Shannon, Winchester, Bass, Regin, Z. Smith, Zubov etc... to come in and play a meaningful roll in the top 9. If you get a guy who can step in from this draft then give him a roster spot along with a guy like Karlsson on D.

We're probably 3 years away from being a Cup contender, so it's how you work your room right now, the guys you bring in, bring up, trade, everything. It's a very important time right now. I hope Zubov can be the top 9 guy, but there's a lot of conflicting opinions on that. Bass should probably stay on the 4th line for now (and potentially for the rest of his career).

This team will soon be Z.Smith's - I'm pretty convinced that this kid is going to be a gritty leader for us in the near future - but...there's no denying that he needs another year of AHL hockey. I'd love it if he came up in training camp and blew the doors off management and stuck, but in reality, will he? He hit the wall so hard last year that perhaps one final year of AHL would benefit him. Not to mention the added bonus of having him and O'Brien spend a full year together, then come up together. There's something to be said about coming up to the NHL with chemistry being translated as well.

I do see your point though. Perhaps Murray shouldn't be looking UFA, perhaps he should look for a guy with one year left on his contract to bridge the gap a little, then if/when injuries strike, you have Zubov, Z.Smith etc. ready for the call-up.

We need more information before we can start talking about what kind of UFAs we might be able to add. Specifically, we need to know what kind of money we can spend. To that end, we need to know

1) the cap for the 2009-10 season (due in June); this one's crucial.

2) the dollar amount on Erik Karlsson's entry-level deal (still not available anywhere, including on NHLSCAP.com, which has finally been updated). I have a feeling it will be steep -- like, Cam Barker entry-level deal range -- but if he's smart and wants to play now, he settled for less.

3) the decisions on Comrie, Neil, Bell, and Elliott, and dollar amounts on any new deals these guys might get (should be clear shortly before July 1, but maybe not in the case of the RFAs).

4) some indication of what might (or might not) be happening with Auld (will he be traded?), Jason Smith (will he play again?), and Schubert (will he be traded?).

The best case scenario gives us something like $5 mil in change to play with. The worst case scenario puts us very close to the cap even without any additions.

I honestly don't see us adding another forward of any consequence this year. Not unless there is some major movement with one of the bigger contracts.

504Heater wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:Once these experiments inevitably fail, again, I wonder if someone will wake up and get Fisher off the second line?

Which experiments are doomed to failure?

Getting Top-6 forwards and expecting Top-6 numbers with Mike Fisher at center.

This is what I'd like to see us run with and take the growing pains with it.

Alfie - Spezza - Heatley

Foligno - Fisher - Shannon

Ruutu - Winchester - Kelly

Z. Smith - Bass - Donovan

Kuba - E. Karlsson

Phillips - Volchie

Picard - Campoli

Bell

That means no more Neil, Schubert, Comrie

Bell as your 7th D, J. Smith hopefully traded, retired or LTIR

Lee sent to Bingo for callups

Cap'n Clutch wrote:This is what I'd like to see us run with and take the growing pains with it.

Alfie - Spezza - Heatley

Foligno - Fisher - Shannon

Ruutu - Winchester - Kelly

Z. Smith - Bass - Donovan

Kuba - E. Karlsson

Phillips - Volchie

Picard - Campoli

Bell

That means no more Neil, Schubert, Comrie

Bell as your 7th D, J. Smith hopefully traded, retired or LTIR

Lee sent to Bingo for callups

best possible combination and it doesn't cost you a thing except a few lumps with the learning curve for the younguns.

Almost forgot goaltending.

Trade Auld for prospect/pick and gamble that Leclaire stays healthy with Elliott taking 20ish games as backup.

rooneypoo wrote:We need more information before we can start talking about what kind of UFAs we might be able to add. Specifically, we need to know what kind of money we can spend. To that end, we need to know

All good points. I was operating under the assumption that there certainly would be some player movement. Not sure who, but I'm assuming Auld, Schubert, perhaps Jason Smith etc. would be moved to open up some cap space to make the addition. I can't bring myself to believe we've gone this far, missed the playoffs and all of a sudden Murray is thinking about trading Kelly, so I'll leave him out. I think he stays because he's a guy who's invaluable when you can mount a lead.

As for the cap, I think it's staying in the 55.5-56.5 range. I'd bet against it moving anywhere below or above that, but yes, we should probably wait and see. Just putting out the feelers...

SeawaySensFan wrote:
Getting Top-6 forwards and expecting Top-6 numbers with Mike Fisher at center.

If his production continue to be in the 35 point range, Regin can get his shot at 2nd line center and Fisher can move down to play with Ruutu and Winchester/Neil or whatever. If he can't score, he won't be the 2nd line center, I doubt Clouston would keep him in there. However...his showing at the Worlds was quite good - and Travis Zajac was his center...meaning that Fisher moved to the wing. Which is pretty much where we all want him anyway.

Gosh, that would be diddling awesome if he was to finally move over to the wing once and for all - and be successful at it. Brendan Morrow the 2nd.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:This is what I'd like to see us run with and take the growing pains with it.

Alfie - Spezza - Heatley

Foligno - Fisher - Shannon

Ruutu - Winchester - Kelly

Z. Smith - Bass - Donovan

Kuba - E. Karlsson

Phillips - Volchie

Picard - Campoli

Bell

That means no more Neil, Schubert, Comrie

Bell as your 7th D, J. Smith hopefully traded, retired or LTIR

Lee sent to Bingo for callups

I'll admit to that not being too shabby. The only issue is your D. Left handed, right handed, left, left, left, left.