Sens sign Kovalev!!

Is it just me or are the Leaf fans the stupidest people in the entire world...

Headline... "Sens sign Kovalev"

Two Leaf fan responses in a row...
As a Leaf fan.... good, now come play for the Leafs!!
Posted by: Lance1216 | Monday July 6, 2009, 12:23 pm ET


Maybe the Leafs should sign him, would that not just eat the Hab fans alive?

Posted by: crazyleaf | Monday July 6, 2009, 12:42 pm ET

MurderOnIce wrote:Is it just me or are the Leaf fans the stupidest people in the entire world...

Headline... "Sens sign Kovalev"

Two Leaf fan responses in a row...


As a Leaf fan.... good, now come play for the Leafs!!

Posted by: Lance1216 | Monday July 6, 2009, 12:23 pm ET





Maybe the Leafs should sign him, would that not just eat the Hab fans alive?


Posted by: crazyleaf | Monday July 6, 2009, 12:42 pm ET

Not that I want to get into the habit of defending Leaf fans but...

You have to understand that Sportsnet often changes the story thread be keeps the comments. My guess is these comments carried over from an earlier story in the day ('Montreal not re-signing Kovalev'). I see it happen all the time.

EDIT: look at the time-stamps on those comments. Both are about 3 hours before the Kovalev news broke.

rooneypoo wrote:

MurderOnIce wrote:Is it just me or are the Leaf fans the stupidest people in the entire world...

Headline... "Sens sign Kovalev"

Two Leaf fan responses in a row...


As a Leaf fan.... good, now come play for the Leafs!!

Posted by: Lance1216 | Monday July 6, 2009, 12:23 pm ET





Maybe the Leafs should sign him, would that not just eat the Hab fans alive?


Posted by: crazyleaf | Monday July 6, 2009, 12:42 pm ET

Not that I want to get into the habit of defending Leaf fans but...

You have to understand that Sportsnet often changes the story thread be keeps the comments. My guess is these comments carried over from an earlier story in the day ('Montreal not re-signing Kovalev'). I see it happen all the time.

EDIT: look at the time-stamps on those comments. Both are about 3 hours before the Kovalev news broke.

I see what you are saying. There is potential that this is not direct evidence that they are morons but I am comfortable that their body of work speaks for itself in this regard...

Neely4Life wrote:If Heatley actually stayed in Ottawa, The Sens would have be close to unstoppable.

I've been saying that for a while...no way we're trading Heatley unless there's a ridiculous offer on the table. Top line winger has to be coming back, otherwise, this team is a lot better waiting it out, patiently waiting, rejecting BS offers, waiting and then boom, you get a deal dropped in front of you that makes it ALL worth your time.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:If Heatley actually stayed in Ottawa, The Sens would have be close to unstoppable.

I've been saying that for a while...no way we're trading Heatley unless there's a ridiculous offer on the table. Top line winger has to be coming back, otherwise, this team is a lot better waiting it out, patiently waiting, rejecting BS offers, waiting and then boom, you get a deal dropped in front of you that makes it ALL worth your time.

I'm not sure why you're insisting on a top line player coming back. Chances are we couldn't afford them cap wise, but luckily we wouldn't need to either with the Kovalev signing. I think if anything this lets Murray make a more forward thinking trade since he has already brought in a guy that can come close to replacing Heatley's production.

Jordo wrote:TSN's reporting it now too.

I don't know how I feel about this one...

I guess it depends on which Kovalev shows up, he can be a dominant force when he wants to be, hope he wants to be all 82 games. He is better than our last # 27, I will say that though.

rooneypoo wrote:Now $2 mil over the cap... we've got some work to do now!

So it would be good to get rid of approximately 2.6M of salary. I wonder how he does that?

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:Now $2 mil over the cap... we've got some work to do now!

So it would be good to get rid of approximately 2.6M of salary. I wonder how he does that?

Are you hinting at something? lol. Murray will have his work cut out for him too, a lot of guys next year due for contracts or are in RFA status. Foligno, Shannon, Winchester, and Regin are all due, Shannon being a UFA. Volchie is up for contract next year, with Lee, Campoli and Picard all being RFA. Still no word on an Elliott signing though, it makes me think though its been done.

I think Shannon got the one year deal because he could turn out to be a one hit wonder. Perhaps he just fed off of Foligno's new found ability coupled with the pressure free hockey they played down the stretch when the playoffs were all but mathematically out of reach. I hope he does stay a legitimate NHLer and with some of our needs addressed he'll be slotted somewhere that won't allow him to cash in big on his next contract. In other words they'll probably not put him on the 1st or 2nd line with primo PP minutes where he'll inflate his stats to the point of pricing himself out of Ottawa.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

rooneypoo wrote:Now $2 mil over the cap... we've got some work to do now!

So it would be good to get rid of approximately 2.6M of salary. I wonder how he does that?

Ideally it has to be more than that. Before Vermette was traded we were one top-six player short. With Kovalev replacing Heatley we are now two top-six players short. Last year we played with Foligno and Shannon as top-six players. I suppose we can continue going with that, but ideally those two are playing on a great third line. That's why Murray may still be looking for another top-six. Bertuzzi could fill that role for $2M, but that's as cheap as you're probably going to get for someone who *will* score 15-20. Plus, if Karlsson makes the team his $1.3M (is that what it is with bonuses?) will need to be accomodated. Lastly, Elliott will probably get around what Auld makes, so Auld has to be moved if Brian sticks around.

So apart from Smith and Auld we would need to clear another $2M or so for Karlsson and injuries, and another $2 for a top-six. If we take back a $5M contract in the Heatley trade that should about do it.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I think Shannon got the one year deal because he could turn out to be a one hit wonder. Perhaps he just fed off of Foligno's new found ability coupled with the pressure free hockey they played down the stretch when the playoffs were all but mathematically out of reach. I hope he does stay a legitimate NHLer and with some of our needs addressed he'll be slotted somewhere that won't allow him to cash in big on his next contract. In other words they'll probably not put him on the 1st or 2nd line with primo PP minutes where he'll inflate his stats to the point of pricing himself out of Ottawa.

good strategy you have there, and it's not a huge problem if he doesn't pan out, after this season, maybe O'Brien or Zack Smith is ready to step in, so basically saying Shannon can be replaced if needed.

I wonder if any homo-erotic beefcake spreads are in the Ottawa Sun's future?

SeawaySensFan wrote:I wonder if any homo-erotic beefcake spreads are in the Ottawa Sun's future?

Kovalev starts up the Sunshine guys?

well Kovalev is saying the right things already, or is he delusional?

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Kovalev+says+Stanley+within+reach/1767631/story.html

Say what you want about Alexei Kovalev’s roller-coaster history, Ottawa Senators fans, but you have to admire his optimism.

“Ottawa is a pretty good team that has a chance to win the Stanley Cup,” the flashy Russian star said in a conference call from Russia Tuesday, when asked about why he chose to sign a two-year, $10 million U.S. deal here on Monday.

“I think I can bring something that was missing to help the team be competitive for the Stanley Cup. They have always had one really good line, year after year, but I think, maybe, I can be part of creating two or three good lines (so the team can be more) successful in the playoffs. I’m not a big believer that one line can do all the damage.”

Perhaps Kovalev is delusional, but at the same time, he might get lucky and get right smacked ab in the middle of the Big 3 D-men coming into the NHL and the tide finally turning for the Sens.

Do I think we're near a Cup right now? No, but I think he can help take us close in 10/11 - and if we're right on the cusp, he can always resign and get the job done.

Anything can happen. Still, it all hinges on when the Big 3 will be ready to play impact NHL hockey.

SpezDispenser wrote:Perhaps Kovalev is delusional, but at the same time, he might get lucky and get right smacked ab in the middle of the Big 3 D-men coming into the NHL and the tide finally turning for the Sens.

Do I think we're near a Cup right now? No, but I think he can help take us close in 10/11 - and if we're right on the cusp, he can always resign and get the job done.

Anything can happen. Still, it all hinges on when the Big 3 will be ready to play impact NHL hockey.

I don't know about that, through all this off-season talk the one guy that gets left out of all the talk; who may very well be the difference maker; is Pascal Leclaire.

Don't fool yourselves Sens fans, we're coming back with a vengeance this year and with the right luck (cause you need it) we could very well be in line to a cup.

SpezDispenser wrote:Perhaps Kovalev is delusional, but at the same time, he might get lucky and get right smacked ab in the middle of the Big 3 D-men coming into the NHL and the tide finally turning for the Sens.

Do I think we're near a Cup right now? No, but I think he can help take us close in 10/11 - and if we're right on the cusp, he can always resign and get the job done.

Anything can happen. Still, it all hinges on when the Big 3 will be ready to play impact NHL hockey.

I'm just throwing this out there but what if Heatley is traded, freeing up some cap space and Murray takes a chance on Sergei Zubov as a stop gap?

I'm sure that he and Kovalev are good friends, maybe he could convince Zubov to come here?

Urkie wrote:

I'm just throwing this out there but what if Heatley is traded, freeing up some cap space and Murray takes a chance on Sergei Zubov as a stop gap?

I'm sure that he and Kovalev are good friends, maybe he could convince Zubov to come here?

All depends what our cap situation looks like after (if? when?) a Heatley deal. To make another significant signing (i.e., over $2 mil), we'd have to be getting very little back in salary in any trade involving Heatley.

So, I'd say there are just too many variables right now to speculate on whether or not we might add a Zubov or Bertuzzi, etc. etc. With the team already over the cap, we need to sort out the Heatley situation, as well as a number of other unresolved issues (Elliott) and question marks on the team (Smith, Auld, Schubert). I don't think we'll be making any other significant moves until we start clearing up these issues.

Remember how bad a spot ANA was in two years when they were over the cap and had to lose Schneider in the final days before the season started? They basically had to give up a draft pick just to get rid of him. We don't want to end up in the same situation. Better to deal with it sooner rather than later.