2009/10 Sens Roster predictions

Edmonton wants Heatley and they have lots of bodies they need to move. With the signing of Kovalev I think Murray would be more focused on getting a quality Dman from Edmonton if they can rework and complete the deal. I'm guessing something along the lines of Heater, Kelly, and Schubert for Gilbert, Cogs, Stortini, and Schremp. If a pick could be squeezed out I'd be all for it but not holding my breath.

I know some argue Kelly cant go but if you look at the team we need to clear space to give one of our young players some playing time and to further develop. We do have others who can step in and play on the PK, players who would benefit from the extra playing time.

Edmonton wants Heater and needs a guy like Kelly. Its the one thing that was on the air waves a lot last year was the need for a quality PK player.

Schubert adds depth to the team for 1 year. Schremp is skilled and with a return east and in a new enviroment could be a good addition to the baby Sens. Stortini also adds size and can play in the 13th spot.

To make room for a starting top 4 d like Gilbert would require Lee being placed in the minors. Moving Smith through trade, retirement, or LITR is another option. My hopes would be that if Smith is truely injuried and needs more time is to place him on LITR until mid season and then bring him in for the stretch drive, if in a playoff hunt and he is ready. Too many if's so the best bet is to place Lee in the minors or carry him as your 7th. Getting Gilbert gives Murray the option to move Kuba next season to free up a space for one of the young Dmen ready to step in.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:
So you speculate that other than Schubert being waived our roster will stay exactly as is when the season starts?

I think we're getting close, yeah.

The only move I can see is potentially Smith being moved, but I guarantee Murray would love to keep him for this year. There's almost no way around either him or Kelly moving, but there are options once the dust settles.

I wouldn't be inclined to believe that Heatley will be moved until next summer. The Sens will want to ride full value out of Heatley - and as mentioned, he's got A LOT to play for. Next summer we should be able to get a high pick or prospect or a #1 D-man for him.

Now? We're settling for a potpourri of players.

# 1 pick perhaps, welcome to Ottawa Taylor Hall if that is the case

Okay Phoenix, that's better.

Stortini can stay in Edmonton, so can Shremp and I want next years 1st rounder to go with Gilbert and Cogliano.

No? Diddle you then.

SensFan71 wrote:
# 1 pick perhaps, welcome to Ottawa Taylor Hall if that is the case

If the dust settles enough, there might be a chance to get a guy like Danny Boyle and the Sharks 1st. Something like that. I doubt the Isles would want to give up their 1st overall.

SpezDispenser wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:
# 1 pick perhaps, welcome to Ottawa Taylor Hall if that is the case

If the dust settles enough, there might be a chance to get a guy like Danny Boyle and the Sharks 1st. Something like that. I doubt the Isles would want to give up their 1st overall.

Boyle is going absolutely nowhere. SJ spend the better part of 4 years looking for a right-handed, puck-moving, big-name D. They finally land him, and a year later, they're going to ship him out? No chance.

Whether we like it or not, or the return he nets us, Heatley is gone before the start of this season. No way we start the year with that potential media circus looming. Too much of a distraction for the whole team.

SpezDispenser wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:
# 1 pick perhaps, welcome to Ottawa Taylor Hall if that is the case

If the dust settles enough, there might be a chance to get a guy like Danny Boyle and the Sharks 1st. Something like that. I doubt the Isles would want to give up their 1st overall.

well a top 5 pick is okay with me, so the Islanders finish last, we will have to look to Phoenix or other teams that haven't improved themselves for the spots # 2 to 5, don't count on Atlanta to be there, they have improved too much to be a bottom feeder anymore, maybe Toronto, they still have a lack of goal scorers.

rooneypoo wrote:Boyle is going absolutely nowhere. SJ spend the better part of 4 years looking for a right-handed, puck-moving, big-name D. They finally land him, and a year later, they're going to ship him out? No chance.

Whether we like it or not, or the return he nets us, Heatley is gone before the start of this season. No way we start the year with that potential media circus looming. Too much of a distraction for the whole team.

I agree about Boyle, but on the other side, things change. The Sharks suck in the playoffs, they want a big time goal scorer, they're pleased with Vlasic, Blake stays another year, they start thinking about it I would imagine. Cheechoo losing his scoring touch never really got fixed, it's like a black hole around that team IMO. Clowe and Michalek are good players, but they're not Cheechoo circa 56 goals, or Heatley. Marleau is excellent, but a victim of the salary cap in SJ soon. Setigguci and Pavelski are young buds, very bright futures for sure, but again, not a Heatley/Cheechoo punch that would signify the changing of the dynamics in SJ.

I'm curious...for all the posturing about Wilson wanting to give the Sharks a make over, what has he done? Or what does he plan on doing? Dumping Cheechoo is first and foremost, but what then after that.

Well, if what I've read is true, then SJ is going to get desperate near the start of the season when their Cap situation needs to be resolved. What I've read from the Columbus Dispatch and from one other source I can't remember is that the SJ GM is THE worst GM for over-rating players on his own team and is asking too much for his assets.

SpezDispenser wrote:Okay Phoenix, that's better.

Stortini can stay in Edmonton, so can Shremp and I want next years 1st rounder to go with Gilbert and Cogliano.

No? Diddle you then. :)

Schremp brings skill and could be quality 3rd liner. If his speed improved he could move up. He needs a fresh start and if he does stay in Edmonton I suspect he will do very well under Quinn and Renney. Stortini brings some size, very decent cap hit, and had better numbers that neil. Well liked in the locker room and he would be a great asset to the team. That being said I'd be open to getting a 1st instead.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Well, if what I've read is true, then SJ is going to get desperate near the start of the season when their Cap situation needs to be resolved. What I've read from the Columbus Dispatch and from one other source I can't remember is that the SJ GM is THE worst GM for over-rating players on his own team and is asking too much for his assets.

I'll be honest, things have gone stale in Shark land IMO. Same old Dung to start next season. No moves, near/over the cap, hole to fill, Marleau in final year, Thornton has 1 year left after this.

If I was Wilson, I'd be investigating tradeing Thornton and Marleau (if he'll waive) and collecting some new fresh prospects, picks, depth etc.

Time might be for change Wilson. Think about it.

SpezDispenser wrote:
I agree about Boyle, but on the other side, things change. The Sharks suck in the playoffs, they want a big time goal scorer, they're pleased with Vlasic, Blake stays another year, they start thinking about it I would imagine. Cheechoo losing his scoring touch never really got fixed, it's like a black hole around that team IMO. Clowe and Michalek are good players, but they're not Cheechoo circa 56 goals, or Heatley. Marleau is excellent, but a victim of the salary cap in SJ soon. Setigguci and Pavelski are young buds, very bright futures for sure, but again, not a Heatley/Cheechoo punch that would signify the changing of the dynamics in SJ.

I'm curious...for all the posturing about Wilson wanting to give the Sharks a make over, what has he done? Or what does he plan on doing? Dumping Cheechoo is first and foremost, but what then after that.

Whatever change is coming in SJ won't involve moving Boyle. I think SJ would trade anyone -- and I mean anyone -- on the backend before they would trade him. And I think they would trade any of their 18 other players (not Jumbo Joe) first, too -- including Nabokov and Marleau-- before they would even consider moving him. He's the guy they've been looking for for years. No chance they move him now. None at all.

I am okay with taking Vlasic off their hands, mind you, it is going to take the Sharks dumping a lot of salary off for prospects or burying guys in the minors to fix their cap woes, they have 17 players under contract with a little less than a million for cap space ( as per capgeek.com, so unsure if that is the true value or not)

SensFan71 wrote:I am okay with taking Vlasic off their hands, mind you, it is going to take the Sharks dumping a lot of salary off for prospects or burying guys in the minors to fix their cap woes, they have 17 players under contract with a little less than a million for cap space ( as per capgeek.com, so unsure if that is the true value or not)

Definitely true. Wilson should get up from his hibernation and start doing business.

First: trade Cheechoo.

SpezDispenser wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:I am okay with taking Vlasic off their hands, mind you, it is going to take the Sharks dumping a lot of salary off for prospects or burying guys in the minors to fix their cap woes, they have 17 players under contract with a little less than a million for cap space ( as per capgeek.com, so unsure if that is the true value or not)

Definitely true. Wilson should get up from his hibernation and start doing business.

First: trade Cheechoo.

agreed, I know they have a lot of time to get under the cap, but wow, you want to have your roster pretty much set by the time training camp comes around, if we didn't have our own issues, I am okay with giving Cheechoo a chance, but well, that just clouds our forwards picture that much more.

They also have 7 defencemen on 1-way contracts. I can see them burrying Lukowich in the minors. That would free up another 1.57M.

SensFan71 wrote:
agreed, I know they have a lot of time to get under the cap, but wow, you want to have your roster pretty much set by the time training camp comes around, if we didn't have our own issues, I am okay with giving Cheechoo a chance, but well, that just clouds our forwards picture that much more.

I wanted him forever, but now we don't need him at all. If Heatley was to go and we got Cheechoo and Michalek back (Kelly included), then maybe we're onto something. But in 100% honestly, I prefer Shannon to Cheechoo, so I think we're good.

That's the thing about this whole Heatley ordeal. How many roster spots can we possibly afford? We have none as it is. Maybe we should shift our focus to a true number one D-man?

Who knows. I am happy that at some point in the next year, Heatley's salary and cap hit will belong to another team. Still nervous what we get back, but I'm excited for him to have a killer year here, then GTFO.

SpezDispenser wrote:

SensFan71 wrote:
agreed, I know they have a lot of time to get under the cap, but wow, you want to have your roster pretty much set by the time training camp comes around, if we didn't have our own issues, I am okay with giving Cheechoo a chance, but well, that just clouds our forwards picture that much more.

I wanted him forever, but now we don't need him at all. If Heatley was to go and we got Cheechoo and Michalek back (Kelly included), then maybe we're onto something. But in 100% honestly, I prefer Shannon to Cheechoo, so I think we're good.

That's the thing about this whole Heatley ordeal. How many roster spots can we possibly afford? We have none as it is. Maybe we should shift our focus to a true number one D-man?

Who knows. I am happy that at some point in the next year, Heatley's salary and cap hit will belong to another team. Still nervous what we get back, but I'm excited for him to have a killer year here, then GTFO.

well as it is, if Zubov doesn't get a chance with the big club sometime soon, he will probably bolt to the KHL, which well, I don't know personally if that is a big loss or not, with the true # 1 dman, that leads us to dealing with Campoli, Picard, Lee, and possibly Karlsson, well, I know Lee can be buried in the minors if needed, but Campoli and Picard should be given a chance in the top 6, Schubert, you are done, Big Rig and A-Train together, and possibly Karlsson if he is NHL ready with Kuba, or do you push him that quick, instead maybe putting Campoli with Kuba and Picard with Karlsson?

I would show as much patience with Karlsson as possible. Could he do it? For sure, if given big minutes and a PP1 role, he'd probably be a Calder candidate, but do you want him to stumble through it a little this year, or begin his domination next year?

That's why Bryan Murray gets paid the big $$.