Sens return Cowen to the Spokane Chiefs

SpezDispenser wrote:

Bramlet07 wrote:Does Murray allow Volchenkov to walk then next summer if Cowan is going to be ready? I would hate to see him go, but would not miss him for long if Cowan was in the line up.

I hope not personally. I know what you mean, but I hope not.

Holding onto Volchenkov may be harder than we think. Hopefully Volchie will take a big home town discount...

shabbs wrote:Holding onto Volchenkov may be harder than we think. Hopefully Volchie will take a big home town discount...

What's a hometown discount? 4 million?

SpezDispenser wrote:

Bramlet07 wrote:Does Murray allow Volchenkov to walk then next summer if Cowan is going to be ready? I would hate to see him go, but would not miss him for long if Cowan was in the line up.

I hope not personally. I know what you mean, but I hope not.

Ya but they dont have the cap space to sign him long term. How long can he even keep up his style of play? I wouldnt be surprised if the sens struggle early on to see him traded. He could bring back a nice return and it would help fix the log jam on D.

Bramlet07 wrote:Ya but they dont have the cap space to sign him long term. How long can he even keep up his style of play? I wouldnt be surprised if the sens struggle early on to see him traded. He could bring back a nice return and it would help fix the log jam on D.

Not yet they don't, but I would be shocked to see Chris Kelly on the Sens next year, obviously Schubert and Donovan will go, Picard might be moved, Lee may end up making less on his next deal, Foligno will make quite a bit more, Kuba's NTC is lifted next season. There's always ways to get a stud like A-Train re-signed. I will agree though, that he has amazing value - especially to a contender at the deadline, so we'll have to wait and see what happens.

I just really would prefer A-Train to Kuba or Phillips going forward with Cowen, Karlsson and Wiercioch. They each bring a different element to our back end and compliment each other really well.

SpezDispenser wrote:

shabbs wrote:Holding onto Volchenkov may be harder than we think. Hopefully Volchie will take a big home town discount...

What's a hometown discount? 4 million?

Well, we have roughly $47M committed next year to 13 players. That leaves just under $10M to sign the remaining 8 - 9 players depending on the roster size we go with.

RFA's: Foligno, Regin, Winchester, Lee, Picard, Campoli, Bass
UFA's: Donovan, Shannon, Volchenkov, Schubert, Carkner

Karlsson and Cowen should be in the line-up full-time next season, if not sooner. Carkner, Z. Smith and Bass may likely be as well... so having those will give us some flexibility cap wise.

Yikes. It's gonna get tight.

shabbs wrote:Well, we have roughly $47M committed next year to 13 players. That leaves just under $10M to sign the remaining 8 - 9 players depending on the roster size we go with.

RFA's: Foligno, Regin, Winchester, Lee, Picard, Campoli, Bass
UFA's: Donovan, Shannon, Volchenkov, Schubert, Carkner

Karlsson and Cowen should be in the line-up full-time next season, if not sooner. Carkner, Z. Smith and Bass may likely be as well... so having those will give us some flexibility cap wise.

Yikes. It's gonna get tight.

It sure is. Good thing they all have to play their little hearts out to earn maximum salary.

asq2 wrote:Yeah, that too. We'd probably be talking about OEL, who's years away (but has tantalizing potential).

Murray would have taken MPS I htink.

EDIT: Based on the comment "We take a forward unless a special player is still available"

marakh wrote:

asq2 wrote:Yeah, that too. We'd probably be talking about OEL, who's years away (but has tantalizing potential).

Murray would have taken MPS I htink.

EDIT: Based on the comment "We take a forward unless a special player is still available"

Isn't it funny how here we are, with Cowen pretty much ready to play in the NHL by November, and Lehner probably ready as well. Yet what have we heard lately about MPS/MSP and OEL? It is pretty much a given now that Cowen will not only make the team next year, but will make it better. And if we needed Lehner he would most likely be ready as well. I wonder if we will be saying similar things about MSP/OEL next fall.

marakh wrote:

asq2 wrote:Yeah, that too. We'd probably be talking about OEL, who's years away (but has tantalizing potential).

Murray would have taken MPS I htink.

EDIT: Based on the comment "We take a forward unless a special player is still available"

I'm pretty sure OEL was the defenceman Murray was referring to when he mentioned a defenceman they saw in Europe who could be better than Hedman, but was less developed.

Unless he didn't mean for this draft and meant Adam Larsson.

wprager wrote:

marakh wrote:

asq2 wrote:Yeah, that too. We'd probably be talking about OEL, who's years away (but has tantalizing potential).

Murray would have taken MPS I htink.

EDIT: Based on the comment "We take a forward unless a special player is still available"

Isn't it funny how here we are, with Cowen pretty much ready to play in the NHL by November, and Lehner probably ready as well. Yet what have we heard lately about MPS/MSP and OEL? It is pretty much a given now that Cowen will not only make the team next year, but will make it better. And if we needed Lehner he would most likely be ready as well. I wonder if we will be saying similar things about MSP/OEL next fall.

Schenn made an impact more quickly than Stamkos. NHL-readiness is nice, but not the be-all end-all. I still think OEL's going to end up one helluva defenceman (likewise for MPS, but at forward).

Very happy with Cowen and Lehner, though. Jury's still out on Silfverberg.

Well, OEL is gonna be awesome IMO. You can see it at times when he plays, that very raw and inconsistant, but great talent. Granted I only saw 1 or 2 games but I saw him make a pass to a teammate at the other side of the rink with 3 opponents in front of him. I think this guy will be amazing at 25 when he's gonna be comfortable with his NHL linemates.

marakh wrote:
Murray would have taken MPS I htink.

EDIT: Based on the comment "We take a forward unless a special player is still available"

I think he wanted Kadri pretty badly. At first I didn't, but I'm definitely starting to believe it. Once the dust settled and Kadri was gone, he had the option of MPS or 'that special player that we really shouldn't be getting at 9."

SpezDispenser wrote:

marakh wrote:
Murray would have taken MPS I htink.

EDIT: Based on the comment "We take a forward unless a special player is still available"

I think he wanted Kadri pretty badly. At first I didn't, but I'm definitely starting to believe it. Once the dust settled and Kadri was gone, he had the option of MPS or 'that special player that we really shouldn't be getting at 9."

Tim Murray said it himself on Team 1200 the day after the draft, not to believe the rumours and the TSN video about the Sens wanting Kadri. The way he said it, it was more than obvious they were ecstatic to get Cowen over Kadri.

SpezDispenser wrote:

marakh wrote:
Murray would have taken MPS I htink.

EDIT: Based on the comment "We take a forward unless a special player is still available"

I think he wanted Kadri pretty badly. At first I didn't, but I'm definitely starting to believe it. Once the dust settled and Kadri was gone, he had the option of MPS or 'that special player that we really shouldn't be getting at 9."

You really believe that?

marakh wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

marakh wrote:
Murray would have taken MPS I htink.

EDIT: Based on the comment "We take a forward unless a special player is still available"

I think he wanted Kadri pretty badly. At first I didn't, but I'm definitely starting to believe it. Once the dust settled and Kadri was gone, he had the option of MPS or 'that special player that we really shouldn't be getting at 9."

Tim Murray said it himself on Team 1200 the day after the draft, not to believe the rumours and the TSN video about the Sens wanting Kadri. The way he said it, it was more than obvious they were ecstatic to get Cowen over Kadri.

Hardly surprising. You're not supposed to get a prospect of Cowen's calibre at the 9th slot.

That said, I do believe there was strong interest in Kadri.

CCgotITcovered wrote:
You really believe that?

I think so, yeah. The odd part of the equation is that Cowen was still around at that point and there was a glimmer of hope, so the only other logical thing would be that Murray was trying to trade up to get Cowen there and to also try to make sure the Leafs didn't complete a Schenn-Cowen duo. But...from what I've seen from Kadri so far, I can absolutely start to believe that the Sens wanted him pretty badly to complete what would have become a crazy 1-2 punch with Spezza.

The wildcard was Dallas, what were they going to take? Because they need both a number one D-man and a top 6 playmaker. I thought they might take MPS off the board, but they went with Glennie and all of a sudden I think Murray and co. couldn't really make a mistake. At that point my heart was telling me Cowen but my hockey excitement button had been pressed, so either Cowen or MPS would have fully satisfied me.

marakh wrote:
Tim Murray said it himself on Team 1200 the day after the draft, not to believe the rumours and the TSN video about the Sens wanting Kadri. The way he said it, it was more than obvious they were ecstatic to get Cowen over Kadri.

So, they were trying to move up to get Cowen in other words?

SpezDispenser wrote:

CCgotITcovered wrote:
You really believe that?

I think so, yeah. The odd part of the equation is that Cowen was still around at that point and there was a glimmer of hope, so the only other logical thing would be that Murray was trying to trade up to get Cowen there and to also try to make sure the Leafs didn't complete a Schenn-Cowen duo. But...from what I've seen from Kadri so far, I can absolutely start to believe that the Sens wanted him pretty badly to complete what would have become a crazy 1-2 punch with Spezza.

The wildcard was Dallas, what were they going to take? Because they need both a number one D-man and a top 6 playmaker. I thought they might take MPS off the board, but they went with Glennie and all of a sudden I think Murray and co. couldn't really make a mistake. At that point my heart was telling me Cowen but my hockey excitement button had been pressed, so either Cowen or MPS would have fully satisfied me.

The Glennie choice was an odd one for me. But he could end up being a really solid forward.