General Hockey Talk - Injuries, signings, factoids + other news from around the league

marakh wrote:

hemlock wrote:tsn should really be saying "lost six in a row and pointless in their last seven" shouldn't they?

More like, lost 7 in a row, and pointless in their last 6.

Umm, yeah that's what I meant.

Now would be the time for a Phaneuf/Spezza trade, but I'm not 100% on that at all.

Phaneuf has a lot of intanglibles Spezza will never have and is very raw defensivly. I would take Phaneuf 100 times over Spezza at this point but I am not all that hot on Phanuef. A lot more potential then Spezza though plus a winners mentality, he's just been given too much too young, a lot like Spezza was.

SpezDispenser wrote:Now would be the time for a Phaneuf/Spezza trade, but I'm not 100% on that at all.

I'm pretty close to 100 percent with the understanding that CGY would probably have to add a Center and OTT a D-man unless we can address that in a seperate deal somehow.

It's also almost the same dollar for dollar and year for year on their contracts. Probably in Calgary is they are depending on a lot of their production to come from their blueline and it isnt working. Ottawa has trouble with that.

Phaneuf would be a nice piece for The Sens to have IMO, he has a winners mentality, a physical edge only A Train has, he will drop them with anyone, and has more offensive then anyone currently in Ottawa.

What he struggles with can 100% be learned, some of his assets cant be taught. That's a risky deal but one that makes sense. Also give Murray a lot of other options with A Train.

It's interesting, but I still have reservations about losing Spezza. There's only one guy now who could properly answer the question on whether or not we should/could trade Spezza and that's Clouston. He knows the deal with the team, he knows if he can make Spezza into the all-round player or not.

I would bet cold hard cash that Murray and him are in close contact about this very issue - now and in the next 10 games before the Olympics.

We'll see what Spezza brings and see if he can do anything with Cheechoo and Michalek. Say what you want about the guy buy Cheechoo does have a scoring touch (Thoronton won him the RR) and Michalek has a ton of tallent. Spezza has to be able to lift those guys up and get them going, that's what he is paid to do and if he cant do it, people are just wasting their time with him. Like it or not, that's the deal.

Cheechoo is not the same player that won the RR. He can't skate anymore, he can't get into the openings to get a one-timer or wrist shot off. It's no longer fair to him or us to call him a top 6. Unless something magical happens and he can literally stand in front of the net and chip pucks past goalies, he'll never even hit 20 again in his life. Heck...he'd be lucky to hit 15, but I think he could if he was given a top 6 role and a PP 1 opportunity. Problem is, he doesn't deserve it.

Another concern for me right now is that I like our centers:

Spezza
Fisher
Regin
Kelly

Really nice balance of talent and grit there. Now it becomes a winger matchup game - and I like our wingers as well. Michalek, Alfredsson, even Kovalev right now - all playing quite well, making the attack nice and balanced.

SpezDispenser wrote:Cheechoo is not the same player that won the RR. He can't skate anymore, he can't get into the openings to get a one-timer or wrist shot off. It's no longer fair to him or us to call him a top 6. Unless something magical happens and he can literally stand in front of the net and chip pucks past goalies, he'll never even hit 20 again in his life. Heck...he'd be lucky to hit 15, but I think he could if he was given a top 6 role and a PP 1 opportunity. Problem is, he doesn't deserve it.

He's not 50 goals worse, that's the point. He has hit more posts this year then I have ever seen anyone hit. His hands are clearly there and he still gets in those dirty area's. Im not saying he is a 30, 40, or 50 goal guy, but there are certain centermen in The NHL who can get Cheechoo 20-25 goals. Spezza should be one of them, he's paid to make players around him better, and still, to this very day, Spezza depended/depends on others to get him going. It cant happen, he is paid as a franchise player and there is no shot in hell he will ever be that.

SpezDispenser wrote:Another concern for me right now is that I like our centers:

Spezza
Fisher
Regin
Kelly

Really nice balance of talent and grit there. Now it becomes a winger matchup game - and I like our wingers as well. Michalek, Alfredsson, even Kovalev right now - all playing quite well, making the attack nice and balanced.

In all seriousness, in that group of centers, Spezza has brought the least amount all year. 3 of those guys are so much more complet and for their contracts are more valuable then Spezza.

The wingers on The Sens right now are right up there with the best in the league.

N4L wrote:
He's not 50 goals worse, that's the point. He has hit more posts this year then I have ever seen anyone hit. His hands are clearly there and he still gets in those dirty area's. Im not saying he is a 30, 40, or 50 goal guy, but there are certain centermen in The NHL who can get Cheechoo 20-25 goals. Spezza should be one of them, he's paid to make players around him better, and still, to this very day, Spezza depended/depends on others to get him going. It cant happen, he is paid as a franchise player and there is no shot in hell he will ever be that.

Well, it should all work out pretty well. Spezza might not be 'franchise', but he can sure pass that puck. If Cheechoo has anything left in the tank and he and Spezza play together, I would assume things will work out well. I personally have my doubts that Cheechoo can do it, but I'm hoping to heck he can.

We'll see how valuable Spezza is because a team guy like The Sens are playing, his production is going to be down no matter what and he will have to learn how to contribute in other places then the score sheet. Last game he made a great play to flip the puck out of the zone late in the game and relieve the pressure without icing, that was more impressive then the goal he scored IMO. Thats the kind of stuff he has to do.

Less will be more in terms of how much Spezza contributes, we'll see what comes first, his ego or his team. To this point in his career it's been his ego hands down.

I'm not sure Cheechoo's skating is his problem, almost all his goals seem highlight reel worthy, I think his lack of speed just doesn't mesh with Clouston's system. Heatley had a similar problem, Clouston told him to move his feet more and we all know what happened there.

It's kind of a catch-22 with him, he'd probably get his confidence playing some top-6 minutes with Spezza etc. but his play doesn't merit those kind of minutes.

Clouston should be certified a genius if he can get this guy going. He's our only sore spot, since we're stuck with him for the rest of the season at least we have to find a way to make him work out ... somehow.

Hoags wrote:I'm not sure Cheechoo's skating is his problem, almost all his goals seem highlight reel worthy, I think his lack of speed just doesn't mesh with Clouston's system. Heatley had a similar problem, Clouston told him to move his feet more and we all know what happened there.

It's kind of a catch-22 with him, he'd probably get his confidence playing some top-6 minutes with Spezza etc. but his play doesn't merit those kind of minutes.

Clouston should be certified a genius if he can get this guy going. He's our only sore spot, since we're stuck with him for the rest of the season at least we have to find a way to make him work out ... somehow.

If I was a betting man, it would have been the decided difference in ice time for Heatley. From 22-23 minutes to 18-19 tops - sometimes less. That's what his "diminished role" was all about IMO. But, yeah, we're lucky to have gotten Michalek and a 2nd for him, he was slow, he looked like he didn't care and he did not fit in here anymore - not to mention that his salary was high.

Take it easy big guy. You're laying it a little thick there I would've been happy to keep Heatley despite his slowness and his look of disinterest

TheAvatar wrote:Take it easy big guy. You're laying it a little thick there I would've been happy to keep Heatley despite his slowness and his look of disinterest

If he wanted to be here and was willing to play within the system - which he wasn't at all. He was bad last year - and I'm sure a large part of that was not wanting to be here, but when the chips are down, Michalek is way more of the style that we need right now. Not only can he score, he's fast and plays any situation - and he doesn't complain (and he's signed for less).

In the same vein, there's certainly arguments to be made for and against Spezza - and he's one of my favourites - but he's also taking up a lot of cap space - and we've seen now how refreshing it is to have moderately priced players playing their arses off.

TheAvatar wrote:Take it easy big guy. You're laying it a little thick there I would've been happy to keep Heatley despite his slowness and his look of disinterest

His 30ish goals sure would look nice in our lineup, however, I like the way the team plays better now.