Spezza and Michalek return in 'a week'

It's harder than it looks, I'll admit.

Michalek - Spezza - Kovalev

Foligno - Fisher - Alfredsson

Shannon - Regin - Neil

Ruutu - Kelly - Winchester

Extras:
Donovan
Cheechoo

Volchenkov - Phillips
Kuba - Karlsson
Campoli - Carkner

Extras:
Picard

Leclaire
Elliott

So we send down Z.Smith, M.Brodeur (there's nothing we can do with either guy).

I don't see where Cheechoo will fit on this team when Winchester comes back, I really don't.

Perhaps they Waive Cheechoo as the season gets closer to an end?

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Perhaps they Waive Cheechoo as the season gets closer to an end?

I'm curious if they will or not. It's a lot of $$ to play in Bingo, but we can call him back up when the rosters expand. Tough call. If someone will take him on re-entry, I guess the Sens will deal with that.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Perhaps they Waive Cheechoo as the season gets closer to an end?

I'm curious if they will or not. It's a lot of $$ to play in Bingo, but we can call him back up when the rosters expand. Tough call. If someone will take him on re-entry, I guess the Sens will deal with that.

I suspect that Cheechoo only gets waived if they have a team interested in him as a re-entry pickup a la Gerber.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:Perhaps they Waive Cheechoo as the season gets closer to an end?

I'm curious if they will or not. It's a lot of $$ to play in Bingo, but we can call him back up when the rosters expand. Tough call. If someone will take him on re-entry, I guess the Sens will deal with that.

I suspect that Cheechoo only gets waived if they have a team interested in him as a re-entry pickup a la Gerber.

That's 500K more than if we bought him out, what's the decision gonna be.

Twitter update:

NHL_Sens


#Sens Clouston: Michalek is probable to play Thursday against the Blues.

SensGirl11 wrote:Twitter update:

NHL_Sens


#Sens Clouston: Michalek is probable to play Thursday against the Blues.

I can't wait to see him back in the lineup with some much needed rest under his belt.

Welcome back Mickey!!

SensGirl11 wrote:Twitter update:

NHL_Sens


#Sens Clouston: Michalek is probable to play Thursday against the Blues.

Anyone think we might see a surprise return from Spezza as well?

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SensGirl11 wrote:Twitter update:

NHL_Sens


#Sens Clouston: Michalek is probable to play Thursday against the Blues.

Anyone think we might see a surprise return from Spezza as well?

Saturday is my guess.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SensGirl11 wrote:Twitter update:

NHL_Sens


#Sens Clouston: Michalek is probable to play Thursday against the Blues.

Anyone think we might see a surprise return from Spezza as well?

Saturday is my guess.

Well I was saying surprise return so Saturday doesn't count. That's when they've said they're targeting Spezza's return already.

If what Devo says is true (back injuries), and the team keeps playing well, I don't think we'll see Spezza anytime soon. Unless he is 100% of course.

Further update on Michalek
http://www.ottawasun.com/sports/hockey/2010/01/20/12541961.html

Milan Michalek is ready to return.

The Senators winger, who has missed seven games with a concussion he suffered on Jan. 7th after getting hit by defenceman Mike Green in Washington, is going to come back against the St. Louis Blues Thursday which means winger Shean Donovan could be a healthy scratch.

Michalek was on the ice Wednesday with Jason Spezza (knee), Jesse Winchester (knee), Mike Brodeur (flu) and healthy scratch Alex Picard.

"I feel pretty good. It was good (Tuesday) and (Wednesday) when I've skated and I've felt pretty good," said Michalek.

The Senators could send centre Zack Smith back to their AHL affiliate in Binghamton, but he has played strongly with two goals in three games and it’s doubtful they’ll make that move.

Senators owner Eugene Melnyk was in town today because the club had its team picture before Clouston cancelled practice. Melnyk said he expects this club “go deep in the playoffs.”

Melnyk is buoyed by the fact the club is on a four-game winning streak, has moved to No. 5 in the East and has looked better lately.

“I promised the city of Ottawa we’d go deep in the playoffs so I can’t recant on that one,” said Melnyk.

really why do we need to rush spezza?

if the team is winning and an extra week or two (even after the olympics) means we get a 100% healthy spezza back, lets do it.

cheechoo has to be waived, no one wants to do it, but it has to be done-we need to keep smith up and lets face it cheech is still making his money...

at the deadline we need a hard hitting d-man-lee for andrew alberts, pair him with volchenkov and lookout! also allows phillips to slide over with karlsson.

marakh wrote:If what Devo says is true (back injuries), and the team keeps playing well, I don't think we'll see Spezza anytime soon. Unless he is 100% of course.

Agreed. Why rush unless he is truly and really 100%.

111519 wrote:really why do we need to rush spezza?

if the team is winning and an extra week or two (even after the olympics) means we get a 100% healthy spezza back, lets do it.

cheechoo has to be waived, no one wants to do it, but it has to be done-we need to keep smith up and lets face it cheech is still making his money...

at the deadline we need a hard hitting d-man-lee for andrew alberts, pair him with volchenkov and lookout! also allows phillips to slide over with karlsson.

I agree, no need to rush back Spezza, unless he's 100% and that's that.

I wouldn't split up A-Train and Phillips even though it looks good to have Phillips with Karlsson. They know each other real well and you can't find that chemistry without years of playing together.

But yes, give me a D-man at the deadline - and let him be good please (hopefully better than Andrew Alberts!)

SpezDispenser wrote:

111519 wrote:really why do we need to rush spezza?

if the team is winning and an extra week or two (even after the olympics) means we get a 100% healthy spezza back, lets do it.

cheechoo has to be waived, no one wants to do it, but it has to be done-we need to keep smith up and lets face it cheech is still making his money...

at the deadline we need a hard hitting d-man-lee for andrew alberts, pair him with volchenkov and lookout! also allows phillips to slide over with karlsson.

I agree, no need to rush back Spezza, unless he's 100% and that's that.

I wouldn't split up A-Train and Phillips even though it looks good to have Phillips with Karlsson. They know each other real well and you can't find that chemistry without years of playing together.

But yes, give me a D-man at the deadline - and let him be good please (hopefully better than Andrew Alberts!)

I'm gonna keep saying Sheldon Souray until he's in a Senators uniform.

Our one major weakness immediately vaults into the top 10 in the league with that guy on the backend firing bombs from the blueline.

So, I guess if Michalek is in, Donovan would be the odd man out... would Shannon end up on the 4th line then? Foligno would drop to the 2nd, the Ruutu-Kelly-Neil line would likely remain intact.