POLL: Which D-man will the Sens acquire on/by March 3rd

When A-Train blocks 11 shots and keeps Ovechkin to the perimeter the entire game, that alone proves his worth to me. How many guys can do that in this league? 6?

Hoags wrote:A-train is still a shot blocking machine who's capable of landing a huge hit, none of that relies on Phillips.

Without A-train, our defence is largely a bunch of wusses. Campoli, Karlsson and Kuba aren't going to initimidate any opposing forward, and Carkner fights well but he's not a hitter.

Nope, but covering up for him when he misses those big hits and is down and out after an attempt to block a shot is. Like I said, people get caught up in exactly what you just said and dont realize that it's Phillips that covers up for everything and actually moves the puck out of the zone when A Train gets in trouble as well.

Without Phillips people would be talking about A Train in a much more negative light. I'll even tell you what would be said. "He has to know when to step up because he takes himself out of the play too much". "He's always on his but trying to block a shot and players then walk right around him". That's how the conversation would go.

SpezDispenser wrote:When A-Train blocks 11 shots and keeps Ovechkin to the perimeter the entire game, that alone proves his worth to me. How many guys can do that in this league? 6?

Because it was it just A Train out there, right?

N4L - Leclaire hasn't been good (nor healthy) in a long time.

Coming off that concussion I get the sense he's not still recovered from it. For all I know he sees 2 pucks coming at him whenver he takes a shot.

Elliott is good and could very well pull an Emery and take us to the final, but he might not. Miller has the weight of the Sabres playoff chances and Team USA on his shoulders, it's amazing he can get out of bed with that pressure.

You need a Ryan Miller-type goalie if your defence is nothing to write home about and I think the Philchenkov pairing is what gives us an edge over the competition. You need either outstanding defense or outstanding goaltending to make it, hopefully both.

I'm sure Phillips can make his defense partner better but A-train still blocks shots better than most and if his replacement isn't like that... it's a net loss for the sens.

I will be quite pissed if we re-sign A-Train for more than 5 years, and that cap hit better be below $4M. Otherwise, sad to say, he's not worth such a handcuffing. There's Phillips who needs a raise as well but limited offensive ability shouldn't mean more than $4M. Diddling Komisarek and the Leafs

N4L wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:When A-Train blocks 11 shots and keeps Ovechkin to the perimeter the entire game, that alone proves his worth to me. How many guys can do that in this league? 6?

Because it was it just A Train out there, right?

Phillips is already under contract though, this is about the un signed guy.

Phillips is a UFA next year. Any money paid above and beyond what A Train is worth should go right to Phillips. Is value to the team is more then A Trains ever will be.

N4L wrote:Phillips is a UFA next year. Any money paid above and beyond what A Train is worth should go right to Phillips. Is value to the team is more then A Trains ever will be.

What is A-Train worth though? No one knows right now.

SpezDispenser wrote:

N4L wrote:Phillips is a UFA next year. Any money paid above and beyond what A Train is worth should go right to Phillips. Is value to the team is more then A Trains ever will be.

What is A-Train worth though? No one knows right now.

3.5, exactly what Phillips makes right now. He's not worth what Komiserek makes. Probably about the same as RObidas in all honesty.

Phillips is a 4 million dollar D man for sure, scores HUGE goals, makes players around him better, is a leader on and off the ice. What he brings is so much more important then A Train it shouldnt even be an issue about who is better, it's who is more valuable.

One way or the other we can't lose ATrain for nothing. Losing defencemen for nothing is killing us... Chara, Redden...

We could have received an unbelievable package for Chara and Redden (had he waived) would have given us Marleau. Who is not playing too bad right about now.

Tough choices sometimes have to be made... that said I love ATrain.

MurderOnIce wrote:One way or the other we can't lose ATrain for nothing. Losing defencemen for nothing is killing us... Chara, Redden...

We could have received an unbelievable package for Chara and Redden (had he waived) would have given us Marleau. Who is not playing too bad right about now.

Tough choices sometimes have to be made... that said I love ATrain.

Word is Marleau wouldn't have waived anyway.

A-Train better not go all Yashin on us. He's worth 3.25 - 3.75 (Phillips, Orpik, Robidas money) I really hope he doesn't get too greedy and ask for more than that.

SpezDispenser wrote:

MurderOnIce wrote:One way or the other we can't lose ATrain for nothing. Losing defencemen for nothing is killing us... Chara, Redden...

We could have received an unbelievable package for Chara and Redden (had he waived) would have given us Marleau. Who is not playing too bad right about now.

Tough choices sometimes have to be made... that said I love ATrain.

Word is Marleau wouldn't have waived anyway.

Then it might have ended up being Michalek and we could have moved the douche elsewhere and not had to take Cheechoo this year. Either way, had we traded Redden, we would be better off.

MurderOnIce wrote:
Then it might have ended up being Michalek and we could have moved the douche elsewhere and not had to take Cheechoo this year. Either way, had we traded Redden, we would be better off.

Would have been Matt Carle and a high pick - which also hurts a lot, yeah. It's our own fault for not taking a harder line with Redden. You're invoking your not trade? Okay, you have one last chance to sign off on a trade, after that you can eat Dung and die while I waive you. My hopes would be you make it to the team that wanted you in the first place (not gonna happen) and we can still make a deal, if not, enjoy the Atlanta Thrashers or whichever team picks you up.

Hard lines with these guys. Redden's play had deteriorated so much that waiving him would have gone over a little better than people think. He was completely ineffective for us and we could have possibly replaced him at the deadline with the $$ cleared up. I realize it's his benefit to have a NTC, but sometimes you have to make your stance known: we have NO USE FOR YOU HERE, you need to move along. It's either via trade, or it's by the waiver wire. Your call.

SpezDispenser wrote:

MurderOnIce wrote:
Then it might have ended up being Michalek and we could have moved the douche elsewhere and not had to take Cheechoo this year. Either way, had we traded Redden, we would be better off.

Would have been Matt Carle and a high pick - which also hurts a lot, yeah. It's our own fault for not taking a harder line with Redden. You're invoking your not trade? Okay, you have one last chance to sign off on a trade, after that you can eat Dung and die while I waive you. My hopes would be you make it to the team that wanted you in the first place (not gonna happen) and we can still make a deal, if not, enjoy the Atlanta Thrashers or whichever team picks you up.

Hard lines with these guys. Redden's play had deteriorated so much that waiving him would have gone over a little better than people think. He was completely ineffective for us and we could have possibly replaced him at the deadline with the $$ cleared up. I realize it's his benefit to have a NTC, but sometimes you have to make your stance known: we have NO USE FOR YOU HERE, you need to move along. It's either via trade, or it's by the waiver wire. Your call.

That would have looked nice rather than what we did end up with...

MurderOnIce wrote:
That would have looked nice rather than what we did end up with...

Better than nothing, that's for sure. Not high on Carle at all, in fact, I don't like him very much, but it would have beat what we got for Redden, which was...absolutely Diddle all.

I will say that if we end up with Robidas, we're not re-signing Volchenkov, BUT if we could have both and Phillips and Karlsson and Carkner and Cowen going forward? I like it a lot.

I think we'll hear about a Volchenkov re-signing before March 3rd, although I fear we will overpay. I am guessing a 4M cap hit.