OFFSEASON TALK: Forwards!

I'm pretty nervous that we won't re-sign Cullen. I find it a shame - not because he can score 60 points - he's a 40 point guy and MAYBE a 20 goal guy on a good year, but because of the oft talked about versatility he brings and the maturity he also brings to a somewhat young lineup.

If Murray can entice him to stay with a 3+ million, 3 year contract, I think there'll be a lot of people really, really happy. But the reality is, that probably won't happen. It's the way the cap works, you simple can't afford a plethora of 3 milion dollar contracts - no matter how important you deem them.

So, how will the forwards be worked out this off-season?

Here are the locks for making the team barring a trade:

Jason Spezza
Mike Fisher
Chris Kelly
Milan Michalek
Daniel Alfredsson
Alex Kovalev
Chris Neil
Jarkko Ruutu

Here are the guys that would make the team, but need new RFA contracts:

Peter Regin
Jesse Winchester
Nick Foligno

Here are the guys on the bubble:

Zack Smith
Ryan Shannon
Bobby Butler

8 locks, 3 RFAs that will play if re-signed and 3 guys who need a chance (maybe just 2, Shannon might have used up his ninth life).

That's a healthy 13 forwards, the 4th line may not scare many, but they'll work hard assuming it looks like this:

Regin - Spezza - Alfredsson
Michalek - Fisher - Kovalev
Ruutu - Kelly - Neil
Foligno - Z.Smith - Winchester

with Butler and Shannon as the call-up and the extra

That's ~37 million dollars assuming Regin gets a 1.2 contract, Foligno 1.2 and Winchester 0.8

What happens from here?

I'm sticking with my prediction for Regin - 1.5-2 million on a 1-2 year deal, or 3x3. Guys don't sign 4+ year deals at 1-2 million per.

Foligno's a 1-1.5M guy. Sens will likely give him a 1/2 year deal.

Winchester probably 800K-1M.
'It's normally the all-stars like Spezza/Heatley/Aflie or the vet's (Phillips/Kuba/Ruutu) that get the longer (3 or 5+ year) deals because they are either the future of the team or because they want security in their careers. Young guys like Regin, Foligno get short term deals so they have to earn their long term deals. And they don't want to get locked up at a price that is less than they can get in 2-3 years down the road.

I still have yet to hear or find where Murray said Cullen will be tough to sign or it looks unlikely he will. Im not saying people are wrong here but it would still be nice to hear it from the horses mouth.

N4L wrote:I still have yet to hear or find where Murray said Cullen will be tough to sign or it looks unlikely he will. Im not saying people are wrong here but it would still be nice to hear it from the horses mouth.

What Murray said regarding Cullen is that he expects to have to make a move in order to sign him. This was during a Team 1200 interview with the "Healthy Scratches". The way he phrased it sounded like he intended to make that move too.

N4L wrote:I still have yet to hear or find where Murray said Cullen will be tough to sign or it looks unlikely he will. Im not saying people are wrong here but it would still be nice to hear it from the horses mouth.

I agree. All I have heard from him is they want to sign him and they'll talk. Nothing good but, nothing bad either.

SeawaySensFan wrote:
What Murray said regarding Cullen is that he expects to have to make a move in order to sign him. This was during a Team 1200 interview with the "Healthy Scratches". The way he phrased it sounded like he intended to make that move too.

Holy Dung. That would be awesome.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

N4L wrote:I still have yet to hear or find where Murray said Cullen will be tough to sign or it looks unlikely he will. Im not saying people are wrong here but it would still be nice to hear it from the horses mouth.

What Murray said regarding Cullen is that he expects to have to make a move in order to sign him. This was during a Team 1200 interview with the "Healthy Scratches". The way he phrased it sounded like he intended to make that move too.

As in moving Cheechoo to Broome County along with Shannon?

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

N4L wrote:I still have yet to hear or find where Murray said Cullen will be tough to sign or it looks unlikely he will. Im not saying people are wrong here but it would still be nice to hear it from the horses mouth.

What Murray said regarding Cullen is that he expects to have to make a move in order to sign him. This was during a Team 1200 interview with the "Healthy Scratches". The way he phrased it sounded like he intended to make that move too.

As in moving Cheechoo to Broome County along with Shannon?

Cheechoo is already "moved". Even capgeek.com has him off of the Senators roster.

Actually, in the same interview, he mentioned trying to make a team take an extra player if they wanted a certain other player in a trade.

They have to do everything possible to sign Cullen, he will help this team more then any basically any player up front other then Alfi. Yes, he helps this team more then Spezza does.

SeawaySensFan wrote:
Cheechoo is already "moved". Even capgeek.com has him off of the Senators roster.

Actually, in the same interview, he mentioned trying to make a team take an extra player if they wanted a certain other player in a trade.

That part I remember because he said it went both ways. With some of the guys he's asked for, the other team wants a valuable piece of the youth in return.

i'm just not sure who we'd be moving... appart from foligno, Lee...etc basicaly the guys not making much. what high salary player will be moved? (cue the spezza talk)

i mean i rather not trade spezza personally since i doubt we'd get a decent value in return, kovalev isn't worth the money he's making and anyone can see that. i doubt they move fisher as murray puts him part of the immovable core...

who???

Fisher, Kuba, Kelly, Neil, Ruutu - all guys that are making slightly more than most players in their roles. Yes, Ruutu-Kelly-Neil is a sick line.

I like Cullen a lot, but I think signing a D-Man is much more important at this time.

Dash wrote:Fisher, Kuba, Kelly, Neil, Ruutu - all guys that are making slightly more than most players in their roles. Yes, Ruutu-Kelly-Neil is a sick line.

i could deal with fisher and/or kuba maybe even kelly leaving but i doubt fisher is leaving. i love what ruutu does and he makes only 1.3 doing it, so no i don't think a half mill savings is worth it. neil is going nowhere.

I was just answering your question

Actually, you can add Kovalev there too. I keep forgetting he's a Senator.