Serious question: How to rebuild the roster in one year?

How can the Sens rebuild in a year? I mean tank the season without losing the right players to succeed next year? Gonchar, Spezza, Alfie, Karlsson, Regin, Elliott < Those are the only untradeables in my opinion.

Let's assume Cowen makes the team, because he will...and Rundblad starts in the A. Campoli'll be gone, which opens Cowen's spot.

We'd have to trade Kuba and Kovalev for w/e we can get. Assume it's a net second and third.

There are the question marks: Fisher, Michalek, Phillips, Kelly, Neil, Ruutu, Foligno, Carkner, Winchester

and the likely to be replaced: Shannon, Campoli, Leclaire

I'm going to assume Kuba, Kovalev, and those last 3 are gone. Butler takes one spot, leaving 2 D, 1G and one forward spot, along with all those question marks.

And no, I'm not overreacting. Look at the roster and understand that Michalek and Fisher are 40 point players in Ottawa. We have no real skill in our top 6 outside of our top line plus Alfie.

What can be done to make this team a contender next season? In as realistic a way as you can think of, how would you adjust the roster to take us from pretender to contender in one season/off-season?

cash wrote:How can the Sens rebuild in a year? I mean tank the season without losing the right players to succeed next year? Gonchar, Spezza, Alfie, Karlsson, Regin, Elliott < Those are the only untradeables in my opinion.

Let's assume Cowen makes the team, because he will...and Rundblad starts in the A. Campoli'll be gone, which opens Cowen's spot.

We'd have to trade Kuba and Kovalev for w/e we can get. Assume it's a net second and third.

There are the question marks: Fisher, Michalek, Phillips, Kelly, Neil, Ruutu, Foligno, Carkner, Winchester

and the likely to be replaced: Shannon, Campoli, Leclaire

I'm going to assume Kuba, Kovalev, and those last 3 are gone. Butler takes one spot, leaving 2 D, 1G and one forward spot, along with all those question marks.

And no, I'm not overreacting. Look at the roster and understand that Michalek and Fisher are 40 point players in Ottawa. We have no real skill in our top 6 outside of our top line plus Alfie.

What can be done to make this team a contender next season? In as realistic a way as you can think of, how would you adjust the roster to take us from pretender to contender in one season/off-season?

i think if michalek was centered by a real 2nd line center he'd be in a better position to score. we missed out on the savard trade. sure he's not playing well but i doubt we'd have to have traded much to get him. and he'd be good to go next year.

i think you can trade foligno, campoli maybe to the ducks(depending on what's coming back) like i said in a prvious post we could move phillips at the trade deadline and re-aquire him next year(if he wants).

Yeah, it's a lot easier to overhaul a team now in this NHL. I agree for the most part to be honest. I really like Shannon - and feel he's slightly under-used here, but there are about...8 easily replaced pieces on the team. Not that we need to replace them necessarily, but there's a couple of spots where it would mean a tough trade - like losing a Mike Fisher or maybe even Chris Phillips, but the team becomes faster and more skilled because of it.

Not that I'm advocating trading either - I'd actually like to tie Phillips down, but if it was to happen, it wouldn't be the end of the world, instead IMO, it would open the door for that overhaul to happen.

But again, I could go either way. Leclaire's money coming off alone is welcome, Kovalev's too - although I like his play right now. Kuba is a good player, I'm not sure I would move him right now. I like him back there and think - when he's on - he really adds a great dimension to the 2nd pairing.

I'm not even sure how you remember what Kuba like when he's on...People credit Kuba for Karlsson's late season play, but Kuba was out for the final 18 games of the regular season, including the last 10 where Karlsson had 12 points, and all of the playoffs.

Are we being spoon fed a theory about his presence by the team because Murray likes him or does he legitimately have that presence? I'm not convinced.

Fact: If we were in the West, we'd be Calgary/Dallas. In the East, we have hope at a playoff spot, but it's not a slam dunk.

cash wrote:Fact: If we were in the West, we'd be Calgary/Dallas. In the East, we have hope at a playoff spot, but it's not a slam dunk.

Yup. This team is a rollercoaster, much like last year. We will need a similar long winning streak in order to make the playoffs.

1. Bump Murray into a different role. He has put some building blocks in place but it seems like they need a finisher to come in.
2. Get a goalie who can win games as opposed to one that doesn't lose games.
3. Trade one of Cowen, Wiercoch, or Rundblad in a deal for a top end winger.

Apart from Spezza, Alfie, Karlsson, Gonchar, Carkner (they'll never trade a local boy ~ bad press), and Regin, I wouldn't have any untouchables on the NHL roster. I don't think this is a playoff team this year and I wouldn't be upset if they started blowing it up right now. Is Chris Kelly @ 2.2 mil that much better than Z. Smith @ .583?

dennycrane wrote:1. Bump Murray into a different role. He has put some building blocks in place but it seems like they need a finisher to come in.
2. Get a goalie who can win games as opposed to one that doesn't lose games.
3. Trade one of Cowen, Wiercoch, or Rundblad in a deal for a top end winger.

Apart from Spezza, Alfie, Karlsson, Gonchar, Carkner (they'll never trade a local boy ~ bad press), and Regin, I wouldn't have any untouchables on the NHL roster. I don't think this is a playoff team this year and I wouldn't be upset if they started blowing it up right now. Is Chris Kelly @ 2.2 mil that much better than Z. Smith @ .583?

#3: We could have had a top-end winger in Tarasenko but Murray passed for Rundblad. Still don't know why (even though Rundblad has been great in Sweden this season).

Also, I really don't think trading Carkner would be bad press. Most people are indifferent on him (and a lot of fans don't like him).

dennycrane wrote:1. Bump Murray into a different role. He has put some building blocks in place but it seems like they need a finisher to come in.
2. Get a goalie who can win games as opposed to one that doesn't lose games.
3. Trade one of Cowen, Wiercoch, or Rundblad in a deal for a top end winger.

Apart from Spezza, Alfie, Karlsson, Gonchar, Carkner (they'll never trade a local boy ~ bad press), and Regin, I wouldn't have any untouchables on the NHL roster. I don't think this is a playoff team this year and I wouldn't be upset if they started blowing it up right now. Is Chris Kelly @ 2.2 mil that much better than Z. Smith @ .583?

Chris Kelly is awesome, dude. He was | close to me putting him in the untouchables list, and he's in my personal untouchables list. He does so much right and so little wrong. I will never agree with the side of the fence that wants him gone.
I'd also have Phillips, Neil and Fisher in that list, too--and not only for sentimental reasons. I would, however, get Fisher and Michalek as far apart as possible.

As for Carkner, I don't see how he could be anywhere near the untouchables list. He's been beaten to the outside more times than any player this season (and I mean in the league!). He's not showing any real progress as a player. I like him, but at some point it becomes a question how much he benefits the team beyond a fighting presence (which I admit is a role he is instrumental in).

Also, I think there are only so many goalies that legitimately win games for you. I think Elliott is the goalie to expect, for now.

I wouldn't care if Carkner got traded but I can't see him being traded.

I think Chris Kelly is a fine NHL player, but is he worth the $$? I don't want to see him traded necessarily, but can he be replaced by someone already in the organization? I think he's good enough that you could get something for him and not lose that much by playing someone you already have. IMO if Chris Kelly truly was awesome, he wouldn't be playing with Ruutu and Neil.

My overriding feeling is that this organization needs to lose the sentimentality it has towards players on their 2007 Cup run. And I think they need a new GM in order to do that.

There's no point trading one of those guys yet. Too many ifs right now. Wiercioch's value is high, but it's not as high as its been or probably will be. Rundblad is doing exactly what the scouts said he would do and Cowen is playing incredible hockey.

If you want a one-year rebuild to legitimately happen, we have to wait until closer to the deadline when you start to unload players for picks and prospects or young players. Phillips would go, Kovalev, Ruutu, maybe Kelly, maybe Kuba, Campoli, Leclaire. Clean it out, replace a couple of guys from within for now, re-asses in the summer, fill a couple of spots from free agency if need be, reload using Spezza, Michalek, Regin, Alfredsson, Neil, Winchester, Gonchar, Karlsson, Carkner, Elliott, Fisher (I guess).

This team still has some nice pieces, but they need to address a few things:

1.They need a sniper so badly it's not even funny. Spezza needs a guy to draw away defenders - like Kovalev when he's 'on', someone who explodes into the opponent's zone and creates time and space. It's gonna be tough to find this to say the least.

2.They need Chris Phillips. Tonight was better, but man, he's been crappy this year and the Sens need him to bounce back now, or they need to acquire/sign a shutdown, prime minutes D-man IMO.

How do you fill these two integral positions?

dennycrane wrote:I wouldn't care if Carkner got traded but I can't see him being traded.

I think Chris Kelly is a fine NHL player, but is he worth the $$? I don't want to see him traded necessarily, but can he be replaced by someone already in the organization? I think he's good enough that you could get something for him and not lose that much by playing someone you already have. IMO if Chris Kelly truly was awesome, he wouldn't be playing with Ruutu and Neil.

My overriding feeling is that this organization needs to lose the sentimentality it has towards players on their 2007 Cup run. And I think they need a new GM in order to do that.

If you actually believe Smith can replace Kelly, then you really don't understand how to watch a player like Kelly. I don't think I can explain it to you. You just wouldn't understand. No offence intended...it's just my opinion that you either understand his value or you don't. If you don't, you won't. It's just different emphasis of importance, that's all.

And btw, 2.2 million is less than what a team *should" allocate to each player on their roster. Keep that in mind.

SpezDispenser wrote:, re-asses in the summer

yes, asses in the summer time is key!!