Why does re-build have to be taboo in Ottawa?

Cap'n Clutch

Cap'n Clutch

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Number of posts : 13873
Age : 51
Location : Strathmore
Favorite Team : Calgary
Registration date : 2008-07-31

Ottawa has been spinning it's wheels ever since the run to the finals which appears to have been fashioned with a lot of luck and a stellar performance from a top line and a shut down defensive duo once regarded as one of the best in the league at the time. It would seem as though Ottawa fell into the same trap the Canes did although at least the Canes had a Cup to show for it. After the Sens locked up their core to big money deals with NMC/NTCs it was nearly impossible to make significant changes when things went south. Muckler had no vision for the future which left the cupboard almost empty in terms of decent prospects to come up the pipeline, Letting Chara walk was disastrous, getting next to nothing for Havlat hurt and Heatley set the team back significantly by requesting a trade which was made public.

Murray has made significant progress in rebuilding the farm system with guys like, Rundblad, Weircioch, Cowen and second year NHLer Erik Karlsson and of course Robin Lehner but he's been pretty average to bad when it comes to acquiring NHL talent to fill the roster. Signing Kovalev was a very high risk move and it is not paying off as was the Gonchar signing. Bringing in aging Vets may be the only way to get talent into Ottawa right now and if that's the case why spend money on guys that have a high risk attached to them? The answer is to attract the fans. To try to get butts in the seats. The problem is it hasn't worked. Anecdotally I can tell you I've been to several home games that had an announced attendance of just over 16,000 and the last time I checked attendance was down, on average, by over 1000 from last season.

If re-building is avoided because management fears season seat sales, corporate sponsorship and overall ticket sales will fall dramatically it's already happening. Why not re-build properly rather than wasting money on used up UFAs? They can even say they're not re-building and say we're contenders like they already do now? I'd much rather be lied to about being competitive and have some real promising players and some future stars to watch, while getting the same results in the win column, rather than have patch work done every season with little hope of a turn around any time soon.

Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:29 pm by **ddt** · Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:29 pm by **ddt**

Because the owner says so...

Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:39 pm by **Cap'n Clutch** · Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:39 pm by **Cap'n Clutch**

The point is it's not working to make them contenders and it's not fooling the fan base into buying tickets.

Re-build/re-tool properly and tell me whatever you want as long as you're building the team of the future with the right moves.

Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:45 pm by **Hoags** · Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:45 pm by **Hoags**

I imagine people think it'll take us back to the dark days when they'd go for weeks without winning.

Melnyk thinks it'll kill ticket sales, he thinks people only show up because they think we're a contender. No one is going to show up for a team that's pretty much guaranteed to miss the playoffs.

Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:55 pm by **top shelf15** · Thu Dec 30, 2010 2:55 pm by **top shelf15**

Hoags wrote:I imagine people think it'll take us back to the dark days when they'd go for weeks without winning.

Melnyk thinks it'll kill ticket sales, he thinks people only show up because they think we're a contender. No one is going to show up for a team that's pretty much guaranteed to miss the playoffs.

Lots of cap space no one really to sign ,maybe use the extra money to offset the loss of revenue at the gate

Thu Dec 30, 2010 3:00 pm by **PTFlea** · Thu Dec 30, 2010 3:00 pm by **PTFlea**

The D has to mature now. We've rebuilt it from the ground up, purchased stop-gaps that have't worked (Kuba) and then other stop-gaps that should work (Gonchar), but in the long run, this team *should* be all but rebuilt on the backend. Now it's the forwards. The Sens need that one blue chip, slam dunk winger or 2nd line center who can take some of the pressure off Spezza and Alfie and make the team faster and more exciting. Then, once they've got that young player, they need a complete overhaul of the 2nd line with young talent. Silfverberg might be the only guy that makes it - along with Butler - but that's what happens when someone diddles up your farm like Muckler did.

Bottom line: the rebuild is happening as we speak, it just hasn't been sold to the fans yet.

Thu Dec 30, 2010 3:03 pm by **top shelf15** · Thu Dec 30, 2010 3:03 pm by **top shelf15**

SpezDispenser wrote:The D has to mature now. We've rebuilt it from the ground up, purchased stop-gaps that have't worked (Kuba) and then other stop-gaps that should work (Gonchar), but in the long run, this team *should* be all but rebuilt on the backend. Now it's the forwards. The Sens need that one blue chip, slam dunk winger or 2nd line center who can take some of the pressure off Spezza and Alfie and make the team faster and more exciting. Then, once they've got that young player, they need a complete overhaul of the 2nd line with young talent. Silfverberg might be the only guy that makes it - along with Butler - but that's what happens when someone diddles up your farm like Muckler did.

Bottom line: the rebuild is happening as we speak, it just hasn't been sold to the fans yet.

Yep thats it in a nutshell spez.

Thu Dec 30, 2010 4:09 pm by **wprager** · Thu Dec 30, 2010 4:09 pm by **wprager**

I keep hearing people say "Bring so-and-so in to take some of the pressure off Alfie/Spezza/etc."

Thing is, wouldn't pressure be a motivator to perform? We don't want players who fold under pressure.

Thu Dec 30, 2010 4:49 pm by **SensHulk** · Thu Dec 30, 2010 4:49 pm by **SensHulk**

Lol this loss to the canes really has everyone riled up for a tanking hasn't it?

Give it till game 45...Montreal and Atlanta are starting to struggle.

Thu Dec 30, 2010 5:30 pm by **wprager** · Thu Dec 30, 2010 5:30 pm by **wprager**

Evaluate the team's progress in 10-game segments.

It's still early. Some teams haven't even played 15 games yet.

We're not even a quarter way into the season.

Give it till game 45.

Aw, geez, is it the All Star break already?

When's the trade deadline?

Isles playing the Leafs, hmm, I guess I have to hope for a 3-point game.

Come on spin that ball! Papa needs a new #1 pick!

Thu Dec 30, 2010 6:03 pm by **Hoags** · Thu Dec 30, 2010 6:03 pm by **Hoags**

wprager wrote:I keep hearing people say "Bring so-and-so in to take some of the pressure off Alfie/Spezza/etc."

Thing is, wouldn't pressure be a motivator to perform? We don't want players who fold under pressure.

Sometimes I feel with so many long term contracts with NTC, some players may not care as much as a rookie who's trying to establish himself in the NHL and doesn't want to get sent back down.

It seems a lot of teams have gotten a "shot in the arm" by one or 2 rookies in their otherwise established lineup, players who are trying to prove themselves.

Look at King K, he's struggled a bit in his 2nd year as expected but he plays like possessed out there most nights. Makes a lot of the vets look real bad.

I think a couple of guys like that in the lineup would maybe jump start the rest of the team who play like they don't give a Dung more often than not.

Thu Dec 30, 2010 6:33 pm by **SensHulk** · Thu Dec 30, 2010 6:33 pm by **SensHulk**

I hear ya prags but the sens just had a decent stretch of games before the public defecation they gave us yesterday. 4-3-2 in last 8, though not impressive, still leaps and bounds better than the games before that.

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Why does re-build have to be taboo in Ottawa?

Why does re-build have to be taboo in Ottawa?

Cap'n Clutch

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