The Future of the Ottawa Senators

SpezDispenser wrote:

Hoags wrote:Doubt anyone will take Alfie.

2 more years at $5M that stays on the books regardless if he retires.

I don't think he'll retire, especially if he's on a competitive team. I think he's fine, not only that, I think he'd be awesome on LA or one of those powerhouses. Heck, he'll be fine here once we get some top 6 players that aren't named Alfredsson or Spezza.

My asking price from LA would be B.Schenn + 1st. End of story. If Lombardi doesn't like it, he can eat it.

well anyways i don't think he's being shopped. my gut says BM will never pull the trigger on alfie. BM is very loyal for better or worse. but if another GM were to step in all bets are off.

for some reason i thought he only had another year remaining.


fisher won't get us that much but might get us a decent prospect and a second rounder.(maybe)

Cap'n Clutch wrote:There's a very real risk of wrecking these guys if they're brought up too early though isn't there? Especially in Lehner's case right?

I know I will be shouted down for saying this, but I really don't think so. Lehner has a solid head on his shoulders. He's going to make mistakes but he knows that that's what it takes to learn. This team will still be struggling to get above .500 next season, but if Lehner is the backup, and he gets the weaker teams in back-to-back situations then he'll be fine. I said it in another thread -- he is getting very little playing time in Bingo and that's not going to change; he'd probably get more playing time backing up Elliott. If only Leclaire would break down for good and not these 3-5 game minjuries.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:There's a very real risk of wrecking these guys if they're brought up too early though isn't there? Especially in Lehner's case right?

Besides, even if this season is lost, the mandate next year will be to make the playoffs.

I would argue the mandate for next season would be to play exciting hockey and get experience for the youngsters. If -- *IF* -- they somehow manage to be close to a playoff spot then you have a decision to make in March.

Seriously, think about it this way. If we only win half our games, but the ones we lose it's a 5-3 loss with an empty-netter to seal it, with the lead changing times once or twice, isn't that better than scoring 3 goals in the first 21 minutes and then hanging on like the '90s Devils?

SpezDispenser wrote:This is how I want to approach the off-season:

__________ - Spezza - Alfredsson
Foligno - Regin - Butler
Z.Smith - Kelly - Neil
_________ - Winchester - _________

possibles:
1.Greening
2.O'Brien
3.Condra
4.Silfverberg
5.Ryan Shannon

Phillips - Karlsson
_______ - Gonchar
_______ - ________

extra
Carkner

possibilities:
1.Cowen
2.Rundblad

Elliott
_______

possibilities:

1.Lehner
2.Brodeur
3.Brust

Obviously there are trades and acquisitions to make aplenty.

EDIT:
No, not happy with the 2nd line.

Then put Alfie there, it's where he needs to be.

Flo The Action wrote:well anyways i don't think he's being shopped. my gut says BM will never pull the trigger on alfie. BM is very loyal for better or worse. but if another GM were to step in all bets are off.

for some reason i thought he only had another year remaining.


fisher won't get us that much but might get us a decent prospect and a second rounder.(maybe)

You might as well prepare though. Murray won't last until the end of January at this rate - and the new GM will come in and do a position by position assessment of the team - and that will include Alfie, Fisher and Phillips. Not that he'll trade them, but he'll assess whether or not they're worth the combined 13.3 million they're being paid. My guess is that he feels that they're not worth that much.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:well anyways i don't think he's being shopped. my gut says BM will never pull the trigger on alfie. BM is very loyal for better or worse. but if another GM were to step in all bets are off.

for some reason i thought he only had another year remaining.


fisher won't get us that much but might get us a decent prospect and a second rounder.(maybe)

You might as well prepare though. Murray won't last until the end of January at this rate - and the new GM will come in and do a position by position assessment of the team - and that will include Alfie, Fisher and Phillips. Not that he'll trade them, but he'll assess whether or not they're worth the combined 13.3 million they're being paid. My guess is that he feels that they're not worth that much.

i have a feeling fisher and phillips will be dealt before alfie does. no matter who the GM is.

On the other side, we're being pretty dire about this one loss. I realize that there are things that are broken in Ottawa, but we're not that far out. I guess bottom line is we need to keep assessing in chunks. Now that we're at this patch where Spezza is out, we'll see what this current incarnation of a team is made of - which IMO isn't much, but we still have time to put a string of good games together and be right back in it.

I think the majority of us are pissed off because we see something that's old and broken about this team and we know that there's no quick fix. It's also pretty intimidating when it means changing a good chunk of your core - although I'm fully into it now, it's still very upsetting and daunting as a huge fan.

SpezDispenser wrote:On the other side, we're being pretty dire about this one loss. I realize that there are things that are broken in Ottawa, but we're not that far out. I guess bottom line is we need to keep assessing in chunks. Now that we're at this patch where Spezza is out, we'll see what this current incarnation of a team is made of - which IMO isn't much, but we still have time to put a string of good games together and be right back in it.

I think the majority of us are pissed off because we see something that's old and broken about this team and we know that there's no quick fix. It's also pretty intimidating when it means changing a good chunk of your core - although I'm fully into it now, it's still very upsetting and daunting as a huge fan.

At this point I hope they don't. I want a high draft pick and finishing 9th, 10th or being ousted from the 1st round of playoffs after getting swept doesn't interest me at all. Let's go tank bus!

Michallica wrote:Thing with Gonchar is.....he's always been terrible in his first year with a new team. I remember when they used to boo him in pittsburgh in the 1st year for all the money he was making. 3-4 years later, he WAS money $$$

Besides, no one will take a chance because of the money owed on his contract, so its highly unlikely with another 2 seasons to go.

Absolutely right. Gonchar takes awhile to feel comfortable with new teammates and a new team. He has said that before and we are seeing it now; just as Pittsburgh fans did in 2005

wprager wrote:At this point I don't really care if it makes us look bad to trade Gonchar. UFAs don't want to come here unless we are overpaying them or giving them an extra year (or both). Let's make an exiting, promising team and get UFAs to want to come here for the *right* reasons.
Please, don't feel sorry for a guy making $5.5M a year and being outplayed by a 175-lb sophomore.

I care and I think you should to if the Sens start breaking contracts that have been promised to players. That is a big red flag amongst players and their agents. You won't have to worry about having to offer lengthy over-priced contracts to players to bring the to Ottawa; agents won't even negotiate with the Sens anymore.

Gonchar will be fine. We all knew what he was when he came here and that play last night on Carolina's 4th goal was very similiar to Travis Moes skating around the pylon that was Gonchar in last years playoffs.