What if you could re-tool/re-build the Sens?

Cap'n Clutch

Cap'n Clutch

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Registration date : 2008-07-31

The Sens season is lost if you're realistic and dealing with the real world. That being said what would you do if you could and you had willing trade partners? Try to keep it somewhat realistic folks. I know people would love to have Crosby, Rafalski, Lidstrom, Pronger, Richards, Toews and so on but lets try to deal in realistic possibilities.

We can pretty much all agree that Ruutu, Kovalev, and Leclaire will not be back next season. After that is where it gets a little tricky. The others not under contract next season include: Chris Phillips and Chris Campoli on Defense and Ryan Shannon and Zack Smith at forward. As for players under contract that I'd like to see moved that list includes: Filip Kuba and Brian Lee.

Realistically there may be somewhat of a market for Kuba but I'm not expecting much. As for Lee I hope for his sake he gets moved but I'd be surprised.

So lets start at forward. Zack Smith gets re-signed (no brainer) and moves to a permanent spot on line 4. I know people think we should re-sign Shannon but I'd much rather see him traded. His value is high and he doesn't fit on the Sens. He's not built to be a bottom six forward and he's not consistent enough to stay in the top six. Ruutu and Kovalev likely get us picks at the deadline.

On to Defense. I'd personally re-sign Campoli as part of the youth movement and I'd try the rental route with Phillips and hope he comes back in the off season for 3M or less. Kuba I'd try to get anything for in order to make room for fresh blood on the back end.

Goaltending: Re-sign Elliott for cheap.

Now this is what I've got to work with assuming I did this right.

Forwards: Alfredsson, Fisher, Michalek, Spezza, Regin, Foligno, Neil, Kelly, Winchester, Zack Smith

Defense: Campoli, Karlsson, Carkner, Gonchar, Lee

Game plan:
Pick up an FA forward to play top six, Pick up an FA goalie to split the season with Elliott and pick up an FA S%$t disturber shot blocking Defenseman and re-sign Phillips in the off season.

That leaves us with this:

FA winger - Spezza - Foligno
Alfredsson - Fisher - Michalek
Winchester - Kelly - Regin
Zack Smith - Neil - O'Brien

Phillips - Karlsson
Gonchar - FA D man
Carkner - Campoli
Lee

FA goalie
Elliott

This means there's no room for Cowen or Rundblad which means a full year in Bingo. Not sure that's realistic as one or both should and likely will see significant time with the Sens next season.

Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:38 am by **Hoags** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:38 am by **Hoags**

Gonchar made the commitment thinking we're a playoff team (after our #5 finish last year).

He'll be really tough to move but I could see him waiving to a contender. Players his age generally want one more shot at the Cup before they get too old.

Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:40 am by **SensHulk** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:40 am by **SensHulk**

I don't think Gonch gets traded to be honest. Everyone knows of his struggles in the first year with a new team and that's probably what it is. Look what he was able to do for Letang. We need at least one veteran presence for the next 2 seasons and I'm sure he'll find his game.

If he is dealt, then we're potentially looking at Campoli as our vet

Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:42 am by **SensHulk** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:42 am by **SensHulk**

Hoags wrote:Gonchar made the commitment thinking we're a playoff team (after our #5 finish last year).

He'll be really tough to move but I could see him waiving to a contender. Players his age generally want one more shot at the Cup before they get too old.

True, but he's not on his last legs. He specifically said his goal was to play in Sochi, and he's already won the cup with Pitts. I don't think he's that keen to go elsewhere at the moment....of course I'm just speculating on what makes sense

Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:46 am by Ev · Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:46 am by Ev

Michallica wrote:I don't think Gonch gets traded to be honest. Everyone knows of his struggles in the first year with a new team and that's probably what it is. Look what he was able to do for Letang. We need at least one veteran presence for the next 2 seasons and I'm sure he'll find his game.

If he is dealt, then we're potentially looking at Campoli as our vet

Sorry but where does this "struggles in the first year with a new team" theory come from? It makes no sense. He's only been on 3 teams before Ottawa - one being for not even half a season. His first year in Pittsburgh: 12 goals, 58 points. You can't count his first year as a Cap, as that was his rookie season.

Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:50 am by **Hoags** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:50 am by **Hoags**

Michallica wrote:
True, but he's not on his last legs. He specifically said his goal was to play in Sochi, and he's already won the cup with Pitts. I don't think he's that keen to go elsewhere at the moment....of course I'm just speculating on what makes sense

If an opportunity were to come along I doubt he'd say no but I don't see an offer coming along until he's in his last year.

I am not ready to call Gonchar a bad acquisition, we'll see how he is next year.

I still see him as a good mentor for our up and comers and he is supposedly a good leader and good presence in the locker room. He has a cup ring which is more than any of our 'leaders' can say.

So I don't think Gonchar is a bad thing on this team (at least not yet) and he could very well be a good thing showing Rundblad and EK the ropes.

EK's great play could very well be due to Gonchar's presence (they talk a lot on the PP).

Let's not forget the entire team generally sucks and I'm sure that impacts him, I don't think he's ever played for a team as bad as we are.

Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:52 am by **SensHulk** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:52 am by **SensHulk**

Big Ev wrote:

Michallica wrote:I don't think Gonch gets traded to be honest. Everyone knows of his struggles in the first year with a new team and that's probably what it is. Look what he was able to do for Letang. We need at least one veteran presence for the next 2 seasons and I'm sure he'll find his game.

If he is dealt, then we're potentially looking at Campoli as our vet

Sorry but where does this "struggles in the first year with a new team" theory come from? It makes no sense. He's only been on 3 teams before Ottawa - one being for not even half a season. His first year in Pittsburgh: 12 goals, 58 points. You can't count his first year as a Cap, as that was his rookie season.

It's a theory that's been bandied about by experts. They said the same thing about how he struggled in Boston after he was traded, and don't forget the first season in pittsburgh, the guy was booed by his own home crowd every time he touched the puck. I'm not saying that's exactly what's going to happen here, but it has been noted (not just by fans)

Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:58 am by Ev · Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:58 am by Ev

He was traded to Boston at the deadline, that shouldn't count.

If that first year in Pittsburgh was consisdered a struggle, this year should be considered a disaster of epic proportions. That Pittsburgh team was Dung besides Crosby and he still almost got 60 points.

Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:00 pm by **SensHulk** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:00 pm by **SensHulk**

Big Ev wrote:He was traded to Boston at the deadline, that shouldn't count.

If that first year in Pittsburgh was consisdered a struggle, this year should be considered a disaster of epic proportions. That Pittsburgh team was Dung besides Crosby and he still almost got 60 points.

Yup, he still had crosby as a rookie who still amassed 100+ points. that'll help the stats. And while we still had the ability to score, Gonch was putting up pretty good numbers before our offense took a hike for the last 30 games.

Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:03 pm by **Hoags** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:03 pm by **Hoags**

Michallica wrote:
Yup, he still had crosby as a rookie who still amassed 100+ points. that'll help the stats. And while we still had the ability to score, Gonch was putting up pretty good numbers before our offense took a hike for the last 30 games.

Gonchar looked really good for a while after a slow start and some struggle in the first few games.

This team just fell apart early on in the season and his game went down as well.

When Clouston played him on the right with EK he looked as good as I have ever seen him.

Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:18 pm by **SensGirl11** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:18 pm by **SensGirl11**

I would like to let Elliott go and sign Brust as backup next season to Vokoun or Bryzgalov What if you could re-tool/re-build the Sens? - Page 5 422187

Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:21 pm by **SensHulk** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:21 pm by **SensHulk**

SensGirl11 wrote:I would like to let Elliott go and sign Brust as backup next season to Vokoun or Bryzgalov

Would love to have either of those goalies....but if not, I think we see Brust and Elliott as the main tandem in Ottawa next season. Also, adios Mike Brodeur

Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:21 pm by **Hoags** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:21 pm by **Hoags**

SensGirl11 wrote:I would like to let Elliott go and sign Brust as backup next season to Vokoun or Bryzgalov

I'm down for some Brust next year, although I really doubt the Bryz or Vokoun will come here.

Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:25 pm by **SensGirl11** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:25 pm by **SensGirl11**

This would be a sweet lineup for next season, considering we will not be contenders still depending on the return we get from whichever assets we move.

Butler - Spezza - Landeskog (please please please)
Michalek - Fisher - Alfie
Regin - Smith - Foligno
Neil - Kelly - Winchester

Gonchar - Karlsson
Cowen - Campoli
Carkner - Gryba or FA

Bryzgalov/Vokoun
Brust

Extras: Locke, Lee

With that lineup you can mess around with the top 2 lines and the bottom 2 lines. If we do what we should and pick up a winger to play with Spezza (ie: Kovalchuk or Briere) then Butler could be used on line 2W and Alfie could play on the 3rd line and PP1 and some PKing)

Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:28 pm by **SensGirl11** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:28 pm by **SensGirl11**

Michallica wrote:

SensGirl11 wrote:I would like to let Elliott go and sign Brust as backup next season to Vokoun or Bryzgalov

Would love to have either of those goalies....but if not, I think we see Brust and Elliott as the main tandem in Ottawa next season. Also, adios Mike Brodeur

I think we keep Brodeur in Bingo with Lehner, depending on what we do at the draft, who knows, there could be another goalie out there.

I think we'll have a hard time landing either of those guys mentioned above, but if we were to have a slight chance at one of them, I believe it will be Vokoun.

Who else is out there that could be had in a trade? Would Nabby ever come here? Would you want him?

Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:32 pm by **PTFlea** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:32 pm by **PTFlea**

We need a 1A goalie. Vokoun will do, he's 34, so he'd probably take a 3 year contract, nice timing for Lehner to be brought in as back-up, then take over. If not Vokoun, then Anderson, if not Anderson, then....and so on until the Sens finally have someone worth something in net.

Fisher will stay, so will Spezza, Alfie, Kelly, Neil, Winchester, Z.Smith, Michalek, Foligno, Regin (most-likely), Karlsson, Carkner. Everyone else is up in the air.

Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:33 pm by **Hoags** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:33 pm by **Hoags**

SensGirl11 wrote:

Who else is out there that could be had in a trade? Would Nabby ever come here? Would you want him?

Reading about Nabakov-gate and the Islanders tells he would not want to come here.

We'd need a younger #1 goalie who needs a job, an established vet wants a playoff run ASAP and we're years away from that.

Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:36 pm by **SensHulk** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:36 pm by **SensHulk**

Nabby? not anymore, I don't want him. His antics of hanging up on GMs and taking his ball and staying home have really soured me. I don't care if he really wanted to be on a contender...he should have signed with someone in the summer rather than demanding outrageous money and going to the KHL....so how badly did he wanna win the stanley cup?

Cuss that guy

Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:37 pm by **SensGirl11** · Mon Jan 24, 2011 12:37 pm by **SensGirl11**

Better yet, imagine if we could trade Fisher and land a 1st round pick for him for this years draft. We end up finishing 3rd from last, pick one of Landeskog, RNH, Couturier. Depending on where the team that we traded Fisher to finishes, keep that pick or trade up along with another asset to pick up RNH or Couturier. Of course that's every teams dream. I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility at all, we have some good d prospects in the system that could be very attractive to the team that's picking in the top 5. Just like we did last year with our 1st for Rundblad, someone could do that with us. We need the forward prospect, the team we trade with needs a d prospect that they could not draft in this years draft and he'll be more prepared to step in sooner to help (just like Rundblad).

Is that far fetched? I think it's very possibly something we will try to do.

Then this is what our team would look like;

Landeskog - Spezza - Butler/Michalek
Butler/Michalek - RNH/Couturier - Alfie
Regin - Smith - Foligno
Neil - Kelly - Winchester

Gonchar - Karlsson
Cowen - Campoli or FA - depending on whether he's the one we trade to move up. (if we re-sign him of course)
Carkner - Rundblad/Gryba/Lee

Vokoun/Bryz/FA
Brust

I know the D is still somewhat suspect, but it will be for a little while as we get the team back on track.

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