Sens Lineup Card for 11/12

Da lil Guy wrote:I don't really consider myself a particularly astute judge of hockey talent, but I have to think the Konopka signing indicates that the organization isn't counting on Zibanejad making the team.

I think it's likely to be Regin and Da Costa competing for the second line centre role (which probably means it's Regin's to lose).

I don't have a problem with Zibanejad staying another year in Sweden and saving a year of his entry level deal anyways. There's probably no need to rush him faster than guys like Karlsson and Rundblad - though I realize the situations aren't exactly compatible.

So here's my lines:

Michalek- Spezza - Filatov
Foligno - Regin - Alfredsson
Greening - Smith - Butler
Winchester - Konopka - Neil
Condra (if we carry an extra forward)

Also, Cogliano going to arbitration with the Oilers and may be the odd guy out if RNH makes the team. Could be an opportunity there.

I'd say this was pretty astute. Looks to be about right, except Winchester will likely be sitting and Condra will draw in...somewhere.

NEELY wrote:
They are no where near the cap and I wouldn't be surprised if they carry 14 forwards the entire year. Zibanejad being a healthy scratch here or there and watching the game is a real possibility. I would bet they carry the max of 23 players all year long.

14+7+2=23

I could see 14 as well, but Zibanejad as a healthy scratch? Why not just send him to Sweden and get it over with. Da Costa's the dude who'll draw in I'm sure. I dunno, NHL practices are great for development, but I have to wonder if he'd be better off in the SEL playing big minutes.

SpezDispenser wrote:

NEELY wrote:
They are no where near the cap and I wouldn't be surprised if they carry 14 forwards the entire year. Zibanejad being a healthy scratch here or there and watching the game is a real possibility. I would bet they carry the max of 23 players all year long.

14+7+2=23

I could see 14 as well, but Zibanejad as a healthy scratch? Why not just send him to Sweden and get it over with. Da Costa's the dude who'll draw in I'm sure. I dunno, NHL practices are great for development, but I have to wonder if he'd be better off in the SEL playing big minutes.

Same reason Karlsson was a healthy scratch, why Seguin was a healthy scratch, why a lot of other rookies don't play every night. There is nothing wrong with scratching a kid if he needs it, nothing.

Zibanejad will go back to Sweden if they don't plan on playing him every night.

Karlsson was different, he had 1 extra year of SEL time.

Seguin was the 2nd overall pick with big hype, so they couldn't send him back to junior.

Zibanejad will not scratched if he does make the team. He'll have a season similar to Burmistrov.

NEELY wrote:
Same reason Karlsson was a healthy scratch, why Seguin was a healthy scratch, why a lot of other rookies don't play every night. There is nothing wrong with scratching a kid if he needs it, nothing.

Karlsson was scratched for a few games here and there, not for long periods of time. Same with Seguin, he was scratched for 10-15 games max. Better to let these kids get out there and play IMO, but if the Sens choose to keep Z-Bad around and scratch him, I'll obviously trust their judgement.

If they plan on scratching Zibanejad eveyr night, then obviously you would send him back to Sweden before the season started.

Karlsson wasn't any different than Zibanejad at all besides being 1 year older. It's the exact same situation basically.

Scratching him a night here and a night there if he is struggling in some games isn't a huge deal.

I still don't really get the Konopka signing.

SpezDispenser wrote:I still don't really get the Konopka signing.

Great face off guy (more puck possession at MacLean's insistence)
Good team guy
Someone else who can fight and stick up for the rookies (Neil is better off focusing on playing) and Carkner will most likely be a #7D
Good PK'er

What's not to like ?

SpezDispenser wrote:I still don't really get the Konopka signing.

12th/13th forward that will play when needed and asked to do certain things. There won't be a team in the league that pushes Ottawa around with Carkner, Neil, Smith, or Konopka in the lineup.

I wonder if Konopka was this year's 'Appease Eugene' signing.

Da lil Guy wrote:I wonder if Konopka was this year's 'Appease Eugene' signing.

That signing or trade is yet to come.

more to come

Hoags wrote:Great face off guy (more puck possession at MacLean's insistence)
Good team guy
Someone else who can fight and stick up for the rookies (Neil is better off focusing on playing) and Carkner will most likely be a #7D
Good PK'er

What's not to like ?

Oh, I don't dislike, I just don't fully understand it. As Neely said, the Sens won't be pushed around by anyone - that's fine, but we'll score 82 goals all year at this rate.

The FO % is what makes him very attractive as a player, puck possession is one thing, but it immediately makes him a great PKer - that alone is enough to help the Sens.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Da lil Guy wrote:I wonder if Konopka was this year's 'Appease Eugene' signing.

That signing or trade is yet to come.

more to come

Maybe just 'appease the Sun' then.

At least they didn't have to coax Gary Roberts out of retirement.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Hoags wrote:Great face off guy (more puck possession at MacLean's insistence)
Good team guy
Someone else who can fight and stick up for the rookies (Neil is better off focusing on playing) and Carkner will most likely be a #7D
Good PK'er

What's not to like ?

Oh, I don't dislike, I just don't fully understand it. As Neely said, the Sens won't be pushed around by anyone - that's fine, but we'll score 82 goals all year at this rate.

The FO % is what makes him very attractive as a player, puck possession is one thing, but it immediately makes him a great PKer - that alone is enough to help the Sens.

We're a re-building team dedicated to developing the kids. Hence, the kids will be given every opportunity to show us what they've got and to produce -- if things go really well this year, each of Filatov, Condra, Butler, and Greening will have 15G/15A/30P seasons or better -- but obviously we're going to be scoring by committee.

20 goals a piece (on average) from Spezza, Alfie, and Michalek = 60.
15 goals from a piece (on average) Regin, Foligno, Filatov, Condra, Butler, and Greening = 90.
10 goals a piece (on average) from Gonchar and Karlsson = 20.
5 goals a piece (on average) from Smith, Neil, Konopka, Winchester = 20.

That's 190 goals there, and I'd like to think that those are all pretty conservative numbers (and they leave the other 5 defencemen, who, you have to figure, are collective good for 10 goals or so). Right there, we're producing as many goals as we did last year, or more.

There's absolutely a very good chance that we're going to be a low-scoring, desperate-for-offence team, but if some of those young guys start stepping up, producing, and taking the next step in their development, then it's been a good year. We're going to see especially what we have in that second group there -- Regin, Foligno, Filatov, Contra, Butler, and Greening. If one of those guys steps up, he has a legitimate chance to score 25 or even 30. Certain 20 is within reach of 2-3 of them. But it's all up to them.

rooneypoo wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

Hoags wrote:Great face off guy (more puck possession at MacLean's insistence)
Good team guy
Someone else who can fight and stick up for the rookies (Neil is better off focusing on playing) and Carkner will most likely be a #7D
Good PK'er

What's not to like ?

Oh, I don't dislike, I just don't fully understand it. As Neely said, the Sens won't be pushed around by anyone - that's fine, but we'll score 82 goals all year at this rate.

The FO % is what makes him very attractive as a player, puck possession is one thing, but it immediately makes him a great PKer - that alone is enough to help the Sens.

We're a re-building team dedicated to developing the kids. Hence, the kids will be given every opportunity to show us what they've got and to produce -- if things go really well this year, each of Filatov, Condra, Butler, and Greening will have 15G/15A/30P seasons or better -- but obviously we're going to be scoring by committee.

20 goals a piece (on average) from Spezza, Alfie, and Michalek = 60.
15 goals from a piece (on average) Regin, Foligno, Filatov, Condra, Butler, and Greening = 90.10 goals a piece (on average) from Gonchar and Karlsson = 20.
5 goals a piece (on average) from Smith, Neil, Konopka, Winchester = 20.

That's 190 goals there, and I'd like to think that those are all pretty conservative numbers (and they leave the other 5 defencemen, who, you have to figure, are collective good for 10 goals or so). Right there, we're producing as many goals as we did last year, or more.

There's absolutely a very good chance that we're going to be a low-scoring, desperate-for-offence team, but if some of those young guys start stepping up, producing, and taking the next step in their development, then it's been a good year. We're going to see especially what we have in that second group there -- Regin, Foligno, Filatov, Contra, Butler, and Greening. If one of those guys steps up, he has a legitimate chance to score 25 or even 30. Certain 20 is within reach of 2-3 of them. But it's all up to them.

I would be shocked if even 3 of those guys hit 15 goals much less all 6. We better hope Spezza hits 35 and Alfie and Michalek get 25 each. Maybe one of Butler/Foligno/Filotov can hit 20+, but if we score 190 goals this year, it will mean the D stepped up for 35+ goals.

SpezDispenser wrote:
Oh, I don't dislike, I just don't fully understand it. As Neely said, the Sens won't be pushed around by anyone - that's fine, but we'll score 82 goals all year at this rate.
.

Ultimately Paul MacLean wanted him on the team to do what he does. FO% is important if we're going to implement his system.

Oglethorpe wrote:
I would be shocked if even 3 of those guys hit 15 goals much less all 6. We better hope Spezza hits 35 and Alfie and Michalek get 25 each. Maybe one of Butler/Foligno/Filotov can hit 20+, but if we score 190 goals this year, it will mean the D stepped up for 35+ goals.

EK should be good for 10-15 and hopefully Gonchar as well. So that's 20-25 easy. If the other can chip in 10+ that'd be better.

My guess for next year:

Filatov - Spezza - Alfredsson
Michalek - Regin - Butler
Foligno - Smith - Condra
Greening - Konopka - Neil
Winchester

Alfie and Butler may swap (not sure if Alfie is up for 1st line ice time). Filatov and Michalek may move around as well (Filatov may start on the 2nd to ease him in a bit possibly).

Hoags wrote:

Ultimately Paul MacLean wanted him on the team to do what he does. FO% is important if we're going to implement his system.

Then why is Winchester in the pressbox? He is consistently near the top FO% for Ottawa.

SeawaySensFan wrote:
Then why is Winchester in the pressbox? He is consistently near the top FO% for Ottawa.

Konopka is higher FO%, he's #4 overall in the entire NHL

http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.htm?fetchKey=20112ALLCACAll&sort=faceOffWinPctg&viewName=faceOffPercentage

1 David Steckel NJD C 75 388 239 14 6 109 64 287 137 67.7 224 172 56.6 511 309 820 62.3
2 Manny Malhotra VAN C 72 588 362 45 21 145 100 396 231 63.2 382 252 60.2 778 483 1261 61.7
3 Paul Gaustad BUF C 81 487 335 48 25 157 106 336 218 60.6 356 248 58.9 692 466 1158 59.8
4 Zenon Konopka NYI C 82 459 317 24 13 137 125 294 219 57.3 326 236 58.0 620 455 1075 57.7
5 Jarret Stoll LAK C 82 577 439 78 45 98 73 388 274 58.6 365 283 56.3 753 557 1310 57.5
6 Jerred Smithson NSH C 82 471 324 11 8 96 96 316 218 59.2 262 210 55.5 578 428 1006 57.4
7 Ryan Kesler VAN C 82 602 452 122 69 135 116 449 317 58.6 410 320 56.2 859 637 1496 57.4
8 Jonathan Toews CHI C 80 646 508 176 121 115 87 513 345 59.8 424 371 53.3 937 716 1653 56.7
9 Patrice Bergeron BOS C 80 615 470 82 54 118 100 408 274 59.8 407 350 53.8 815 624 1439 56.6
10 Jason Spezza OTT C 62 463 365 118 88 100 76 301 231 56.6 380 298 56.0 681 529 1210 56.3


How's that for puck possession ?

Konopka can also fight and stand up for the team vs. (insert Maple Leafs goon here). Neil is better off when he's not a pure enforcer, Carkner will be a #7D he will not play much and Smith isn't a fighter either.