Sens Lineup Card for 11/12

You never know though, with the amount of injuries that take place (alfie, michalek are shoe-ins for this), it really doesn't hurt to get Plump Penner and plant Filatov on the 3rd for the time being...or bingo. But he's paid his dues already

SpezDispenser wrote:

NEELY wrote:
You're seriously going to imply Filatov is a player that should be a kog on the top line?

Ummm....yeah, of course. We didn't acquire one of the most talented players in the league to play him on line 3...

He is going to get every chance to play in the top 6, saying he's for sure going to be playing beside Spezza is far from a connclussion.

People act like players don't move up and down the lineup. The only guy who won't move is Spezza... #1 center, set in stone. Everything else is up the air, probably for the next few years.

rooneypoo wrote:

wprager wrote:I think training camp will decide a few things, like which two of Butler, Foligno, Regin play top-six. You could also add Zibanejad into that mix. Longer-term, Zibanejad will be a top-six player, so that could play a role in deciding who gets the ice time. The jury is still out on Foligno and Regin, but both had a few years now to prove themselves, and haven't. Butler is about the same place where Foligno was 2 years ago, but Foligno is (arguably) playing below expectations and salary. If Butler continues to progress from where he left off last year I can see him passing Foligno and Regin on the depth chart, so you *could* have Butler and Zibanejad filling out the top-six, with Butler and Foligno now fighting for ice time with Greening, Smith, Condra. Given the salary disparity, that would not be a fair fight.

Because we are in a rebuild, I don't think Foligno and Regin are safe.

I think Zibanejad has to sign by this Friday (July 15) or he's going back to the SEL for sure. We'll have a better sense as to whether or not he's going to make a run for the team in a few short days.

Yeah, he has to sign by then and then make the team to be able to play. Otherwise, back to the SEL.

NEELY wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

NEELY wrote:
You're seriously going to imply Filatov is a player that should be a kog on the top line?

Ummm....yeah, of course. We didn't acquire one of the most talented players in the league to play him on line 3...

He is going to get every chance to play in the top 6, saying he's for sure going to be playing beside Spezza is far from a connclussion.

That was all I meant though.

I had the lineup as Filatov - Spezza - Butler, then Michalek - Regin or whatever - Alfredsson. It's fine to put Filatov on line 2, but if you take him out of the top 6, he's gonna be useless as titties on a bull.

We can only really ponder about the "opening night" lineup assuming no injuries... as always, lines change, injuries happen and the juggling begins as people under perform/over perform...

Filatov fancies himself a pass-first kind of player. I'd put him on the second line with Alfie. And not only that, but while he has to play top-six he needs to earn a spot in the top-three. In that respect Butler is ahead of him, as he showed good chemistry with Spezza down the stretch. That said, Butler will have a very short leash there and will more than likely end up on the 2nd line (if not the third).

I would absolutely love it if Zibanejad earns at least a 9 game try out, then you could have:

Butler - Spezza - Michalek
Filatov - Zibanejad - Alfredsson

Of course that's not going to happen, but if it does, there's hardly any room for *either* Regin or Foligno.

Any word on Crosby's connclussion?

wprager wrote:Filatov fancies himself a pass-first kind of player. I'd put him on the second line with Alfie. And not only that, but while he has to play top-six he needs to earn a spot in the top-three. In that respect Butler is ahead of him, as he showed good chemistry with Spezza down the stretch. That said, Butler will have a very short leash there and will more than likely end up on the 2nd line (if not the third).

I would absolutely love it if Zibanejad earns at least a 9 game try out, then you could have:

Butler - Spezza - Michalek
Filatov - Zibanejad - Alfredsson

Of course that's not going to happen, but if it does, there's hardly any room for *either* Regin or Foligno.

I honestly think he's just saying that, because all indications are that he's a shoot-first player.

Filatov also says he adjusts his game to who he is playing with, I think he's versatile enough to potentially play with anyone.

I wonder how he'd do with Spezza, both of them are right-handed shots.

Big Ev wrote:
I honestly think he's just saying that, because all indications are that he's a shoot-first player.

Yeah, I was confused. I thought he was a shooter.

SpezDispenser wrote:Filatov - Spezza - Butler
Michalek - Regin - Alfredsson
Greening - Smith - Foligno
Condra/Winchester - Konopka - Neil

Phillips - Lee
Cowen - Karlsson
Kuba - Gonchar

Anderson
Auld

Something like that.

that's what i've got too but winch in the 13th forward role Ie: injury replacement. I'm not sure where gonchar fits in as well.
As far as michalek goes either he finds himself and starts scoring on the LW or he's a prime candidate to be traded for a legitimate LW. I'm not familiar with Butler outside of what we all know... has he ever played LW?

NEELY wrote:I still think there is a serious possibility Foligno gets traded with a prospect for a top 6 forward... Penner basically.

I"m not interested in that scenario. I wasn't against Penner before but if that fatbastard couldn't find his legs in LA, god bless his clogged cholesterol heart of his, he's on a one way ticket to Mike Comrie land. Ie: traded to the wild or another screwball (see desperate to make the first round of the playoffs) team in dire need of offense willing to take a gamble on a winger. say I smell a trade with Calgary?

If you/BM ends up trading foligno/regin for Penner we better hope we are sending michalek to Florida for Weiss. Not saying it could(or should, never would say that) but Weiss is the only thing in that equation that makes any sence. 2nd line center. leaves the 3rd C spot open to the rookies to develop and turn our 3rd line into an offense line... but I don't believe in Penner.

Flo The Action wrote:

NEELY wrote:I still think there is a serious possibility Foligno gets traded with a prospect for a top 6 forward... Penner basically.

I"m not interested in that scenario. I wasn't against Penner before but if that fatbastard couldn't find his legs in LA, god bless his clogged cholesterol heart of his, he's on a one way ticket to Mike Comrie land. Ie: traded to the wild or another screwball (see desperate to make the first round of the playoffs) team in dire need of offense willing to take a gamble on a winger. say I smell a trade with Calgary?

As opposed to Ottawa who is lighting it up each night?

Basically, what The Sens are hanging their season on right now is a prospect in Filatov that hasn't proven a thing in The NHL, a often injured 25 goal guy guy in Michalek, a 39 year old Alfi, and a very streaky Spezza. Saying Penner doesn't fit in the Ottawa mold or isn't a player they need, well I don't think there is a player available that Ottawa could use more than Penner.

Fact of the matter is he's a legit top 6 guy, he's in a contract year, Spezza needs help, and the scoring depth in Ottawa is lacking in a huge way. Beggers can't be choosers.

NEELY wrote:Basically, what The Sens are hanging their season on right now is a prospect in Filatov that hasn't proven a thing in The NHL, a often injured 25 goal guy guy in Michalek, a 39 year old Alfi, and a very streaky Spezza. Saying Penner doesn't fit in the Ottawa mold or isn't a player they need, well I don't think there is a player available that Ottawa could use more than Penner.

Fact of the matter is he's a legit top 6 guy, he's in a contract year, Spezza needs help, and the scoring depth in Ottawa is lacking in a huge way. Beggers can't be choosers.

I somewhat agree. I agree that the Sens are in TOUGH this year to score. If Filatov doesn't do it and Michalek gets injured all the time again, Alfie isn't healthy, we're dead. Add to that, a lot of people (myself included) are banking on a sophomore (Butler) coming in and making music on Spezza's wing. We don't even know who the 2C is. Regin seems perfect for 3C with Greening and Foligno (if one of them can play the right side) in my eyes. The more I think about it, the more I would have Z.Smith/Neil/Konopka as the 4th line - all of whom can sub in for line 3 if there are injuries.

All of that still doesn't help us score goals. I said jokingly that we'd be lucky to score 82 goals this year, but in all seriousness, we could score as many as last year where we were offensively challenged and be left to last in the league again.

Penner would help, but I hate the character on that guy. A loafer who (IMO) wouldn't fit in at ALL with a MacLean, up-tempo, puck-possession system. He can score 20 goals, but he's much worse than Fisher in that he's streaky as hell, but when he's not scoring, he's not doing anything at all.

If we could get him in a 'soft trade' with LA, I'd think about it. But when I say soft, I mean like Gagne last year. Some piece of Dung prospect or player + 5th rounder. Say, the rights to Roman Wick + 5th rounder. Soft trade only, so when Penner fails, it hasn't cost you anything, just 4.2 million.

Every team in The NHL needs a big body who can smash in rebounds and create a ton of traffic in front. Detroit has Holmstrom, Chicago had Byfuglin, Boston has Lucic, so on. Doesn’t matter what MacLean’s “style” or “system” is going to be, a Penner can play in any system because of his specific assets.

Ottawa has no one that will stand in front on the PP, Ottawa has no one that can be considered a power forward (Michalek maybe, more of a north south player), and Ottawa has no one on their team that can put the puck in the net with the consistency Penner does (always good for 25-30 goals).