2012/13 Lineup

We'll see where Regin goes from here. Next year will define his NHL career both as a Senator and a player in general. He's a nice player and everyone sees the potential there but he needs to find a way to piece it all together. Will he? No idea.

I like the move simply because it will keep everyone very honest. You slack and there is someone to take your spot (aside from Spezza, Karlsson, and Alfi). There is no shortage of depth anywhere in the organization.

Bringing back a guy like Kelly will re-enforce that as well.

People keep bringing up Parenteau and as the article states guys are given more ice time and move up the depth chart based on a crappy team. That very well could be Parenteau. If I'm Murray maybe you look at making a move for a guy like Okposo who would be exactly what the Sens need.

So, with Regin signed, our forward lineup looks something like this:

Michalek/Spezza/(UFA/trade)
Silfverberg/Turris/Alfi
Foligno/Regin/Neil
Greening/JOB/Smith
Condra

Call-ups: Stone, Hoffman, Da Costa, Petersson, Zibanejad

Given that we assume we'll be bringing in top-6 winger (pleasepleaseplease), is there still room to sign a guy like Kelly? Well, sure! Granted Kelly will likely garner a raise over the $2.125M he made this year, given his career best 39 pts, there's plenty of cap space to go around for another extremely useful player (kinda like Regin).

Consider Kelly an insurance policy for maintaining the depth on our roster. He's another guy, like Regin, that can move anywhere in the lineup.

The big question is how many, if any, of our prospects will be ready for prime time? And if they are ready for prime time, is there still any harm in letting them light up the AHL? Probably not.

Let the good times roll.

Depth everywhere is important and that includes the bottom 6. If everyone could play in the bottom 6 Filatov and da Costa would be in the NHL right now. Fact is, it does take a certain type of player to play those minutes.

Kelly coming in would keep the bottom 6 just as honest and Regin and another top 6 UFA keeping the top 6 honest.

Younger guys need to beat players out for their spots, if they are good enough then you make a move then. Until a guy like Hoffman or Stone can come in and force the organization to make a move then they will have to keep waiting. Lots for them to prove still. Lets see if they can get that ship in Bingo on the right path first.

The nice thing about a guy like Kelly versus a JOB or Smith or Condra is that he can put the puck in the net. Yeah, he's by no means a sniper, but he has developed that confidence that allows him to play his strong defensive role, but also chip in offensively on a regular basis.

How badly would we have liked one of the aforementioned guys to pot another goal or two in the series versus the Rags?

Yup, Kelly is an all around effective player. Hopefully that's the guy Murray goes out and brings back if no one else.

They still have a major need on the back end that may only be found in a trade.

NEELY wrote:
They still have a major need on the back end that may only be found in a trade.

Yeah, the whole D issue is so wide-open right now, it's hard to even discuss. The only free agent that would be a sure-bet mega-upgrade would be Suter.

Beyond that, whether it's Garrison or someone else, you're either taking a risk, or signing a steady, reliable guy that's not going to light the world on fire.

If we can't get Suter (and the odds of that are slim), a trade makes a lot of sense, especially given the number of forward prospects we have. Not sure who will be available, D-wise, this summer via trade.

Murray from SJ may be on the block and could very well fit in with the core of Swedes in Ottawa.

If NJ advances to the conference finals....that does not bode well for any Parise suitors I don't think.

NEELY wrote:Murray from SJ may be on the block and could very well fit in with the core of Swedes in Ottawa.

One year left on his deal at $2.5M. Probably wouldn't be too expensive in terms of trade value. Seems kinda like a Volchenkov. Yeah, I could see taking him on, especially if Carkner isn't retained. His hit total dropped off this year (2.1 hits per game) compared to last year though (2.8 hits per game). He is getting old, and maybe is starting to feel it.

Anyway, yeah, I could picture him playing an important role for the Sens.

All depends what they are looking for. IMO they need a bomb of a LH shot on the 1st PP unit to take some pressure off Karlsson and Spezza.

NEELY wrote:All depends what they are looking for. IMO they need a bomb of a LH shot on the 1st PP unit to take some pressure off Karlsson and Spezza.

So we sign Garrison and trade for Murray, and our D looks like this:

Garrison - Karlsson
Phillips - Murray
Cowen - Gonchar
Borowiecki

Oh dear, Murray probably plays the left side, and I just put him on his off-side...universe...collapsing....

Well, ignoring that possibility, that looks to be some solid D, other than what people may think about Gonchar.

NEELY wrote:Murray from SJ may be on the block and could very well fit in with the core of Swedes in Ottawa.

The caveman? I've been dying to see him in a Sens sweater. Yes, please!

Murray would be really expensive IMO. He's such a great defensive D-man - literally just what we need, but the price might be out of our league.

tim1_2 wrote:

NEELY wrote:Murray from SJ may be on the block and could very well fit in with the core of Swedes in Ottawa.

One year left on his deal at $2.5M. Probably wouldn't be too expensive in terms of trade value. Seems kinda like a Volchenkov. Yeah, I could see taking him on, especially if Carkner isn't retained. His hit total dropped off this year (2.1 hits per game) compared to last year though (2.8 hits per game). He is getting old, and maybe is starting to feel it.

Anyway, yeah, I could picture him playing an important role for the Sens.

SpezDispenser wrote:Murray would be really expensive IMO. He's such a great defensive D-man - literally just what we need, but the price might be out of our league.

One of you must be wrong. Since I really want to see Murray here, I've decided that SD must be the incorrect assessor of young Douglas's trade value.

Ha...I wish. I've always really liked that guy.

Going into the last year of his deal, he couldn't be "really expensive". I stand by my assessment of "not too expensive"!!!!

Couldn't see him garnering a first round pick or top-tier forward...so maybe a prospect or middle-tier forward.

Just because this is an Ottawa Senators thread, let's say the deal is Foligno for Murray. Do you do it?

tim1_2 wrote:Going into the last year of his deal, he couldn't be "really expensive". I stand by my assessment of "not too expensive"!!!!

Couldn't see him garnering a first round pick or top-tier forward...so maybe a prospect or middle-tier forward.

Just because this is an Ottawa Senators thread, let's say the deal is Foligno for Murray. Do you do it?

Not without an extension IMO.

So let's say Foligno's new contract is $2.0M for two years, and we can trade that for Murray, after having negotiated a 3-year $3M/year contract for him. Do you do that?