Carolina @ Ottawa - April 16, 2013 - The Return of Cowen!!

rooneypoo wrote:

Ev wrote:

NEELY wrote:

Michallica wrote:

Ev wrote:Anyone who thought they could deal Cowen and be better off should feel shame.

Not anyone...ONLY one person on this board suggested as such...

I would still trade Cowen if the right deal came along. The guy is fantastic but he's not untradeable.

We can all have our opinions on this and nobody would be wrong, but he is untradeable in my eyes because no one else in the org brings what he brings and has his lowside as Marc Staal upside as Shea Weber (IMO). Nobody else is as intimidating and impactful on the back-end.

The point remains that we are pretty stacked on the left side of our D, tho'... Methot, Cowen, Phillips, Wiercioch, Boro in the wings. Not that that's why you trade him, but OTT is poised to trade from that left side, is all. Wiercioch is the only one among that bunch who brings real offense, so not sure you can replace him as easily as the others.

Agreed, but I think Wiercioch is more expendable because of Karlsson and potentially Ceci, and Phillips will be seeing a reduced role or retire in a few years. I think Cowen will bring just as much offense as Wiercioch down the road and feel he is really underrated there. He showed what he could do when Karlsson was out last year. IMO Cowen will be their best d-man overall down the road.

I don't think that there's much doubt our 3 LD going forward should be Methot, Cowen, and Phillips. If we can hang on to Wiercioch and/or Borocop to replace Phillips in a couple years, that'd be dandy.

I agree with Ev, that Cowen's offensive game is underrated.

and nice to see you posting rooneypoo!

Ev wrote:
Agreed, but I think Wiercioch is more expendable because of Karlsson and potentially Ceci, and Phillips will be seeing a reduced role or retire in a few years. I think Cowen will bring just as much offense as Wiercioch down the road and feel he is really underrated there. He showed what he could do when Karlsson was out last year. IMO Cowen will be their best d-man overall down the road.

Yeah, exactly this. Left side log jam or not, Cowen and Methot are the big players going forward. Wiercioch is a nice player, but if you ask me which one I'd take, it'd be Cowen all day every day. Phillips is a guy who might have to play the right side a lot more than he'd normally when all is said and done.

I'd be looking to deal Wiercioch to Edmonton or Philly. Wiercioch for Paajarvi might make sense for boh teams. Put Paajarvi with the Swedes, move Conacher to Turris line, sign/trade for Briere or whoever.

Michalek-Spezza-Briere
Conacher-Turris-Alfredsson
Paajarvi-Zibanejad-Silfverberg
Greening-Smith-Neil
Condra/Pageau

DEPTH

Ev wrote:I'd be looking to deal Wiercioch to Edmonton or Philly. Wiercioch for Paajarvi might make sense for boh teams. Put Paajarvi with the Swedes, move Conacher to Turris line, sign/trade for Briere or whoever.

Michalek-Spezza-Briere
Conacher-Turris-Alfredsson
Paajarvi-Zibanejad-Silfverberg
Greening-Smith-Neil
Condra/Pageau

DEPTH

I'd rather see the Sens work with Wiercioch to make him as comfortable as possible on the right side. What he brings might be in the system with Ceci, but at the same time, you can't discount how much he's developed in the last calender year - especially this year with Richardson then MacLean. I'd be very disappointed if we moved him for MPS personally. We have enough of these style of players in the system - particularly the 'tweeners' who may never be good enough offensively to move out of the third line, but bring 'intangibles'.

wprager wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Silf looks gassed as well right now.

Funny how Zibanejad just seems to be hitting another gear. Looks like he's having an easy time out there.

Silf was playing since September, Zibanejad was injured quite a lot so got more rest

75 vs 58 games

tim1_2 wrote:I don't think that there's much doubt our 3 LD going forward should be Methot, Cowen, and Phillips. If we can hang on to Wiercioch and/or Borocop to replace Phillips in a couple years, that'd be dandy.

I agree with Ev, that Cowen's offensive game is underrated.

Cowen is going to be a staple on the Sens blueline for a long, long time but tomorrow if Edmonton was to come calling offering up Hall in a deal for Cowen... how do you not look at that?

Either way, Cowen is complete as complete can be. Knows where to go with the puck, is a physical force, cannon of a shot, and isn't afraid. Can NEVER have too many players like him.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Ev wrote:I'd be looking to deal Wiercioch to Edmonton or Philly. Wiercioch for Paajarvi might make sense for boh teams. Put Paajarvi with the Swedes, move Conacher to Turris line, sign/trade for Briere or whoever.

Michalek-Spezza-Briere
Conacher-Turris-Alfredsson
Paajarvi-Zibanejad-Silfverberg
Greening-Smith-Neil
Condra/Pageau

DEPTH

I'd rather see the Sens work with Wiercioch to make him as comfortable as possible on the right side. What he brings might be in the system with Ceci, but at the same time, you can't discount how much he's developed in the last calender year - especially this year with Richardson then MacLean. I'd be very disappointed if we moved him for MPS personally. We have enough of these style of players in the system - particularly the 'tweeners' who may never be good enough offensively to move out of the third line, but bring 'intangibles'.

Next year you would think the blueline would looks like this.

Methot/Karlsson
Cowen/Gryba
Phillips/Wierioch
Benoit.

I don't think there is a real need to move a player, especially considering I don't think they will resign Gonchar. Why spend the money there for a guy who will be on the bottom pairing? He's been fantastic and a player the Sens needed but he's not coming back.

The emergence of Gryba was unexpected (kind of) and I think he's going to be that top 4 RHD man the Sens wanted to get in the worst way in the off season.

NEELY wrote:
Next year you would think the blueline would looks like this.

Methot/Karlsson
Cowen/Gryba
Phillips/Wierioch
Benoit.

I don't think there is a real need to move a player, especially considering I don't think they will resign Gonchar. Why spend the money there for a guy who will be on the bottom pairing? He's been fantastic and a player the Sens needed but he's not coming back.

The emergence of Gryba was unexpected (kind of) and I think he's going to be that top 4 RHD man the Sens wanted to get in the worst way in the off season.

I wouldn't be so sure about Gonchar. I would expect he'd want to come back and play another year next year and he fits here really well. The issue will be where he fits obviously, but if we can re-sign him for 4 million for 1 year, I don't think that'll hurt at all, instead I think it'll add a nice depth to our blueline for when the inevitable injuries strike.

I'd definitely trade Wiercioch and anyone on the blueline not named KingK before Cowen.
If any team offers a young potential top 6 Bruiser I'd do it in a heartbeat, because Montreal and Toronto don't have that kind of player.

NEELY wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:I don't think that there's much doubt our 3 LD going forward should be Methot, Cowen, and Phillips. If we can hang on to Wiercioch and/or Borocop to replace Phillips in a couple years, that'd be dandy.

I agree with Ev, that Cowen's offensive game is underrated.

Cowen is going to be a staple on the Sens blueline for a long, long time but tomorrow if Edmonton was to come calling offering up Hall in a deal for Cowen... how do you not look at that?

Either way, Cowen is complete as complete can be. Knows where to go with the puck, is a physical force, cannon of a shot, and isn't afraid. Can NEVER have too many players like him.

Yeah, obviously you look at any legit off that comes in. If the offer is of that magnitude, you must weigh the options.

LeKing wrote:I'd definitely trade Wiercioch and anyone on the blueline not named KingK before Cowen.
If any team offers a young potential top 6 Bruiser I'd do it in a heartbeat, because Montreal and Toronto don't have that kind of player.

Certainly if the offer is right, you look at it, but IMO you don't rush to make any kind of move back there.

I think the best solution is to move Weircioch to the right side and see if he can make it there.

Going forward I would like to see the following:
Methot-Karlsson
Cowen-Weircioch
Phillips-Gryba

Boro-Benoit

I think that Boro is the obvious heir apparant to Phillips as a bottom pair D man at least to start. Benoit is nice to have on a one-way 1 year deal in case of injuries on the right side or regression by Weircioch or Gryba.

Don't see Gonchar back unless it's a 1 year deal.

Out of curiousity, let's have an informal poll here:

The Oilers offer Hall for Cowen. Do you take it?

I vote no. I think Hall plays recklessly and is always an injury concern (not that Cowen isn't). Plus, we have our own young wingers that will flourish.

Hall for Cowen, easily. Hall is a top forward in the league. But Oilers would not offer that in a million years. Eberle or Yakupov will be offered before RNH or Hall.

I think Wiercioch, 1st, prospect for Eberle might make sense too.

NEELY wrote:With that said above, Cowen was beyond great in his first game back... amazing how ready he was. Next couple of games might be a little bit of a downer for him but he will be hitting his stride when the playoffs come around.

Zibanejad, another great game. Gryba is about as solid as you would ever want a D man t be, same with Methot. Michalek looked real good. Anderson was Anderson.

Without Karlsson coming back, is it fair to say that the Sens have the toughest top-4 in the East? Or am I being a homer? Methot, Gryba, Cowen, Phillips -- 6'3", 6'4", 6'5" and 6'3". Average height 6' 3-3/4"; average weight 226 lbs. And this is not Kuba height or Gill weight -- these guys love to hit.

tim1_2 wrote:Out of curiousity, let's have an informal poll here:

The Oilers offer Hall for Cowen. Do you take it?

I vote no. I think Hall plays recklessly and is always an injury concern (not that Cowen isn't). Plus, we have our own young wingers that will flourish.

I haven't watched enough of Edmonton this year to say for sure, but I think on the surface you would have to look at it.