SENS OFF-SEASON TALK 2013

SeawaySensFan wrote:

NEELY wrote:Exactly.  Like the Gene wants.

Cheaper than winning.

Gonna be lots to talk about over the weekend...

They're trying to build a core that will be competitive for years to come. We used to spend to the cap and we were a first round exit at best.

Spending lots of money didn't accomplish anything for Pegula and the Sabres. In fact they are now blowing it all up.

Hoags wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

NEELY wrote:Exactly.  Like the Gene wants.

Cheaper than winning.

Gonna be lots to talk about over the weekend...

They're trying to build a core that will be competitive for years to come.  We used to spend to the cap and we were a first round exit at best.

Spending lots of money didn't accomplish anything for Pegula and the Sabres.  In fact they are now blowing it all up.

Yeah, I get all that. Thanks.

At some point some money will need to be spent. I happen to think that time is now. Not the cap, obviously, but a couple of pieces is not an unreasonable expectation.

SeawaySensFan wrote:
At some point some money will need to be spent. I happen to think that time is now. Not the cap, obviously, but a couple of pieces is not an unreasonable expectation.

I imagine money will be spent to keep whom Murray and co. deem essential.  Karlsson and Turris were already locked up to long-term extensions.

The free agent market sucks.  Murray will most likely make a shrewd trade or two.  He got us Methot last year for a 3rd line player.

If they can get Bobby Ryan, Taylor Hall or another top end player then do it.  But I don't want some middling overpaid signing preventing us from resigning Cowen, Zib, Silfverberg etc. down the road.

Go big or go home, there seems to be little more than a bunch of overpaid, overrated players and cap dumps on the market.  I think they're just following what LA and Chicago did, make the big moves when the opportunity presents itself and when the rest of the pieces are in place.

Hoags wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:
At some point some money will need to be spent. I happen to think that time is now. Not the cap, obviously, but a couple of pieces is not an unreasonable expectation.

I imagine money will be spent to keep whom Murray and co. deem essential.  Karlsson and Turris were already locked up to long-term extensions.

The free agent market sucks.  Murray will most likely make a shrewd trade or two.  He got us Methot last year for a 3rd line player.

If they can get Bobby Ryan, Taylor Hall or another top end player then do it.  But I don't want some middling overpaid signing preventing us from resigning Cowen, Zib, Silfverberg etc. down the road.

Go big or go home, there seems to be little more than a bunch of overpaid, overrated players and cap dumps on the market.  I think they're just following what LA and Chicago, make the big moves when the opportunity presents itself and when the rest of the pieces are in place.

Agreed.

Anyway, it's interesting times, as always, in the early summer.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Agreed.

Anyway, it's interesting times, as always, in the early summer.

I think Murray will pleasantly surprise once again.

I was thinking that BM crying 'budget' everytime he talks might not be a bad strategy. If other teams are trying to trade their $5M-$6M players to us, we can sit back and decline due to budget.

Why take on a $5M-$6M salary when you can force your trade partener to pick up 50% of the player salary because they have no other choice ? It might just work.

We have cap space and we have assets. We're in a good position to dictate terms in a trade.

i'd imagine one of the $5-6M players murray is alluding to is Hemsky. while hemsky could add a lot of skill to the roster, his injury history wouldn't fit into the budget nor would it be of any benefit to the roster

let's not forget we have a top 20 pick in what seems to be a relatively deep draft

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:i'd imagine one of the $5-6M players murray is alluding to is Hemsky. while hemsky could add a lot of skill to the roster, his injury history wouldn't fit into the budget nor would it be of any benefit to the roster

Hemsky is not coming to ottawa. Book it!

LeKing wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

LeKing wrote:To be honest, who else do we have who is going to take Wiercioch's N7 spot anyway?

He's not a #7. Let's not be silly here. Give him Gonchar's PP minutes and see what happens.

He may have more talent than a N7, but he was the 7th guy during the playoffs and that's basically where it's at as far as negotiations go.

He got injured, don't you remember?

wprager wrote:

LeKing wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

LeKing wrote:To be honest, who else do we have who is going to take Wiercioch's N7 spot anyway?

He's not a #7. Let's not be silly here. Give him Gonchar's PP minutes and see what happens.

He may have more talent than a N7, but he was the 7th guy during the playoffs and that's basically where it's at as far as negotiations go.

He got injured, don't you remember?

MMh... he was benched until Gryba got suspended. Remember?

NEELY wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

LeKing wrote:To be honest, who else do we have who is going to take Wiercioch's N7 spot anyway?

He's not a #7. Let's not be silly here. Give him Gonchar's PP minutes and see what happens.

Seriously though he's not above Phillips on the depth right now and there are other guys you can look at in the organization and fill that role.  Personally, I would rather have Benoit out on the ice most of the time over Wiercioch... that's telling if anyone else shares that opinion.

I don't really agree, sorry. We are going to be missing Gonchar's puck-moving, for sure. Wiercioch had comparable stats to Benoit in Bingo (slightly lower) and better in Ottawa. His PPG production actually went up when he got to the NHL, which is interesting (Benoit's definitely went down). Maybe the NHL guys are better at receiving his long/hard passes. Who knows. Benoit was very good when he first jumped in but not so much toward the end. If Wiercioch wasn't injured he would have been in the lineup for sure.

LeKing wrote:

wprager wrote:

LeKing wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

LeKing wrote:To be honest, who else do we have who is going to take Wiercioch's N7 spot anyway?

He's not a #7. Let's not be silly here. Give him Gonchar's PP minutes and see what happens.

He may have more talent than a N7, but he was the 7th guy during the playoffs and that's basically where it's at as far as negotiations go.

He got injured, don't you remember?

MMh... he was benched until Gryba got suspended. Remember?

I think he was hurt.. LBI

he was initially hurt, came back, and was benched.

imo wiercioch is a lot like preissing. he'll have a fantastic year as a 6/7 guy on a very solid defensive team, play soft d minutes, lots of pp time, and opt for a bigger contract when he's a +20 with 15-20 points on the season.

perfect trade bait.

I wouldn't trade Wiercioch he's got some very good tools and he's just getting the strength.
I'm just saying as far as contract negotiations go, he is not more than a 7th D right now, because he did not start the playoffs on the top 6. It's just facts really, not even sure what we're arguing about here. Do I think he can play top 6 all year? Of course I do.

LeKing wrote:

wprager wrote:

LeKing wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

LeKing wrote:To be honest, who else do we have who is going to take Wiercioch's N7 spot anyway?

He's not a #7. Let's not be silly here. Give him Gonchar's PP minutes and see what happens.

He may have more talent than a N7, but he was the 7th guy during the playoffs and that's basically where it's at as far as negotiations go.

He got injured, don't you remember?

MMh... he was benched until Gryba got suspended. Remember?

He missed two of the last three games of the regular season and then the 1st game against Montreal. Gryba got suspended for the second game and Wiercioch drew in, then got injured in that game and didn't play again.

He played against Boston to end the season -- doesn't sound like a benching. Maybe he was nursing something, as it didn't take all that much to knock him out.

wprager wrote:

LeKing wrote:

wprager wrote:

LeKing wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

LeKing wrote:To be honest, who else do we have who is going to take Wiercioch's N7 spot anyway?

He's not a #7. Let's not be silly here. Give him Gonchar's PP minutes and see what happens.

He may have more talent than a N7, but he was the 7th guy during the playoffs and that's basically where it's at as far as negotiations go.

He got injured, don't you remember?

MMh... he was benched until Gryba got suspended. Remember?

He missed two of the last three games of the regular season and then the 1st game against Montreal.  Gryba got suspended for the second game and Wiercioch drew in, then got injured in that game and didn't play again.

He played against Boston to end the season -- doesn't sound like a benching.  Maybe he was nursing something, as it didn't take all that much to knock him out.

He didn't start the playoffs and he was healthy. Cmon now  

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:he was initially hurt, came back, and was benched.

imo wiercioch is a lot like preissing. he'll have a fantastic year as a 6/7 guy on a very solid defensive team, play soft d minutes, lots of pp time, and opt for a bigger contract when he's a +20 with 15-20 points on the season.

perfect trade bait.

He did not get benched. He was day-to-day, which with the Sens this year probably meant a punctured lung.

He was not benched. He was one of the most pleasant surprises this season -- along with Gryba. Fact of the matter is, though, if Gryba was not a RHS he would have finished the year in Bingo, and likely started there next season, too.

Sure, he's behind Methot, Cowen and Phillips, but I'd much rather see him on the PP than Phillips. And if we don't get a rightie in the off-season then it'll be Phillips on the 3rd pairing right side, first PK unit, and Wiercioch is the third pairing on the LHS and 2nd PP unit (unless they put him on the 1st).

LeKing wrote:

wprager wrote:

LeKing wrote:

wprager wrote:

LeKing wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

LeKing wrote:To be honest, who else do we have who is going to take Wiercioch's N7 spot anyway?

He's not a #7. Let's not be silly here. Give him Gonchar's PP minutes and see what happens.

He may have more talent than a N7, but he was the 7th guy during the playoffs and that's basically where it's at as far as negotiations go.

He got injured, don't you remember?

MMh... he was benched until Gryba got suspended. Remember?

He missed two of the last three games of the regular season and then the 1st game against Montreal.  Gryba got suspended for the second game and Wiercioch drew in, then got injured in that game and didn't play again.

He played against Boston to end the season -- doesn't sound like a benching.  Maybe he was nursing something, as it didn't take all that much to knock him out.

He didn't start the playoffs and he was healthy. Cmon now  

Who said he was healthy? He missed two games, played one, missed one, played one and was out. Looks and smells like he was nursing an injury.