Is Murray done improving this team?

Assuming the Sens are done tinkering are we happy with a lineup like this?

Michalek - Spezza - Ryan
MacArthur - Turris - Zibanejad
Greening - Pageau - Conacher
Kassian - Neil - Condra
O'Brien
Smith

Karlsson - Methot
Cowen - Phillips
Corvo - Gryba
Weircioch

Anderson
Lehner

I like our top line, assuming Michalek can stay healthy, but I'm not overly impressed with line 2 or our second D pairing.  Here's hoping they win the division, like some on here believe, and Murray is able to really bolster this lineup at the trade deadline.  Would love to see Jagr come in.

Depends on if there is a future move that he think improves the team now and well into the future out there. For UFA's yah, I think he is done signing guys short of maybe bringing in a vet to play down in Bingo with the kids. Trade? Anything can happen especially with teams well above the cap at this point. I could see Condra or Smith being traded for another scoring forward but that's about it.

The Sens are pretty much locked into things now.

You have some interesting line/D pairings, but yah, this is more or less what our lineup will be come the fall. We're not spending much more dough at this point, so Murray did a good job.

Would've been nice to have Alfie filling out that right side.

I would suggest the D pairings will look like this if everyone is healthy.

Methot/Karlsson
Cowen/Gryba
Wiercioch/Phillips
Corvo.

That's my guess because I think everyone loves the idea of having a big shut down pairing and playing 2 vets with Wiercioch in Phillips and or Corvo will help a player like him calm down in his own zone and maybe relax a little when he doesn't have the puck. Corvo isn't some defensive stud but he's been around long enough to help out some younger players for sure.

Cowen/Gryba could be the biggest and meanest pairing in the NHL. Really looking forward to seeing if Gryba has taken that next step because last year he played well but he was getting worn down towards the end before his concussion. He could very well the "x-factor" on the blueline this year if he can log some serious mins.

I just hope Gryba doesn't have any long-lasting effects from that concussion, and that he doesn't slip into a sophomore slump. He's old enough that I don' think that'll happen. Not too worried about his minutes as he's not going to be playing as much as last year. And I think it'll be more of a 2a/2b with Wiercioch/Phillips getting similar ice time (Patty will make up time on the PP and Phillips on the PK).

It will be something like that but I would expect Gryba to turn into that A Train type player for the Sens, a guy who does the dirty things to win and has a bit of a mean streak to his game. They will obviously all split time between the bottom 2 pairs but Cowen and Gryba IMO will be the go to pairing in the last min of a game when the Sens are up by 1 or 2 or if they need a big kill. Could be an absolutely awesome pair if they develop any kind of chemistry, no one will be pushing those 2 around.

wprager wrote:I just hope Gryba doesn't have any long-lasting effects from that concussion, and that he doesn't slip into a sophomore slump.

Concussion? I thought that collision with Orpik was described as a shoulder injury.

I like our 2nd pairing and 3rd pairing guys. They're completely interchangeable and this will give Wiercioch another year if experience before he assumedly takes the 2nd pairing duty with Cowen. If that's what Murray envisions.

I think we're done personally, although I'm probably like most people, half expecting Murray to make one final move for a young, awesome 2nd pairing righty to play with Cowen. If he dangled Wiercioch + Smith plus a prospect, he might be able to shape this team one last time for the next decade - although he's done an excellent job of that already.

SpezDispenser wrote:
I think we're done personally, although I'm probably like most people, half expecting Murray to make one final move for a young, awesome 2nd pairing righty to play with Cowen.  If he dangled Wiercioch + Smith plus a prospect, he might be able to shape this team one last time for the next decade - although he's done an excellent job of that already.  

I think that spot is reserved for Ceci/Wideman or any other RHD prospects we have.

There's a reason they got a guy like Corvo for 1 year. They want to keep the door open for a prospect

Hoags wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:
I think we're done personally, although I'm probably like most people, half expecting Murray to make one final move for a young, awesome 2nd pairing righty to play with Cowen.  If he dangled Wiercioch + Smith plus a prospect, he might be able to shape this team one last time for the next decade - although he's done an excellent job of that already.  

I think that spot is reserved for Ceci/Wideman or any other RHD prospects we have.

There's a reason they got a guy like Corvo for 1 year.  They want to keep the door open for a prospect

Yeah probably one of Ceci or Wiercioch.

Hoags wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:
I think we're done personally, although I'm probably like most people, half expecting Murray to make one final move for a young, awesome 2nd pairing righty to play with Cowen.  If he dangled Wiercioch + Smith plus a prospect, he might be able to shape this team one last time for the next decade - although he's done an excellent job of that already.  

I think that spot is reserved for Ceci/Wideman or any other RHD prospects we have.

There's a reason they got a guy like Corvo for 1 year.  They want to keep the door open for a prospect

Fixed it.

Corvo is a #7 d man meant to come in and make sure everyone is honest, that's it. Takes the pressure off of guys but also keeps the pressure on if that makes any sense. Ceci, Wideman, Boroweicki, and Claeson all have a chance at seeing some time in the NHL this year. The depth on the blueline is nothing short of the best in the NHL.

Captain Hyperbole!

So the success of our forthcoming season rests on two factors:

1) Health. Last year was freakish with the injuries. Our only legit concerns this year are Spezza and Michalek. We don't need these two healthy all year to make the playoffs, but any serious run will centre around them getting pucks in the net.

2) Kids stepping up. Specifically, if Turris and Z-Bad can take another step forward, we'll be in good shape. Pageau and Conacher, to a lesser extent, also will impact our fortunes.

tim1_2 wrote:So the success of our forthcoming season rests on two factors:

1) Health.  Last year was freakish with the injuries.  Our only legit concerns this year are Spezza and Michalek.  We don't need these two healthy all year to make the playoffs, but any serious run will centre around them getting pucks in the net.

2) Kids stepping up.  Specifically, if Turris and Z-Bad can take another step forward, we'll be in good shape.  Pageau and Conacher, to a lesser extent, also will impact our fortunes.

Don't have the injuries all happen at the same time. Let some other team deal with that... and see how they like it or have the depth to overcome it...