GAME DAY: Ottawa Senators @ Columbus Blue Jackets - 7:00pm ET - Tue. Nov. 5th, 2013

NEELY wrote:A mature, 26 year old PF who is about to hit his prime and scored 30 goals his last full season of hockey?  Simmonds is a pretty big fish right now and fits perfectly into the Sens team and system.  If you can find a better fit than that around the league that actually might be available I don't know who it is.  Maybe Matthias?  Colin Wilson?  Krieder? Dubinsky? Those are the guys I think could be moved that fit the need and age of the group but still think Simmonds is a better fit.

Kreider? Dubinsky? Be prepared to be moving big pieces to land those guys. Especially Dubinsky. Start with Lazar - and I don't think you want to do that.

NEELY wrote:Schenn is being healthy scratched and he's over paid... for sure could be traded any second.

That much I can agree with. I'd hate to see Ottawa give up anything of value to take on that huge ticket and the question marks that come with it.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

NEELY wrote:Schenn is being healthy scratched and he's over paid... for sure could be traded any second.

That much I can agree with. I'd hate to see Ottawa give up anything of value to take on that huge ticket and the question marks that come with it.

Yeah, I'd probably look at it if the price was really low, but I'm not convinced about this kid at all at that price tag.

I don't think Schenn has any question marks really... he's just overpaid. He is a defensive, shut down D man who can skate... RH Chris Phillips IMO.

If Boro and Methot can play a shutdown pairing properly, with Methot on the right (and looking good on the right side), do you spend the assets for Schenn? I don't know if you do.

If they insisted on Schenn going with Simmonds for Greening + Wiercioch + piece, then perhaps Murray bites, but otherwise I'm not sure he's your guy.

If you could have a Schenn/Phillips 3rd pairing, that would be a pair that would be very solid for the Sens for a few years. Again, problem isn't the player, it's the contract. When Schenn becomes a UFA I would sign him in a heart beat.

I don't know if we're going to re-sign Phillips. He's been less than stellar and there are options coming up the pipeline.

You sign Phillips even if it's to let him know he's going to be a 6, 7 D man and could find himself a healthy scratch at times during the regular season.  You do not want that blueline getting anymore inexperienced than it already is.  He's not a pillar of the team anymore but you need him around and he's going to be dirt cheap to keep. The other thing you need right now and going forward is leadership support for Spezza which Phillips also brings.

Bad move that won't be made.

A lot of guys who had been playing like Dung started to look better. Greening's getting progressively more like the Greening of 'old'. Hitting a lot more, using his speed more - I thought he had a better game personally.

Conacher really had a solid game. Clearly the message is getting through to him that he has to use his speed and he has to be a pain in the arse and I thought he did a much better job last night.

Gryba was pretty solid when all is said and done. Still not the Gryba of last year, but getting a lot better.

Cowen was better. A few nifty giveaways, but that's not gonna clear itself up overnight. He sometimes goes back for pucks SO slowly and forecheckers are all over him causing giveaways. I don't think he realizes how little time he has sometimes and that's getting him into trouble.

Spezza started the game off very average and got better. Moved his feet a lot better when he was put on the PK. It seemed to wake him up (IIRC).

Michalek was ok, but for 6 million dollars, the fact that he's not on PP1 or even line 2 means his time here is coming to an end when we can find a dance partner.

Neil was clearly better. That's more like it - even without the goal he scored.

NEELY wrote:You sign Phillips even if it's to let him know he's going to be a 6, 7 D man and could find himself a healthy scratch at times during the regular season.  You do not want that blueline getting anymore inexperienced than it already is.  He's not a pillar of the team anymore but you need him around and he's going to be dirt cheap to keep.  The other thing you need right now and going forward is leadership support for Spezza which Phillips also brings.

Bad move that won't be made.

That entirely depends on what options are out there. Phillips hasn't looked great - and I'm usually a pretty big supporter. He started the year off decently, then went down a lot. They won't keep him 'just because', although I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up re-signing either.

Phillips won't be going anywhere, they need him now and they need him in the playoffs (if they get there). He ups his game when it matters, he brings a lot to the team off the ice, and he's a guy players lean on for a lot. He's a 3rd pairing D man and that's fine. The blueline would be crushed without him, as is it's already struggling in their own zone.

SpezDispenser wrote:

NEELY wrote:You sign Phillips even if it's to let him know he's going to be a 6, 7 D man and could find himself a healthy scratch at times during the regular season.  You do not want that blueline getting anymore inexperienced than it already is.  He's not a pillar of the team anymore but you need him around and he's going to be dirt cheap to keep.  The other thing you need right now and going forward is leadership support for Spezza which Phillips also brings.

Bad move that won't be made.

That entirely depends on what options are out there.  Phillips hasn't looked great - and I'm usually a pretty big supporter.  He started the year off decently, then went down a lot.  They won't keep him 'just because', although I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up re-signing either.

Definitely not. It's no accident that they already gave Borowiecki a one-way, coinciding with Phillips deal expiring. Just another pressure point to lowball a vet. Budget-style.

I don't think it's that cut and dried at all. We'll probably offer 2.5 million, Phillips might look for more. We might decide that we can do better in the UFA market, he might decide to join Alfie.

His play might regress even more. Who knows?

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

NEELY wrote:You sign Phillips even if it's to let him know he's going to be a 6, 7 D man and could find himself a healthy scratch at times during the regular season.  You do not want that blueline getting anymore inexperienced than it already is.  He's not a pillar of the team anymore but you need him around and he's going to be dirt cheap to keep.  The other thing you need right now and going forward is leadership support for Spezza which Phillips also brings.

Bad move that won't be made.

That entirely depends on what options are out there.  Phillips hasn't looked great - and I'm usually a pretty big supporter.  He started the year off decently, then went down a lot.  They won't keep him 'just because', although I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up re-signing either.

Definitely not. It's no accident that they already gave Borowiecki a one-way, coinciding with Phillips deal expiring. Just another pressure point to lowball a vet. Budget-style.

If this is actually what you think then you are reading way more into it than you actually should. Borowiecki getting a 1 way is because he deserves a 1 way. Is it an insurance policy? Yah, I think so but it's not because of a budget.

SpezDispenser wrote:I don't think it's that cut and dried at all.  We'll probably offer 2.5 million, Phillips might look for more.  We might decide that we can do better in the UFA market, he might decide to join Alfie.

His play might regress even more.  Who knows?

If Phillips is looking for another big pay day then yah, let him walk no question. If he wants to stay in Ottawa he's going to be a #6, 7 D man getting paid prob around 2.5 for 2 years then 1 year deals afterwards or another 2 year deal at around 1.5-2.

NEELY wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:

NEELY wrote:You sign Phillips even if it's to let him know he's going to be a 6, 7 D man and could find himself a healthy scratch at times during the regular season.  You do not want that blueline getting anymore inexperienced than it already is.  He's not a pillar of the team anymore but you need him around and he's going to be dirt cheap to keep.  The other thing you need right now and going forward is leadership support for Spezza which Phillips also brings.

Bad move that won't be made.

That entirely depends on what options are out there.  Phillips hasn't looked great - and I'm usually a pretty big supporter.  He started the year off decently, then went down a lot.  They won't keep him 'just because', although I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up re-signing either.

Definitely not. It's no accident that they already gave Borowiecki a one-way, coinciding with Phillips deal expiring. Just another pressure point to lowball a vet. Budget-style.

If this is actually what you think then you are reading way more into it than you actually should.  Borowiecki getting a 1 way is because he deserves a 1 way.  Is it an insurance policy?  Yah, I think so but it's not because of a budget.  

Of course it isn't.

If you ask me we've probably seen the best days of Greening. I mean at least I doubt he can be much better then he was in the playoffs and that's pretty good if you ask me. But i do think he could very well be replaceable. I too am of the opinion you do not really want to trade wiercoch. if we're talking schenn straight up for greening yes and yes. no problem. if you're talking schenn Simmons for wiercoch and greening short term we're better long term we might regret it. I think it all depends on how fast Ceci makes it up here. realistically Boro is a bit more expendable if schenn is brought in. I'd rather make a Greening, Boro + prospect not called ceci or lazar + 2nd or 3rd rounder trade for Schenn and simmons. but again i'm not sure that's a move the "be better now" philosophy flyers are willing to make.
someof that quantity prospects we now have are going to have to be traded... maybe we should be looking to trade instead with Phoenix. they've got D to part with.

Flo The Action wrote:If you ask me we've probably seen the best days of Greening. I mean at least I doubt he can be much better then he was in the playoffs and that's pretty good if you ask me. But i do think he could very well be replaceable. I too am of the opinion you do not really want to trade wiercoch. if we're talking schenn straight up for greening yes and yes. no problem. if you're talking schenn Simmons  for wiercoch and greening short term we're better long term we might regret it. I think it all depends on how fast Ceci makes it up here. realistically Boro is a bit more expendable if schenn is brought in. I'd rather make a Greening, Boro + prospect not called ceci or lazar + 2nd or 3rd rounder trade for Schenn and simmons. but again i'm not sure that's a move the "be better now" philosophy flyers are willing to make.
someof that quantity prospects we now have are going to have to be traded... maybe we should be looking to trade instead with Phoenix. they've got D to part with.

Sens are missing some legit jam on the blueline, Boroweicki isn't going anywhere.  He brings something unique to a team that needs toughness.  Wiercioch at this point could be overkill with Karlsson and again he won't be a force until his late 20's... Sens probably can't wait that long.