GAME DAY: Calgary Flames @ Ottawa Senators :: 5:00pm ET :: Sun. Mar. 30th, 2014

tim1_2 wrote:Resigning MacArthur is a no-brainer (same with Ryan), but it'll come down to how much $$$ is Eugene willing to pony-up.  

If Melnyk won't pony up the money to re-sign both of these players then I think the fans revolt..

tim1_2 wrote:On Da Costa, I guess it depends if any current roster players are shown the door this off-season.  Kassian probably won't be retained, but I can see Stone being pencilled in for the big club, Hoffman, and then also maybe they keep a spot open for Lazar or Puempel or Pageau (who is a point-per-game and +17 in the AHL, btw).

Speaking of DaCosta.. .he received a bad injury on Saturday, as described below for a guy who works with the billet person that DaCosta stayed with when in Ottawa..

"just Steph's luck, he got high sticked in the face on Saturdaya nd is now out for who knows how long, his nose is shattered, he needs reconstructive plastic surgery....and the guy gets a 2 min...this is the Syracuse crunch team, they are bushwakers...i saw them a few weeks back and couldn't believe their lack of respect for the opponent/game, they kept hacking and ankles, back of leg and head, but this is just awful. his whole face is swollen and the pain is just awful"

NEELY wrote:I'll say this about Spezza too, him being in Ottawa as the captain and the big distraction from everyone else may allow guys like Karlsson, Turris, and who ever else just to play.  I don't envy Murray this summer but one thing that will be unacceptable is if MacLean is fired.

I would be extremely mad and upset if MacLean is fired. He's been here 3 yrs and had 2 really good ones.. so they fire him for 1 'disappointing' season? If you want one of the main reasons this team had the season it did, is to look to the owner who wouldn't pay Alfie..

NEELY wrote:

shabbs wrote:I'll be shocked if they trade Spezza in the off-season. The more likely scenario is an extension for Spezza and re-signing Hemsky. But, stranger things have happened...

Don't think shocked is the word but surprised might be more apt.  I'll just say this, if Hemsky is resigned Spezza is coming back and if that happens they are probably looking to extend him.  Michalek is a wild card but if those 2 are back you may as well sign him to a 2 year deal and see where that goes, see if someone can push him out of that spot.

On a related note it isn't surprising to see 2 lines clicking after being left alone by MacLean.  Good possibility that's where a lot of the miscommunication from coaches and players along with hard feelings came from this year, the constant shuffling on lines.

Maybe those 2 lines have been left alone as both are scoring. If only one line is scoring, McLean -- like other coaches -- would try to spread the scoring around..

This team, in the first time in about forever, has two legit scoring lines.. But most of you want one of those lines gone... so we are back to 1 scoring line..

SpezDispenser wrote:

NEELY wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:Neely, you are defending a player you can barely stand.  Also, you have said forever that Spezza will never change.

I don't think he will, lol.  Like I said if I could trade him the day after the season ended I would.  I am simply giving reasons why Murray would take a 2nd look outside of my personal opinions and bias.  You don't have to like the guy to know he's been better with Hemsky than without him, whatever the reason for that is you can decide for yourself but it doesn't make it a false statement. 

There are probably 100 scenario's they are going through from now until the draft in terms of what to do, who to sign, who to draft, who will make the team next year (or has a shot), etc, etc, etc.  Am I wrong in saying if they sign Hemsky there is a good possibility and almost a certainty Spezza is back?

Come on, why do you think he's been better since Murray acquired Hemsky?

No offense to Greening and whatever crappy players Spezza got stuck with all season, but one thing's certain:  Michalek has blown arse for almost the entire year.  There's no real coincidence that when Michalek started playing better, Spezza did too.  Add in that Murray went out (too late) and got Spezza a real, NHL caliber winger and it's not hard to put 2 and 2 together.

F-ing Michalek was dreadful this year and it was NOT helped by the fact that on Spezza's right you had Cory Conacher or whatever other offensive void they plopped next to him.  Factor in also that Spezza missed the entire year, like Cowen did, and you have a pretty fair answer to the question IMO.

I'm not going to speak of Spezza's leadership qualities as -- I'm not in the room.. nor is anyone else here.. we just don't know. He is not a defensive player... and he never will be. What he is -- is a very good offensive player, that we have been seeing since the Hemsky trade.

So, say they trade Spezza.. what point-a-game player who is a top centre, is coming back to replace him? My guess is... none..

Hey Sandy, how many PPG guys do the Bruins have? LA? St.Louis?

NEELY wrote:Hey Sandy, how many PPG guys do the Bruins have? LA?  St.Louis?  

Those 3 teams have a really good top 9 that can score.. Can you say the Sens have a really good top 9? Not even close..

Okay.. who replaces Spezza's points on a team that only has basically 6 scoring players..

sandysensfan wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:On Da Costa, I guess it depends if any current roster players are shown the door this off-season.  Kassian probably won't be retained, but I can see Stone being pencilled in for the big club, Hoffman, and then also maybe they keep a spot open for Lazar or Puempel or Pageau (who is a point-per-game and +17 in the AHL, btw).

Speaking of DaCosta.. .he received a bad injury on Saturday, as described below for a guy who works with the billet person that DaCosta stayed with when in Ottawa..

"just Steph's luck, he got high sticked in the face on Saturdaya nd is now out for who knows how long, his nose is shattered, he needs reconstructive plastic surgery....and the guy gets a 2 min...this is the Syracuse crunch team, they are bushwakers...i saw them a few weeks back and couldn't believe their lack of respect for the opponent/game, they kept hacking and ankles, back of leg and head, but this is just awful. his whole face is swollen and the pain is just awful"

Bah, that sucks for him. He played really well when he was here as well.

If you get rid of spezza, you take a step back temporarily in points but likely a step forward in defense. And the goal is to replace spezza's production, and then some, internally. That means turris/macA/Ryan need to improve, zibanejad/stone need to improve, and maybe some more scoring from the back end aside from karlsson to boot.

Point is, you trade spezza to change the direction and focus of the franchise. Might be growing pains at the start but the team collectively can replace his production. Look at alfie's departure. One can say macarthur replaced his on-ice production, but doesn't mean it translates to wins.

Michallica wrote:If you get rid of spezza, you take a step back temporarily in points but likely a step forward in defense.  And the goal is to replace spezza's production, and then some, internally.  That means turris/macA/Ryan need to improve, zibanejad/stone need to improve, and maybe some more scoring from the back end aside from karlsson to boot.

Point is, you trade spezza to change the direction and focus of the franchise.  Might be growing pains at the start but the team collectively can replace his production.  Look at alfie's departure.  One can say macarthur replaced his on-ice production, but doesn't mean it translates to wins.

Yeah, that's not gonna happen internally I don't think. He had the crappiest year imaginable and still is gonna end up with close to 70 points.

Michallica wrote:If you get rid of spezza, you take a step back temporarily in points but likely a step forward in defense.  And the goal is to replace spezza's production, and then some, internally.  That means turris/macA/Ryan need to improve, zibanejad/stone need to improve, and maybe some more scoring from the back end aside from karlsson to boot.

Point is, you trade spezza to change the direction and focus of the franchise.  Might be growing pains at the start but the team collectively can replace his production.  Look at alfie's departure.  One can say macarthur replaced his on-ice production, but doesn't mean it translates to wins.

Alfie's departure resulted in no playoffs this season... when they could have taken another step.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Michallica wrote:If you get rid of spezza, you take a step back temporarily in points but likely a step forward in defense.  And the goal is to replace spezza's production, and then some, internally.  That means turris/macA/Ryan need to improve, zibanejad/stone need to improve, and maybe some more scoring from the back end aside from karlsson to boot.

Point is, you trade spezza to change the direction and focus of the franchise.  Might be growing pains at the start but the team collectively can replace his production.  Look at alfie's departure.  One can say macarthur replaced his on-ice production, but doesn't mean it translates to wins.

Yeah, that's not gonna happen internally I don't think.  He had the crappiest year imaginable and still is gonna end up with close to 70 points.  

I meant replace his production as a team. Don't think one single player is the answer. We have four 20 goal scorers....five if spezza scores one more. I think turris will improve next year, so will zibanejad.

sandysensfan wrote:

NEELY wrote:Hey Sandy, how many PPG guys do the Bruins have? LA?  St.Louis?  

Those 3 teams have a really good top 9 that can score..   Can you say the Sens have a really good top 9?  Not even close..

Okay.. who replaces Spezza's points on a team that only has basically 6 scoring players..

Teams are built, takes time. Boston was built through the draft and through trades... they got rid of a PPG guy in Kessel and got what in return? 2 draft picks, no one replaced his goals or point totals.

For a PPG Team Canada didn't even spit in Spezza's direction. Why was that? Surely they wanted a PPG player. The PPG argument has to be the lamest thing going because it means very little when it comes to team success.

Turris is a better hockey player than Spezza but he isn't a PPG player. Why is that? I would say within 2 full NHL season's Lazar will be a better hockey player than Spezza as well.

sandysensfan wrote:

Michallica wrote:If you get rid of spezza, you take a step back temporarily in points but likely a step forward in defense.  And the goal is to replace spezza's production, and then some, internally.  That means turris/macA/Ryan need to improve, zibanejad/stone need to improve, and maybe some more scoring from the back end aside from karlsson to boot.

Point is, you trade spezza to change the direction and focus of the franchise.  Might be growing pains at the start but the team collectively can replace his production.  Look at alfie's departure.  One can say macarthur replaced his on-ice production, but doesn't mean it translates to wins.

Alfie's departure resulted in no playoffs this season... when they could have taken another step.

True, that's why I'm saying don't look at it as point for point replacement. I'm not leaning one way or another with spezza, but if he is to go I'm just saying we shouldn't be concerned about 'who's going to cover the goals and assists he would have added?' cuz that's not the objective in the end.

SpezDispenser wrote:Again, people are judging Spezza on a year where he missed the entire previous season.  I'm not saying they're wrong, but I'm not convinced Murray will just cut bait.  We'll see

I agree, along with the fact that it was his 1st year as the captain. Thats a role some guys have to learn and grow into. I give him a mulligan.

I think they re-sign Hemsky, and I think they extend Spezza, I think Michalek stays as well. Methot might be on the way out, but I don't think I agree with it, and I think that Anderson is gone for sure after watching Lehner play so much lately. Anderson could have been a huge part of what was going on with them this year if he is as much of a cancer as I am reading lately. I was as disgusted with Spezza as anyone this year, but you can't quit on him now. You have to re-sign him and watch him one more year in the captain role.

I also don' think MacLean is going anywhere. Its been an extremely frustrating year top to bottom in the organization, but you can't get carried away and cut everyone loose, or you are back to what you started the season with....learning all over again.

Methot and Anderson being moved out IMO are two big enough moves where it shakes things up.

Fulcrum wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Again, people are judging Spezza on a year where he missed the entire previous season.  I'm not saying they're wrong, but I'm not convinced Murray will just cut bait.  We'll see

I agree, along with the fact that it was his 1st year as the captain. Thats a role some guys have to learn and grow into. I give him a mulligan.

I think they re-sign Hemsky, and I think they extend Spezza, I think Michalek stays as well. Methot might be on the way out, but I don't think I agree with it,  and I think that Anderson is gone for sure after watching Lehner play so much lately. Anderson could have been a huge part of what was going on with them this year if he is as much of a cancer as I am reading lately. I was as disgusted with Spezza as anyone this year, but you can't quit on him now. You have to re-sign him and watch him one more year in the captain role.

I also don' think MacLean is going anywhere. Its been an extremely frustrating year top to bottom in the organization, but you can't get carried away and cut everyone loose, or you are back to what you started the season with....learning all over again.

Uh...how is that gonna work though? That's why this is such a massive decision. You can't re-sign him, then strip him of the C in the off-season next year if it doesn't work, you have to trade him.

It could become the singular biggest gong show we've ever seen where we become the villains as opposed to Heatley being the villain.

SpezDispenser wrote:

Uh...how is that gonna work though?  That's why this is such a massive decision.  You can't re-sign him, then strip him of the C in the off-season next year if it doesn't work, you have to trade him.

It could become the singular biggest gong show we've ever seen where we become the villains as opposed to Heatley being the villain.

The only way Spezza is getting rid of the captaincy is getting traded. I would be extremely surprised if he stepped down. So you re-sign him while his value is lower (because I fully believe he has a lot better in him than he showed this year). Then you let him roll out another year as the captain. If it doesn't work, then you move him. Not a big gamble, seeing as his value isn't real high right now.

The only thing that throws a glitch in this is if it is going to take a no trade clause to extend him.....not sure about that part