GAME DAY #69: Senators @ Panthers - 7:30 pm - Thursday, March 10 2016

Brian Murray isn't going anywhere unless he decides to. Could you imagine the bad PR for Melnyk if he fired him at this point? Murray will likely step down as GM this summer and stay on as an advisor. Then Dorion takes over and we'll see what happens. I think we go into. Ext season with close to the status quo.

tim1_2 wrote:Brian Murray isn't going anywhere unless he decides to. Could you imagine the bad PR for Melnyk if he fired him at this point?  Murray will likely step down as GM this summer and stay on as an advisor. Then Dorion takes over and we'll see what happens. I think we go into. Ext season with close to the status quo.

I think Murray realizes it's not working. He's been in hockey long enough to realize that, even if Phaneuf is here from day one, and Turris remains healthy and CMac plays a full(ish) season in the top six, that there is something else very wrong going on. Is it special teams coaching? Is it the head coach? Is it a rotten core?

If I were being extremely optimistic I'd be inclined to say that Phaneuf will bring in a breath of fresh air and professionalism to the room. From what I've heard he is a very vocal leader and very much a stickler for details like not dogging it, whether you are practicing or doing off-ice training or whatever. I think the Sens had *zero* players like that. Some were quite vocal but not exactly a role model (Spezza) and some were great role models but not vocal at all (Alfie and about a dozen others). Maybe zero was an overstatement -- Neil strikes me like that kind of player, too, but just not sure how much weight his word carries from the 4th line. I think it's time to put an 'A' on Phaneuf full-time and promote him to the top pairing. Maybe he'll be able to rein Karlsson in a bit from doing too much (which is almost always wrong), as well as provide a steadier presence there on the top pairing, and reducing Methot's exposure at the same time. Methot was a 6th round pick, I believe, and was not thought of anything much more than a 2nd pairing guy on a so-so team; perhaps he is out of his depth -- a beat up Dodge Duster rolling with a Lamborghini.

Who knows, maybe that would be enough, or at least it will get the ball rolling in the right direction.

But I honestly don't think very much will happen until they replace the coaching staff with some experience.

wprager wrote:

SpezDispensed wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:

SpezDispensed wrote:I could see everyone getting fired if/when a new gm come in.  It's time for new blood to come in and identify the core and get this team to the next step

and by new GM you mean Dorion? Melnyk has been pretty straight forward when he mentioned that BM had his succession plan already made up.

Maybe.  There's no saying doRion would be the same style as Murray.   Look at Tim making big moves in Buffalo

Tim's moves are yet to show dividends.  But I think your point may have been that a member of Murray's management team, when given free rein, may go in a very different direction.

Thing is, Pegula had deep pockets and the Sabres sucked long enough to have gotten some nice picks.  Ottawa is not in the same situation at all.

Maybe roll the dice with building around Alfie?  Fire everyone, make Alfie President of Hockey Operations or some-such, let him hire his own scouting staff, GM, coach.  I honestly don't see how it could be worse that the mess we're in now.  5 coaches (six counting Murray), one playoff win, four missed playoffs since the Cup Run.

Dude? Really? Alfie? He's got absolutely zero experience in that departement, probably doesn't know any extensive network of scouts and personnel. No no no... Alfie will take years to train into that type of position. You are flirting with utter disaster if you do that.

wprager wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:Brian Murray isn't going anywhere unless he decides to. Could you imagine the bad PR for Melnyk if he fired him at this point?  Murray will likely step down as GM this summer and stay on as an advisor. Then Dorion takes over and we'll see what happens. I think we go into. Ext season with close to the status quo.

I think Murray realizes it's not working.  He's been in hockey long enough to realize that, even if Phaneuf is here from day one, and Turris remains healthy and CMac plays  a full(ish) season in the top six, that there is something else very wrong going on.  Is it special teams coaching?  Is it the head coach?  Is it a rotten core?  

If I were being extremely optimistic I'd be inclined to say that Phaneuf will bring in a breath of fresh air and professionalism to the room.  From what I've heard he is a very vocal leader and very much a stickler for details like not dogging it, whether you are practicing or doing off-ice training or whatever.  I think the Sens had *zero* players like that.  Some were quite vocal but not exactly a role model (Spezza) and some were great role models but not vocal at all (Alfie and about a dozen others).  Maybe zero was an overstatement -- Neil strikes me like that kind of player, too, but just not sure how much weight his word carries from the 4th line.  I think it's time to put an 'A' on Phaneuf full-time and promote him to the top pairing.  Maybe he'll be able to rein Karlsson in a bit from doing too much (which is almost always wrong), as well as provide a steadier presence there on the top pairing, and reducing Methot's exposure at the same time.  Methot was a 6th round pick, I believe, and was not thought of anything much more than a 2nd pairing guy on a so-so team; perhaps he is out of his depth -- a beat up Dodge Duster rolling with a Lamborghini.

Who knows, maybe that would be enough, or at least it will get the ball rolling in the right direction.

But I honestly don't think very much will happen until they replace the coaching staff with some experience.

You think? I think murrays absolutely thinks we'd be fine without all those injuries. Especially they leadership of Clarke mac. You look at what happened last year. And I'd say he thinks we aren't far from being that team.

I think there may need to be a bold move to wake up this room. I hate it but if it's guys like Hoffman and Zib that are dragging their feet and not playing the system then maybe those are guys you ship out if it means redressing the locker room. Then you bring a guy like Ladd that oozes leadership.
Whatever you do you need to bring in some leadership in that room. I'm not sure phaneuf is the guy I'd be targeting to put an A on.
I think the A's go on MacArthur and Neil. Possibly on a guy like Ladd if you bring him in. Maybe even turris. There's a guy that tried to play on an injury and never slacks off. Don't know if he's very vocal.
Basically there is nobody in that room that is old enough to be very respected and gives 110% every shift and is a producer the way Alfie was.
Karlsson is great but he's doing too much and therefore has to manage his energy. That might not translate well to the other players.

You basically have to isolate the players crapping the bed and move them. I'd bring in an experienced coach who's won a cup too if you can. Easier said tha done.

Personally think that Dorion will step into GM role this off-season and Alfie will be named new assistant GM to replace Dorion. Thus begins the real grooming process....which is a shame for poor dorion because unless he hits it out of the park, he's destined to be replaced by Alfie in 3-4 years.

Alfie knows hockey and knows a ton of hockey people. He's been in this business for two decades. You don't think he could figure out how to surround himself with people who knows the nuts and bolts? Anyhow, I'm not pushing it by any stretch (still think he bailed on the team and never apologized for it; but he's here and I have to deal with it) but it certainly would be a big change in direction. And I think that's almost essential at this point.