TRADE DEADLINE BONANZA 2019!

Not sure on those details but I think it's if he signs OR if they reach the finals.

wprager wrote:I love how Tkachuk and White have come along, but neither one is really a top line player.  Maybe Batherson or Brown will develop into one. Maybe Norris. Maybe the 2020 1st rounder. Lots of maybes.

I’d be extremely shocked if Tkachuk and Batheron are not too line players for years. They both have the it factor and the skill. Batherson is dominating the AHL.

I think we’re in good shape if Stone signs. If not it will take longer to build the team.

wprager wrote:If the Sens are losing one of the big 3 plus Ceci they need roster players, not prospects coming back.

It's literally all about the prospects. They might get a Boedker style throw in, but they're clearly gonna burn this down. AMD that's a shame because I echo the sentiment that if we were to sign duchene and stone we'd be really competitive really soon.

wprager wrote:I love how Tkachuk and White have come along, but neither one is really a top line player.  Maybe Batherson or Brown will develop into one. Maybe Norris. Maybe the 2020 1st rounder. Lots of maybes.

Really? I think tkachuk will be top line in Ottawa until we're forced to trade him. He ll score a ton more as he matures too as well as getting bigger and stronger. In my eyes, that's a top liner in this league

Tkachuk will likely be a 22-25 goal winger who will affect the outcome of games whether he scores or not. The kind of player whose value increases in the post season. I just don't think his offensive numbers will be anywhere near elite levels.

You know it's funny, when we talk about "true top line" players we really need something like a top-10 winger, league wide. The reality is that your simply don't have 62 such players in the league at any one time. So let's reduce that to, say, the top 6-8 teams who can be considered true contenders.

That's still 12-16 players. Is Tkachuk going to be a top 16 best winger? I suppose, yes.

It's the same as whether or not Duchene is a true 1LC. If the measuring stick is McDavid or Crosby then of course not. There simply aren't 31 teams who have a "true 1LC", especially when several teams have 2 (Crosby/Malkin, McDavid/Draisaitl, Matthews/Tavares).

wprager wrote:Tkachuk will likely be a 22-25 goal winger who will affect the outcome of games whether he scores or not. The kind of player whose value increases in the post season. I just don't think his offensive numbers will be anywhere near elite levels.

You know it's funny, when we talk about "true top line" players we really need something like a top-10 winger, league wide. The reality is that your simply don't have 62 such players in the league at any one time. So let's reduce that to, say, the top 6-8 teams who can be considered true contenders.

That's still 12-16 players. Is Tkachuk going to be a top 16 best winger? I suppose, yes.

This year is also skewing reality in terms of evaluating players because offense has risen exponentially and unsustainably, IMO. Almost all top forwards are having career years or close to it. Mika Zibanejad is a point per game player lol, Elias lindholm went from bust to on pace for 90+ points.  

IMO Tkachuk will be a 25 goal 65 point winger who does many other things which is a top line winger for me. Top line winger doesn’t mean superstar or elite. Look at Stone who is a top line player but has never been a true point per game player.

Batherson has more skill and has more of a chance to become an elite scoring winger

I've played competitive sports my whole life. I will tell you now that there is a huge difference in maturity between an 18 year old and a 22 year old, let alone a 26 year old. Don't underestimate how good Tkachuk will be. He is not anywhere close to hitting his prime. He will be elite. Maybe not an 90-100 point player but he will be a 30g-50a player easily.

Projecting the Sens in 2-3 years from now I do feel this team will be very difficult to play against. And I am obviously making a few assumptions here:

Tkachuk-White-Stone
Norris-Brown-Batherson
Formenton-Pageau-Tolvanen
Balcers-Chlapik-Ryan

Chabot-De Melo
Wolanin-JBD
Lajoie-Jaros

And this lineup isn't including what is likely to be a top-three pick next year, which figures to be a top-line forward, and a 1st rd pick this year from the Duchene trade (which I think will be for Tolvanen and a 1st). We will also get somewhat decent returns for Ceci and Dzingel if those trades happen.

The future is bright in Ottawa. We have some really good pieces coming down the pipeline. Getting rid of Ceci, Ryan, Harpur, Smith and getting a new HC will go a long way for this team.

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote: getting a new HC will go a long way for this team.

Except if it’s Melnyk still at the helm when the new coaching staff is brought in, it’ll be done on the cheap. Sure, it’s possible we catch lightning in a bottle and get some hotshot up-and-comer on a cheap contract and he’ll be amazing and lead the team to glory, but it’s more likely that we get some current AHL or junior coach willing to make the jump to the NHL on a bargain-basement contract.

There’s probably a number of NHL head coaches that make more than our entire coaching staff + Dorion + our assistant GM combined.

tim1_2 wrote:

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote: getting a new HC will go a long way for this team.

Except if it’s Melnyk still at the helm when the new coaching staff is brought in, it’ll be done on the cheap.  Sure, it’s possible we catch lightning in a bottle and get some hotshot up-and-comer on a cheap contract and he’ll be amazing and lead the team to glory, but it’s more likely that we get some current AHL or junior coach willing to make the jump to the NHL on a bargain-basement contract.  

There’s probably a number of NHL head coaches that make more than our entire coaching staff + Dorion + our assistant GM combined.

Agreed. But Boucher has been nothing but a pea brain. Paul is a point a game player in the AHL yet he gets called up and is either a healthy scratch or cemented on the 4th line playing 4 minutes a game. He continues to deploy Ceci in critical moments. He may have ruined Lajoie by pairing him with Ceci. A lot of bonehead decisions including this 11-7 nonsense that no other team in the league does. And he wonders why we're in last place?

I think an AHL or Junior coach may not be a bad idea for the Sens. They need someone who can develop players and not focus so much on winning games right now. That's been Boucher's downfall. He's worried about winning games with undeveloped players. Had he spent more time putting his prospects in better situations and developing his players better, he'd have probably won more games by now. Lajoie to me has done nothing to prove why he should still be in the NHL. He was great his first week and has been average at best since. Wolanin, who is older than Lajoie, has much better statistics in the NHL than Lajoie.

Look what Mann has done in the AHL. Brown, Batherson, Chlapik, Balcers, Wolanin, Rodewald, Paul are all having career years and are producing. They may even make the playoffs where they will be reinforced by Tkachuk, Balcers, and Lajoie (and maybe White) and can legitimately push for a title.

Don't forget that Boucher also had us in Game 7 OT of the Conference Finals two years ago. But I really do think he's one of those "shelf-life" coaches (Marc Crawford too), and the welcome was worn out last year.

tim1_2 wrote:Don't forget that Boucher also had us in Game 7 OT of the Conference Finals two years ago.  But I really do think he's one of those "shelf-life" coaches (Marc Crawford too), and the welcome was worn out last year.

Playing a 1-3-1. We played a beaten up Bruins team (and almost lost) and a weak NYR team (and almost lost)

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:I've played competitive sports my whole life. I will tell you now that there is a huge difference in maturity between an 18 year old and a 22 year old, let alone a 26 year old. Don't underestimate how good Tkachuk will be. He is not anywhere close to hitting his prime. He will be elite. Maybe not an 90-100 point player but he will be a 30g-50a player easily.

Projecting the Sens in 2-3 years from now I do feel this team will be very difficult to play against. And I am obviously making a few assumptions here:

Tkachuk-White-Stone
Norris-Brown-Batherson
Formenton-Pageau-Tolvanen
Balcers-Chlapik-Ryan

Chabot-De Melo
Wolanin-JBD
Lajoie-Jaros

And this lineup isn't including what is likely to be a top-three pick next year, which figures to be a top-line forward, and a 1st rd pick this year from the Duchene trade (which I think will be for Tolvanen and a 1st). We will also get somewhat decent returns for Ceci and Dzingel if those trades happen.

The future is bright in Ottawa. We have some really good pieces coming down the pipeline. Getting rid of Ceci, Ryan, Harpur, Smith and getting a new HC will go a long way for this team.

I don't normally like to look at lineups because this team rips your heart out all the time, but Tkatchuk with White and Batherson with Jaros etc on the back end will end up being a real pain in the Donkey to play against.

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote: getting a new HC will go a long way for this team.

Except if it’s Melnyk still at the helm when the new coaching staff is brought in, it’ll be done on the cheap.  Sure, it’s possible we catch lightning in a bottle and get some hotshot up-and-comer on a cheap contract and he’ll be amazing and lead the team to glory, but it’s more likely that we get some current AHL or junior coach willing to make the jump to the NHL on a bargain-basement contract.  

There’s probably a number of NHL head coaches that make more than our entire coaching staff + Dorion + our assistant GM combined.

Look what Mann has done in the AHL.

Look no farther, that's the next Sens coach IMO.

JBD ahead of Jaros? Mind if we wait until he plays a pro game or two?

They play different sides so it doesn’t really matter who is better

No I’m completely wrong. JBD is RD as well.

I too would have him over Jaros long term quite easily

Wow, you guys are optimistic. I’ve been too optimistic in the past about our prospects and it hasn’t panned put. Guys will produce, guys will be moved, guys will stay.
Tkachuk is a hell of a player but I doubt he winds up a point per game. Neither is Batherson. Unless they change the rules in the nhl.
AHL success doesn’t necessarily translate to nhl success. There will be guys that project top 6 that will average put as 3rd liners. And same for D.

I think guy Boucher has played a system that has allowed guys to score more this year. He or another coach will have to bring in the system that will tighten up the play and in extension lead to less goal.

Who we get in exchange for our UFA will go a long way to deciding how good we will be in the next few years.