Ottawa Senators (present and past) TIDBITS & QUICK HITS!

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:Today may be the day we start seeing activity. Expansion lists are due on Saturday and will be announced Sunday.

Yeah, it sounds like there could be a ton of activity according to pretty much any insider I've heard talk about it. Should be very entertaining, and we might just see some more whacky moves like Parise/Suter being bought out. Fingers crossed!

Come on Dorion! Don’t fail us now!

Just watched Garrioch’s segment on what’s next for the sens.
It’s interesting how he echoes that the main objective and need for the sens is to acquire a number 1 C but how the hell is that Kadri? He’s by no definition a number 1 C. He can stand in as a 2 on a average team of a 3 on a good team but no way Jose is he a number 1. I’d rather they look at guys I’m not ideally behind like monahan or Johansen in the trade market or see if Tampa wants to part with someone (Cirelli or gourde) or look to give good money to a guy like Stastny or maybe offer a 3 year contract to wennberg (he’s not a top line guy but could be top 6 in Ottawa). Not all these guys are top line centers but they’re better options than Kadri. Seriously. Kadri is not the answer.

Plus he’s UFA in a year. Don’t spend assets on a guy that is likely heading out of town next year.

I think maybe we have to accept that long term our two best centre options are Stutzle and Norris/Pinto...it's looking more unlikely that we'll be able to trade or sign a true #1C so maybe the best thing to do is check it off the list internally and spend some cash/resources on a real good D.

tim1_2 wrote:I think maybe we have to accept that long term our two best centre options are Stutzle and Norris/Pinto...it's looking more unlikely that we'll be able to trade or sign a true #1C so maybe the best thing to do is check it off the list internally and spend some cash/resources on a real good D.

You may be right. But it doesn’t feel like what Melnyk wants. And the Pierre’s will have to do his bidding. They’ll use assets we should keep to get less than ideal stopgaps that won’t amount to much or will dissapoint. *sigh*

Sens linked to Ryan Strome

I remember being interested in Ryan Strome...10 years ago. He's coming off a couple good seasons with the Rangers where I assumed he played centre? He has some leadership experience. I dunno...could be solid?

I don’t know if Ryan really fills the needs we have. Nowhere near a number 1C. His brother Dylan has struggled but his upside is higher IMO. Would also likely cost less to acquire.

Not the swing for the fence we need

Strome or Kadri would be perfect - one year players who wouldn't cost a ton, could either trade at the deadline or sign long term if we are good team and they perform. I don't see any risk in either scenario. Both are impending UFAs who will have high motivation to perform.

Ev wrote:Strome or Kadri would be perfect - one year players who wouldn't cost a ton, could either trade at the deadline or sign long term if we are good team and they perform. I don't see any risk in either scenario. Both are impending UFAs who will have high motivation to perform.

Good points but…

They could perform well, then we could resign them. Or they perform well and we are in a fight for the playoffs and miss them slightly.
Or they could (or the team) perform not so well and we can’t recoup the assets paid for them at the deadline because we didn’t do well with them .

To the  first two points, sure they perform well but are they really the 1C we need to perform really well and fill that need we really need? No.

Each case leaves to be desired.

I’m gonna agree with the position that if we trade for a 1C we need to swing for the fences. Not some 2A 2B guy.

Flo The Action wrote:

Ev wrote:Strome or Kadri would be perfect - one year players who wouldn't cost a ton, could either trade at the deadline or sign long term if we are good team and they perform. I don't see any risk in either scenario. Both are impending UFAs who will have high motivation to perform.

Good points but…

They could perform well, then we could resign them. Or they perform well and we are in a fight for the playoffs and miss them slightly.
Or they could (or the team) perform not so well and we can’t recoup the assets paid for them at the deadline because we didn’t do well with them .

To the  first two points, sure they perform well but are they really the 1C we need to perform really well and fill that need we really need? No.

Each case leaves to be desired.

I’m gonna agree with the position that if we trade for a 1C we need to swing for the fences. Not some 2A 2B guy.

The point is they wouldn’t cost a lot to acquire. Even if you don’t recoup the assets, who cares. We don’t need more picks.

They would be stop gap options. Better than every centre we have right now and would definitely improve our team.

No matter how they perform compared to previous seasons, they would get something decent at the deadline due to their rental status unless they get injured of course.

Personally I’m hoping for Strome and Hamilton to be reunited here, or Larsson

Ev wrote:

Personally I’m hoping for Strome and Hamilton to be reunited here, or Larsson

Yeah those are pretty much my feelings since apparently it's impossible to acquire top-tier talent.

If I’m Dorion I’m on the phone to see who Seattle is looking at picking out of Nashville.
If they’re willing I’d offer them to trade for them to pick ryan Johansen.

I know that’s an unpopular pick and I don’t see the sens picking up his 8mill contract but if a guy has underperformed it’s Johansen. But at 6mill. You have to wonder.

On another team that is more focused on offense with some scoring wingers, he bounces back. Mybe pretty big too.

IMO, Ryan Strome is a risky proposition and could walk next year no mater what.
I’d rather player certainty.

Flo The Action wrote:If I’m Dorion I’m on the phone to see who Seattle is looking at picking out of Nashville.
If they’re willing I’d offer them to trade for them to pick ryan Johansen.

I know that’s an unpopular pick and I don’t see the sens picking up his 8mill contract but if a guy has underperformed it’s Johansen. But at 6mill. You have to wonder.

On another team that is more focused on offense with some scoring wingers, he bounces back. Mybe pretty big too.

IMO, Ryan Strome is a risky proposition and could walk next year no mater what.
I’d rather player certainty.

I have no issue trading for Johanssen either. Another year where we have a ton of draft capital and our prospect cupboards are full. We should be able to make a trade including futures for a top center. That said, Norris did well in his rookie season against some of the top centers in the league. I don't think we should be going balls to the wall on finding a top center until next season. I think this year we can experiment with a prospect and run Pinto, Norris, prospect and see who comes out on top. I'd circle back to LA and see what it would take to get Turcotte or Kupari. Going the Monahan/Henrique route is fine for a year or two but we need to stop adding temporary pieces that don't fit with what we're trying to do here.

Not a center, but I really like Brock Boeser and for a second summer in a row it sounds like he's available.

I'm also not sure that I want Kadri. He's another guy that isn't a top-center. He's got a history of taking stupid penalties, he doesn't fit the rebuild, he can't be relied upon to actually play in the playoffs which may hurt his trade value at the deadline, and he was the only minus player on the best team in the NHL last year who played more than 18 games (Daniel Renouf -1, Matt Calvert -2, Kadri -7).

I get that he's cheap, his bonus has been paid, and you can flip him at the deadline, but it's time we move away from bringing in rentals with the expectation of trading them. How did that work out for us and Steppan? These moves just aren't worth it.

Go big fish hunting or go after a top prospect. Otherwise don't bother

Both Kadri and Strome are much better options than Johansen

Yeah I'm okay with it but we need to bring in players that will contribute to our core, not bring in vets on cheap deals. In Johanssen case I don't really want him unless salary is retained and we don't give up a lot