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

Funny how zealots like mendes and Wallace go silent when news comes out that doesn’t fit their agenda

Wally wasn't quiet, initially.

wprager wrote:Wally wasn't quiet, initially.  

Yeah and then the real story came out and he went silent and started bashing people on Twitter. He’s a hack.

And mendes publishes a mailbag article and doesn’t mention the Claire Hanna reporting at all. These guys are just amateurs

Very curious how the Sens approach the deadline. Aside from Talbot and Motte, I don't think any of the pending UFAs have a lot of value or should be traded. I think the messaging that coaching and management should be conveying is to have faith in your roster, stick with it, and push for a spot.

Holden - Probably worth a 7th at best. He seems to be liked by his teammates and he's got a young family. Need to consider optics and family life. I wouldn't trade him.

Hamonic - $3M cap hit for a sixth d-man will be hard to move. Sens will likely have to eat 50% of his salary to maybe get a 4th or 5th back. If the Sens are close to a playoff spot come deadline, I wouldn't move him - even with JBD in the wings.

Watson - He's been a healthy scratch and when he isn't, he's been virtually invisible. Probably isn't a trade market for him. If you can move him for a 7th you do it, but I doubt that's even an option. Will be a future Red Wing on a two-way contract IMO.

Motte - I'd trade him as it opens the door to Sokolov or someone else, but he's probably only worth a 4th which is what he was traded for last season at the deadline. 2 points in last 26 games...

Talbot - Hard to say what to do. I actually think we need to re-sign him but if you get the sense that he doesn't want to stay here then you move him. Challenge is then to find a back-up to Forsberg, which means we'd have to give up an asset.

The move Dorion *should* be doing is trying to add a top-four RHD. Trade chips 2023 2nd, Formenton, Brannstrom, Joseph, Sokolov, Jarventie, Thomson, JBD, Ostaphcuk, Lodin. Prospect heavy deal - there may be a team looking to see that has pretty bare cupboards. Or we pursue LA's two older RHDs in Roy or Walker.

He's been trying to add a T4RD the past 6+ months. At this point he may very well have to wait until the off-season.

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:Very curious how the Sens approach the deadline. Aside from Talbot and Motte, I don't think any of the pending UFAs have a lot of value or should be traded. I think the messaging that coaching and management should be conveying is to have faith in your roster, stick with it, and push for a spot.

Holden - Probably worth a 7th at best. He seems to be liked by his teammates and he's got a young family. Need to consider optics and family life. I wouldn't trade him.

Hamonic - $3M cap hit for a sixth d-man will be hard to move. Sens will likely have to eat 50% of his salary to maybe get a 4th or 5th back. If the Sens are close to a playoff spot come deadline, I wouldn't move him - even with JBD in the wings.

Watson - He's been a healthy scratch and when he isn't, he's been virtually invisible. Probably isn't a trade market for him. If you can move him for a 7th you do it, but I doubt that's even an option. Will be a future Red Wing on a two-way contract IMO.

Motte - I'd trade him as it opens the door to Sokolov or someone else, but he's probably only worth a 4th which is what he was traded for last season at the deadline. 2 points in last 26 games...

Talbot - Hard to say what to do. I actually think we need to re-sign him but if you get the sense that he doesn't want to stay here then you move him. Challenge is then to find a back-up to Forsberg, which means we'd have to give up an asset.

The move Dorion *should* be doing is trying to add a top-four RHD. Trade chips 2023 2nd, Formenton, Brannstrom, Joseph, Sokolov, Jarventie, Thomson, JBD, Ostaphcuk, Lodin. Prospect heavy deal - there may be a team looking to see that has pretty bare cupboards. Or we pursue LA's two older RHDs in Roy or Walker.

That deal isn’t happening till the summer. I think Calgary could be that team. Their cupboards are pretty bare. Obviously there are other teams out there.
Give a call to st-Louis, it seems they’ve signalled they are heading for a quick rebuild and therefore might be interested in young player and prospects.
I wonder what the cost of Parayko or Faulk would be. Both carry term and a decent cap hit for the position.
They’d likely want our first but if we are around the 10th pick++, that’s a deal you would do.

Can't trade our 1st. We took a swing on Boucher and traded last year's 1st. Can't not have a 1st three years in a row

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:Can't trade our 1st. We took a swing on Boucher and traded last year's 1st. Can't not have a 1st three years in a row

Of course you can. If it gets you a player under control for 4-5 years in the top 4 possibly top 2? That’s something you don’t even think about.

Would you rather they get a Dman that might or might not be a top 4 in 4 years time?
That time has passed. The clock is ticking. Those mid round 1st are absolutely in play. Of course it’s best to wait till draft day to maximize their value.

Tough news for Forsberg -- he tore the MCL in both knees.

Sanderson will likely miss 2 weeks.

Flo The Action wrote:

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:Can't trade our 1st. We took a swing on Boucher and traded last year's 1st. Can't not have a 1st three years in a row

Of course you can. If it gets you a player under control for 4-5 years in the top 4 possibly top 2? That’s something you don’t even think about.

Would you rather they get a Dman that might or might not be a top 4 in 4 years time?
That time has passed. The clock is ticking. Those mid round 1st are absolutely in play. Of course it’s best to wait till draft day to maximize their value.

I'm not sure I want to be giving up another top 10 pick. It would be three in a row with Boucher being the exception. I'd be more inclined to trading one of DeBrincat or Batherson for a RHD. My preference would be Batherson unless you get the sense that DeBrincat doesn't want to sign. I don't think we're winning anything with this 'core'.

Deadline goal: I think if you can move Zaitsev without giving up a 1st or 2nd, and you move Motte for like a 5th it's a win.  I'm still hoping the Sens use the deadline as an opportunity to add.

There are only a few teams out there who can absorb Boeser's cap hit. If we find a way to add him and move Batherson for a RHD I think we come out ahead.

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:Can't trade our 1st. We took a swing on Boucher and traded last year's 1st. Can't not have a 1st three years in a row

Of course you can. If it gets you a player under control for 4-5 years in the top 4 possibly top 2? That’s something you don’t even think about.

Would you rather they get a Dman that might or might not be a top 4 in 4 years time?
That time has passed. The clock is ticking. Those mid round 1st are absolutely in play. Of course it’s best to wait till draft day to maximize their value.

I'm not sure I want to be giving up another top 10 pick. It would be three in a row with Boucher being the exception. I'd be more inclined to trading one of DeBrincat or Batherson for a RHD. My preference would be Batherson unless you get the sense that DeBrincat doesn't want to sign. I don't think we're winning anything with this 'core'.

Deadline goal: I think if you can move Zaitsev without giving up a 1st or 2nd, and you move Motte for like a 5th it's a win.  I'm still hoping the Sens use the deadline as an opportunity to add.

There are only a few teams out there who can absorb Boeser's cap hit. If we find a way to add him and move Batherson for a RHD I think we come out ahead.

This core is young. I wouldn’t trade any of debrincat or batherson unless cat is leaving. Why would we care about a first that won’t likely play (if he does) for another 4 years? Or that would be traded before that . You fill immediate needs in the top 4 wirh term with a first , you’re gold.

Apparently the Sens have interest in acquiring Weegar. Not sure I love the term remaining on his deal given his age.

I also suspect Calgary is having buyer's remorse

Just when you think you're out, they pull you back in!

I turned off the Calgary game with 5 minutes or so left. Then last night watched the first before settling in for some V-Day dinner+movie only to find out they scratched out another win.

What the heck is this team up to!

wprager wrote:Just when you think you're out, they pull you back in!

I turned off the Calgary game with 5 minutes or so left. Then last night watched the first before settling in for some V-Day dinner+movie only to find out they scratched out another win.

What the heck is this team up to!

Keeping things exciting enough to watch games.

I gave the Weegar trade possibility some thought. Only way I do it is if we move Zaitsev and Joseph out. I'm okay moving the worse of our 2 2nds next year to facilitate a trade. IMO Joseph is the worst contract we have on the team right now.

To Calgary: Zaitsev, Joseph, 2nd rd
To Ottawa: Weegar, 4th rd

Seems slanted but those last three years of Weegar's contract are going to be brutal. Weegar has a NTC for the first 4 years of his deal and a M-NTC the four years after. Calgary is 100% having buyer's remorse and he's set to make the most out of all Calgary d-men with Hanafin and Zadorov's contracts up after next year. Huberdeau deal also kicks in and Calgary is a middle of the pack team that's about to run out of cap space. If they want to offload Weegar before his NTC kicks in and they don't want to pick up salary, this is all I would offer them. *Maybe* I throw in Thomson or JBD but I'd want a forward prospect back and I suspect Zary would be off the table so I'm unlikely to go down this route.

It would take a lot more than that, I'm afraid. Forget about what Calgary's motivation may be -- this is a top-pairing RHD -- a perennial seller's market. In 4 years' time $6.25M is probably going to be the equivalent of a $5M contract now. Arizona (or another team) will still be around willing to take on dead-weight for picks. Plus the chances of it being your problem in 4-5 years' time is very low.