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

Not Tampa, the other teams behind them

I've had enough of DJ. No defensive structure whatsoever and it's been like this for 5 years with an almost complete roster overhaul. Chabot used to be a true #1, we added Chychrun and Sanderson. We've gone through multiple goaltending "upgrades". Dorion is gone. Melnyk is gone. Two things remain - the coaching staff and the lack of defensive awareness. It's time.

Hire Jaques as interim with an advisory role promised if the new GM chooses to go in another direction next season.

wprager wrote:I've had enough of DJ. No defensive structure whatsoever and it's been like this for 5 years with an almost complete roster overhaul. Chabot used to be a true #1, we added Chychrun and Sanderson. We've gone through multiple goaltending "upgrades". Dorion is gone. Melnyk is gone. Two things remain - the coaching staff and the lack of defensive awareness. It's time.

Hire Jaques as interim with an advisory role promised if the new GM chooses to go in another direction next season.

The team seems to like DJ. I'd move him vs firing him, in maybe an office role maybe centered on player development or player liaison role. Keep him with the org but not behind the bench.

As for coach, I'd be open Roy for coach and GM. He's a nut but he knows how to win.

I do think we need a legitimate coach, not some rookie coach we can hire on the cheap. A Boudreau, Julien, Gallant, Laviolette type of coach. Someone who isn't afraid to piss off the players. Jacques Martin would be fine too but he can't win in the playoffs. I guess that's the same knock with Boudreau.

It’s time to trade Batherson while he still has value

Sens down 4-2 yet clearly the better team. Three goals from the jackets were fluke or luck

I agree. He's the guy we need to trade 100%. I'd also move in from Kubalik. He's useless out there

Trade him for what tho?

I don’t know that we got a good enough goalie in Korpisalo to carry this team.
We have two sub average goalie right now. He’s not going to steal us any games.
And if we’re being honest, we’re probably a couple years away from soogard being capable of being. number 1 if he is that guys.

Just highlighting another one of our problems.

To be honest, staying status quo at this point in the season isn’t acceptable.

I’m not sure trading our best players or even guys like batherson is the answer. Short of trading picks and prospects or middling players like Kubalik for defensive help, I’m not sure that be my first move.

I think it all comes back to coaching always being the first move.

I understand we’re likely to have a new GM by next year or sometime in a few months, so it’s understandable that we don’t hire a permanent coach till then.
It’s pretty clear DJ is gone next summer.
But I don’t care that Tkachuk likes playing for DJ. DJ isn’t installing a system that is working for the team we have.
If anything Tkachuk has only known one NHL coach.

I think it’s time DJ is fired and Capuano is promoted as Interim.

If the new GM decides to hire another coach he can do so whenever he wants after that.
Capuano had relative success in Long Island.

At this moment, we need another type of motivator for this team and to see that management will not stand idle in the face of poor play.
The first one to always go in these cases is coaching, next it’s players.

Maybe we get new coach boost and rescue the season. But it’s hanging on by a thread.
You can see it on how the players are reacting.

We dressed 7D again?

Tarasanko paired with Chartier is idiotic. When will this folly end.

I thought Greig would be back by now.

Stutzle continues to be the only player involved every shift. Norris is often invisible and Tkachuk is trying to force plays that aren't there.

I suspect the 11-7 is because of cap. And I'm not sure the Sens can send down JBD anymore without having hom clear waivers? Dorion really screwed up our cap situation.

If a move is made maybe its Kubalik for whatever you cam get for him. There's still the issue of signing pinto in January

Bottom line is we are being killed by the cap situation. DJ can't healthy-scratch anyone unless he plays with a short bench (would the CBA even allow playing short when you have enough players on the roster?) It was ridiculous that they still had Hamonic in the lineup after Chabot came back, unless, of course, they were forced to do so because of the cap crunch and the requirement to play with a 20-man game roster. In addition to Kubalik not really doing much, the same goes for Kelly, Jarventie, Chartier, Highmore (why were the last two even called up?) Rather than calling up those who "deserved it" from the Belleville coach's take, bring someone up who can actually succeed at this level, or, failing that, someone who actually has a future with this team. Sadly, that's probably a very short list.

wprager wrote:Bottom line is we are being killed by the cap situation.  DJ can't healthy-scratch anyone unless he plays with a short bench (would the CBA even allow playing short when you have enough players on the roster?)  It was ridiculous that they still had Hamonic in the lineup after Chabot came back, unless, of course, they were forced to do so because of the cap crunch and the requirement to play with a 20-man game roster.  In addition to Kubalik not really doing much, the same goes for Kelly, Jarventie, Chartier, Highmore (why were the last two even called up?)  Rather than calling up those who "deserved it" from the Belleville coach's take, bring someone up who can actually succeed at this level, or, failing that, someone who actually has a future with this team.  Sadly, that's probably a very short list.

Why is that ridiculous? Hamonic plays a specific role that nobody else really does

He does not play it very well. He's ok on the pk but gets exposed defending a rush (too slow). In the latest practice lines DJ has him on the 2nd pairing.

They need to trade or waive Kubalik. I'd take pennies on the dollars if it means not taking cap space back. Blame the crappy DeBrincat return on Dorion and ice your best lineup. There's almost a zero percent chance he's back next year at this point anyway.

We can barely dress a lineup with Greig and Kastelic out. We also need to also sign Pinto in January.

Makes sense to cut bait and to bring up Smejkal or Crookshank in the interim.

Not even sure Kubalik if the problem. He wasn't lighting it up by he was doing ok earlier. Chartier is not a 3LC in this league. 2 points in 19 games and 3 in 38 for his career. 0 points and 3 shots on goal in last 5.

Another good game by the sens and back to 500, the Fire DJ haters are pretty quiet now.

I think it’s fair to say we should keep tarasanko on that second line and not playing with Chartier.

Joseph worth every penny.

wprager wrote:Not even sure Kubalik if the problem. He wasn't lighting it up by he was doing ok earlier. Chartier is not a 3LC in this league. 2 points in 19 games and 3 in 38 for his career. 0 points and 3 shots on goal in last 5.

Yeah. He plays safe and tries not to hurt the team but he’s not by any stretch a player that can help a line produce.