Someone, get me alcohol. Lots of alcohol.

[Urkie]

I agree with most of this Urkie. The cap hit is high but shielding Karlsson for the next couple of years will probably help his development AND keep his numbers down a bit. This will in turn make it easier to get him at a good price in two years.

I don't think Cowen makes the team next year though. Wiercioch is closer to being NHL ready from what I've read. Lee is more NHL ready too and is on a guaranteed one-way contract.

This probably spells the end for Campoli as a Senator; his skill set is no longer really needed. I'm hoping the top 7 next year gets played like this:

Phillips - Gonchar
Karlsson - Kuba
Wiercioch - Lee - Carkner

That looks alright to me.

I was sad to see Volchenkov leave. He was one of my all-time favourite Sens. It will be interesting to see how well he plays without the luxury of having the always-in-position Phillips riding shotgun. IMO Phillips has always been the better of the two, but really it was that PAIR that was so good. Volchie will always be a valuable player (when in the lineup), but we'll have to see how well he does with the Devils and a new D partner. I wish him the best no matter how the Sens D performs this year.

Gonchar put up 50 points in 62 games last year; if he can get 55 in 75 games this year, this was a productive signing.

Exactly, signing Gonchar will help Karlsson a lot in the long run but it will also help some of our other young dmen too. Gonchar helped a lot of Pittsburgh's younger players and is a very good mentor. There's no doubt in my mind he will help out the young dmen on this team.

I have a feeling Phillips helped out Volchenkov more then anyone realizes. Before he ever played with Phillips he was just average and I think he can be replaced. I always felt that way and I think we'll see him struggle for a large part of next season as he adjusts to life with Chris Phillips.

Phillips helped Chara along, he helped Volchenkov along. I think he'll make it easy for Gonchar to do his thing as well.

Cowen was very very impressive in the rookie camp this past week. He's gotten some of his speed back and he's been hitting everything that moves. He's the perfect guy to come in and try to replace Volchenkov somewhat. He's a tough SOB and if he really has improved his skating quite a bit then he won't have much trouble making the team. Wiercioch will take a bit more time I think. Players that come out of the NCAA usually do. He'll be in Bingo next year and then maybe come up the following season.

I agree on Campoli. He doesn't have a purpose on the team anymore and maybe he can be traded for a top 9 forward. Lee is more then capable of taking his spot next year.

I think if Gonchar stays healthy then he'll easily get over 60 points. By himself he'll make the power play very formidible again.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

And I want to stay in shape to fuck Ashley Judd. Doesn't mean I have a prayer of it happening. In 08-09 he played 25 games. In 19 - 10 he played 62. He will never see more than 65 games ever again.

LOL... Some of your rage comes from your hatred of Murray and some of it is justified. I personally see this as a big risk that has at best a 50/50 chance of working out.

As for Gonchar never playing 65 games again, I think that is a little rash to say. In 15 NHL season he has played less than 65 games 4 times. His style of play does not make him prone to injury.

As for the way the team shapes up? This lineup looks a fair amount like the one that went to the finals in 2007; mobile D-men and a fleet of quick forwards peppered with a few guys with elite skill.

Will they be that good? Who knows but I'll take this squad over the slugs of two years ago any day of the week.

 

[forty_three]

LOL... Some of your rage comes from your hatred of Murray and some of it is justified. I personally see this as a big risk that has at best a 50/50 chance of working out.

A lot of my rage comes from being a Partial season ticket holder in DC from 96 - 99, and watching him get left behind the play when he had the wheels to not get left behind. I saw him constantly pinch at the wrong time and having his partner have to bail him out.

And in the finals in 98, I watched the Wings constantly start the break out opposite him and get behind him. And send the lock after him in his zone making him panic.

Now it's 14 years later. And he has not gotten better. Phillips will have to hang back more than he is used to. I don't want to see Chris changing his game, because in the press, a change to your game is like poison. Especially going into an UFA year. You think people scorched Spezza?

The number of shots against will go up by 10 per game. Maybe more. I don't know if I want El or Pazzy to face that. Especially without physical support in the scrum. That's the big worry for me.

I also don't believe it's a 50/50 chance. But let's go with that. This the absolute last kick at the can before guys like Alfie and Phillips go away. I'd like a little better odds than 50/50.

Michalek. Hamhuis. Martin. All could have given better than 50/50. For less. And for longer.

 

[Urkie]

What flavor is the Kool-aid this year, Urk? Maybe a nice pineapple smash for a change...

Cmon. I still hate Murray, not everything is perfect with the Sens but something this team has done far too long is not take any risks. For once somebody took a chance. It may not pay off or it may but playing it safe all the time makes you mediocre.

Gonna bookmark that one. We'll ask Devils and Pens fans at the halfway point.

Volchenkov is good at blocking shots and occasionally throwing a big hit. He's not that smart of a player, he can't contribute offensively and he gets injured a lot. You'll probably say Gonchar does too but he's 36, Volchenkov is 28. Phillips made him the player that he was or is, I don't know because before Phillips he was nothing more then a 5th or 6th defensemen.

That is the LAST thing on this earth you want. Karlsson can be great. If Gonchar is his mentor, all he's going to learn is how to smoke hand-rolled unfiltered cigarettes, sleep til noon and get into trouble with Russian loan sharks.

Gonchar helped a lot of the young Pens whether you want to admit it or not. Just ask Pens fans. He helped Malkin out A LOT and he helped out Letang, Goligoski, etc.

And I want to stay in shape to fuck Ashley Judd. Doesn't mean I have a prayer of it happening. In 08-09 he played 25 games. In 09 - 10 he played 62. He will never see more than 65 games ever again.

Well, if you look at Gonchar's stats over the years he hasn't had any injury problems until the last few years. If he's really motivated by the 2014 Olympics then he'll work hard and maybe play in more games then the last couple years.

Look, I'm not sold on this signing yet but I'm also not going to write it off right away. We'll actually have to see what happens before we can say this or that. Right now I actually like the fact that an Ottawa GM actually took somewhat of a risk for once.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

A lot of my rage comes from being a Partial season ticket holder in DC from 96 - 99, and watching him get left behind the play when he had the wheels to not get left behind. I saw him constantly pinch at the wrong time and having his partner have to bail him out.

And in the finals in 98, I watched the Wings constantly start the break out opposite him and get behind him. And send the lock after him in his zone making him panic.

Now it's 14 years later. And he has not gotten better. Phillips will have to hang back more than he is used to. I don't want to see Chris changing his game, because in the press, a change to your game is like poison. Especially going into an UFA year. You think people scorched Spezza?

The number of shots against will go up by 10 per game. Maybe more. I don't know if I want El or Pazzy to face that. Especially without physical support in the scrum. That's the big worry for me.

I also don't believe it's a 50/50 chance. But let's go with that. This the absolute last kick at the can before guys like Alfie and Phillips go away. I'd like a little better odds than 50/50.

Michalek. Hamhuis. Martin. All could have given better than 50/50. For less. And for longer.

That's all good. I've always felt that Gonch was, to a degree, a defensive liability. I've also seen him be the catalyst toa lost Penguins team. He goes down and so do Crosby and Malkin's ability to put up big numbers.

LOL. There is no way that the shots per game go up by 10. Not a chance. Never happen. I'll bet my life on it.

I'd have liked Michalek and Hamhuis over Gonch in the long run too. They were however FREE agents. Is there some info out there that Hamhuis would have preferred Ottawa to Vancouver? As a Western boy and given what Vancouver has right now I just don't see Hamhuis making that choice. Michalek definitely wanted the Sens over the Pens? Not sure about that one either. These guys, including Gonchar, were the cream of the UFA crop at D this year. Ottawa got one who wouldn't have been my first pick either, but they got one.

Picking your choice of UFAs is easy. Getting them to play for your team out of 30 choices, not so easy.

 

[forty_three]

LOL. There is no way that the shots per game go up by 10. Not a chance. Never happen. I'll bet my life on it.

Picking your choice of UFAs is easy. Getting them to play for your team out of 30 choices, not so easy.

How many did Volchenkov block? How many will Gonchar?

And you're right. They are free agents. But something tells me dangling 5.5 mil and a NTC should have probably landed more than Gonchar. And since the Sens were probably the only team calling, maybe they could have waited to see what better players went for so they could pay more wisely.

 

[KennyBanyeah]

How many did Volchenkov block? How many will Gonchar?

And you're right. They are free agents. But something tells me dangling 5.5 mil and a NTC should have probably landed more than Gonchar. And since the Sens were probably the only team calling, maybe they could have waited to see what better players went for so they could pay more wisely.

Anton blocks about 3 per game... and that's being generous. How many times when Anton got the puck in his own end and passed it up to to the forwards did that pass result in a chance or extended offensive zone time, as a result of that pass? Less than five times during the year. Puck right back in. I love Volchenkov, but there are more than one way to skin a cat. A-Train was one of my all-time favourite Sens, but it's time to move on.

Re-signing Volchenkov means the same team as last year that fell WAY short. Getting Gonchar is a new direction. It was time for a change and while Gonchar may not be ideal, at least the Sens realized that with their current team they weren't contenders.

As for waiting to see what other players got? Gonchar would have gone elsewhere within a couple of days.

I'm not happy with the price but if we can get Foligno and Regin on board for a decent price we may be able to bring Sutton back too.

All in all I think the Sens are better than last year. I'm happy about that.