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Lots to talk about in this week’s Think Tank:
Melnyk’s window of spending
Let’s be honest, the biggest news from last night wasn’t what happened on the ice, it’s what Eugene Melnyk said:
If you don’t know the history of Melnyk, then perhaps this message might seem normal. However, it’s more complicated than that. And honestly, it’s a slap in the face to the entire fanbase. Firstly, why is he set on their next window only being five years? Teams like the Penguins, Capitals, Lightning, Bruins, (and recently the Blackhawks and Kings) etc. have been contenders for years, and it’s ludicrous to think that their window would have to be that short...unless...ah right, he has no money.
He essentially admitted that the team won’t be able to consistently be contenders, plus spending “close to” the cap is awfully vague and can easily be misleading. Secondly, I thought Bonk’s Mullet made a great point with this tweet:
The Senators haven’t been big spenders for almost a decade, and it’s not as if they were really going “all-in” for that season anyway. So why should we expect the next time they spend to be any different? I also have an issue with this time period being so specific, because what if the team is ready to be good in 2020-21? Or what if they aren’t ready to be contenders by 2021? Are they going to needlessly spend on players while still being bad? There’s no need to give an exact timeline on this because now the pressure is on to be good during those seasons, and fans will be expecting another tear down in 2025.
Lastly, this signals to me that Mark Stone and Matt Duchene (and maybe even Ryan Dzingel) will be gone before the deadline. His message implies that the team won’t be spending for the next two seasons, and this appears to be his way of getting a message out before the trades happen. Remember the painfully awkward video before the season with Mark Borowiecki? That was right before Erik Karlsson was traded, as it was an incredibly poor attempt to spin things in a positive manner.
We’ve been hearing for years that Melnyk will spend when the right time comes around. Just keep moving those goalposts, Eugene...
Duchene taking precedent?
So apparently, the Matt Duchene extension talks are being taken care of first instead of Mark Stone according to Pierre LeBrun:
Obviously there’s a good chance that neither of those conversations go very far. If Duchene has to be traded, there’s are still many good reasons to keep Stone around because he will be the next captain, and I think he is going to be very good for a long time. However, I don’t see any point in keeping Duchene here if Stone is going to be moved. He won’t be the next captain (or he at least shouldn’t be), plus he isn’t the type of all-around player to have as
the guy on the team. I would love for him to stick around, but only if Stone is a Senator as well.
It just makes way more sense to worry about Stone first because he has been with the franchise his entire career, and he should fit a lot easier into the team’s plans. However, it wouldn’t shock me if Dorion overcompensates Duchene so that he doesn’t totally lose out on his horrendous trade with the Avalanche.
Boyle trade good for the Senators
Brian Boyle was somehow traded for a 2nd round pick yesterday to the Nashville Predators, which is good news for the Senators:
Boyle is a 34-year-old fourth line centre with 19 points, although his reputation around the league has always been fantastic. I’m sure that Nashville overpaid for his leadership skills, but still, if the Devils are able to get a 2nd for him, then Ottawa should be able to get at least a 1st round pick and a prospect if they decide to trade Ryan Dzingel.
They aren’t comparable players at all, but there’s no way that Dorion should be settling for anything that does not include a lot more than a 2nd round pick. Not every team is going to overpay like the Predators did, but you could easily make the case before this trade that Dzingel was worth a 1st and a prospect anyway.
Chabot continues dominance versus Toronto
This was Thomas Chabot’s fifth career game against the Maple Leafs, and he scored his fourth goal against them:
In total, he now has four goals and two assists in those five games, which includes a highlight-reel goal back in October. Despite being awful this season, the Senators have given the Leafs a bit of trouble, and Chabot is a big reason why. Being on for 31 shot attempts for and 17 against is incredibly good against a team like Toronto. At least that’s something to look forward to every time the Battle of Ontario comes up.
Paajarvi for a pick?
Add another name to the list of players who Ottawa should be looking to trade: Magnus Paajarvi. He scored twice against the Leafs to give him seven goals (but just eight points) on the season, and he is a UFA in the summer. I doubt he is going to be re-signed for next season, and if there is any interest in him from another team, Dorion shouldn’t hesitate to trade him. I wouldn’t expect anything more than a 5th-7th round pick, but a lottery ticket is better than no lottery ticket.
Plus it’s not as if he is helping the team win games this season anyway. Interest probably isn’t going to be very high, but there are definitely teams who will be looking for a 4th line player, and perhaps they can be sold on him.
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