I have been since the end of the season that Jason Spezza wanted out. That is his choice. I do not blame him because he has been the whipping boy for so many Sens fans since his rookie year. For Eugene Melynk, if he is having financial problems find a partner or sale the team.

Stay calm!

Everything is going to be okay. I am not a fan of Melnyk but I accept he is doing what he has to do. The business side is being placed on a new financial cycle. They are cleaning up the books, especially as it relates to long term debt obligations. A new corporate structure is coming. Spezza is being auctioned off next week along with the other stallions in Melnyk's breeding stock.

You need to know that none of this is random.

If I am a buyer or investor there is nothing in the NHL more attractive than the Ottawa Senators today. Did you see the numbers on that TV deal and they are back end loaded so the deal gets even better for a new buyer.

Murray is a great soldier. He is doing the work that needs to be done. He will likely stay on as an advisor beyond his current contract. But, a new corporate group will want to bring in their own man as well.

Some of you guys fought me on this stuff last year when I told you that Melnyk was broke. Nobody on this site has been more critical of Melnyk than I have. But, I am telling you that all the right things are being done. Somebody is steering the ship and they are following a classic business and insolvency restructuring agenda.

Also, last year you did not believe me when I said Spezza, Alfredsson and Melnyk all had to go.

Now I am saying stay calm. I do not know the end of the story. But I know everything is looking very good. This is going to be a very good team built on the foundation of a very strong franchise.
- spatso

Jesus christ. Is there a level of delusion you wont stoop too? This is about as Pageau > Giroux as it gets.

Jesus christ. Is there a level of delusion you wont stoop too? This is about as Pageau > Giroux as it gets.
- systemtool

i think his point wasnt that it was the most attractive asset.....but rather, a team that could be bought relatively inexpensively, and has the potential to start making lots of money.

i dont thik theyre the most attractive, but if youre looking for a low cost/potential high reward investment.......sens could be a very attractive buy

If Ottawa wasn't a budget team, and spezza would take a 4-5 year deal, I think we'd be foolish to trade him. Moving him makes sense ONLY because of the said financial reality that melnyk has created
- sensarmy_11

He was minus 28 last year. With his history of back issues and getting older do you really think he is going to play better.? The smart move is to move on. If the sens extended Spezza for 5 to 7 years, which is what it would take, they would regret that contract in 2 to 3 years.

So basically the same reason Alfie left.

What should make everyone really nervous is listen to Kalrsson speak now, he says his commitment to Ottawa is to win Stalney Cup - this is veiled language for him saying 'I'm a winner and want to play for a winner, and I'm not here in Ottawa to sell tickets for Papa Eugene'

Ottawa fans have to realize we are a joke franchise, the players hate our ownership, management is a joke, Bryan Murray is more burnt out then cheech and Chong

Remember when bobby Clark Retired as GM because he said he lost his edge to win and the game got ahead of him, this is what Murray is suffering from. Let's get an injection of life, Murray is more worried about getting Garricohe to write and article on how hard his job is then he is about making an elite team.

How about we change the ownerships dialogue about Spezza and Alfie. These are two players who gave us everything they had and gave us our best years, and they leave town it's burnt bridges and hardship. How about trying this 'we are a franchise in transition and. We don't want to lose these players who grew up in Ottawa and mean to much to our fans, but we are trying to build an elite team with the next group of young Senators players and these are the moves you have to make. Jason was a great community leader, player and person for this franchise, we sih him all the best'

Instead we get 'Spezza wants out, he's sick of the fans, poor Bryan Murray, never get a good return, we're better off without him anyways, he never fit in here'

Our team leadership in management is equivalent to the management of a non-franchised fast food restaurant. No imagination, no standards, no long term plot, just putting out the same crap everyday
- tuna99

Every part in bold is either rampant speculation from the frustrated, negative fan, or simply a case of the writer putting words in the mouths of people who never said what he alleges here.

I don't doubt that Karlsson is probably frustrated with management over some stuff, but if he's really the alpha dog, then this pending move probably doesn't upset him too much, since in essence, Murray just handed the keys to Karlsson. Karlsson is getting paid, so he's not worried about money I'm sure. And he wants to win as well, like any competitive guy will.

Well guess what. They didn't win jack-f***ing-s**t with Spezza and Alfredsson. Time sadly passed Alfie by, and Spezza, despite all of his skill and talent, just doesn't seem to have the ability to put it all together. He doesn't have a back to put his team on. Moving Spezza, regardless of the reason, probably nets Ottawa 10 more wins this year.

You can't tell me that a team with a young core, led by Karlsson, won't be a contender in short order. Of the 49 players Ottawa currently have contracts with, and thus will be invited to camp this year, 36 of them will be 25 or younger when camp opens. That's 73% of your players! And that group isn't all guys that are bound for the AHL either, it includes some of the best ones you've got (Lazar, Ceci, Pageau, Zibanejad, Puempel, Stone, Cowen, Lehner, Karlsson, Wiercioch, Hoffman, Turris, Claesson, Da Costa)

You can't call Murray senile and claim that the game has passed him by when he's set the team up to have their core in their prime and under contract at the exact same time. They just need to grow up a little bit. The Senators will have a teenager on their roster this year. Their starting goalie will be 23 years old. Their captain will be 24 years old. I can't stress enough that you need to see the big picture and accept that part of the reason why Eugene isn't dropping the cash is in part at least because of the fact that the bulk of his talent are very, very young, and they get paid accordingly. I don't agree with a lot of Eugene's tactics, I hate his media acuity, or lack thereof perhaps. But that group of players listed above would leave the fan of ANY team pretty excited. There will be new faces for sure, and probably a few question marks, and no they aren't a Stanley Cup contender this season, but they wouldn't be with or without Spezza, and he's not getting any younger OR healthier, so get back what you can, while you can.

Incidentally, the Kings won the Stanley Cup last night. The average age of their team last night was 26.6 years old. The 2013 Blackhawks, 26.4 years old. 2012 Kings, 24.9 years old. 2011 Bruins, 28.0 years old. Etc, etc, etc.

Point is, judge the Senators on where they are in 3 years, not now. Let them grow up. The core of their team are just hitting their mid 20's now, and that means within the next 2-3 years, they'll be in their prime.

Jesus christ. Is there a level of delusion you wont stoop too? This is about as Pageau > Giroux as it gets.
- systemtool

Why would the Senators be an unattractive acquisition for someone out to buy a NHL team? Actually curious to know why you think they wouldn't be an attractive purchase.

They're going to have a relatively low price tag, in terms of the sticker price. No doubt Eugene is ready to sell and is motivated to do so. The operating costs are not high, the salaries are not high, they just dropped a significant amount of money into arena upgrades. Buying the Senators is a sweetheart deal.

New ownership injects new life. The team is probably 2-3 years away from contending, but the fanbase can start getting excited once the dark cloud that follows Eugene around is gone. They would be a good investment for a new owner with deep pockets.

i think his point wasnt that it was the most attractive asset.....but rather, a team that could be bought relatively inexpensively, and has the potential to start making lots of money.

i dont thik theyre the most attractive, but if youre looking for a low cost/potential high reward investment.......sens could be a very attractive buy
- sensarmy_11

No I meant exactly what I said. A distressed asset is always attractive to a potential investor. The Senators are set up to pull in nearly $50m a year from local and their share of national broadcast rights. Ottawa has great revenue streams and has ditched almost all their long term contracts.

The guy you responded to is not very bright. Trying to explain stuff to him is a waste of time. He wants to believe what he wants to believe. Not much potential for meaningful discussion.

I don't know why it's hard for some people to see these moves (Alfie and Spezza leaving) are purely money based. All of the supporting factors are just convenient.

When Alfie left, it was said we are rebuilding and it makes little sense to pay a 40 year old a big contract. People bought that and it made Alfie look like the bad guy. But in reality, Melnyk was just too cheap to give the money Alfie deserved.

With Spezza leaving, there is a similar cloud. It's said it doesn't make sense to sign him to a big deal because of his injury past and the assumption his production will drop off as a few years passed. But in reality, Melnyk just doesn't want to pay the guy. With management saying "Spezza wants out" makes him look like the bad guy and makes the franchise look good, but actually it should be quite the opposite.

People are still buying the notion that we are a rebuilding club, therefore it's not wise to spend a lot of money for a team that isn't ready to win. These moves of letting older high-priced talent go seems like the right things to do. They aren't necessarily the wrong things to do, but the motivation to do them is purely money base. Everything else is just convenient for the club to create an illusion that this club is heading in the right direction.

I'm optimistic that our money issues will be sorted out within a year or two whether it's Melnyk coming up with a miracle plan or the NHL stepping in. We can't keep "rebuilding" forever and expect it to fly.

So basically the same reason Alfie left.
- noffsin6

Yes! Absolutely. Old player, time to reinvest in future. Detroit is about discover just ow foolish it is to try and hang on to the past. Time and age is relentless. You either get younger or you just age to the point of being a marginal plYer. How many more years does Detroit want to start the year with the upside goal of competing for a playoff berth.

Annnnnnd

the conn smythe trophy goes toooooo:


A Canadian born hockey player



who would have guessed?!?!


suk it tommy devito

I don't know why it's hard for some people to see these moves (Alfie and Spezza leaving) are purely money based. All of the supporting factors are just convenient.

When Alfie left, it was said we are rebuilding and it makes little sense to pay a 40 year old a big contract. People bought that and it made Alfie look like the bad guy. But in reality, Melnyk was just too cheap to give the money Alfie deserved.

With Spezza leaving, there is a similar cloud. It's said it doesn't make sense to sign him to a big deal because of his injury past and the assumption his production will drop off as a few years passed. But in reality, Melnyk just doesn't want to pay the guy. With management saying "Spezza wants out" makes him look like the bad guy and makes the franchise look good, but actually it should be quite the opposite.

People are still buying the notion that we are a rebuilding club, therefore it's not wise to spend a lot of money for a team that isn't ready to win. These moves of letting older high-priced talent go seems like the right things to do. They aren't necessarily the wrong things to do, but the motivation to do them is purely money base. Everything else is just convenient for the club to create an illusion that this club is heading in the right direction.

I'm optimistic that our money issues will be sorted out within a year or two whether it's Melnyk coming up with a miracle plan or the NHL stepping in. We can't keep "rebuilding" forever and expect it to fly.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

I think your entirely limited in your thinking here. Like saying it is impossible to walk and chew gum at the same time. Rebuilding the competitive level of the team and rebuilding the corporate and financial structure at the same time are perfectly comparable, even preferred options.

Why would the Senators be an unattractive acquisition for someone out to buy a NHL team? Actually curious to know why you think they wouldn't be an attractive purchase.

They're going to have a relatively low price tag, in terms of the sticker price. No doubt Eugene is ready to sell and is motivated to do so. The operating costs are not high, the salaries are not high, they just dropped a significant amount of money into arena upgrades. Buying the Senators is a sweetheart deal.

New ownership injects new life. The team is probably 2-3 years away from contending, but the fanbase can start getting excited once the dark cloud that follows Eugene around is gone. They would be a good investment for a new owner with deep pockets.
- the_terror

Ottawa has had a horrible history with pro sports and ownership. This isn't Toronto where you can buy a team and just watch money pour in whether the team is winning or loosing. For a variety of reasons (not worth discussing them all now) Ottawa teams don't make boatloads of cash. Even when the team is winning, they are struggling. Even when the team does make money, owners are loosing even more elsewhere. Look at the history of Ottawa owners in the NHL and CFL and you'll notice the trend. Can it be reversed? I really think it can. However, it's a hard sell to potential buyers who don't want to fall into the same whole.

I think your entirely limited in your thinking here. Like saying it is impossible to walk and chew gum at the same time. Rebuilding the competitive level of the team and rebuilding the corporate and financial structure at the same time are perfectly comparable, even preferred options.
- spatso

But if we were in good financial shape are all of these moves made? I would be willing to bet the answer would be no.

No I meant exactly what I said. A distressed asset is always attractive to a potential investor. The Senators are set up to pull in nearly $50m a year from local and their share of national broadcast rights. Ottawa has great revenue streams and has ditched almost all their long term contracts.

The guy you responded to is not very bright. Trying to explain stuff to him is a waste of time. He wants to believe what he wants to believe. Not much potential for meaningful discussion.
- spatso

The guy im responding to said Pageau>Giroux. You're delusional at the best of times, so of course a meaningful disussion with me holds little potential, when reality checks give you headches.

The Senators are not one of the leagues most attractive anything. It's still a smaller market team, limited potential for profits, have no real on ice assets aside Karlsson...isn't close to contention. They also won't be sold for cheap with the new TV deal in place. That just drives the price up. The Sens will me for a nice hobby for some rich guy, but it sure isn't going to be a money making machine in the league.

Yes! Absolutely. Old player, time to reinvest in future. Detroit is about discover just ow foolish it is to try and hang on to the past. Time and age is relentless. You either get younger or you just age to the point of being a marginal plYer. How many more years does Detroit want to start the year with the upside goal of competing for a playoff berth.
- spatso

The Wings tried to keep the old Gaurd going at the start of last season. Thankfully all the injuries forced them to play the kids and they did pretty well. As long as they don't resign retreads like Cleary and Samuelson and Bertuzzi they should be a pretty good mix of veterans and kids.

The Wings probably aren't going to throw stupid money around by signing big ticket over priced free agents (see Nathan Horton and Clarkson last year). But they aren't going to not sign somebody who's worth it to stay way under the cap either.

Not that they're perfect. Samuelson was ridiculously stupid to sign and Weise was a total bomb this year but hopefully they have learned their lesson.

The Wings tried to keep the old Gaurd going at the start of last season. Thankfully all the injuries forced them to play the kids and they did pretty well. As long as they don't resign retreads like Cleary and Samuelson and Bertuzzi they should be a pretty good mix of veterans and kids.

The Wings probably aren't going to throw stupid money around by signing big ticket over priced free agents (see Nathan Horton and Clarkson last year). But they aren't going to not sign somebody who's worth it to stay way under the cap either.

Not that they're perfect. Samuelson was ridiculously stupid to sign and Weise was a total bomb this year but hopefully they have learned their lesson.
- noffsin6

Weiss was a bad signing IMO.

The guy im responding to said Pageau>Giroux. You're delusional at the best of times, so of course a meaningful disussion with me holds little potential, when reality checks give you headches.

The Senators are not one of the leagues most attractive anything.
- systemtool

Well I never said Giroux > Pageau, and while I don't necessarily agree with spatso's conclusion that the Senators are one of the 'most attractive' assets, I think they could be quite sought after.

Clearly, they're not the Leafs or the Habs - essentially, licenses to print money for all eternity. But if the franchise can be had cheaply, they would be (as spatso said) fairly low-risk high-reward.

I mean, they're not Toronto, but they're not Florida either... And didn't the Panthers just get new ownership?

Well I never said Giroux > Pageau, and while I don't necessarily agree with spatso's conclusion that the Senators are one of the 'most attractive' assets, I think they could be quite sought after.

Clearly, they're not the Leafs or the Habs - essentially, licenses to print money for all eternity. But if the franchise can be had cheaply, they would be (as spatso said) fairly low-risk high-reward.

I mean, they're not Toronto, but they're not Florida either... And didn't the Panthers just get new ownership?
- Mr_Clean

Oh I agree, there will be buyers...no doubt about it. They are far from invaluable.

I Was just pointing out the extreme levels of delusion spatso takes things, when he's happy about something or simply searching for the bright side of things.

This is going to make it hard to attract FAs if this indeed is the word out on the street....owner doesn't want to pony up the cash to build a winning team.

Had a similar situation in Buffalo back in the good ole days, with a few minor tweaks the Sabres could have been a Cup team that next season(believe it was Ottawa that eliminated us in the conf. finals!!) but the owner wouldn't fork over the contracts for Briere and Drury and the window closed.

Yes! Absolutely. Old player, time to reinvest in future. Detroit is about discover just ow foolish it is to try and hang on to the past. Time and age is relentless. You either get younger or you just age to the point of being a marginal plYer. How many more years does Detroit want to start the year with the upside goal of competing for a playoff berth.
- spatso

18G 31A in 68 games.................$3.5 M cap hit. Not to mention the leadership he brings.

Super Foolish

Point is, judge the Senators on where they are in 3 years, not now. Let them grow up. The core of their team are just hitting their mid 20's now, and that means within the next 2-3 years, they'll be in their prime.
- the_terror

i think this is exactly it. we ARENT a contender right now. when you look at teams in west, or any true cup contender and the depth that they have, there is NO WAY sens get a sniff at the cup. we need our young guys to develop a bit more. that being said, we have ek, ryan (hopefully), turris to lead. keeping spezza when we are like 3 years out of being a serious contender makes NO SENSE. murray is being realistic. the "3 year rebuild" was successful in that we have rebuilt our core... now it is a 2- 3 year build of developing the pieces in place, and then spending to add the parts we need... when we are more competitive. i think the fact that murray insists we arent desperate on defense reflects this to an extent. if we roll back the expectations, and say well, we need these guys on d to be develop in 2 to 3 years, instead of now, you can see why he MAY want to be patient on guys like cowen, weircioch, ceci, and the guys in the pipe.... if those three can develop into top 4, then we arent desperate on d... i don't necessarily agree with this... personally i'd like to see a top 2 d to pair with ek.... but, if we consider stretching out our expectations a bit as far as time lines goes... i can see the logic here. ie if none of these guys take giant leaps forward this year, then it becomes more apparent we will have to do something on d...

Annnnnnd

the conn smythe trophy goes toooooo:


A Canadian born hockey player



who would have guessed?!?!


suk it tommy devito
- conor_smythe

Yeah if Doughty wasn't Russian he would have got it.

I was told the reason Spezza was leaving was because it was a choice between Mac v Spezza. Spezza didn't want to play for him and didn't like what he was asked to do and not do. Murray tried to massage the situation but to no avail. I think the breaking point was early on in the season when Spezza was demoted to play with Neil. He thought as captain he should have garnered more rope and respect.

Maybe Spezza was told something different(ie budget talk)to encourage his choice to move?

I was told the reason Spezza was leaving was because it was a choice between Mac v Spezza. Spezza didn't want to play for him and didn't like what he was asked to do and not do. Murray tried to massage the situation but to no avail. I think the breaking point was early on in the season when Spezza was demoted to play with Neil. He thought as captain he should have garnered more rope and respect.

Maybe Spezza was told something different(ie budget talk)to encourage his choice to move?
- Cup 06

i think a lot of this budget / trade demand stuff is also being use to deflect some of the sens organization's reasons for trading spezza (which dont work to increase his trade value)... even the rhetoric about taking care of our vet star players is used to distant spez from alfie, and perhaps to assure bobby ryan that if he wants out, we will satisfy his request?

everything murray says / does has a reason. the man is far from senile.