Off topic, I still want to see Chris Neil in a Bruins jersey.

Yeah I hear ya.

He seems to say he wants to stay here, but if he really wanted to sign, then like you said there'd be a HT discount, and he'd have signed already.
- david22

Exactly!

-Trade any 2 of these 3.......

Chris Phillips 2,500,000 UFA 2016

Patrick Wiercioch 2,000,000 RFA 2016

Eric Gryba 1,250,000 UFA 2016

-Resign Methot.

If Philly and Patty come off the books, there is $4.5 mill cap they spend on methot.

Off topic, I still want to see Chris Neil in a Bruins jersey.
- david22

IF he is traded, it's to a team HE wants to play for.

NSH, STL, ANA, CHI ect..

IF he is traded, it's to a team HE wants to play for.

NSH, STL, ANA, CHI ect..
- Erik6Karlsson5

He will go to Boston and like it.

He will go to Boston and like it.
- david22

But seriously.. Not going to happen.

But seriously.. Not going to happen.
- Erik6Karlsson5

Is Boston no on his list of 14 teams?

Not sure why so many of you are in a rush to trade Methot.

It would be one thing if we were up against the cap, and/or had some players to fill the role internally...

But...

We are a floor team. I don't give a crap if our cheap owner has to spend a bit to keep him. It's not my money...... or yours.

Right now, the Sens are two pieces away from being a playoff team - a bona fide first line center (which could actually come in the draft this year), and a top 4 Dman...

Trade Methot and we are then 3 pieces away.

Unless of course everyone wants a 'long' rebuild were we suck for a few more years and stockpile early picks.. but if that's the case, then we may as well trade Ryan as well.

EDIT.. needed to add this.

I broke my boycott of the Sens and anything Melnyk to go to the game Saturday for a buddy's bday party with 10 other friends. I have never seen a worse atmosphere at the CTC. They announced 16k attendance, but I would think it was closer to 13. Outside Tim Horton's, there weren't even lines at the concessions or washrooms at the intermission. What a horrible, horrible atmosphere.

We trade away a guy like Methot and it is going to set this team back. People are just not starting to realize how bad we are and you can see it from the attendance (I know it was Columbus, but it was still a SATURDAY night). Melnyk is going to lose more if he tries to cheap out on this team, than if he ponies up some cash.

Is Boston no on his list of 14 teams?
- david22

One would assume BOS, TOR, MTL are on his no trade list.

Not sure why so many of you are in a rush to trade Methot.

It would be one thing if we were up against the cap, and/or had some players to fill the role internally...

But...

We are a floor team. I don't give a crap if our cheap owner has to spend a bit to keep him.

Right now, the Sens are two pieces away from being a playoff team - a bona fide first line center (which could actually come in the draft this year), and a top 4 Dman...

Trade Methot and we are then 3 pieces away.

Unless of course everyone wants a 'long' rebuild were we suck for a few more years and stockpile early picks.. but if that's the case, then we may as well trade Ryan as well.
- Charliebox

^^^^THIS ^^^^

Not sure why so many of you are in a rush to trade Methot.

It would be one thing if we were up against the cap, and/or had some players to fill the role internally...

But...

We are a floor team. I don't give a crap if our cheap owner has to spend a bit to keep him.

Right now, the Sens are two pieces away from being a playoff team - a bona fide first line center (which could actually come in the draft this year), and a top 4 Dman...

Trade Methot and we are then 3 pieces away.

Unless of course everyone wants a 'long' rebuild were we suck for a few more years and stockpile early picks.. but if that's the case, then we may as well trade Ryan as well.
- Charliebox

I think the concern people have are with his durability. Locking him in (as a budget team) long term and then seeing him sit for 40 games a year could be troublesome down the road.

I suppose quibbling over $500k shouldnt be an issue regardless, but if he doesn't want to sign then they just have to trade him and get something back.

Likely a pick, but maybe a decent D prospect?

Colin Greening has 1 point -4 in 5 games for Bignhamton. Man what happened to this guy.

Most certainly will be bought out this summer.

I think the concern people have are with his durability. Locking him in (as a budget team) long term and then seeing him sit for 40 games a year could be troublesome down the road.

I suppose quibbling over $500k shouldnt be an issue regardless, but if he doesn't want to sign then they just have to trade him and get something back.

Likely a pick, but maybe a decent D prospect?
- david22

The bold is what bothers me. I don't give a f**k if we are a budget team.

There is a market value for certain players and we have to pay that value from time to time.. especially on Dmen.

We can't expect to build a team around getting steals all the time. As I said, unless we want to dump everyone (other than Karlsson) who makes over 5M and start the rebuild all over again, we pretty much have to sign the guy.

At the end of the day, Melnyk is going to have to spend, eventually. If he keeps cheaping out, it will eventually affect TV ratings. TSN and Sportsnet have dumped a butt load of cash into this team. If they feel like he's not acting like a good partner and trying to put a decent product on the ice, they will turn on him. So far the media has taken it extremely easy on him. He's lucky for that.

All it would take is a few brutal articles against him and the 13K that I saw at Saturday's game will be more like 10K.

I think the concern people have are with his durability. Locking him in (as a budget team) long term and then seeing him sit for 40 games a year could be troublesome down the road.

I suppose quibbling over $500k shouldnt be an issue regardless, but if he doesn't want to sign then they just have to trade him and get something back.

Likely a pick, but maybe a decent D prospect?
- david22

Well this is exactly my problem. Remember when Anton Volchenkov signed with the Devils on that big money deal? He was still prime-aged (28) at the time, but I think most Senators fans realised that someone playing the A-Train's hard-nosed game was set to decline, and so was satisfied that the team didn't try to outbid New Jersey for his services.

Same deal with Methot, we all acknowledge he's a a solid defensive d-man who is probably a #3 in his own right, and fine as a #2 next to a top-shelf guy like Karlsson, but is a guy that's a #3, missed a lot of time, is 29, and plays a physical game without having much offensive skill really worth more than 5 million for 5 years?

Well this is exactly my problem. Remember when Anton Volchenkov signed with the Devils on that big money deal? He was still prime-aged (28) at the time, but I think most Senators fans realised that someone playing the A-Train's hard-nosed game was set to decline, and so was satisfied that the team didn't try to outbid New Jersey for his services.

Same deal with Methot, we all acknowledge he's a a solid defensive d-man who is probably a #3 in his own right, and fine as a #2 next to a top-shelf guy like Karlsson, but is a guy that's a #3, missed a lot of time, is 29, and plays a physical game without having much offensive skill really worth more than 5 million for 5 years?
- Mr_Clean

Difference is Volchenkov was slow as balls even in his prime. He lost a step and became totally useless. The slow guys tend to have short careers.

Methot's skating is arguably is best attribute. Even if he loses a step or two, he will still be at least an average NHL skater.

The bold is what bothers me. I don't give a f**k if we are a budget team.

There is a market value for certain players and we have to pay that value from time to time.. especially on Dmen.

We can't expect to build a team around getting steals all the time. As I said, unless we want to dump everyone (other than Karlsson) who makes over 5M and start the rebuild all over again, we pretty much have to sign the guy.

At the end of the day, Melnyk is going to have to spend, eventually. If he keeps cheaping out, it will eventually affect TV ratings. TSN and Sportsnet have dumped a butt load of cash into this team. If they feel like he's not acting like a good partner and trying to put a decent product on the ice, they will turn on him. So far the media has taken it extremely easy on him. He's lucky for that.

All it would take is a few brutal articles against him and the 13K that I saw at Saturday's game will be more like 10K.
- Charliebox

Look, neither do I. Which is why I'd be willing to offer Methot 12M over 2 years, or 15 million over 3.

It's where this 5 million+ ends up being spent over 4 years or more that I start having big problems. He has all the warning signs of a guy whose game could take a major nosedive in years to come... I don't care if we spend big dollar on him now, when it's unlikely we're going to be very good in any case, but having a 5.5 million dollar 6th defenseman (a la the Komisareks or Orpiks of the world) won't be great in 5 years when we're trying to actually win a Cup.

Difference is Volchenkov was slow as balls even in his prime. He lost a step and became totally useless. The slow guys tend to have short careers.

Methot's skating is arguably is best attribute. Even if he loses a step or two, he will still be at least an average NHL skater.
- Charliebox

He's a decent skater for a big guy, yes. But if he has persistent back problems, that will effect other areas of his game - his physicality, his toughness, his durability. Without those aspects of his game intact, it doesn't matter how mobile he can be. So he loses a step and becomes an average skater - we might end up with an average skater with a weak back, who plays 50-60 games a year.

Worth 5.5 million?

Look, neither do I. Which is why I'd be willing to offer Methot 12M over 2 years, or 15 million over 3.

It's where this 5 million+ ends up being spent over 4 years or more that I start having big problems. He has all the warning signs of a guy whose game could take a major nosedive in years to come... I don't care if we spend big dollar on him now, when it's unlikely we're going to be very good in any case, but having a 5.5 million dollar 6th defenseman (a la the Komisareks or Orpiks of the world) won't be great in 5 years when we're trying to actually win a Cup.
- Mr_Clean

The reason it doesn't concern me is because we have no one else in the lineup that will project out to get massive raises by that time.

Turris, Mac, Ryan and EK are all locked up long term. The young guys can't possibly ask for, and get, that much.

We can safely give Methot his money and his term and still be nowhere near the cap in the next 5 years. Any new talent we get will likely come through the draft (do we really think we are going to attract free agents).

The reason people are worried about his money is because of our owner and our fabricated 'budget team' status.. not because of the cap.

Everyone has been conditioned to think 'money in, money out. It shouldn't be that way. There is plenty of room for more 'money in'.

The reason it doesn't concern me is because we have no one else in the lineup that will project out to get massive raises by that time.

Turris, Mac, Ryan and EK are all locked up long term. The young guys can't possibly ask for, and get, that much.

We can safely give Methot his money and his term and still be nowhere near the cap in the next 5 years. Any new talent we get will likely come through the draft (do we really think we are going to attract free agents).

The reason people are worried about his money is because of our owner and our fabricated 'budget team' status.. not because of the cap.

Everyone has been conditioned to think 'money in, money out. It shouldn't be that way. There is plenty of room for more 'money in'.
- Charliebox

I guess so. I guess my real qualm here is that Methot doesn't really seem to be offering any kind of 'hometown discount'... Given that, I'd rather get a late first for him, if possible, and then turn around and package that asset off for a guy younger/less injury prone. Or try to sign another guy via free agency. I just don't like the risk involved with a long-term, high money Methot deal in relation to those alternatives.

I know this is supposed to be impossible, but look at the Isles - what did they trade to get Leddy and Boychuk? I'd rather have either of those guys than Methot at 5.5M for 5 years.

I guess so. I guess my real qualm here is that Methot doesn't really seem to be offering any kind of 'hometown discount'... Given that, I'd rather get a late first for him, if possible, and then turn around and package that asset off for a guy younger/less injury prone. Or try to sign another guy via free agency. I just don't like the risk involved with a long-term, high money Methot deal in relation to those alternatives.

I know this is supposed to be impossible, but look at the Isles - what did they trade to get Leddy and Boychuk? I'd rather have either of those guys than Methot at 5.5M for 5 years.
- Mr_Clean

I am with you 100% on that one. And I'm still blaming Melnyk on that. I have a hard time thinking that Murray couldn't have offered similar packages (one/both of) those guys if he had the green light.

At the end of the day, it pisses me off too that there isn't a discount either. That said, Methot did change his agent to a guy who is apparently not so hard-nosed. Hopefully, that's a sign that he really wants to get something done.

I am with you 100% on that one. And I'm still blaming Melnyk on that. I have a hard time thinking that Murray couldn't have offered similar packages (one/both of) those guys if he had the green light.

At the end of the day, it pisses me off too that there isn't a discount either. That said, Methot did change his agent to a guy who is apparently not so hard-nosed. Hopefully, that's a sign that he really wants to get something done.
- Charliebox

Amen! I like Methot, I really do, so I'd love to see him back on the Sens... Just at the right cost, and for the right length of time

Not to beat a dead horse, but I really think those TV deals were a huge blessing.. more than just the money they provided.

Now Melnyk has someone to answer to. When he took that much cash from Canada's two biggest media conglomerates, he signed up as a 'partner'.

They can crush him in a week if they want to and I love it.

Add to the fact that he wants a building at LeBreton. I don't think the NCC would like having an owner who is at odds with his biggest sponsor.

I'm sure Rogers/Bell will let it slide for a couple more years, but if they keep seeing a team that shows no desire to spend, what is essentially their money, poop may hit the fan.

Between paying him $25 million for 5 years, trading him, or letting him walk for nothing at the end of the season, I choose trading him.

We have no-one to replace him at the moment, fine. But he is anything but irreplaceable.
- Mr_Clean

Agreed.

As much as I loved Volchenkov, trading him when we did was one or the wiser moves the franchise has made in the last decade. He was given an overpriced deal, much like Methot will be, and regressed sorely in the following two seasons to the point where he was no longer a factor.

If Methot wants to cash in as a FA, fine, let somebody else overspend. I bet we can find an equivalently talented defender on the market for the same cost over less term.

Methot for Emelin. Get it done MB.
- maxbart5

LOL. haha no way.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I really think those TV deals were a huge blessing.. more than just the money they provided.

Now Melnyk has someone to answer to. When he took that much cash from Canada's two biggest media conglomerates, he signed up as a 'partner'.

They can crush him in a week if they want to and I love it.

Add to the fact that he wants a building at LeBreton. I don't think the NCC would like having an owner who is at odds with his biggest sponsor.

I'm sure Rogers/Bell will let it slide for a couple more years, but if they keep seeing a team that shows no desire to spend, what is essentially their money, poop may hit the fan.
- Charliebox

Ok TV deals have nothing to do with Rogers putting in place Melnyk. Melnyk is the sole owner of the team. Selling rights to broadcasting games does not give at all any decision power to Rogers. And I am also sure, part of the broadcasting rights prevents Rogers from bashing any NHL team owner. It just sounds like it would have been a really dumb thing to do on behalf of the NHL commisionner's office.