it cannot be Chabot, he is getting traded in the next 10 months, and Brady in the next 22 months.
- Athrin

Chabot is a bigger Offersheet target than any player this summer.

There are no assistant captains, the "A" stands for Alternate Captain, always has.
- Binker

Thanks for the semantics. Most people I know call it an assistant captain despite it not being the official name for it.

Chabot is a bigger Offersheet target than any player this summer.
- RogerRoeper

meh.

bergevin will probably sign chabot to a team friendly deal for the sens.

Really? Name me the last RFA that the team failed to re-sign.
- khawk

I never said the team consistently fails to re-sign RFAs. I said that the OP has a point in that there's a possibility the Sens don't re-sign Chabot. The way it's been going, my point is nothing's sure until the paperwork's signed. I thought Stone would've been a done deal considering we were in a rebuild, but we all know how that turned out.

Despite already subverting the cap, they have $12M+ coming off the books next year from the contracts of Anderson, Boedker, and Hainsey, plus another $10M+ coming off LTIR contracts for MacArthur and Callahan. Signing their two best young RFA will only be an issue if they want to leave.
- khawk

I believe you're right, but I also wouldn't put it past EM to find a way to screw things up.

I never said the team consistently fails to re-sign RFAs. I said that the OP has a point in that there's a possibility the Sens don't re-sign Chabot. The way it's been going, my point is nothing's sure until the paperwork's signed. I thought Stone would've been a done deal considering we were in a rebuild, but we all know how that turned out.
- Panzer_IVA

In the context of a rebuild, there's a massive difference between signing a RFA out of their rookie contract in their early 20's, versus signing a UFA-aged player to an 8-year contract that runs until they're 35. Does it honestly surprise you that Stone might have wanted to try playing for a more competitive team while in his prime, instead of babysitting a huge rebuild on a team that just traded all of Karlsson, Duchene, and Hoffman? The assumption that Stone could have been signed under those circumstances is pretty suspect.

TOP END RFAs now are holding out for the contract they want, Chabot will ask for what Aho got in CAR and Melnyk has no money to give 21m in the first 12 months so he will be traded for that reason, same with Brady the next year.

No one will nor should be named captain for next season. Tkachuk has the best chance, followed by chabot and white. I don't see the sens picking an older player, as Dorion said he wanted to focus on young players, hence the Boucher firing and full rebuild. It would be entirely counter intuitive to not give the C to a younger player once locked up in a contract for a long time.

TOP END RFAs now are holding out for the contract they want, Chabot will ask for what Aho got in CAR and Melnyk has no money to give 21m in the first 12 months so he will be traded for that reason, same with Brady the next year.
- Athrin

I think the big difference, and it depresses me typing this, is that the teams with RFAs who are holding out are teams who are actively trying to win, or build towards winners, and who actually have money.........I genuinely think that Melnyk would just let them hold out and rot. I don't think he cares about public or fan perception anymore. I really do think he'd let them sit out an entire season until they signed the deal that he wants them to have (or close to)

I think the big difference, and it depresses me typing this, is that the teams with RFAs who are holding out are teams who are actively trying to win, or build towards winners, and who actually have money.........I genuinely think that Melnyk would just let them hold out and rot. I don't think he cares about public or fan perception anymore. I really do think he'd let them sit out an entire season until they signed the deal that he wants them to have (or close to)
- sensarmy_11

Or just sign bridging/short-term deals. These are exactly the kinds of RFA deals that we've seen given to Dzingel, Stone, Ceci, Duclair, Wolanin, and Hogberg over the past couple of seasons, and I would expect to see that trend continue until there's a change in ownership.

I think the big difference, and it depresses me typing this, is that the teams with RFAs who are holding out are teams who are actively trying to win, or build towards winners, and who actually have money.........I genuinely think that Melnyk would just let them hold out and rot. I don't think he cares about public or fan perception anymore. I really do think he'd let them sit out an entire season until they signed the deal that he wants them to have (or close to)
- sensarmy_11

I wish the league would step in. An owner like him makes the whole league look bad.

Really? Name me the last RFA that the team failed to re-sign.
- khawk

Who is the last RFA OTT had that wanted (likely) $9M+,most of which would be paid up front each year?

Who is the last RFA OTT had that wanted (likely) $9M+,most of which would be paid up front each year?
- wilkobecks

I love when speculation becomes quasi-certainty around here. So, we're just all assuming that Chabot will be the 3rd highest paid d-man in the entire league after one 55pts season? Or that he'll necessarily be willing to sign an offer sheet, for which a) the vast majority of players won't sign, and b) there have only been 2 cases of in the past decade?

Maybe before everyone goes jumping off the cliff, we should just see what actually happens this year in terms of how Chabot handles having no legitimate #1 PP unit in front of him, or deals with the pressure of trying to repeat a 55Pts season on a bottom-5 NHL team before he turns 23.

I love when speculation becomes quasi-certainty around here. So, we're just all assuming that Chabot will be the 3rd highest paid d-man in the entire league after one 55pts season? Or that he'll necessarily be willing to sign an offer sheet, for which a) the vast majority of players won't sign, and b) there have only been 2 cases of in the past decade?

Maybe before everyone goes jumping off the cliff, we should just see what actually happens this year in terms of how Chabot handles having no legitimate #1 PP unit in front of him, or deals with the pressure of trying to repeat a 55Pts season on a bottom-5 NHL team before he turns 23.
- khawk

Why not? Matthews became the 3rd highest paid player in the league after a couple of 65 pt years

It’s not unreasonable to expect that Ottawa would rather move a player than sign him when that player is expected to demand a big contract......especially when you consider that they’ve pretty much done it with EVERY PLAYER in that situation the last 5 years.

This is one of my favorite comment threads ever. Melnyk has us turning against each other.