Michael Stuart: Thoughts on the Austin Watson Trade

I agree we need some more skillful forwards. If we had barzal on 1 line and stutzle 2nd the way these guys skate can create plays. Sens need to start looking for some quality forwards

Dubois
Barzal
Hoffman (is he willing to come back)
Debrusk

They let a good citizen walk and trade for a wife beater.

I agree we need some more skillful forwards. If we had barzal on 1 line and stutzle 2nd the way these guys skate can create plays. Sens need to start looking for some quality forwards

Dubois
Barzal
Hoffman (is he willing to come back)
Debrusk
- SENS-sational

I would LOOOOOOOOOOVE Barzal, but that's never happening in a million years. But a boy can dream! A Chabot and Pietrangelo pairing would be nice, too!

Sens fans Xmas wish list.

love dorion’s commitment to size and physicality. there were times last year where i was concerned that brady tkachuk was being asked to act as the sens enforcer. no longer necessary

love dorion’s commitment to size and physicality. there were times last year where i was concerned that brady tkachuk was being asked to act as the sens enforcer. no longer necessary
- spatso

Is it all possible we're overstating this physical aspect? I mean having a strong team is all well and good, but if it leads to being caved in in shots and possession, then it's not exactly a net positive.

Is it all possible we're overstating this physical aspect? I mean having a strong team is all well and good, but if it leads to being caved in in shots and possession, then it's not exactly a net positive.
- david22

Yup. This exactly.

Size that can play is fine. Size for the sake of size isn't.

Is it all possible we're overstating this physical aspect? I mean having a strong team is all well and good, but if it leads to being caved in in shots and possession, then it's not exactly a net positive.
- david22

My only ”saving grace” is that most of the size they’re bringing in is bottom pairing and 4th line players, so these aren’t going to be guys playing 20 mins per night.

love dorion’s commitment to size and physicality. there were times last year where i was concerned that brady tkachuk was being asked to act as the sens enforcer. no longer necessary
- spatso

Thomas Chabot - Nikita Zaitsev
Christian Wolanin - Erik Gudbrasson
Erik Brannstrom - Josh Brown

*I personally think Artem Zub will make a name for himself, much like Zaitsev did in his first year with the leafs

Thomas Chabot - Nikita Zaitsev
Christian Wolanin - Erik Gudbrasson
Erik Brannstrom - Josh Brown

*I personally think Artem Zub will make a name for himself, much like Zaitsev did in his first year with the leafs
- AlfieisKing

Is this a good thing?

Is the Michael Stuart with the Lightning or Kraken avatar some other guy...

My only ”saving grace” is that most of the size they’re bringing in is bottom pairing and 4th line players, so these aren’t going to be guys playing 20 mins per night.
- sensarmy_11

Wait til you see how often they play with Chabot.

Is the Michael Stuart with the Lightning or Kraken avatar some other guy...
- MisterBrown

Same guy.

on ufa day TSN panel listed Canada’s likely Olympic line up.

they named Chabot as the #1 partnered with Pietrangelo.

some Sens fans still don’t grasp just how talented he is.

as the season wore on opposing team concentrated on trying to shut Chabot down.

i like the extra snarl in the Sens roster- my guess is it will help in cutting down guys running the sens star dman

I get protecting the young ones and we might be able to flip Gudbranson at the TDL but I dont get this acquisition. We also couldve gotten UFA"s who can do the same...

I get protecting the young ones and we might be able to flip Gudbranson at the TDL but I dont get this acquisition. We also couldve gotten UFA"s who can do the same...
- DutchSenators

honestly, even if he doesn't work out, you can waive him and bury most of his contract in the AHL. at the end of the day, he provides toughness on the 4th line, a decent PK player, and it comes at zero risk.

maybe pierre could have had him for a 5th or 6th instead of a 4th, but at the end of the day this is a move i'm m'eh about......it doesn't make me happy, but it doesn't make me mad either.

Stutlze suffers arm injury. Surgery, and 6-8 week recovery..................

Was about to post lol

Stutlze suffers arm injury. Surgery, and 6-8 week recovery..................
- david22

back in plenty of time for training camp and world Jr's

They let a good citizen walk and trade for a wife beater.
- BluemanGuruu

congrats on not educating yourself in the least bit about that story

moron

I believe Smith is in the hot seat. This year's team is going to be very young and they need to play. By acquiring mostly support players to fill out the roster spots, Dorion is forcing Smith to play the kids. Unlike last season there will be no more head games, no more benching after mistakes, no more threats of Belleville, no more negative comments to the media, etc. etc. Just "WORKING HARD" is not going to do it. Now is the time for Smith to show us what he's got.

I believe Smith is in the hot seat. This year's team is going to be very young and they need to play. By acquiring mostly support players to fill out the roster spots, Dorion is forcing Smith to play the kids. Unlike last season there will be no more head games, no more benching after mistakes, no more threats of Belleville, no more negative comments to the media, etc. etc. Just "WORKING HARD" is not going to do it. Now is the time for Smith to show us what he's got.
- granpa

what head games, what negative comments to the media? as far as threats of Belleville, that will always be there for every player on a 2-way deal......don't perform, you're going down and someone else is coming up. that's reality every year for every team.

your post makes very little sense. in a season where it's pretty clear it's not about winning and more about development and likely getting another high pick, it's very very unlikely the coach is on the hot seat. we get it, you don't think Smith is a good coach............but almost nobody, including the people who make the decisions in Ottawa, agree with you

I agree we need some more skillful forwards. If we had barzal on 1 line and stutzle 2nd the way these guys skate can create plays. Sens need to start looking for some quality forwards

Dubois
Barzal
Hoffman (is he willing to come back)
Debrusk

I'd love Barzel and Hoffman back. We should have never let Hoffman go in the first place..... Problem being, if we wanted a fast skilled forward who can put up decent numbers. We literally just let Duclair walk for nothing.

I believe Smith is in the hot seat. This year's team is going to be very young and they need to play. By acquiring mostly support players to fill out the roster spots, Dorion is forcing Smith to play the kids. Unlike last season there will be no more head games, no more benching after mistakes, no more threats of Belleville, no more negative comments to the media, etc. etc. Just "WORKING HARD" is not going to do it. Now is the time for Smith to show us what he's got.
- granpa

Did it ever occur to you that Dorion/Smith may have actually had agreement on something like a 3-yr development plan? Year 1 being about developing a culture of work ethic, playing mostly veteran forwards in scoring roles, and emphasizing asset management. Year 2 being about starting to let the young players take over scoring roles, insulating them with veteran two-way/physical support and more stable goaltending, and stripping down the salary cap to allow maximum flexibility. Then Year 3 being about bringing in key young players to the blue line (e.g. Sanderson/JBD), maybe adding a more prominent veteran or two, and starting to be more focused on on-ice results.

Even if the plan was never that explicit, the chances that Smith is on the hot seat right now is virtually nil. He has to work with a roller coaster of a roster, try to turn around the locker room culture of the entire franchise, and ensure their young players are given a chance to develop properly. And by all accounts he's actually done quite a good job of managing that balance.

I'd love Barzel and Hoffman back. We should have never let Hoffman go in the first place..... Problem being, if we wanted a fast skilled forward who can put up decent numbers. We literally just let Duclair walk for nothing.
- Maverick1818

I don't want Hoffman back....that bridge is burnt (both ways), and the guy is just not who you want in a locker room full of young impressionable kids IMO.....that being said, he's a much more complete player than Duclair, at all ends of the ice.