I'm sick of hearing DJ Smith say "some guys are taking their roster spots for granted" when he's enabling complacency.

How is Artem Anisimov playing over Colin White? How? Anisimov has one assist, minus-3, and he's the slowest and laziest player on the team.

You want to light a fire under some guys DJ? Bench the lazy players, and see how the culture shifts. This isn't brain surgery.
- dangerdale

All these head games of you're in, you're not in is not working anymore. It seems like the players don't care. Change is needed

huh, I wonder if thats one of the reasons there is so many misses in drafting.
weighting one tiny tournament so heavily
- senstroll

Could be. Sometimes its a great precursor, and other times its just a blip. There's no hard or fast rule. Karlsson and Chabot both looked amazing at the WJC.

A more recent counter example (so far) would be Middlstadt. I really thought he would be excelling right now based off the WJC.

Still a very young season, with many new parts in motion.
However its currently on the wrong side of trending. I was not expecting many wins but i was expecting close exciting well played games... i have seen 2 so far. I suspect it will even it out. If not the Sens situation just got 10x more complicated. Draft picks are nice when you have a seasoned proven core otherwise its all speculative and developement and has the chance of amounting to nothing. Dorion brought in a whole bunch of outside veterans and let go of Ottawa veterans . Where is the culture in that move? But alas were in the midst of a nhl experiment of scorched earth and trying to replant the seeds of a brand new team,in all likelyhood we wont be able to determine the results for another 2-3 seasons.

Vancouver needed a strong effort in a bad way last night. Vancouver media and fans last week were basically what Ottawa media and fans are this week. Sometimes desperate hockey makes other teams look bad. Perhaps Ottawa can pull off a similar game in the next week or so.

Biggest thing for me in that game was goaltending. Matt Murray never gave this team a shot. He should be keeping this team in games. However, so far this season, he has been allowing teams back in/letting games get away. This is not the guy the team signed for. Can he turn it around? He has before, but he is going quite a long stretch of bad hockey if you go back to last year. Sub .900 SV% will not get it done ever.

The defense on this team is also becoming a clear mess. I would love to see Chabot take more of a hold and lead by example.

From what I can see many players are being mishandled. First off Colin White should be in the lineup or traded. He had a decent camp and is a pretty solid player that always shows up. He should be on the Tkachuk line with Batherson. Matt Murray was junk after the cup wins and has always been injury prone and inconsistent since. The Stepan signing was a total waste on money and performance. Why is Brannstrom not in the nhl? Tim needs to play but this environment is not ideal for a rookie. Considering the Canucks big guns were all quiet last night and seven goals were scored by third and fourth line players I would say the team will hit 10 against on some nights! Why pay White the big bucks to ride the pine??

All these head games of you're in, you're not in is not working anymore. It seems like the players don't care. Change is needed
- way i c it

Nailed it, Anisimov playing over White is a joke, Stepan and Gudbrandson are just pieces of S that keep bouncing around as fringe nhlers. Give me two weeks with this team and they would be respectable imo anyway. The coaching strategy is going to kill this team if last night means anything.

Vancouver needed a strong effort in a bad way last night. Vancouver media and fans last week were basically what Ottawa media and fans are this week. Sometimes desperate hockey makes other teams look bad. Perhaps Ottawa can pull off a similar game in the next week or so.

Biggest thing for me in that game was goaltending. Matt Murray never gave this team a shot. He should be keeping this team in games. However, so far this season, he has been allowing teams back in/letting games get away. This is not the guy the team signed for. Can he turn it around? He has before, but he is going quite a long stretch of bad hockey if you go back to last year. Sub .900 SV% will not get it done ever.

The defense on this team is also becoming a clear mess. I would love to see Chabot take more of a hold and lead by example.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

This is true Gord but Vancouver Canucks are not going to make the playoffs and they hammer the Sens. Canucks are weak in goal when Holtby plays and too many floaters. So allowing 7 goals to be scored all by the bottom six role players tells me something is dreadfully wrong in Ottawa.

So that was an even worse catastrophe... which leaves me really hoping that the lineup shakedown doesn't impact the wrong people.

Tkachuk/Norris/Batherson deserve an extended look together, Chabot/Zaitsev are probably the only stability the blue line has, and Paul/Brown/Watson have been making a pretty clear effort to keep their spot. Personally, I think they need to get Galchenyuk/White some meaningful minutes where they can actually contribute offensively, and it's time to see Chlapik at least in a 4th line capacity. Maybe something like...

Tkachuk-Norris-Batherson
Galchenyuk-White-Dadonov
Paul-Stepan-Brown
Chlapik-Tierney-Watson

Silver lining, even at #4 there should be some nice players available in the 2021 draft, including D Brandt Clarke, C Matthew Beniers, and W Dylan Guenther.

So that was an even worse catastrophe... which leaves me really hoping that the lineup shakedown doesn't impact the wrong people.

Tkachuk/Norris/Batherson deserve an extended look together, Chabot/Zaitsev are probably the only stability the blue line has, and Paul/Brown/Watson have been making a pretty clear effort to keep their spot. Personally, I think they need to get Galchenyuk/White some meaningful minutes where they can actually contribute offensively, and it's time to see Chlapik at least in a 4th line capacity. Maybe something like...

Tkachuk-Norris-Batherson
Galchenyuk-White-Dadonov
Paul-Stepan-Brown
Chlapik-Tierney-Watson

Silver lining, even at #4 there should be some nice players available in the 2021 draft, including D Brandt Clarke, C Matthew Beniers, and W Dylan Guenther.
- khawk

2021 draft is going to be a real weird crapshoot, if so many players don't get to play. Though Guenther is a guy who jumped out at me too for pure offence.

One player I've seen at the top of several rankings is Owen Power. Another Left hand Defence...

2021 draft is going to be a real weird crapshoot, if so many players don't get to play. Though Guenther is a guy who jumped out at me too for pure offence.

One player I've seen at the top of several rankings is Owen Power. Another Left hand Defence...

- david22

that's why i'm 100% supportive of the team trading away their 1st rd pick to get a "sure thing" right now. this draft will be a friggin guessing game at best.

So that was an even worse catastrophe... which leaves me really hoping that the lineup shakedown doesn't impact the wrong people.

Tkachuk/Norris/Batherson deserve an extended look together, Chabot/Zaitsev are probably the only stability the blue line has, and Paul/Brown/Watson have been making a pretty clear effort to keep their spot. Personally, I think they need to get Galchenyuk/White some meaningful minutes where they can actually contribute offensively, and it's time to see Chlapik at least in a 4th line capacity. Maybe something like...

Tkachuk-Norris-Batherson
Galchenyuk-White-Dadonov
Paul-Stepan-Brown
Chlapik-Tierney-Watson

Silver lining, even at #4 there should be some nice players available in the 2021 draft, including D Brandt Clarke, C Matthew Beniers, and W Dylan Guenther.
- khawk

Stutzle??

2021 draft is going to be a real weird crapshoot, if so many players don't get to play. Though Guenther is a guy who jumped out at me too for pure offence.

One player I've seen at the top of several rankings is Owen Power. Another Left hand Defence...

- david22

First overall won't really matter... this team never drafts in the lottery pick range with their own 1st round pick. But you're right about Guenther... they certainly need a couple more legitimate scoring line-quality players up front if they're even going to be a playoff team... let alone the whole unprecedented success thing.

Spatso, you are correct. Bayfield smells like a bust.

This is true Gord but Vancouver Canucks are not going to make the playoffs and they hammer the Sens. Canucks are weak in goal when Holtby plays and too many floaters. So allowing 7 goals to be scored all by the bottom six role players tells me something is dreadfully wrong in Ottawa.
- joegreif17

this is actually pretty much opposite of what has happened in the first 7 games. Holtby and Demko are the only two players who have not been problems for the Canucks. The Canucks are giving up 30+ shots a game, and many of them being grade A scoring chances. Just look at how many shots they gave up last night. Canucks probably wont make the playoffs, but Holtby and Demko will not be the reason.

Murray has one of the worst gloves I've ever seen for an NHL goalie. Very slow. On top of that, the puck clanks off his glove routinely. Catches that any average tender should make.
- madmike71

I was beyond surprised to see this ownership actually open their wallets to bring Murray in. Especially in that wild goalie free agency blitz. I guess attracting a tendy to a squad going through a rebuild is not easy, and an over payment had to be made.

Hopefully he can bounce back, but that game was an absolute spineless display on defense. You can be a team that loses, but at least be a team that others hate to play against.

Stutzle??
- sensarmy_11

Do you really think Stutzle played well last night? He's a critical piece of the team's future, but from what I've seen he's pretty clearly struggling, has already been injured, and looks physically outmatched at both ends of the rink. And if this season is going to continue to deteriorate and turn into the $hit show it appears to be destined for, they should seriously be considering moving Stutzle down to the AHL before his 6th game. There's absolutely no purpose or benefit to rushing him, and he needs to get back to playing significant minutes night-in and night-out, so he can get used to the North American game without this level of pressure and negativity. That also gives players like White and Chlapik a clearer opportunity to really show what they can do, and hopefully make it an easy decision to keep guys like Anisimov and Haley in the press box as nothing but injury reserves.

Stutzle??
- sensarmy_11

Tkachuk Norris Batherson
Paul Tierney Brown
Stutzle Galchenyuk White
Formenton Chlapik Dadonov

Play the kids for a game

Tkachuk Norris Batherson
Paul Tierney Brown
Galchenyuk Stutzle White
Formenton Chlapik Dadonov

Chabot Brannstrom
Wolanin Zaitsev
Brown Gudbranson

Play the kids for a game
- sens4life1971

Current 2021 NHL Draft Rankings

1. LD Owen Power - GTA born, playing university of Michigan. He is 6'6 and wants to play like Victor Hedman. Will be top pairing, possible #1

2. LD Simon Edvinsson - Speaking of Hedman, 6'4 Sweedish D-man playing for which team? Frolunda. Following in footsteps of Alfie & Karlsson.

3. C Matthew Beniers - All around american center. Would be a solid center to play with Stutzle and Norris being long term centers.

4a. RD Brandt Clarke - Nepean's own and a right shot D-man to boot. Very offensively minded, played for Barrie Colts. Don't know how he's doing in Europe. He is a lock to be a top 5,6 pick. Some think top 3

4b. RW Dylan Guenthere - Very unfamilar with this play. Played for Oil Kings, Lazar's old team, some think he's a top 2 pick at least. Reminds me of Mark Stone in terms of intelligence and vision.

6. C William Eklund - Very hard work ethic. Reminds of Marco Rossi in terms of being highly competitive, high end, but undersized at 5'9.

7. LD Luke Hughes - I don't think he'll be as impactful as brothers Jack and Quinn. He reminds of me of Marc Staal in that sense. Don't see him being a top 5 pick but hard to be sure in this draft.

8. C/LW Ken Johnson - Excellent puck skills and believe. Another Canadian center playing in the USA. Again Michigan like 4 others at the top of the draft

9. RW Oskar Olausson - either him or Lysell will be a steal. I just have a feeling. Sweedish, growing RW.

I might take C/LW Ken Johnson at 10. Extra: C Aatu Raty - stock falling. Was cut from team Finaland @WJC

DJ smith talking

Tmr lines for sure:

Thachuk - Norris - Batherson
Paul - White - Dadonov
Stutzle - Tierney C.Brown (guess)

Coburn - Wolanin

Sens lines at practice (saw on twitter)

Tkachuk - Norris - Batherson
Stützle - Tierney - C. Brown
Paul - White - Dadonov
Paquette - Stepan - Watson
Galchenyuk - Anisimov - Haley

Chabot - Zaitsev
Reilly - Gudbranson
Wolanin - Coburn
Zub - J. Brown

anyone else think Zub should be in over Coburn?

Does anybody really understand how the Sens long term plan is unfolding?

Why would they play veterans in the final months of their career and banish good young talent from the rink. It makes absolutely no sense to me that kids like Logan Brown, Formenton, Chlapik, Abramov and Thomson are not getting even a sniff of ice time anywhere.

I enjoy watching Stutzle, even when he struggles with some parts of his game. He is a fast learner and he needs the ice time and the challenge of growing his game. I could handle a blow out in Vancouver if the young guys were getting the ice time.

Nobody can convince me that development is supported by a player not getting ice time. And, right now, the Senators should be about development, everything else is just smoke.

Do you really think Stutzle played well last night? He's a critical piece of the team's future, but from what I've seen he's pretty clearly struggling, has already been injured, and looks physically outmatched at both ends of the rink. And if this season is going to continue to deteriorate and turn into the $hit show it appears to be destined for, they should seriously be considering moving Stutzle down to the AHL before his 6th game. There's absolutely no purpose or benefit to rushing him, and he needs to get back to playing significant minutes night-in and night-out, so he can get used to the North American game without this level of pressure and negativity. That also gives players like White and Chlapik a clearer opportunity to really show what they can do, and hopefully make it an easy decision to keep guys like Anisimov and Haley in the press box as nothing but injury reserves.
- khawk

are you sure you've actually been watching the games? if you don't think that he's EASILY one of the best 6-9 forwards on this team, you're nuts.

there is no AHL, so if we send him back he doesn't play, doesn't develop, just wastes away for the rest of this season.............seems like a really stupid thing to do with our prize prospect

are you sure you've actually been watching the games? if you don't think that he's EASILY one of the best 6-9 forwards on this team, you're nuts.

there is no AHL, so if we send him back he doesn't play, doesn't develop, just wastes away for the rest of this season.............seems like a really stupid thing to do with our prize prospect
- sensarmy_11

You really need to start doing some basic fact checking. The AHL season will start in a week, and training camp is already underway. Did you really think that guys like Brown, Formenton, Abramov, Brannstrom, and Thomson wouldn't be playing the entire season? Those players are important to the team too, and they're also substantially older than 18. It's called player development, and it's important to do correctly even for players who might have exceptional levels of skill. Spezza needed time in the AHL, Hossa needed another year of junior after being drafted... it's not an insult, and it's not because those players couldn't have played at a mediocre level in the NHL the season after they were drafted. It's because you want those players to eventually become the best players on the team, which isn't necessarily going to happen by having to fight for ice time as an 18yo on a struggling team in a pandemic-shortened season without a standard NHL training camp/pre-season.

I always like to use Hoffman and Stone as examples that it sometimes takes awhile to get a regular place on the team. If the beginning of the season is any indicator, Paul is another example. He reminds me of a hockey-sized Pageau.