Michael Stuart: Senators Team Awards Ballot

Thomas Chabot had an exceptional year.

Thomas Chabot had an exceptional year.
- spatso

By what metrics?

It is interesting to note how the media in the Ottawa region have blinded fans to Chabot's defensive regression. It is clear to anyone, but an Ottawa die-hard, that he is playing far too many minutes. The fatigue is obvious and is easily being exploited by opponents. This led to an abundance of coverage miscues. leaving him on pace to be an abhorrent -25, prorated over an 82 game season. This in not an exceptional year.

Competent management would have prevented this. Instead of reducing his minutes, ownership chose to have their commentators and shills obscure his decline. A suitable reduction in playing time would have made this unnecessary. It could have eliminated exhaustion while allowing him to narrow his focus. Hopefully management will acquire another capable defender in the off-season. To ebb his decline they need someone who can absorb some of his responsibilities.

By what metrics?

It is interesting to note how the media in the Ottawa region have blinded fans to Chabot's defensive regression. It is clear to anyone, but an Ottawa die-hard, that he is playing far too many minutes. The fatigue is obvious and is easily being exploited by opponents. This led to an abundance of coverage miscues. leaving him on pace to be an abhorrent -25, prorated over an 82 game season. This in not an exceptional year.

Competent management would have prevented this. Instead of reducing his minutes, ownership chose to have their commentators and shills obscure his decline. A suitable reduction in playing time would have made this unnecessary. It could have eliminated exhaustion while allowing him to narrow his focus. Hopefully management will acquire another capable defender in the off-season. To ebb his decline they need someone who can absorb some of his responsibilities.
- Jackie Daytona

Ottawa started the season with designated pylons on defence and goaltenders incapable of stopping a puck. They had a great 2nd half. Chabot is an elite talent. He is emerging as a strong team leader.

By what metrics?

It is interesting to note how the media in the Ottawa region have blinded fans to Chabot's defensive regression. It is clear to anyone, but an Ottawa die-hard, that he is playing far too many minutes. The fatigue is obvious and is easily being exploited by opponents. This led to an abundance of coverage miscues. leaving him on pace to be an abhorrent -25, prorated over an 82 game season. This in not an exceptional year.

Competent management would have prevented this. Instead of reducing his minutes, ownership chose to have their commentators and shills obscure his decline. A suitable reduction in playing time would have made this unnecessary. It could have eliminated exhaustion while allowing him to narrow his focus. Hopefully management will acquire another capable defender in the off-season. To ebb his decline they need someone who can absorb some of his responsibilities.
- Jackie Daytona

Agree 100%. There's also a tendency from media and fans to overrate certain players on this team.

Thomas Chabot had an exceptional year.
- spatso

I love Chabot as much as the next fan should, but I thought he had a pretty average year. Not 8 million dollar level of hockey. Hopeful that he gets better as the team gets better. Love his hockey when it's on, but he has played better.

I love Chabot as much as the next fan should, but I thought he had a pretty average year. Not 8 million dollar level of hockey. Hopeful that he gets better as the team gets better. Love his hockey when it's on, but he has played better.
- YouthTime

We often forget it is a team game.

Based on just the last week, Connor McDavid has had a dismal season.

Put Chabot on any one of several rosters (eg., Bruins) and we would begin to see just how elite his top gear has evolved. I have no doubt we will see another huge step up in the team next season.

We often forget it is a team game.

Based on just the last week, Connor McDavid has had a dismal season.

Put Chabot on any one of several rosters (eg., Bruins) and we would begin to see just how elite his top gear has evolved. I have no doubt we will see another huge step up in the team next season.
- spatso

For sure it is. And to be fair to him, he is pretty much all alone right now. With Sanderson and JBD coming, hopefully they take some pressure of DJ to ice him near 30 mins a night.

Really can't agree with Nick Paul getting the Selke title ahead of Connor Brown. Brown finished 1st in the NHL in SH goals (5), was 2nd in the NHL in takeaways (after Mark Stone), and led the Senators in both Goals (21) and SH ice time with nearly 3min/GP. As for the unsung hero award, I would have gone with Zub. Paul was very solid all year long, but the impact Zub had of effectively stabilizing the 2nd blue line pairing was a far greater achievement in the context of this season.

you gonna do a mike mail bag soon?

should OTT go get Eichel and what should they offer or should they go after McDavid if he asks for a trade

Over the next two years I think the Sens winner of the Hart trophy and Norris trophy will remain tkachuk and Chabot, respectively. In 3 years hopefully they should start getting competition from others.

you gonna do a mike mail bag soon?

should OTT go get Eichel and what should they offer or should they go after McDavid if he asks for a trade
- Mithos

no on eichel.....will cost too much and he would kill the lockerroom

mcdavid isn't getting traded

no on eichel.....will cost too much and he would kill the lockerroom

mcdavid isn't getting traded
- sensarmy_11

If it wasn't for this experimental surgery I'd consider it, but I agree that he appears to be the type of player Dorion would avoid.

if we're spit-balling the idea of major player additions... I was thinking of the Senators as a darkhorse candidate to sign Landeskog. My rationale is that if they're going to move Stutzle to C, Landeskog is pretty much the perfect veteran winger support to make that work. Not only is he a 20G-30G scorer in his sleep who also leads his team in hits, but he's still only 28 (9 years of which he's spent as their team captain), plays in every tough area imaginable, knows how to complement high-skill players, and takes a ton of faceoffs from the wing at a 56% success rate. For a pair like Dorion/Smith who like their hockey tough, a duo of scoring lines built around Tkachuk-Norris and Landeskog-Stutzle pairings would be a serious handful for any team to manage.

None of the good free agents want to come to Ottawa unless they give them a ridiculous contract. They'll have to trade for one.

no on eichel.....will cost too much and he would kill the lockerroom

mcdavid isn't getting traded
- sensarmy_11

Trading for McDavid would essentially restart the rebuild. To get a generational talent like him would require a huge return going back.

None of the good free agents want to come to Ottawa unless they give them a ridiculous contract. They'll have to trade for one.
- granpa

I think if you examine the contracts of all the top UFAs signed over the past few years they have been able to sign "ridiculous" long term contracts that are seldom what works for contending teams. Pietrangelo to LasVegas might prove to be an exception.

Trading for McDavid would essentially restart the rebuild. To get a generational talent like him would require a huge return going back.
- Mpepe1084

I would think Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, 1st round pick this year would be a close package

Abramov off to the KHL??

If so, it would be one less guy to protect this summer. Also, I don't know if this is a permanent move or if he'd eventually come back if a roster spot was open in Ottawa.

I would think Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, 1st round pick this year would be a close package
- AlfieisKing

I assume this is sarcasm because this is likely to get his jock strap, maybe... No where near close enough.

Hey why don't you guys (and us) have Tim Horton's stick?

I assume this is sarcasm because this is likely to get his jock strap, maybe... No where near close enough.

Hey why don't you guys (and us) have Tim Horton's stick?
- geta02it

Any package that would get Mcdavid would completely deplete this team from any chance nof competing, even with Connor.

Abramov off to the KHL??

If so, it would be one less guy to protect this summer. Also, I don't know if this is a permanent move or if he'd eventually come back if a roster spot was open in Ottawa.
- david22

No way he's coming back to the Sens organization. Terrible asset management.

No way he's coming back to the Sens organization. Terrible asset management.
- granpa

This kind of default negative position is really tiresome. So what kind of return were you expecting for a 5'9 winger (in tall shoes), with mild injury issues, and just 5GP in the NHL at age 23? Maybe a mid-low round draft pick, at best... especially given the expansion draft? Not to mention that it's pretty clear that at this point Abramov thinks he has better opportunities in the KHL, and he may be right. He's going to be waiver-eligible coming out of next year's training camp, which means that even if he did want to try with another NHL organization he wouldn't have any control over that situation. Conversely, at this point he can walk onto a KHL roster on his own terms, and get a more assured role with a pro-level team.

People really need to stop bellyaching about every single prospect that doesn't pan out, especially given the prospect depth they have at virtually every position. At the end of the day Abramov is the kind of player who's either your 2nd scoring line LW, or he's not in the NHL. Case in point, anyone want to give up Tkachuk, Stutzle, Paul, or Formenton's spot in the roster to Abramov? Past examples of players like this include Puempel, Chlapik, Perron, DaCosta, Prince, Dahlen, and Petersson... several of which were higher-draft picks than Abramov, most of which were lost for little-to-nothing, and all of whom now play in one of the major European leagues. These things happen... and it's not always the "organization" at fault when it does.

This kind of default negative position is really tiresome. So what kind of return were you expecting for a 5'9 winger (in tall shoes), with mild injury issues, and just 5GP in the NHL at age 23? Maybe a mid-low round draft pick, at best... especially given the expansion draft? Not to mention that it's pretty clear that at this point Abramov thinks he has better opportunities in the KHL, and he may be right. He's going to be waiver-eligible coming out of next year's training camp, which means that even if he did want to try with another NHL organization he wouldn't have any control over that situation. Conversely, at this point he can walk onto a KHL roster on his own terms, and get a more assured role with a pro-level team.

People really need to stop bellyaching about every single prospect that doesn't pan out, especially given the prospect depth they have at virtually every position. At the end of the day Abramov is the kind of player who's either your 2nd scoring line LW, or he's not in the NHL. Case in point, anyone want to give up Tkachuk, Stutzle, Paul, or Formenton's spot in the roster to Abramov? Past examples of players like this include Puempel, Chlapik, Perron, DaCosta, Prince, Dahlen, and Petersson... several of which were higher-draft picks than Abramov, most of which were lost for little-to-nothing, and all of whom now play in one of the major European leagues. These things happen... and it's not always the "organization" at fault when it does.
- khawk

As you say a mid/low draft choice. Everybody on this blog knows that there's no room for him on the roster.

As you say a mid/low draft choice. Everybody on this blog knows that there's no room for him on the roster.
- granpa

A mid/low draft choice would have been the likely trade return under the best of circumstances, but let's go back a couple of months on this one. You still need to find a GM willing to give that up for an under-sized expiring prospect who won't be any kind of playoff help at the NHL-level, with an expansion draft, RFA-status, and training camp waivers in the way of the player even being on their team's AHL roster next season. Not to mention that he was injured for most of the last 1/3 of the season, and would still have needed quarantine just to be eligible to help out with their AHL team... who for the most part had no playoffs at all this year.

So, I'm sorry but no... that's not "terrible asset management", if you're talking about nothing but a throw-away pick not manifesting under very difficult circumstances. It's just unfortunate that he didn't work out better. Good luck to Abramov in the KHL, where I think he'll do very well.