If he wants a nmc.that means he has full faith in.melnyk
- spazzbot

As Brady has asked for the owner to show commitment to winning, Brady wants to be here, so by asking for the NMC he is also protecting his best interests if he is giving up 4 UFA years.

As Brady has asked for the owner to show commitment to winning, Brady wants to be here, so by asking for the NMC he is also protecting his best interests if he is giving up 4 UFA years.
- Kevin Francis

You can't get an NMC clause before UFA years.

The first four years of any extension would provide no NTC or NMC protection. On an 8 year deal, the team could keep him for the first 4 years and then trade him before the July 1 bonus and NMC clause kick in.

You can't get an NMC clause before UFA years.

The first four years of any extension would provide no NTC or NMC protection. On an 8 year deal, the team could keep him for the first 4 years and then trade him before the July 1 bonus and NMC clause kick in.
- SensFan25

Yes which is was what Marner and Eichel have. That's when it kicks in.

If he wants a nmc.that means he has full faith in.melnyk
- spazzbot

Okay, that is absolutely NOT what it means. Hopefully you were joking.

Okay, that is absolutely NOT what it means. Hopefully you were joking.
- khawk

With you. There is a lot going on behind closed doors, man wish I could say more. Regardless, it will all come out eventually!

Right, but ONLY in the context of them being hell-bent on trying to get Brady to sign an 8yr extension. If it were a simple 3yr bridge like Dahlin just signed, I doubt you have anywhere near the pressure to put as much signing bonus $$$ or concerns around escalating salary. Virtually every RFA bridge deal does that without any problem, including Matthew's deal with the Flames.

As I said, I'll bet that something like Dahlin's recent deal would get this done. But if they keep trying to make Brady give up his best 4yrs of UFA status, they're going to be paying all kinds of extra money. Just take the path of least resistance, get him signed to a bridge deal that keeps at least 1 RFA year back, and let the team focus on the business of actually winning some games.
- khawk

A+

Doing my morning reading. As usual, I read up on how things are going in training camp for the Sens, Leafs and Canadiens. Most interesting pieces are the hype coming from Leaf sources pushing the idea that Nick Ritchie is a great fit to replace Hyman on the first line and Josh Ho Sang will be a valuable depth addition.

Give me a break! This blue team is mere shadow of what it was a few years ago. It has no heart. Pound them! We have all witnessed how they will run away and hide as soon as anyone begins to bump them. The blue media begins to cry like little girls who have lost their favourite doll when we laugh at them. And, oh how we have laughed. We are never disappointed by them. They are incredibly creative, they have turned choking into a dramatic art form.

We don't think they could top the previous year's disappointment. Yet somehow they produce a new script of creative genius. How can they possibly top last year? Game 7 against the Canadiens was classic. Leaf players merely went through the motions of pretending they were trying.

But, we have bored with the Leafs choking in the first round of the playoffs. We have had to endure that every year for too many years. Not ready to listen to HNIC and TSN role out their preseason froth to tell us that this year "it is going to be different." I don't want to have to watch another Leaf first round elimination. It is my deepest hope that they collapse during the regular season and the big choke comes early and they go tits-up during the regular season stretch run. A dream sequence would be if the blue team loses the last playoff spot to the hard charging Sens on the final night of the regular season.

Sens need to play bigger, harder and faster. Pound them and then pound them again. It is important for the Sens to finish ahead of both the Leafs and Canadiens in the standings this year. Time for Brady to take some ugly pills and get into camp.

Doing my morning reading. As usual, I read up on how things are going in training camp for the Sens, Leafs and Canadiens. Most interesting pieces are the hype coming from Leaf sources pushing the idea that Nick Ritchie is a great fit to replace Hyman on the first line and Josh Ho Sang will be a valuable depth addition.

Give me a break! This blue team is mere shadow of what it was a few years ago. It has no heart. Pound them! We have all witnessed how they will run away and hide as soon as anyone begins to bump them. The blue media begins to cry like little girls who have lost their favourite doll when we laugh at them. And, oh how we have laughed. We are never disappointed by them. They are incredibly creative, they have turned choking into a dramatic art form.

We don't think they could top the previous year's disappointment. Yet somehow they produce a new script of creative genius. How can they possibly top last year? Game 7 against the Canadiens was classic. Leaf players merely went through the motions of pretending they were trying.

But, we have bored with the Leafs choking in the first round of the playoffs. We have had to endure that every year for too many years. Not ready to listen to HNIC and TSN role out their preseason froth to tell us that this year "it is going to be different." I don't want to have to watch another Leaf first round elimination. It is my deepest hope that they collapse during the regular season and the big choke comes early and they go tits-up during the regular season stretch run. A dream sequence would be if the blue team loses the last playoff spot to the hard charging Sens on the final night of the regular season.

Sens need to play bigger, harder and faster. Pound them and then pound them again. It is important for the Sens to finish ahead of both the Leafs and Canadiens in the standings this year. Time for Brady to take some ugly pills and get into camp.
- spatso

The leafs got worst, while the habs and hopefully the sens got better, + they playing Tamps and Boston what 5-6 times each this year + the panthers + the other top teams in the metro, i think leafs will struggle to make the playoffs if they make em at all

The leafs got worst, while the habs and hopefully the sens got better, + they playing Tamps and Boston what 5-6 times each this year + the panthers + the other top teams in the metro, i think leafs will struggle to make the playoffs if they make em at all
- Mithos

Leafs usually start the first half of the season strong and pile up the points before Christmas. You can certainly count on them to fade the closer we get to the playoffs. And, perhaps as God has willed, they choke in technicolour. It is actually a fairly stable script without much variation from the original plot.

Huge first week of the season including the Leafs, Canadiens and Sens playing head to head games. Pound them!

I'm actually sick of Brady Thachuk. I want them to trade him (at some point)

I wish we could see what each side is actually saying and have them explain their position but that's never going to happen.

So it's just frustration and impatiece rearing its ugly head.

I wish we could see what each side is actually saying and have them explain their position but that's never going to happen.

So it's just frustration and impatiece rearing its ugly head.
- Whatisavailable

This too shall pass! I think it is going to be a good season. 4 games against Toronto and Montreal in the first week of the schedule. Hockey heaven.

R.I.P. GLEN RICHARDSON....... A gentleman and a class act.

R.I.P. GLEN RICHARDSON....... A gentleman and a class act.
- granpa

R.i.P

I wish we could see what each side is actually saying and have them explain their position but that's never going to happen.
- Whatisavailable

Actually, I'd prefer if both sides just shut the hell up and got a deal worked out. It's always a terrible sign when the team starts "leaking" numbers like the $7Mx6yr offer in August, or the $8Mx8yr offer in September. It's nothing but a crude attempt to win the PR battle by waving bags of money around, instead of just negotiating the g-d contract in good faith.

Actually, I'd prefer if both sides just shut the hell up and got a deal worked out. It's always a terrible sign when the team starts "leaking" numbers like the $7Mx6yr offer in August, or the $8Mx8yr offer in September. It's nothing but a crude attempt to win the PR battle by waving bags of money around, instead of just negotiating the g-d contract in good faith.
- khawk

They are not very good at the "We don't negotiate through the press." thing when it comes to any challenging contract negotiation.
I am hoping for a 6 year extension (or longer) that would set a precedent for the Norris and Stutzle negotiations and also establish the "challenge for the cup" window. Personally, I am not interested in a play by play on the contract negotiations.

Early lineup reports from training camp, based on the Locked On Senators podcast...

- Paul replacing Tkachuk on the top line with Norris and Batherson
- Tierney getting the first crack at playing between Stutzle and C. Brown
- Chabot/Zub and Del Zotto/Zaitsev are the initial top-4 D
- White playing between Formenton and Watson
- Pinto playing between Ennis and Sokolov
- Bishop playing between Sabourin and Kelly
- L. Brown playing between Reinhardt and Shaw

There will be some ripple effects when Tkachuk is back in the fold, but it's not very encouraging to have so few early opportunities being made for younger players. Case-in-point, if this is their idea of giving Logan Brown a legitimate chance in training camp, then it's pretty much over before it begins. There's virtually no chance that ARI won't claim him off waivers, so they either work out a trade or figure out how to loan him to a European team ASAP, or they're going to lose him for nothing.

Actually, I'd prefer if both sides just shut the hell up and got a deal worked out. It's always a terrible sign when the team starts "leaking" numbers like the $7Mx6yr offer in August, or the $8Mx8yr offer in September. It's nothing but a crude attempt to win the PR battle by waving bags of money around, instead of just negotiating the g-d contract in good faith.
- khawk

Of course that's preferable but you get inundated with all this endless speculation and I for one would like to hear more about the guys in training camp.

Early lineup reports from training camp, based on the Locked On Senators podcast...

- Paul replacing Tkachuk on the top line with Norris and Batherson
- Tierney getting the first crack at playing between Stutzle and C. Brown
- Chabot/Zub and Del Zotto/Zaitsev are the initial top-4 D
- White playing between Formenton and Watson
- Pinto playing between Ennis and Sokolov
- Bishop playing between Sabourin and Kelly
- L. Brown playing between Reinhardt and Shaw

There will be some ripple effects when Tkachuk is back in the fold, but it's not very encouraging to have so few early opportunities being made for younger players. Case-in-point, if this is their idea of giving Logan Brown a legitimate chance in training camp, then it's pretty much over before it begins. There's virtually no chance that ARI won't claim him off waivers, so they either work out a trade or figure out how to loan him to a European team ASAP, or they're going to lose him for nothing.
- khawk

For that guy's own good he needs to get away from this team ASAP. He's gotten into their bad books and they will never change their minds.

I hope he becomes a top 2 C in the league and he can rub it in their faces. They're going to want to make him part of a package trade to more easily cover up their stupidity if that happens and it will become Dorion's new proudest day in his life.

Smith will want to know if he can get Paquette back.

Early lineup reports from training camp, based on the Locked On Senators podcast...
- khawk

A few more early notes being reported from training camp via silversevensens...

- Smith apparently views Del Zotto-Zaitsev as a shut-down pairing, and wants to distribute ice time differently to allow Chabot to be more offensive-minded
- Tierney has apparently become Smith's training camp darling because of very strong conditioning, so expect the Stutzle paring to persist
- Stutzle apparently prefers W, and has no interest in becoming a C... for anyone who actually believed that was going to happen
- Brannstrom could be in for another bizarre year, with 4 one-way LHD already on the roster, and the team's unfounded yet persistent adoration for Josh Brown at RHD... but we'll see if he can play his way out of that crossfire

For that guy's own good he needs to get away from this team ASAP. He's gotten into their bad books and they will never change their minds.

I hope he becomes a top 2 C in the league and he can rub it in their faces. They're going to want to make him part of a package trade to more easily cover up their stupidity if that happens and it will become Dorion's new proudest day in his life.

Smith will want to know if he can get Paquette back.
- Whatisavailable

Its amazing that a coach and GM still dont understand that you need to put Brown in every situation to see what you have, plus to increase his value. It's one thing to have an agenda against the guy, but it's another when you are screwing up an asset over and over. It defies all logic with this GM!

A few more early notes being reported from training camp via silversevensens...

- Smith apparently views Del Zotto-Zaitsev as a shut-down pairing, and wants to distribute ice time differently to allow Chabot to be more offensive-minded
- Tierney has apparently become Smith's training camp darling because of very strong conditioning, so expect the Stutzle paring to persist
- Stutzle apparently prefers W, and has no interest in becoming a C... for anyone who actually believed that was going to happen
- Brannstrom could be in for another bizarre year, with 4 one-way LHD already on the roster, and the team's unfounded yet persistent adoration for Josh Brown at RHD... but we'll see if he can play his way out of that crossfire
- khawk

Tierney was a healthy scratch to end last season but now they are actually trying to increase his value so they can trade him, so why not do the same thing with Brown??

They are not very good at the "We don't negotiate through the press." thing when it comes to any challenging contract negotiation.
I am hoping for a 6 year extension (or longer) that would set a precedent for the Norris and Stutzle negotiations and also establish the "challenge for the cup" window. Personally, I am not interested in a play by play on the contract negotiations.
- SensFan25

Nothing will ever make sense with this team when it comes to contract holdouts when we have the owner that we have!

R.I.P. GLEN RICHARDSON....... A gentleman and a class act.
- granpa

Extremely sad to hear this news. Incredible family and his son will continue to carry on his coaching legacy.

Tierney was a healthy scratch to end last season but now they are actually trying to increase his value so they can trade him, so why not do the same thing with Brown??
- Kevin Francis

It's not the first time that Smith has rewarded someone for being well-conditioned coming into training camp. And to some extent, I can get the value of doing that to reinforce the expectation that people come to training camp like professionals. The real question is, when does the very short-term value of that get overtaken with the long-term reality that Tierney just isn't a #2C? Presumably, it's going to eventually come down to White/Pinto, so I guess we'll see who steps up to the challenge.

Regardless, the C fiasco on this team just keeps rolling. I'd really like to see Logan Brown given a chance to start the year as the #4C between Ennis/Watson, because it would give him regular minutes with a pair of NHL veterans, plus the option of a fast/physical winger to help manage the puck. Unfortunately, I could just as easily see them playing Ennis or Bishop at #4C, if they wanted to develop Pinto in the AHL for a season.