I agree. Strong argument to reward Gus for a strong game and play him last night.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

It's just so frustrating, this team isn't in a spot to start picking and choosing which goalie plays against a team they deem weaker. We are weak, end of story. So if you can grab a win, you do whatever it takes to ice the best line up to get a win. Like the coach says, game to game, you do whatever it takes to get a win as its hard to win in this league. He needs to execute what he says, not preach it and then do the reverse.

Numbers for both players in a Sens uniform. Small sample size but.......
Filip Gustavsson -
2020-21 - 9 games - 5-1-2 .933%
2021-22 - 3 games - 2-1 .932%
Matt Murray -
2020-21 - 27 games - 10-13-1 .893%
2021-22 - 3 games - 0-2 .897%
- Kevin Francis

Murray before he got the knee to the head was playing some solid hockey. Only 2 games, but looked confident. The guy needs to stay healthy to get on a roll. Starting to seem too similar to Pascal Lecaire way back but with a crappier contract.

Gus should be rolled with if he playing well. I assume he is starting tonight. Will be a good opportunity to make a statement with a strong game.

It's just so frustrating, this team isn't in a spot to start picking and choosing which goalie plays against a team they deem weaker. We are weak, end of story. So if you can grab a win, you do whatever it takes to ice the best line up to get a win. Like the coach says, game to game, you do whatever it takes to get a win as its hard to win in this league. He needs to execute what he says, not preach it and then do the reverse.
- Kevin Francis

For sure. Not unlike when he benches young players for mistakes (Formenton) but lets veteran players play and continue to make mistakes (Brown).

Murray before he got the knee to the head was playing some solid hockey. Only 2 games, but looked confident. The guy needs to stay healthy to get on a roll. Starting to seem too similar to Pascal Lecaire way back but with a crappier contract.

Gus should be rolled with if he playing well. I assume he is starting tonight. Will be a good opportunity to make a statement with a strong game.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

They are playing a Wild team that rested last night while Ottawa played, plus it's the Wild's only game this week, from this past Saturday until this Saturday so you know they will be ready. It's just too bad, last night was a great chance to at least go 2-1 on this road trip. I doubt we get a result tonight, I guess a better effort would be better than nothing but destined for 2 out of a possible 6 points.

Scoring Shane Wright would be a massive win for the organization. However, at some point, this team needs to show promise without another lottery pick player. There have been glimpses this season but not often enough.

Dorion has lots of pieces to be able to bring in a quality body or two. It's important to build through the draft, but that can't be the only avenue. Smart trades and signings escalate the rebuild process.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

In order to enjoy long term success you need a steady stream of good, young prospects coming into the mix with their inexpensive ELCs because there will always be guys you need to move for cap or performance reasons. That's why you don't use those assets unless you have a clear idea of what you need, and I don't mean this year because things are going to be changing really quickly in the next year or two; or unless it's an offer you can't refuse but can you imagine anyone giving Dorion a deal he can't refuse that is actually a win?

The time will come soon enough when it will be time to move all in. Just make sure you have the chips to push into the pile when that time comes.

Saw a projected lineup for tonight with Zub and Formenton scratched. Hopefully it is just because they are banged up, not as a means of discipline. Zub had a bad game last night but he was not the worst defender. With the rest of our motley crew of D-men Gus is going to have to stand on his head. Or is this being done as an excuse to send him down...throw him out to the wolves?

Definitely agree - Zub is a perfect example of how valuable a well-conceived signing can be. I'd even say that Mete was a good move in terms of net value, but unfortunately it created conflict with another major asset. That's when you need to have the good sense to pull the trigger on a trade, while the value is still there... and unfortunately, Dorion has a relatively poor sense of this. However, the biggest failing has been in not finding ways to effectively weaponize the cap space... there's just been so much potential value left on the table.
- khawk

Agreed. Dorion hurts other developments for moves that arent necessary. Bottom line is, top 6 forwards and defense should've been addressed in the summer and he never did! While other teams did. Heck look at the Jets, they got 2 nice pieces on defense.

Saw a projected lineup for tonight with Zub and Formenton scratched. Hopefully it is just because they are banged up, not as a means of discipline. Zub had a bad game last night but he was not the worst defender. With the rest of our motley crew of D-men Gus is going to have to stand on his head. Or is this being done as an excuse to send him down...throw him out to the wolves?
- GoSensGo71

I saw how Tierney was questionable.....but didn't see those 2 out! It better be because of injury.

Agreed. Dorion hurts other developments for moves that arent necessary. Bottom line is, top 6 forwards and defense should've been addressed in the summer and he never did! While other teams did. Heck look at the Jets, they got 2 nice pieces on defense.
- Kevin Francis

Both are LD with Schmidt with four more years at just under 6 million and Dillon for three more years at just under 4 million. Can't see how either of those would make any sense for Ottawa.

With Murray as our starter and half of our D-core needing to be swapped out, we are going to put up some stinkers like this. Murray seems weak, physically and psychologically (from a sports perspective). He absolutely has the worst glove in the league, and it seems like he can get discouraged and kind of give up mid game. I think that they do need to take some caution with Gus, just because a full NHL season is a long haul, but in the games he has played in the NHL he looks ready. I think it is time to waive Forsberg, and go with a tandem of Gus and Murray.
For the D, man, Brown looks like Gudbransson 2.0, he will make the odd big hit, but he's slow and often out of position. Zaitsev seems to have lost a step this year. Mete might be getting dragged down, and DelZaster does not look like he still belongs in the NHL. I imagine we are stuck with them for this year though.
- GoSensGo71

You can't waive Forsberg because if you do and either Murray or Gus get injured what do you do then? A lot of games in Belleville this year won't be hurting Gus.

Both are LD with Schmidt with four more years at just under 6 million and Dillon for three more years at just under 4 million. Can't see how either of those would make any sense for Ottawa.
- Whatisavailable

I guess what I am saying, is that Dorion could've retooled the D. Did he have to hang onto Brown, Mete, etc.....no. Dillon is a top 4 that would settle things down. Did he have to trade for Holden or sign MDZ, no.....take Brown at 1.2, MDZ at 2 mil and Mete at 1 mil, that is 4 mil and essentially could've used those $ to pay Dillon.

You can't waive Forsberg because if you do and either Murray or Gus get injured what do you do then? A lot of games in Belleville this year won't be hurting Gus.
- Whatisavailable

Plus as I wrote in July, it was well known that the Caps were trying to move Dillon due to cap issues. When you know a guy like that is available, you go after him. Especially when they said they wanted to add a top 4 D!

Plus as I wrote in July, it was well known that the Caps were trying to move Dillon due to cap issues. When you know a guy like that is available, you go after him. Especially when they said they wanted to add a top 4 D!
- Kevin Francis

that would mean adding more to the payroll...it is not their goal to build a contending team in any way shape or form, they have done NOTHING in the last 2 years years (this year included) to improve the team through trade or UFA signing....

sure they signing Dadonov..then shipped him out after 1 year and never got that promised replacement...Dadonov was traded to lower payroll because they knew Brady was gonna make north of 7.5M

what you wonder why did OTT not sign or trade for X players, ask yourself this "yould it increase the amount of money melnyk has to spend more than already is spending" if your answer is yes then you know why they did not sign/trade for X player

Plus as I wrote in July, it was well known that the Caps were trying to move Dillon due to cap issues. When you know a guy like that is available, you go after him. Especially when they said they wanted to add a top 4 D!
- Kevin Francis

If you're paying Dillon 4 million for 3 more years to play LD what do you do with Sanderson who everyone says is NHL ready and will join the team later in the season?

Hey Kevin,

How soon after tonight’s game will you tabulate the winner?

R

I'm wondering how Sanderson, Thompson and Bernard-Docker would have any immediate impact as they would be brand new to the NHL game. I find it hard not imagining the leagues top forwards clobbering these kids in their own end. Would they also be able to turn up the offense enough to help out our pale forward group?

On coaching I agree with Kevin big time. Not necessarily on that Gus should have played this game to me that is meh. The team would not have seen that as a punishment to Gus at all. The problem comes when he punishes Tim Stutzle while ignoring that anyone with functioning eyeballs can see that Josh Brown and Mete do not belong in the lineup over even a struggling Brannstrom. I don't know what he sees in practice that would make him think that he should not be rolling Chabot-Zub, Holden-Brannstrom and Zaitsev-MDZ while they are healthy.


What is with Ottawa and getting prideful coaches that would rather be right than be winners. Remember when Guy Boucher was running Tom Pyatt on the first line... That was a decision that was repeatedly made.
- TDBSenatoR

And Dorian gave Boucher whatever plug he wanted. He is doing the same thing again. Old Timey hockey that would have worked beautifully in 2003. It’s not that the pro scouting is bad. It is the organizational (and antiquated) “character” requirements that coach and GM share that lead to Zaitsev etc. Melnyck deserves the antipathy, he has well-earned it. But I am pretty sure he didn’t say go get MDZ right now, I dont care if he was on a two-way contract last year. Give him 2 years at $2m. This is just a management team with neither talent or vision.

Not saying to fire the coach, but he needs to stick to what he says. Dont say you earn your icetime then demote Stutzle to the 4th line after Brady was awful last night but got a regular 1st line shift. He did the same with Formenton earlier in the season. There is a fine one with this coach, same goes for the defense. Enough is enough, he needs to do the same on defense. Stop giving Zaitsev big minutes, there is no reason Brannstrom shouldn't be given a 20 game shot, a sample size to see what they truly got. Heck at least he can carry the puck up the ice! I could go on and many others have about this but the bottom line is, DJ needs to act on what he preaches but he doesn't enough.

Plus this mantra of how they will be hard to play against, etc....that they will play so hard every night. Talk to any player or coach, every team plays hard, that mantra has to stop. Just coach! Last night, would've been a great spot to put Stutzle on the top line and demote Brady halfway through the game, it was clear Stutzle was far better on the night, but instead he does the reverse.



- Kevin Francis

I hope I have not left the impression that I am defending the coach. Far from it. As I said earlier, to me smith is like a relic from the 1990s. Brady stunk last nite. Stuzle should have been given a shot. But none of this will change with the current coach and GM. It just wont. And I have to say I am pretty tired of folks using the Brady signing as a signal that Melnyck has changed. In what other market would fans be super relieved and grateful for signing a top 5 draft pick to a second contract. And this from a team that is barely at the floor. They are SUPPOSED to lock up high picks. It would be shocking if they didn’t. They are supposed to maximize the great luck (and some skill) that got us Zub. They are not supposed to piss it away with a measly two year contract.