I’ll take Savoie please lol 😂
- sens4life1971

Trade the damn pick for a legit top 4 blueliner with 2 years left on his deal. This team needs to keep the puck out of their net more than trying to add scoring.

Trade the damn pick for a legit top 4 blueliner with 2 years left on his deal. This team needs to keep the puck out of their net more than trying to add scoring.
- LawyerSens4Life

If any Senators fan is watching the first round of the playoffs, you need goaltending which is a given but the teams that defend well, with a high octane offense have been successful so far through the first round of the playoffs. Unlike other years, special teams are playing a bigger factor than ever.

Coaches don't care if they play 2 RHS defensemen together, just look at Florida with Ekblad and Weeger. The coaches that adapt and make proper in-game adjustments are usually the teams that come out on top.

What I find crazy is how coaches are pulling goalies with a ton of left in the third period, hoping to capitalize on the analytics.

If any Senators fan is watching the first round of the playoffs, you need goaltending which is a given but the teams that defend well, with a high octane offense have been successful so far through the first round of the playoffs. Unlike other years, special teams are playing a bigger factor than ever.

Coaches don't care if they play 2 RHS defensemen together, just look at Florida with Ekblad and Weeger. The coaches that adapt and make proper in-game adjustments are usually the teams that come out on top.

What I find crazy is how coaches are pulling goalies with a ton of left in the third period, hoping to capitalize on the analytics.
- PuckPix

Toronto looks more formidable this year and i believe this is the best defensive core they iced.
Khawk made solid points and has convinced me that a crusher on the backend .may not be what the Sens need . , however i do enjoy watching that and it still could result in positive gains and a winning formula ifthey went that route. Regardless everyone knows they need some help on the backend what ever style they chose its mandatory

Trade the damn pick for a legit top 4 blueliner with 2 years left on his deal. This team needs to keep the puck out of their net more than trying to add scoring.
- LawyerSens4Life

What would you give up for Chychrun and don't complicate the deal? Just Chychrun.

What would you give up for Chychrun and don't complicate the deal? Just Chychrun.
- Whatisavailable

2022 1st
Boucher
JBD

or
2022 1st
Jarventie
Sokolov

What would you give up for Chychrun and don't complicate the deal? Just Chychrun.
- Whatisavailable

Irrespective of what's been said about handedness not mattering, it clearly does with this coach. Also important to consider complimentary skill sets. Chabot and Sanderson, like Chychrun, are offensively minded two way D men. Brannstrom is 'supposed' to be an offense-forward D man. These guys need responsible mostly stay at home players to ride shotgun with - the key is to not confuse 'stay at home' with 'too old and/or unskilled to move up the ice'.

Irrespective of what's been said about handedness not mattering, it clearly does with this coach. Also important to consider complimentary skill sets. Chabot and Sanderson, like Chychrun, are offensively minded two way D men. Brannstrom is 'supposed' to be an offense-forward D man. These guys need responsible mostly stay at home players to ride shotgun with - the key is to not confuse 'stay at home' with 'too old and/or unskilled to move up the ice'.
- Bartacus

You are right about the redundancy of styles when talking about Chabot, Sanderson and Chychrun even if you dismiss the problem of them all being left shots. This is what some people don't understand. Chabot and Sanderson need Zub types to play with otherwise their offensive talents can't play out. So who is out there that is realistically available?

Personally I'd just as soon play Thomson and JBD and hold onto assets.

Trade the damn pick for a legit top 4 blueliner with 2 years left on his deal. This team needs to keep the puck out of their net more than trying to add scoring.
- LawyerSens4Life

A top 4 RHD is a huge need for the team. Considering that the Travis Hamonic deal was supposed to fill that need, I wouldn't want to see Dorion try again. I trust our amateur scouts ability much more than the GM and would prefer to see us use the draft pick.

At this point, I want to see the ownership situation cleared up and a new GM put in place before we make moves to compete now.

this was the year to have Thompson, who Mann says is NHL ready and or JBD play 40+ games in the NHL so they can make the mistakes rookie D make and not matter, but no the brain dead moron coach and GM decide lets play the old guys who would not even make the Roster of the other NHL teams and keep our Prospects in the minors so they do not get NHL Exp so that when we inevitably bring them in next year they can bench them after they make the mistakes rookie Ds make....

so now you got ppl saying OTT needs a 7-8M top 4 RHD... uh no OTT does NOT need a top 4 RHD from UFA or Trade, they have one in the minors its just the coach and GM are too dumb to see him, so they will most likely over spend on a mediocre UFA or get butt ramed by a team in a trade for a top 4 RHD and pay him 7-8M when OTT has TWO potential top 4 RHD in the system but ZERO top 6 RW in the system....W/E the hell happened to building through the draft.....

this was the year to have Thompson, who Mann says is NHL ready and or JBD play 40+ games in the NHL so they can make the mistakes rookie D make and not matter, but no the brain dead moron coach and GM decide lets play the old guys who would not even make the Roster of the other NHL teams and keep our Prospects in the minors so they do not get NHL Exp so that when we inevitably bring them in next year they can bench them after they make the mistakes rookie Ds make....

so now you got ppl saying OTT needs a 7-8M top 4 RHD... uh no OTT does NOT need a top 4 RHD from UFA or Trade, they have one in the minors its just the coach and GM are too dumb to see him, so they will most likely over spend on a mediocre UFA or get butt ramed by a team in a trade for a top 4 RHD and pay him 7-8M when OTT has TWO potential top 4 RHD in the system but ZERO top 6 RW in the system....W/E the hell happened to building through the draft.....
- Mithos

Really, really frustrating, isn't it? You're absolutely right. Just watch Pierre "Proudest Day Of My Life" Dorion go out and get fleeced and then overpay for a "top 4" D when they probably have better sitting in Belleville and then go out and trade one of those young D in Belleville plus their first plus Formenton or Joseph for a winger that just had a career year and overpay him so he will serve as an anchor for the team for years to come.

Since Smith knows his RD is solid and elite with Zaitsev, Hamonic and Zub what they'll get is a LD to go with Chabot and Brannstrom so that there will be no need for Sanderson.

It would be hysterically funny if I was a fan of another team.

Keep the 7th OA pick. Get a good player that can help if not next year the year after or so when they compete and may need depth youth to supplement injuries.

DO NOT trade for a D-man. Sens got too many already and also have Sanderson, Thompson and JBD all deserving of stints in the NHL.

Only accept a trade for a RW if a steal situation comes up.

If Chabot and Tkachuk want to win now so badly then they aught to play better. Get better. Especially in their own end. Also if the top scorer on the team isn't even capable of hitting 70 pts then we are surely in trouble.

Dump Zaitzev somehow. Use Colin White as a winger for now. Murray use if you can but he seems injured for good. Probably buyout if not and still not playing well.

To be honest, if anyone has noticed, I have only posted comments a bit lately due to that guy trying to tell me and everyone how we should think and feel about the team. We all have our opinions, read them and move on. But for some odd reason he thought his word was more important than everyone else's and preached to all of us how we should think about the team. That's not sports, sports is how each fan feels, don't try to control people who post or tell them how they should think. Respect the persons opinions, engage in a mature way but don't take it personally if someone doesn't adopt your views.

As I've said on here, there are 6 of us on a group Sens chat, the others all stopped posting and reading due to this guy and how he went on about things.

The fact that he talked to you like a toddler with the Duh comment was beyond disrespectful in my books when all you stated was you were doing a blog. It was so bizarre to say the least.

If anyone listened to TSN1200 the last few weeks of the season, every on air show said they are calling it the way see it and would rather not be negative as you said. But 5 years of ineptitude makes fans go nuts for the wrong reasons because of horrible mismanagement of assets, dollars in and out for the wrong players and a coaching staff that over thinks things or just flat out can't coach. Take a look at the list of coaches looking for work right now. All of them would be a huge upgrade on DJ and his band of fools behind the bench.

Glad you stuck your neck out with that poster. If he just accepted everyone's opinions and moved on, people wouldn't leave the blog or jump down his throat. He even threw himself under the bus saying how Leafs won't listen to him, well it's same here, learn from it, 2 blogs all feel the same way.
- LawyerSens4Life

don't be mistaken... the "Leafs Nation" listens intently to every word he puts out...

ever since he said the "Leafs should have taken Laine over Matthews"


seriously... he's worth the laughs

Keep the 7th OA pick. Get a good player that can help if not next year the year after or so when they compete and may need depth youth to supplement injuries.

DO NOT trade for a D-man. Sens got too many already and also have Sanderson, Thompson and JBD all deserving of stints in the NHL.

Only accept a trade for a RW if a steal situation comes up.

If Chabot and Tkachuk want to win now so badly then they aught to play better. Get better. Especially in their own end. Also if the top scorer on the team isn't even capable of hitting 70 pts then we are surely in trouble.

Dump Zaitzev somehow. Use Colin White as a winger for now. Murray use if you can but he seems injured for good. Probably buyout if not and still not playing well.
- TDBSenatoR

I agree with everything you say except that I think if they don't get beset by injuries again and they play their talented D prospects rather than guys like Zaitsev and Hamonic then they'll have they'll have at least 3 guys who rack up more than 70 points: Norris, Stutzle and Batherson.

I agree with everything you say except that I think if they don't get beset by injuries again and they play their talented D prospects rather than guys like Zaitsev and Hamonic then they'll have they'll have at least 3 guys who rack up more than 70 points: Norris, Stutzle and Batherson.
- Whatisavailable

I think Brady is a strong possibility too.

Just need some better depth, and the defence not to be a train wreck. Will Pinto, Sanderson and Thomson be enough to make a big difference?

I think Brady is a strong possibility too.

Just need some better depth, and the defence not to be a train wreck. Will Pinto, Sanderson and Thomson be enough to make a big difference?
- david22

I think that after they get some experience they'll make a big difference but they need to be given an opportunity to play at the NHL level and that's not something Smith is likely to permit, especially with his job on the line.

I think that after they get some experience they'll make a big difference but they need to be given an opportunity to play at the NHL level and that's not something Smith is likely to permit, especially with his job on the line.
- Whatisavailable

his job is on the line because he would not play the kids and now he will not play the kids because his job is on the line..if only OTT had a competent GM

Keep the 7th OA pick. Get a good player that can help if not next year the year after or so when they compete and may need depth youth to supplement injuries.

DO NOT trade for a D-man. Sens got too many already and also have Sanderson, Thompson and JBD all deserving of stints in the NHL.

Only accept a trade for a RW if a steal situation comes up.
- TDBSenatoR

If you want a top 4 RD and well and truly believe we don't have that potential in the pipeline, there are two *very* solid Euro RD prospects who will likely be available at 7. I'd rather they picked one of them than traded for an RD, given their track record. Ultimately I hope this office realizes it doesn't need that Dman. One lesson from this season is the value of 'addition' via subtraction. Subtract Zaitsev from the equation and things immediately look better. If you really want to pay a D man, here's hoping his name is Zub.

Let's try an experiment here - pending UFA RDs, assuming they hunt the market and once again shunt the prospect route, who would you want on this team and why?:
Kris Letang
John Klingberg
PK Subban
Josh Manson
Justin Schultz
Anton Stralman
Colin Miller
Connor Murphy

Long shot it may be, I would hope for a Letang or Klingberg to go full run and gun, but on the defensive side a Manson, Miller or Murphy might fit at the right price. Yes, realistically we will end up with the shambling corpse of Anton Stralman or Justin Braun, but dare to dream guys!

If you want a top 4 RD and well and truly believe we don't have that potential in the pipeline, there are two *very* solid Euro RD prospects who will likely be available at 7. I'd rather they picked one of them than traded for an RD, given their track record. Ultimately I hope this office realizes it doesn't need that Dman. One lesson from this season is the value of 'addition' via subtraction. Subtract Zaitsev from the equation and things immediately look better. If you really want to pay a D man, here's hoping his name is Zub.
- Bartacus

100% agree.

If you want a top 4 RD and well and truly believe we don't have that potential in the pipeline, there are two *very* solid Euro RD prospects who will likely be available at 7. I'd rather they picked one of them than traded for an RD, given their track record. Ultimately I hope this office realizes it doesn't need that Dman. One lesson from this season is the value of 'addition' via subtraction. Subtract Zaitsev from the equation and things immediately look better. If you really want to pay a D man, here's hoping his name is Zub.
- Bartacus

Nemec has virtually no chance of falling to #7... but Jiricek might. If he's available, they should definitely select him. Quality d-men are not easily found, and having a deep line of RHD in the prospect system to support Chabot/Sanderson would be a very smart approach in terms of maintaining a well-balanced and competitive blueline.

That said, I have a really hard time believing that one of Philadelphia or Columbus won't pick Jiricek at #5/6.

Nemec has virtually no chance of falling to #7... but Jiricek might. If he's available, they should definitely select him. Quality d-men are not easily found, and having a deep line of RHD in the prospect system to support Chabot/Sanderson would be a very smart approach in terms of maintaining a well-balanced and competitive blueline.

That said, I have a really hard time believing that one of Philadelphia or Columbus won't pick Jiricek at #5/6.
- khawk

From outside perspective, I don't know the Sens don't trade away the pick for someone that can instantly make an impact for their team. This isn't 3 yeras ago, they need to win now and when your GM is a mess and knows his job on his line, how do you not deal the pick?

From outside perspective, I don't know the Sens don't trade away the pick for someone that can instantly make an impact for their team. This isn't 3 yeras ago, they need to win now and when your GM is a mess and knows his job on his line, how do you not deal the pick?
- PuckPix

They could add McDavid to the lineup and they still don't make the playoffs. They do not need to win now. They can not win now. What they need to do is get rid of Zaitsev and play Thomson, Sanderson and maybe JBD although he might not be ready yet. They need their young D to get some experience and mature. They need to get an NHL coach. Any of the coaches with teams in the playoffs right now would eat Smith for lunch. They need an NHL GM. That's what they need. What they don't need is to squander assets chasing the chimera of "Instant Success".

They could add McDavid to the lineup and they still don't make the playoffs. They do not need to win now. They can not win now. What they need to do is get rid of Zaitsev and play Thomson, Sanderson and maybe JBD although he might not be ready yet. They need their young D to get some experience and mature. They need to get an NHL coach. Any of the coaches with teams in the playoffs right now would eat Smith for lunch. They need an NHL GM. That's what they need. What they don't need is to squander assets chasing the chimera of "Instant Success".
- Whatisavailable

I definitely can't argue with you on the coach thing. I don't know how many times I won $ this season seeing how back DJ Smith was getting outcoached in different games. I would make huge $ off in play betting as Smith just was so out of his league. I had buddies who would bet against Ottawa a ton in game. It was actually quite stunning to see a coach literally lose games due to no in game adjustments or for the mere fact that he would just put players in terrible positions to succeed only to fail over and over. It's something you don't even see in junior hockey.

There's not much point in re-hashing all of our complaints. We've all said what we think, and largely we're all on the same page.

But nothing will be changing until there's a change in ownership. The "board" or whatever was left in place by EM left enough control and leeway for Dorion to fire McGuire so.....that in itself tells us that Dorion has the confidence of the board until the girls decide what they're going to do with the team.

All of this trickle down conjecture leads to....just that....conjecture. Smith must have Dorion's confidence because he hired him. Dorion must like the way Smith is using the team or he'd have stuck his nose into Smith's running of the team sooner. Even the trade away of J.Brown didn't really happen because the fans screamed but because the Bruins wanted some size.

The lack of call ups for JBD and Thompson coupled with the other offensive call ups, could just be because of injury OR could be the master plan none of us are in on. Additionally, Dorion probably sees Mann as a possible threat to be hired as coach or the other brother as GM or who knows so.....who cares if he says Thompson is "overbaked" Dorion and Smith will decide when they get called up and given valuable NHL experience. And it clearly wasn't meant for this season.

Best case scenario for me.
Team sells to Minto guy. He wins bid. He makes arena.
He starts bringing back the smart brains that had us in the play offs every year.
Luke Richardson gets head coach, a smart offensive brain comes in to run the power play (Spezza after he retires this year) and we begin to move forward with some confidence.

They could add McDavid to the lineup and they still don't make the playoffs. They do not need to win now. They can not win now. What they need to do is get rid of Zaitsev and play Thomson, Sanderson and maybe JBD although he might not be ready yet. They need their young D to get some experience and mature. They need to get an NHL coach. Any of the coaches with teams in the playoffs right now would eat Smith for lunch. They need an NHL GM. That's what they need. What they don't need is to squander assets chasing the chimera of "Instant Success".
- Whatisavailable

I don't entirely disagree, but there are major structural gaps in their roster that need to be addressed, and there's nothing saying the players they target have to only yield short-term benefit. The appeal of them going after a player like Pierre-Luc Dubois would be that he could very reasonably be viewed as "completing" the core group of high-end forwards. He's a 6'2, 205lbs two-way C/LW who's right in the same age range as the team's core, takes 1,000 faceoffs/yr & has already put up four 20G seasons (including two 25G/60Pts seasons). Basically, he's exactly the kind of forward who could very effectively complement Stutzle. and if they extended him long-term you'd then have a very functional top-5 group of forwards that's established for a 5-6yr competitive window.

That would certainly be a very reasonable use of the #7 overall pick, though it would depend on what additional assets would be required.