The one thing I was glad to hear a few media people talk about yesterday and that is, if Eugene hadn't of passed away, none of what happened this summer would've ever happened. They said, flat out he wasn't going to spend anything in free agency or add talent via trade. Let alone give Norris and Stutzle contract extensions, the length of which they got. I'm curious to hear what you guys think?

The one thing I was glad to hear a few media people talk about yesterday and that is, if Eugene hadn't of passed away, none of what happened this summer would've ever happened. They said, flat out he wasn't going to spend anything in free agency or add talent via trade. Let alone give Norris and Stutzle contract extensions, the length of which they got. I'm curious to hear what you guys think?
- LawyerSens4Life

I was actualy just wondering about this myself. We know Eugene was tight with the purse strings, but I recall he also said right around this time the team would be spending more money?

I will say, if he had intended to spend the money, it is a shame that he passed away right before seeing all this.

I would not trade Grieg I feel he’s gonna be a game changer
I would say Grieg Sanderson Pinto is untouchable
And I would keep JBD over Thomson e cause he’s more a defensive defence then Thomson which we will need down the road 🤙
- sens4life1971

I hear ya, but this would mean that Shane Pinto will shift over to RW? Or will Ridly Grieg shift to LW while Pinto plays C

I hear ya, but this would mean that Shane Pinto will shift over to RW? Or will Ridly Grieg shift to LW while Pinto plays C
- AlfieisKing

Pinto C Greig to LW

I was actualy just wondering about this myself. We know Eugene was tight with the purse strings, but I recall he also said right around this time the team would be spending more money?

I will say, if he had intended to spend the money, it is a shame that he passed away right before seeing all this.
- david22

He actually said 2020--2025 to the Toronto radio guys for unparalleled success. But it was interesting to hear the radio guys here bring it up and they were adamant that it wouldn't have happened if he was still alive. Just found it interesting.

I hear ya, but this would mean that Shane Pinto will shift over to RW? Or will Ridly Grieg shift to LW while Pinto plays C
- AlfieisKing

Greig, Pinto and Sanderson, yes I agree they are untouchable. Thomson and JBD, we don't know what they might amount too so I don't care if either is traded for the right piece that will help immediately as this roster is built to contend for the playoffs this year. Not next year.

Pinto C Greig to LW
- Mithos

What happens to Alex Formenton?

Pinto C Greig to LW
- Mithos

All I know is Gambrell better not be on this opening roster over Kastelic. The guy has hands of stone and showed it last year scoring 2 goals. He was a healthy scratch for a half dozen games for a reason.

What happens to Alex Formenton?
- AlfieisKing

I think he's the only not in town as I haven't seen any fan post pics of him at the Sensplex. I would hope the league would reveal their findings from their so called investigation. If it was the same group that did the Kyle Beach inv. it could get ugly.

All I know is Gambrell better not be on this opening roster over Kastelic. The guy has hands of stone and showed it last year scoring 2 goals. He was a healthy scratch for a half dozen games for a reason.
- LawyerSens4Life

I agree.

I really like Kastelic. He has size and plays a solid physical game. If he plays with Watson (who I really like) and Kelly, it will be a solid 4th line.

What happens to Alex Formenton?
- AlfieisKing

3LW, Greig 2LW to replace Cat after he is traded

3LW, Greig 2LW to replace Cat after he is traded
- Mithos

I think Stutzle outpoints DeBrincat and clearly establishes himself as the Sens best player. It further confirms the Sens internal cap in the $8.3m range. DeBrincat will offered a contract in the same range as the other young guns. If DeBrincat balks they will trade him for a very return. However, if the Sens have a great season, I would expect him to resign.

Greig, Pinto and Sanderson, yes I agree they are untouchable. Thomson and JBD, we don't know what they might amount too so I don't care if either is traded for the right piece that will help immediately as this roster is built to contend for the playoffs this year. Not next year.
- LawyerSens4Life

How I see it:

Untouchables ------ Sanderson, Stutzle
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Only trade for a star ------ Grieg, Pinto
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Not wanting to move but willing to --- Formenton, Thomson, Benard-Docker
-----------------------------------------------------------------
On the trade block ------- Zaitsev, Brannstrom, Watson

3LW, Greig 2LW to replace Cat after he is traded
- Mithos

All I know is Gambrell better not be on this opening roster over Kastelic. The guy has hands of stone and showed it last year scoring 2 goals. He was a healthy scratch for a half dozen games for a reason.
- LawyerSens4Life

You might want to get ready for disappointment. Gambrell is on a 1-way $950K deal, while Kastelic is still on his ELC, and Kelly is still on the two-way portion of his contract. Plus, despite playing just 12min/GP, Gambrell took the 2nd most faceoffs on the team last year, and played over 1:00min/GP on the PK. There's a lot more redundancy in Kastelic's game with the likes of Watson and Kelly, than what Gambrell provides in terms of speed.

Barring injury, I'd put money on Gambrell being the #4C on opening night.

I see De haan got a PTO from Carolina today.

You might want to get ready for disappointment. Gambrell is on a 1-way $950K deal, while Kastelic is still on his ELC, and Kelly is still on the two-way portion of his contract. Plus, despite playing just 12min/GP, Gambrell took the 2nd most faceoffs on the team last year, and played over 1:00min/GP on the PK. There's a lot more redundancy in Kastelic's game with the likes of Watson and Kelly, than what Gambrell provides in terms of speed.

Barring injury, I'd put money on Gambrell being the #4C on opening night.
- khawk

He was awful on faceoffs if I recall correctly. Still, we all heard DJ say on the radio last week that the best players will play, so they better not try to justify Gambrell over Kastelic when he can score is a big body versus a guy who can't score and isn't part of the long term plan. Kastelic is, get him ready now.

He was awful on faceoffs if I recall correctly. Still, we all heard DJ say on the radio last week that the best players will play, so they better not try to justify Gambrell over Kastelic when he can score is a big body versus a guy who can't score and isn't part of the long term plan. Kastelic is, get him ready now.
- LawyerSens4Life

DJ Smith also thinks Zaitsev is an elite NHL d-man, so I wouldn't put too much weight in an over-generalized radio quote. Plus, there's a big difference between a player who took >600 NHL faceoffs last year vs. a player who's only played 16 NHL games in their entire career. I'm not saying Gambrell is great, but he's significantly more proven at the NHL level than Kastelic. The fact that he's got a one-way contract only makes it more likely that he'll have the edge, unless Kastelic can provide something that Kelly/Watson aren't already providing on the 4th line. Plus, if we're talking about Kastelic as being part of the long-term plan, the role & ice time he'd get in the AHL (plus a likely NHL call-up in case of injuries) would almost certainly be more beneficial for his development.

I was reading Mendes column just now and he thinks the season ticket numbers are around 6,000. I have a very close friend who is an account manager with the team, he said they are closer to the numbers you reported and that they are't over 5500 seasons. Like you said, Leblanc should be up front with the fanbase, instead he leaves them guessing but wants to control the narrative by saying sales are up 60%. Why not just say the darn amount?

I told everyone I would post this info....for the Sens Rally Tour. It starts tomorrow.

Sens Rally Tour 2022 - At stores between 10am-1pm

Join Sparty and Senators alumni at select Canadian Tire locations for fun activities, giveaways, inflatables, and more!!

Saturday, September 10 at 3910 Innes Rd, Orleans, ON K1W 1K9
Sunday, September 11 at 1170 Heron Rd, Ottawa, ON K1V6B2
Friday, September 16 at 2501 Greenbank Rd, Nepean, ON K2J 4Y6
Saturday, September 17 at 330 Coventry Rd, Ottawa, ON K1K 4S3
Sunday, September 18 at 4776 Bank St, Gloucester, ON K1T 0K8

I told everyone I would post this info....for the Sens Rally Tour. It starts tomorrow.

Sens Rally Tour 2022 - At stores between 10am-1pm

Join Sparty and Senators alumni at select Canadian Tire locations for fun activities, giveaways, inflatables, and more!!

Saturday, September 10 at 3910 Innes Rd, Orleans, ON K1W 1K9
Sunday, September 11 at 1170 Heron Rd, Ottawa, ON K1V6B2
Friday, September 16 at 2501 Greenbank Rd, Nepean, ON K2J 4Y6
Saturday, September 17 at 330 Coventry Rd, Ottawa, ON K1K 4S3
Sunday, September 18 at 4776 Bank St, Gloucester, ON K1T 0K8
- Kevin Francis

what, no Gatineau event, that city has over 250K people

what, no Gatineau event, that city has over 250K people
- Mithos

They usually hit over there and in the valley too, like Brockville, Perth, Smith Falls, Arnprior, and even Cornwall. Bizarre! You would think they would go over to Gatineau. Pascal Leclaire is very involved with the alumni here and he would a natural fit to go over there with the rally tour.

what, no Gatineau event, that city has over 250K people
- Mithos

I've had a few IM's sent to me too on Twitter. So I replied to the tweet they sent out asking why no Gatineau date and copied Anthony Leblanc on it too!

Just to clarify - when I said sink or swim I obviously didn't mean putting a promising young D prospect in a situation where he would get clobbered relentlessly. Swimming means you get and hold a spot on the team while sink means you go to Belleville.

Let Brannstrom and Zaitsev and Hamonic get clobbered instead; or maybe the forwards can be persuaded to play a little defensively but then again with Smith as coach that seems unlikely. His idea of a D zone breakout was to have Tkachuk hang out at the opposing blueline waiting for the long stretch pass while Norris hangs out around center ice waiting for the same thing. Unfortunately the D are not good enough to pull that off as a rule.

Stutzle was back in the D zone helping a lot but unfortunately his propensity for carrying the puck up the ice all by himself resulted in a lot of boneheaded turnovers so that didn't really help all that much. Here's hoping Giroux cleans that nonsense up. Stutzle is not McDavid and he needs to be disabused of that notion.

I, along with a lot of other people, pretty much everybody as a matter of fact, posted last winter that the team was going to need a top 4 RD. They went out and got Hamonic which was a salary dump by Vancouver where Vancouver actually received a third round pick rather giving up a second round pick to take that dog off their hands. Gee I wonder why I don't trust Dorion.

Now the pressure that has been manufactured by Ottawa sports talking heads because they don't want their Toronto counterparts laughing at them anymore and that part of the fanbase that's rolling around on the floor at Walmart screaming at the top of their lungs WAH! WAH! WAH! Playoff wild card spot challenge now! has set up that same Dorion for making a REALLY EPICALLY stupid move.

Here's hoping he doesn't bite. He gets one more life when he fires Smith so maybe he'll walk away from those GMs that want to make a fool of him.

As far as the fans go he's locked up core pieces long term, seemingly stabilized the net which I personally doubt because I watched Talbot a lot when he was with Edmonton and he lets in stinkers at the worst possible time, signed Giroux to a reasonable contract and thrown the mob a DeBrincat bone to chew on.

The problem is that if he sells the store for some overpriced D the crowd rolling around on the floor will love it and there will be no end to their cheering, at least until the summer.

Just to clarify - when I said sink or swim I obviously didn't mean putting a promising young D prospect in a situation where he would get clobbered relentlessly. Swimming means you get and hold a spot on the team while sink means you go to Belleville.

Let Brannstrom and Zaitsev and Hamonic get clobbered instead; or maybe the forwards can be persuaded to play a little defensively but then again with Smith as coach that seems unlikely. His idea of a D zone breakout was to have Tkachuk hang out at the opposing blueline waiting for the long stretch pass while Norris hangs out around center ice waiting for the same thing. Unfortunately the D are not good enough to pull that off as a rule.

Stutzle was back in the D zone helping a lot but unfortunately his propensity for carrying the puck up the ice all by himself resulted in a lot of boneheaded turnovers so that didn't really help all that much. Here's hoping Giroux cleans that nonsense up. Stutzle is not McDavid and he needs to be disabused of that notion.

I, along with a lot of other people, pretty much everybody as a matter of fact, posted last winter that the team was going to need a top 4 RD. They went out and got Hamonic which was a salary dump by Vancouver where Vancouver actually received a third round pick rather giving up a second round pick to take that dog off their hands. Gee I wonder why I don't trust Dorion.

Now the pressure that has been manufactured by Ottawa sports talking heads because they don't want their Toronto counterparts laughing at them anymore and that part of the fanbase that's rolling around on the floor at Walmart screaming at the top of their lungs WAH! WAH! WAH! Playoff wild card spot challenge now! has set up that same Dorion for making a REALLY EPICALLY stupid move.

Here's hoping he doesn't bite. He gets one more life when he fires Smith so maybe he'll walk away from those GMs that want to make a fool of him.

As far as the fans go he's locked up core pieces long term, seemingly stabilized the net which I personally doubt because I watched Talbot a lot when he was with Edmonton and he lets in stinkers at the worst possible time, signed Giroux to a reasonable contract and thrown the mob a DeBrincat bone to chew on.

The problem is that if he sells the store for some overpriced D the crowd rolling around on the floor will love it and there will be no end to their cheering, at least until the summer.
- Whatisavailable

I disagree with just everything you say. But it was a wonderful, fun read.