Remember the player post season exit interviews.

We were told that key players, Tkachuk and Chabot in particular, were tired of losing and wanted to see an upgrade in the overall talent depth of the roster.

It seems to me, reports indicated that Chabot was the most vocal in wanting and needing more support on defence.

Dorion has upgraded the forward talent significantly. He has taken steps to improve on our confidence in goaltending.

But, he has not done anything (yet) that offers an answer to Chabot's concerns regarding the need for help on defence.

I believe a significant piece of this puzzle needs to be added and I expect it needs to get done before training camp officially opens.

Remember the player post season exit interviews.

We were told that key players, Tkachuk and Chabot in particular, were tired of losing and wanted to see an upgrade in the overall talent depth of the roster.

It seems to me, reports indicated that Chabot was the most vocal in wanting and needing more support on defence.

Dorion has upgraded the forward talent significantly. He has taken steps to improve on our confidence in goaltending.

But, he has not done anything (yet) that offers an answer to Chabot's concerns regarding the need for help on defence.

I believe a significant piece of this puzzle needs to be added and I expect it needs to get done before training camp officially opens.
- spatso

Oh your team absolutely needs to add a legit top 4 on the blue line to sniff the playoffs. When I start my hockey plays again, you’ll see stats why ottawa can’t go with the same defense as last year even with two additions at forward. You are losing Connor brown and your best 200 foot player on your team. More to come. Plus going a full season without Nick Paul another great 200 foot player

Oh your team absolutely needs to add a legit top 4 on the blue line to sniff the playoffs. When I start my hockey plays again, you’ll see stats why ottawa can’t go with the same defense as last year even with two additions at forward. You are losing Connor brown and your best 200 foot player on your team. More to come. Plus going a full season without Nick Paul another great 200 foot player
- PuckPix

If the 3rd line is Pinto, Formenton and Joseph on opening night we will not spend much time missing Connor Brown and Nick Paul (although I loved them both).

But, all this preseason enthusiasm will disappear quickly if we have to start the season with the same D from last year.

I believe everyone understands this and I will be shocked if the Sens fail to make one last big move to improve the top 4 on the back end.

Oh your team absolutely needs to add a legit top 4 on the blue line to sniff the playoffs. When I start my hockey plays again, you’ll see stats why ottawa can’t go with the same defense as last year even with two additions at forward. You are losing Connor brown and your best 200 foot player on your team. More to come. Plus going a full season without Nick Paul another great 200 foot player
- PuckPix

I can't say for sure but I feel that if they would have given Nick Paul the money he was asking for then Connor Brown would have been happy to stay as well. I've posted before that it was a big mistake to lose those two at this phase of this team's development, especially on D. We're about to find out just how much of a stabilizing influence those two were.

A lot of people seem to think that adding a guy like Chychrun would solve all their problems. Personally I don't think so and all that would really happen by such a move is a further weakening of the team's near future competitiveness because of the ridiculously huge returns GMs are looking for from Dorion. Unfortunately if they start getting beaten up really badly early on and if Dorion hasn't already paid that price he will then, and even more.

I so hope that I am wrong and that we get to see a magical chemistry develop with dazzling offensive plays every game, a very rapid transition for Sanderson and stellar performances in net on a nightly basis but I wouldn't bet on it. If Ottawa was a player looking for a contract all I'd give them is a one year "show me" deal.

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

Well all this armchair GM stuff should be a little fun after all don't you think.

Well all this armchair GM stuff should be a little fun after all don't you think.
- Whatisavailable

Love summer hockey talk. The best part is that once the puck drops everyone forgets what they so earnestly said just a few weeks before. And, if I said some really dumb things, it is almost always easily forgiven and unremembered by others.

Love summer hockey talk. The best part is that once the puck drops everyone forgets what they so earnestly said just a few weeks before. And, if I said some really dumb things, it is almost always easily forgiven and unremembered by others.
- spatso

Not to worry! I'll remind you as I'm sure people will remind me.

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

100% AGREE!

Maybe,

Atlantic Division

1. Toronto Maple Leafs
2. Florida Panthers
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
4. Ottawa Senators (Wild Card)
5. Boston Bruins
6. Detroit Red Wings
7. Buffalo Sabres
8. Montreal Canadiens

Maybe,

Atlantic Division

1. Toronto Maple Leafs
2. Florida Panthers
3. Tampa Bay Lightning
4. Ottawa Senators (Wild Card)
5. Boston Bruins
6. Detroit Red Wings
7. Buffalo Sabres
8. Montreal Canadiens
- spatso

leafs have considerably worst G than last year and a D core that is worst than maybe 4-5 teams in the Atlantic, they are not finishing 1st in the Atlantic

leafs have considerably worst G than last year and a D core that is worst than maybe 4-5 teams in the Atlantic, they are not finishing 1st in the Atlantic
- Mithos

So you are thinking Leafs 2nd in an easy dance for them? Perhaps lower? 3rd? Not 4th!

So you are thinking Leafs 2nd in an easy dance for them? Perhaps lower? 3rd? Not 4th!
- spatso

i can honestly see the leafs not make the playoffs, i can also see OTT finishing ahead of them, leafs cannot win every game 6-5.

many of the bottom teams have improved this offseason while the leafs got worst, now it is possible that Murray plays like Patrick Roy this season but that is highly unlikely, the easy points the top teams in the Atlantic got last year will not be as easy to get this year, Boston probably don't even make the playoffs at all this year

i can honestly see the leafs not make the playoffs, i can also see OTT finishing ahead of them, leafs cannot win every game 6-5.

many of the bottom teams have improved this offseason while the leafs got worst, now it is possible that Murray plays like Patrick Roy this season but that is highly unlikely, the easy points the top teams in the Atlantic got last year will not be as easy to get this year, Boston probably don't even make the playoffs at all this year
- Mithos

So, who are the Leafs really?

Are they the high-flyers that out chance and out-score their opponents during regular season play? Or, are they the playoff chokers that are incapable of winning a playoff series?

If they are mostly the chokers, you have to wonder if they would collapse if they were facing a challenge for the last playoff spot.

https://www.dailyfaceoff....nged-about-nhl-contracts/

This is a great article. Finally a mainstream writer beginning to grasp that what the Sens are doing is the way of the future for most teams.

So, who are the Leafs really?

Are they the high-flyers that out chance and out-score their opponents during regular season play? Or, are they the playoff chokers that are incapable of winning a playoff series?

If they are mostly the chokers, you have to wonder if they would collapse if they were facing a challenge for the last playoff spot.
- spatso

its not as in so much they choke ( they do in game 7s), its they are build for high flying offense and in the playoffs teams go Defense first and the leafs D is bad and this year their G is realy bad also they are easy to shut down in the playoffs because they have no depth.

https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/the-ottawa-senators-symbolize-everything-that-has-changed-about-nhl-contracts/

This is a great article. Finally a mainstream writer beginning to grasp that what the Sens are doing is the way of the future for most teams.
- spatso

Mike McKenna played here for a bit too, that helps....he is very outspoken on social media. Hearing what he said, is nice to see for sure!

The first 20 minutes or so of the 32 Thoughts Podcast is on Stutzle and the Senators. Elliotte Friedman believes all of the "business end" of the Senators is coming along.

https://podcast.sportsnet...a/32-thoughts/tim-tutzle/

Leafs....once again with sketchy defense and now some weird goaltending. BUT....they will outscore their opponents.....a lot. 34.....is only going to get better and more consistent. He's figured out that making great defensive plays creates offense for himself. Dangerous stuff. And as much as I hate the Snake----John Tavarres will be back as an absolute beast this year. He's spent the summer working on foot speed and quickness. When he committed to things on Long Island that involved improving his play...he had monster seasons. People who pick up Johnny T in late rounds of fantasy will have a sleeper.

it pained me to type all that out....

Leafs....once again with sketchy defense and now some weird goaltending. BUT....they will outscore their opponents.....a lot. 34.....is only going to get better and more consistent. He's figured out that making great defensive plays creates offense for himself. Dangerous stuff. And as much as I hate the Snake----John Tavarres will be back as an absolute beast this year. He's spent the summer working on foot speed and quickness. When he committed to things on Long Island that involved improving his play...he had monster seasons. People who pick up Johnny T in late rounds of fantasy will have a sleeper.

it pained me to type all that out....
- Octavarium

Good luck to Johnny T. with his desire to improve on foot speed and quickness.

Speed is relative. In a 100m dash every runner is actually slowing down at the finish line. They hit their top speed around the 60m. mark. So, at the finish line, the guy who appears to be speeding up and coming on fast is only appearing faster because he is not shutting down as quickly as the guys beside him.

Being age 31 is old in NHL terms. Beyond age 28 (average) become the equivalent of the last 20m of a 100m sprint. Tavares may slow down his loss of speed but, at his age, he will never improve on it.

Leafs....once again with sketchy defense and now some weird goaltending. BUT....they will outscore their opponents.....a lot. 34.....is only going to get better and more consistent. He's figured out that making great defensive plays creates offense for himself. Dangerous stuff. And as much as I hate the Snake----John Tavarres will be back as an absolute beast this year. He's spent the summer working on foot speed and quickness. When he committed to things on Long Island that involved improving his play...he had monster seasons. People who pick up Johnny T in late rounds of fantasy will have a sleeper.

it pained me to type all that out....
- Octavarium

Tavares has been steady over the past 3 years, and I'm sure will continue to score in the 0.9PPG range (i.e. ~74pts range). But it's not like he's gone into past seasons without preparation, and the reality is that he turns 32 in a week. There's no reason to expect him to be substantially more offensively capable that he was at 31, 30, etc., especially if the supporting cast is largely the same. The larger issue may be injuries, as he's missed more games in the past 3 years than he has in the rest of his entire career.

What's really going to be interesting is whether they actually come out on top of the gun-slinger games as frequently with a Murray/Samsonov tandem in goal. For the most part, the Leafs' goaltending has not been the Achilles heel it's been made out to be, with Andersen/Campbell having given them 0.914 or better sv% in 4 of the past 5 seasons. By comparison, that would be a career-best sv% for Samsonov, and something Murray has only accomplished once in the past 5 years. Plus, you now have Andersen having put up Vezina-quality numbers in CAR just 1 year after leaving TOR, and Campbell being locked up to a $5Mx5yr deal by EDM. So if GA was a problem in TOR over those years, it doesn't look like it was the fault of the person between the pipes (i.e. more an issue of team D).

If anything, I think the risk being taken by the Leafs with the Murray/Samsonov goaltending tandem in the final 2 years of Matthews' deal isn't being highlighted enough. I can't think of a bigger roll of the dice in the entire NHL right now, and this is for a team already marred by a catastrophic lack of playoff success. The Leafs will probably still make the playoffs, but it's very much unclear that they're anywhere near the 50W/115Pts team they were last year... or any more likely to pull everything together in a 7-game series against a playoff-quality opponent, especially with less of an assurance of home-ice advantage.

Silversevensens is up to #5 in their annual "top-25 under 25" assessment of the team's best young players.
https://www.silversevensens.com/

Given that Chabot is now 25, the top-4 should be relatively straight forward (i.e. some combination of Tkachuk, Batherson, Stutzle & DeBrincat), but it's interesting to see they have Brannstrom so high on the list, and Boucher so low. Brannstrom is on a "Logan Brown" RFA contract, so it's make-or-break time... which I don't think should earn you top-10 status on this list. And while I'm no fan of the Boucher pick, I certainly wouldn't have him ranked after the likes of Daoust, Kelly, Lodin, Kastelic, or Guenette. I'd probably have him somewhere around 15, and also bump Merilainen further up the list.

5. Norris
6. Sanderson
7. Pinto
8. Brannstrom
9. Formenton
10. Greig
11. Thomson
12. Bernard-Docker
13. Sogaard
14. Jarventie
15. Sokolov
16. Kelly
17. Ostapchuk
18. Crookshank
19. Kastelic
20. Merilainen
21. Daoust
22. Lodin
23. Guenette
24. Boucher
25. Hamara

Remember the player post season exit interviews.

We were told that key players, Tkachuk and Chabot in particular, were tired of losing and wanted to see an upgrade in the overall talent depth of the roster.

It seems to me, reports indicated that Chabot was the most vocal in wanting and needing more support on defence.

Dorion has upgraded the forward talent significantly. He has taken steps to improve on our confidence in goaltending.

But, he has not done anything (yet) that offers an answer to Chabot's concerns regarding the need for help on defence.

I believe a significant piece of this puzzle needs to be added and I expect it needs to get done before training camp officially opens.
- spatso

This really should be done by PD....I know Chabot was very outspoken about upgrading the defense as he said the same thing the year prior....PD better hope internally....the defense improves immensely!

I'll have a new blog up later tonight!

Great discussion as always!!

Oh your team absolutely needs to add a legit top 4 on the blue line to sniff the playoffs. When I start my hockey plays again, you’ll see stats why ottawa can’t go with the same defense as last year even with two additions at forward. You are losing Connor brown and your best 200 foot player on your team. More to come. Plus going a full season without Nick Paul another great 200 foot player
- PuckPix

Well said!