It does not really matter if DeBrincat signs with the Sens for $8.5m, $9.0m or even $10.m. More important, is DeBrincat a right fit, do you want DeBrincat in your top six?

With an accelerating cap, Sens clearly have already signed great value deals with Chabot, Zub, Tkachuk, Stutzle, Batherson and Giroux. I believe, the jury is still out on the Norris contract. Sanderson, Pinto and DeBrincat are key pieces still remaining.

Do you see this roster growing into a contender? Do the Sens need to make DeBrincat a part of the core?

The math in making this happen is not nearly as challenging as some people make it out to be.
- spatso

I think I've made it pretty clear for quite some time that I don't like the idea of having such a tiny guy in the top six if you really hope to be a serious contender in the much more physical play of the playoffs. Even now he can't win a puck battle along the boards to save his life and he turns the puck over quite a lot all over the ice and if you watch the games objectively you will see that is a problem and would be especially bad in the fast, rough, big boy play of the post season.

I've been ridiculed for this approach to the issue of whether it's a good idea to have this guy in the top six so I decided to point out that it doesn't make any good sense to give a second line LW anywhere near 9 million or even 8 million dollars, not if you want to have a deep and well balanced team which is what I think you need to win the Cup.

Now I'm finding out that the salary cap doesn't matter at all when building a roster because the cap will be whatever you want it to be in order to make any problem disappear. I'm finding out that DeBrincat is a superstar, an unstoppable scoring machine that not only fills the net himself but makes it possible for his team mates to get their goals because of his otherworldly playmaking ability. I'm finding out that he excels on the defensive side of the puck as well and is not averse to mixing it up and physically punishing any and all comers. I'm finding out that he's the kind of once in a lifetime franchise player that any franchise would love to build their team around.

I haven't yet found out which big contract or which very good young players need to go in order to make the numbers for the non existent problem work.

I hope the new owners recognize that the short term marketing benefits of signing this player will come at the cost of perennial mediocrity in the post season and that all those clamoring for this signing now will conveniently forget how they cheered and instead concentrate their attention on all the roster positions that are filled with bargain basement, marginal talent that will make those same fans want to spend their money elsewhere.

Looking forward to the Seattle game and hoping for another W. If they would have held onto Paul and Brown they would now easily be right in the thick of things with other teams trying to catch them in the standings but maybe if they go on a good run they can still make it.

I think I've made it pretty clear for quite some time that I don't like the idea of having such a tiny guy in the top six if you really hope to be a serious contender in the much more physical play of the playoffs. Even now he can't win a puck battle along the boards to save his life and he turns the puck over quite a lot all over the ice and if you watch the games objectively you will see that is a problem and would be especially bad in the fast, rough, big boy play of the post season.

I've been ridiculed for this approach to the issue of whether it's a good idea to have this guy in the top six so I decided to point out that it doesn't make any good sense to give a second line LW anywhere near 9 million or even 8 million dollars, not if you want to have a deep and well balanced team which is what I think you need to win the Cup.

Now I'm finding out that the salary cap doesn't matter at all when building a roster because the cap will be whatever you want it to be in order to make any problem disappear. I'm finding out that DeBrincat is a superstar, an unstoppable scoring machine that not only fills the net himself but makes it possible for his team mates to get their goals because of his otherworldly playmaking ability. I'm finding out that he excels on the defensive side of the puck as well and is not averse to mixing it up and physically punishing any and all comers. I'm finding out that he's the kind of once in a lifetime franchise player that any franchise would love to build their team around.

I haven't yet found out which big contract or which very good young players need to go in order to make the numbers for the non existent problem work.

I hope the new owners recognize that the short term marketing benefits of signing this player will come at the cost of perennial mediocrity in the post season and that all those clamoring for this signing now will conveniently forget how they cheered and instead concentrate their attention on all the roster positions that are filled with bargain basement, marginal talent that will make those same fans want to spend their money elsewhere.

Looking forward to the Seattle game and hoping for another W. If they would have held onto Paul and Brown they would now easily be right in the thick of things with other teams trying to catch them in the standings but maybe if they go on a good run they can still make it.
- Whatisavailable

I generally agree that size is better in the playoffs, broadly speaking. Of course, this isn't universal and there are exceptions to the rule, Marchand for one.

Making the playoffs would help us see if Cat is one of those who are one of the exepetions, among all the other net benfits.

Great piece, Kev!

I like Ostapchuck.

Canada Gold!

What a perfect ending to a great tournament played in a beautiful setting before terrific Canadian hockey fans.

if cat wants 9M+ trade him,. if he will accept between 7-8M keep him, filling the bottom 6 with good players is more important than having a 9m+ winger, you need depth to win a CUP, just ask EDM and TOR how having no depth has worked out for them

Canada Gold!

What a perfect ending to a great tournament played in a beautiful setting before terrific Canadian hockey fans.
- Whatisavailable

Agreed. Personally, I think if they're going to host the WJC tournament in Canada so often (it's been every other year since 2015) there should be a rule that 1/2 the time the WJC can't be hosted by a city with an NHL team (e.g. Halifax/Moncton), and for the other 1/2 the time it can only be hosted by an NHL city plus a smaller Beta location for the non-Canada round robin (e.g. Ottawa/Kingston). Smaller cities/towns are the lifeblood of junior hockey in Canada, and you can just see how different the crowds are in places where tournaments like this don't come very often.

I generally agree that size is better in the playoffs, broadly speaking. Of course, this isn't universal and there are exceptions to the rule, Marchand for one.

Making the playoffs would help us see if Cat is one of those who are one of the exepetions, among all the other net benfits.
- david22

It's not really a matter of exceptions... being 5'10 or under in the NHL makes you an exception by default. Actual playoff success is more of a matter of effective team mix, and having a critical mass of roster talent. If you couldn't win a Stanley Cup with a smaller player in your top-6F, then none of CHI, PIT, BOS, or TB would have won Stanley Cups in the past 15yrs. Instead, they've won a combined 9 in that time period, with all of Crosby, Kane, Point, and Marchand having played significant roles. You could argue that DeBrincat's AAV would be better spent on top-4D, but there's nothing whatsoever in his performance history to suggest that he "disappears" in the playoffs. This narrative is just the work of dismissive prejudice, not unlike people who dismissed Karlsson as being too small to be effective in the playoffs... until he damn near single-handedly carried the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017.

Brady Tkachuk was named as an NHL all-star. Personally, I think Stutzle would be a better fit in terms of being a more entertaining player to watch during events like the skills contest, etc., but Tkachuk certainly deserves the recognition. There will be additional nominations announced later in the month and some fan voting as well, so hopefully we may see some combination of Stutzle, Giroux, DeBrincat, or Chabot added.

The only way I would trade Debrincat is if they find a player like Batherson and his contract and I will say Good Luck finding him
So we need to lock him up players in the Minors can fill in the bottom rolls on this team it’s really that simple my god 🤦‍♂️😂

It's not really a matter of exceptions... being 5'10 or under in the NHL makes you an exception by default. Actual playoff success is more of a matter of effective team mix, and having a critical mass of roster talent. If you couldn't win a Stanley Cup with a smaller player in your top-6F, then none of CHI, PIT, BOS, or TB would have won Stanley Cups in the past 15yrs. Instead, they've won a combined 9 in that time period, with all of Crosby, Kane, Point, and Marchand having played significant roles. You could argue that DeBrincat's AAV would be better spent on top-4D, but there's nothing whatsoever in his performance history to suggest that he "disappears" in the playoffs. This narrative is just the work of dismissive prejudice, not unlike people who dismissed Karlsson as being too small to be effective in the playoffs... until he damn near single-handedly carried the team to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017.
- khawk

So now you're comparing DeBrincat to Crosby, Kane, Point, Marchand and Karlsson? WOW!

I think I've made it pretty clear for quite some time that I don't like the idea of having such a tiny guy in the top six if you really hope to be a serious contender in the much more physical play of the playoffs.
- Whatisavailable

You are not keeping up with the evolution of the game.

So you're comparing DeBrincat to Crosby, Kane, Point, Marchand and Karlsson? WOW!
- Whatisavailable

I'm not suggesting that DeBrincat is necessarily in the same league as those players... even though he's actually well ahead of the scoring pace that Marchand had at the same point in his career, and has nearly the same scoring pace as Point. Plus, he's proven just how wrong those teams were that passed on him in the 1st round of the 2016 draft, and how wrong those people are who assumed he wouldn't be able to produce without Kane. Now you're off making up stories about whether he would be able to produce in the playoffs when you don't know jack until he gets that chance. Ultimately, if an under-sized player couldn't handle the physical rigor of the NHL or produce at a high-level, they wouldn't be playing in the NHL on pace for a 2nd-straight 75pts+ season, or be in a position to be making $8M-$9M.

I'm not suggesting that DeBrincat is necessarily in the same league as those players... even though he's actually well ahead of the scoring pace that Marchand had at the same point in his career, and has nearly the same scoring pace as Point. Plus, he's proven just how wrong those teams were that passed on him in the 1st round of the 2016 draft, and how wrong those people are who assumed he wouldn't be able to produce without Kane. Now you're off making up stories about whether he would be able to produce in the playoffs when you don't know jack until he gets that chance. Ultimately, if an under-sized player couldn't handle the physical rigor of the NHL or produce at a high-level, they wouldn't be playing in the NHL on pace for a 2nd-straight 75pts+ season, or be in a position to be making $8M-$9M.
- khawk

Actually DeBrincat is not even in the same universe as any of those players.

DeBrincat has never been in the playoffs so there really is no way to know how well he would do in the postseason but regular season play in the NHL usually gets more rigorous as the season moves along. Lets make a point of mentally registering the number of puck battles DeBrincat loses all over the ice as the year moves along.

Lastly I've been trying to think of any team in the NHL that pays a second line winger 8 million plus and none spring to mind. Lets confine our answers to players of similar skill levels to DeBrincat. Technically Draisaitl is a second line winger but not because he doesn't belong on the first line but more because he's good enough to drive a second line. There are a couple of examples of that kind of thing happening but let's try and keep this intellectually honest shall we.

Maybe there are a lot of Cup winners that have done so and I just can't remember.

Actually DeBrincat is not even in the same universe as any of those players.

DeBrincat has never been in the playoffs so there really is no way to know how well he would do in the postseason but regular season play in the NHL usually gets more rigorous as the season moves along. Lets make a point of mentally registering the number of puck battles DeBrincat loses all over the ice as the year moves along.

Lastly I've been trying to think of any team in the NHL that pays a second line winger 8 million plus and none spring to mind. Lets confine our answers to players of similar skill levels to DeBrincat. Technically Draisaitl is a second line winger but not because he doesn't belong on the first line but more because he's good enough to drive a second line. There are a couple of examples of that kind of thing happening but let's try and keep this intellectually honest shall we.

Maybe there are a lot of Cup winners that have done so and I just can't remember.
- Whatisavailable

Mitch Marner 10million 🤷‍♂️

Mitch Marner 10million 🤷‍♂️
- sens4life1971

Remind me again how many playoff rounds have the Leafs won?

Actually he gets 11 million which is really stupid but I thought he was on the first line with Matthews and even so it's still stupid.

Remind me again how many playoff rounds have the Leafs won?

Actually he gets 11 million which is really stupid but I thought he was on the first line with Matthews and even so it's still stupid.
- Whatisavailable

Nope Nylander is lol
And you never said won playoff games
Ya just said gets paid more then 8million lol

Nope Nylander is lol
And you never said won playoff games
Ya just said gets paid more then 8million lol
- sens4life1971

I guess you missed the part about trying to be intellectually honest. I just assumed that people would understand that we'd be interested in successful examples and I did ask about Cup winning teams in a separate sentence. You're just too clever aren't you?