And Stutzle/Tkachuk strike again.

Too bad Watson couldn't make an easy clear.

Mandolese sure had a great debut.
- Whatisavailable

Why is Watson constantly on the PK? He is not a NHL hockey player. On the second NYI goal he was completely out of position, stumbling around, falling down.

I have never believed Dorion would survive as GM. I thought it would be an automatic change as soon as the team began the transition to new ownership. I was equally certain that a new GM would want to hire his own head coach.

Not so sure now. Perhaps new ownership simply decides to appoint a President of Hockey Operations instead. It looks like the sale will not be finalized until near the end of June. So, maybe another year of Dorion and Smith.
- spatso

I would be completely shocked if Dorion is the GM past August 2023.

I would be completely shocked if Dorion is the GM past August 2023.
- SensFan25

FIXED: I would be completely disappointed if he is GM past August....

Watson is a curious case of being a coach favorite. I think his chaotic behavior and his reach makes him an effective penalty killer, sorta, kinda. I agree. He's not an NHL player. He's lousy fighter and can't skate. Same goes for Parker Kelly. These two have been taking up spots for better folks in the AHL for a couple seasons now. At the Calgary game after some bone head play....someone near me mumbled "fan favorite Parker Kelly"......."ya...which fan?"

Watson is a curious case of being a coach favorite. I think his chaotic behavior and his reach makes him an effective penalty killer, sorta, kinda. I agree. He's not an NHL player. He's lousy fighter and can't skate. Same goes for Parker Kelly. These two have been taking up spots for better folks in the AHL for a couple seasons now. At the Calgary game after some bone head play....someone near me mumbled "fan favorite Parker Kelly"......."ya...which fan?"
- Octavarium

True but the one thing Watson does that none others do is he’s willing to eat a puck to stop a goal that is why he’s out on the PK

True but the one thing Watson does that none others do is he’s willing to eat a puck to stop a goal that is why he’s out on the PK
- sens4life1971

that's accurate....he got a couple full crowd cheers on penalty kills for eating slap shots point blank

Saw Weegar's name surfacing again involving a possible move to Ottawa.

Saw Weegar's name surfacing again involving a possible move to Ottawa.
- spatso

source

Saw Weegar's name surfacing again involving a possible move to Ottawa.
- spatso

Even if this is true, I'm not sure Weegar at age 29 is such a great idea at $6.25M x 8yrs with NTC protection... plus the trade assets you'd be giving up in the process. Isn't that pretty much exactly the kind of late-UFA-age contract they're trying to avoid, and worried might wind up being offered to someone like Dumba? If people are convinced that Sanderson will soon be getting $8M, then they're 1 year away from paying >$20M for Chabot-Zub-Sanderson. That has to at least be good enough for them to be playoff-worthy, or else one of those 3 should be traded.

There's literally no team in the NHL with a top-4D being paid >$25M, so it shouldn't be necessary in Ottawa.

Even if this is true, I'm not sure Weegar at age 29 is such a great idea at $6.25M x 8yrs with NTC protection... plus the trade assets you'd be giving up in the process. Isn't that pretty much exactly the kind of late-UFA-age contract they're trying to avoid, and worried might wind up being offered to someone like Dumba? If people are convinced that Sanderson will soon be getting $8M, then they're 1 year away from paying >$20M for Chabot-Zub-Sanderson. That has to at least be good enough for them to be playoff-worthy, or else one of those 3 should be traded.

There's literally no team in the NHL with a top-4D being paid >$25M, so it shouldn't be necessary in Ottawa.
- khawk

Yeah we don’t need that all we need is a simple upgrade of Hamonic for 2-3million
And aslong as PD is GM Brannstrom will be bottom D so play JBD with him

Yeah we don’t need that all we need is a simple upgrade of Hamonic for 2-3million
And aslong as PD is GM Brannstrom will be bottom D so play JBD with him
- sens4life1971

I'm not sure that Weeger even is an upgrade on Hamonic and he certainly is not worth that ridiculous contract. Calgary must have been desperate to sign both Huberdeau, who also got a ridiculous contract, and Weeger. Now that reality is rearing its ugly head they would love to move at least Weeger if they can and who stands out as the most likely rube - Pierre "Proudest Day Of My Life" Dorion of course. Get another Hamonic at twice the salary for eight long years and for a lot lot more than a third round pick. Sounds exactly like a Dorion plan.

You're right that as long as PD is GM Brannstrom isn't going anywhere because he has very little trade value and it would shine a spotlight on just how bad that Stone trade was.

That's the same reason I worry that PD will give DeBrincat big money given the chance. The kitten has very little trade value because no sane GM will pay this tiny, one dimensional winger 9 million dollars no matter how many goals he scores on the PP. PD doesn't want to show that he pissed away assets to acquire this guy so instead he will piss away any chance at a well balanced Cup contender by awarding a big DeBrincat contract to cover his sorry a_s and many Sens fans will cheer. If you pay a guy a lot of money then he must be worth it after all and must certainly have been worth giving up those three picks for.

Let's see what JBD, Thomson and, later, Kleven can do; but Smith would rather cut off his right arm and give up chewing gum than do that.

The Sens had no business beating Calgary and the Islanders. They just got really lucky and yet there are those who look at that and think playoffs here we come - BUY! BUY! BUY!

Well. You can't bring up Lassi Thompson to the radio guys. The message from the mother ship is the same. "he's had a terrible season and is unlikely to get called up".

Which I guess is accurate as they keep calling up the Larson kid.

https://www.youtube.com/w...gl_s&ab_channel=NextManUp

I hated Chris Neil. I really like what you guys are doing for him. He deserves it. He is the first guy I think of when I think Ottawa Senators.

I hated Chris Neil. I really like what you guys are doing for him. He deserves it. He is the first guy I think of when I think Ottawa Senators.
- lacaprup

I know lots of Sens fans will disagree but I also always liked him. He was a pest who could occasionally score/make good plays, wasn't too pricey at $2M/year, and from what I've heard was a good presence in the locker room.

Dorion is probably on the sidelines thinking that if these kids can keep it up for a few more games he could use them as pieces in a genius trade at the deadline.

Damn I forgot again - sarcasm alert.
- Whatisavailable

Probably the most unwarranted sarcasm alert to date. I would never put it past Dorion to engage in magical thinking.

My post was intended to highlight the general lack of confidence this office and bench management has shown in its young players to date. We only get to see young assets deployed when there are zero other options available, most often due to injury. Formenton last year kept getting swung up and down the lines. Stutzle never getting a shot at centre without injury. Now two young goalies have fantastic showings back to back. 'But they have bad AHL numbers!'. You know who also had bad AHL numbers before getting called up? We called him the Hamburglar, and he saved a season. When something appears broke, you should be experimenting with the suite of options available to you, and if they show well, give them some leash before you go burying them down the lineup again.

Is it scary to try young or inexperienced players out in new situations? Sure. Will they make mistakes? Most probably. But will those mistakes outweigh the mediocrity offered by 'stable veterans'? Sometimes, it turns out, yes they do. If we paid any attention to these trends, it would suggest more experimentation in the face of middling performance yields better results than persistently sticking with the status quo. That lack of experimentation, IMO, has been one of Ottawa's biggest challenges these past few years.

The Sens had no business beating Calgary and the Islanders. They just got really lucky and yet there are those who look at that and think playoffs here we come - BUY! BUY! BUY!
- Whatisavailable

Yep. You don't give up 80 plus shots over two games and expect to win. They were saved by good but streaky goaltending and some poor play by two teams that might have been gripping their sticks to tight. And you are right....a completely different conversation in this thread if we lose both these games. SELL SELL SELL.

Stay the course...its nice we are 6 pts out of a WC spot and have 2 to 4 games in hand but no single move now can help, unless we find that elusive big body RHD.

All we wanted from this year was for them to be playing meaningful games in Feb, March and April, right?

I know lots of Sens fans will disagree but I also always liked him. He was a pest who could occasionally score/make good plays, wasn't too pricey at $2M/year, and from what I've heard was a good presence in the locker room.
- Panzer_IVA

I've always been a big fan of Chris Neil - SensFan25 being a take on his number. I have always felt that it is important for a team to have players with grit and toughness. That said, I'm not a huge fan of the jersey retirements for either Phillips or Neil, and would have preferred a different way to honour life-long Sens players. In my view, Alfredsson is the only player from the modern era to have his jersey hanging from the rafters.

I'm not sure that Weeger even is an upgrade on Hamonic and he certainly is not worth that ridiculous contract. Calgary must have been desperate to sign both Huberdeau, who also got a ridiculous contract, and Weeger. Now that reality is rearing its ugly head they would love to move at least Weeger if they can and who stands out as the most likely rube - Pierre "Proudest Day Of My Life" Dorion of course. Get another Hamonic at twice the salary for eight long years and for a lot lot more than a third round pick. Sounds exactly like a Dorion plan.

You're right that as long as PD is GM Brannstrom isn't going anywhere because he has very little trade value and it would shine a spotlight on just how bad that Stone trade was.

That's the same reason I worry that PD will give DeBrincat big money given the chance. The kitten has very little trade value because no sane GM will pay this tiny, one dimensional winger 9 million dollars no matter how many goals he scores on the PP. PD doesn't want to show that he pissed away assets to acquire this guy so instead he will piss away any chance at a well balanced Cup contender by awarding a big DeBrincat contract to cover his sorry a_s and many Sens fans will cheer. If you pay a guy a lot of money then he must be worth it after all and must certainly have been worth giving up those three picks for.

Let's see what JBD, Thomson and, later, Kleven can do; but Smith would rather cut off his right arm and give up chewing gum than do that.

The Sens had no business beating Calgary and the Islanders. They just got really lucky and yet there are those who look at that and think playoffs here we come - BUY! BUY! BUY!
- Whatisavailable

I agree with everything you said 👍
Just to clarify on my post and I’m sure you knew what I meant is getting someone who is in the 2-3million range who is an upgrade over Hamonic with term of course not just for playoff run
Right now they need to start chopping UFA and bring up the kids
Tkachuk Stutzle Batherson
Debrincat Grieg Giroux
Motte Pinto Joseph
I was thinking for fourth line
Sabourin Kastelic Sokolov have size and maybe chip in every now and then when top 3 lines are crap
Then bring up kids to play the D

I've always been a big fan of Chris Neil - SensFan25 being a take on his number. I have always felt that it is important for a team to have players with grit and toughness. That said, I'm not a huge fan of the jersey retirements for either Phillips or Neil, and would have preferred a different way to honour life-long Sens players. In my view, Alfredsson is the only player from the modern era to have his jersey hanging from the rafters.
- SensFan25

They each played over a 1,000 games for only one team for their whole career
I say that deserves the rafter alone 🤷‍♂️

Pretty good interviews with the coach and the GM today on the radio. Whoever is doing the next blog should check them out. Good talking points to hit on. I'm not gonna steal the thunder of that next blog.

I do wonder though, about us being sellers. Who? They're hurt or undesirable.

I was looking at Belleville's numbers. Heatherington should be here. JBD should be here. I'm bullish on Lassi, but ya he's had a subpar year so fine, leave him down there. If anyone wants Holden, Hamonic, Motte, Joseph, Watson, Kelly or Talbot they can go.

The Sens seem out of Chychrun sweeps. PD's final rumored offer of protected 1st, Formenton's rights and either JBD or Lassi seems to have been not enough for Arizona. So. Who knows what's going on there.

Dorion: 'No chance' Senators trade pending RFA DeBrincat
https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/2576394

Well there goes that.....

At the very least it tells everyone what direction they are going this season, probably the only reason to come out and say that is to tell the player/team he has their back in a playoff chase

I agree with everything you said 👍
Just to clarify on my post and I’m sure you knew what I meant is getting someone who is in the 2-3million range who is an upgrade over Hamonic with term of course not just for playoff run
Right now they need to start chopping UFA and bring up the kids
Tkachuk Stutzle Batherson
Debrincat Grieg Giroux
Motte Pinto Joseph
I was thinking for fourth line
Sabourin Kastelic Sokolov have size and maybe chip in every now and then when top 3 lines are crap
Then bring up kids to play the D
- sens4life1971

Sorry I wasn't more clear. I wasn't commenting on your suggestion to look for an upgrade on Hamonic but rather all that stuff I'm hearing about Weeger from other people.

I doubt that the deadline is a good time to acquire a player because that's when teams generally overpay for pieces they need for their playoff runs but it doesn't hurt to keep your eyes open. Maybe helping out a team with their cap situation so they can make a move can get you a D as part of a deal. I doubt it.

I'm not a fan of either Sokolov or Sabourin but it wouldn't hurt to take a look.

I think their number one need is a goalie so if I were them I'd play the hell out of either of those young guys as long as they weren't being overwhelmed. They're kind of young.

That friggin Dorion blew up their bottom six and then Formenton was lost as well so this team is going to need a real professional GM to fix those holes, find that RD, find a goalie and a replacement for the kitten. A smart and capable GM could probably get it done pretty quickly.

Here's hoping the new owners are not just out for the real estate deal and actually care about the hockey team.

Sorry I wasn't more clear. I wasn't commenting on your suggestion to look for an upgrade on Hamonic but rather all that stuff I'm hearing about Weeger from other people.

I doubt that the deadline is a good time to acquire a player because that's when teams generally overpay for pieces they need for their playoff runs but it doesn't hurt to keep your eyes open. Maybe helping out a team with their cap situation so they can make a move can get you a D as part of a deal. I doubt it.

I'm not a fan of either Sokolov or Sabourin but it wouldn't hurt to take a look.

I think their number one need is a goalie so if I were them I'd play the hell out of either of those young guys as long as they weren't being overwhelmed. They're kind of young.

That friggin Dorion blew up their bottom six and then Formenton was lost as well so this team is going to need a real professional GM to fix those holes, find that RD, find a goalie and a replacement for the kitten. A smart and capable GM could probably get it done pretty quickly.

Here's hoping the new owners are not just out for the real estate deal and actually care about the hockey team.
- Whatisavailable

I have operated on the assumption that we would not want to see Hamonic back next year. I have changed my mind. He has been a solid team player. Great in the dressing room with the kids. Gives a full measure of his talent every night.

I am okay if Hamonic comes back next year as a depth defensman on a reduced contract. Not unlike Brassard. Hear lots of folks complaining about Brassard. But he has been a nice veteran add at a very fair price.

I hated Chris Neil. I really like what you guys are doing for him. He deserves it. He is the first guy I think of when I think Ottawa Senators.
- lacaprup

I think Neil should have been a ring of honour guy as opposed to a number retired but there is an argument that the prerequisites for number retirement are changing with a bigger league with less of change of winning the big prize.

He well-deserving of recognition one way or the other. He’s done a lot for this team and community.