Kevin Francis: The NHL postpones the Sens next 3 games but 4 days too late!!!

Topic 1 - The NHL messed up large with this Sens situation and the goof ball Bettman should be feeling more heat than ever.

Topic 2 - Sens need all the depth they can get at center both for the NHL and the AHL, you have to claim to Clifford. Oh wait, their owner counts every penny so I doubt they will.

Topic 3 - The Sens 2021 draft, honestly feel awful for Sens fans, you have the 10th pick and you choose a player that might not even make the US WJ team. pathetic!

OTT is not taking in any salary without salary going out, Melnyk is already paying too much in salary in his mind.

From Scott Wheeler at The Athletic on Twitter - I’m well into my process for the 2022 NHL prospect pool rankings and my biggest takeaway thus far is this: The Sens’ 2021 draft class was, is, and will be an unmitigated disaster. It looks worse today than it did on draft day and it looked bad then. You can read his piece at The Athletic if you are a subscriber.

Woah there, be careful... saying that exact thing got me branded as an idiot who didn't know what I was talking about back on draft day, and then as a some kind of melodramatic whiner just a couple of days ago. The sad reality, though, is that anyone who'd done any kind of research whatsoever into last year's draft class knew right away how bad those picks were. Apparently that's quite a hard thing for some people to accept.

As for attempting to blame the NHL for 'forcing' Pinto back into the lineup early, that's preposterous, especially given how much they've been rushing Pinto since training camp. Dorion is 100% responsible for not having a basic NHL roster in place, which includes having enough C depth to actually make it through a season effectively. Case-in-point, you're asking about whether they should claim Kyle Clifford off waivers at $2M/yr... but where the hell was Dorion on the weekend, when Riley Sheahan was on waivers from Seattle? That's an actual NHL centre right there with nearly 600GP under his belt, making $850K. He's nothing more than a #4C at this point, but he at least might have provided some functional C depth to help bridge the time until injuries/COVID subsides a bit.

Instead, we continue to get nothing... good thing the rebuild is over.

Woah there, be careful... saying that exact thing got me branded as an idiot who didn't know what I was talking about back on draft day, and then as a some kind of melodramatic whiner just a couple of days ago. The sad reality, though, is that anyone who'd done any kind of research whatsoever into last year's draft class knew right away how bad those picks were. Apparently that's quite a hard thing for some people to accept.

As for attempting to blame the NHL for 'forcing' Pinto back into the lineup early, that's preposterous, especially given how much they've been rushing Pinto since training camp. Dorion is 100% responsible for not having a basic NHL roster in place, which includes having enough C depth to actually make it through a season effectively. Case-in-point, you're asking about whether they should claim Kyle Clifford off waivers at $2M/yr... but where the hell was Dorion on the weekend, when Riley Sheahan was on waivers from Seattle? That's an actual NHL centre right there with nearly 600GP under his belt, making $850K. He's nothing more than a #4C at this point, but he at least might have provided some functional C depth to help bridge the time until injuries/COVID subsides a bit.

Instead, we continue to get nothing... good thing the rebuild is over.
- khawk

at 4-10-1 they are contenders, they are contending for last OA

OTT is not taking in any salary without salary going out, Melnyk is already paying too much in salary in his mind.
- Mithos

I will post why they can when I update my blog!

at 4-10-1 they are contenders, they are contending for last OA
- Mithos

I don't think he said the Sens were contenders.

at 4-10-1 they are contenders, they are contending for last OA
- Mithos

Arizona has last overall locked down...nobody is going to out tank them this season.

Woah there, be careful... saying that exact thing got me branded as an idiot who didn't know what I was talking about back on draft day, and then as a some kind of melodramatic whiner just a couple of days ago. The sad reality, though, is that anyone who'd done any kind of research whatsoever into last year's draft class knew right away how bad those picks were. Apparently that's quite a hard thing for some people to accept.

As for attempting to blame the NHL for 'forcing' Pinto back into the lineup early, that's preposterous, especially given how much they've been rushing Pinto since training camp. Dorion is 100% responsible for not having a basic NHL roster in place, which includes having enough C depth to actually make it through a season effectively. Case-in-point, you're asking about whether they should claim Kyle Clifford off waivers at $2M/yr... but where the hell was Dorion on the weekend, when Riley Sheahan was on waivers from Seattle? That's an actual NHL centre right there with nearly 600GP under his belt, making $850K. He's nothing more than a #4C at this point, but he at least might have provided some functional C depth to help bridge the time until injuries/COVID subsides a bit.

Instead, we continue to get nothing... good thing the rebuild is over.
- khawk

When it comes to the waiver wire, I beyond agree with you on Sheahan, even at RW, Rocco Gramaldi 200 plus games last week was on waivers. Plus these guys are in the last year of their deal, so worst case scenario you deal them at the deadline. Nothing this GM or owner does makes sense these days! Comeau has 909 games, older but a veteran center he was on waivers too. Cllfford is 29 or 30 I believe, so a good young option with experience.

As for Pinto, I am with you, not saying its just the league, it also falls on Dorion first, but man I cant believe how the medical staff gave him clearance. He was wearing a harness too for crying out loud. You don't mess with a young asset!

Arizona has last overall locked down...nobody is going to out tank them this season.
- dcz28

Oh they sure do lol!

Oh they sure do lol!
- Kevin Francis

They will get even worst as the trade deadline comes and they trade every UFA they can but even then, by that time they will so far back from anyone that it won't even matter.

With how obvious they are with their tanking, i hope they lose the lottery and draft 3rd overall at best. It's one thing to have a bad team but another to make sure you are the worst team in decades if not one of the worst ever.

Had Jake Sanderson or Jamie Drysdale been drafted at 4 by the Red Wings, no doubt in my mind I would've taken Raymond. Why tf can't we have him and Stutzle

Had Jake Sanderson or Jamie Drysdale been drafted at 4 by the Red Wings, no doubt in my mind I would've taken Raymond. Why tf can't we have him and Stutzle
- AlfieisKing

I wasn't high on Raymond when he was drafted (i wanted Rossi or Sanderson). I still wasn't high on him before this season started but he has looked pretty good so far. Someone somewhere compared him to Daniel Alfredsson and so far that seems to be a pretty good comparison of the type of player he might become.

blog updated!

They will get even worst as the trade deadline comes and they trade every UFA they can but even then, by that time they will so far back from anyone that it won't even matter.

With how obvious they are with their tanking, i hope they lose the lottery and draft 3rd overall at best. It's one thing to have a bad team but another to make sure you are the worst team in decades if not one of the worst ever.
- dcz28

Agreed!

I wasn't high on Raymond when he was drafted (i wanted Rossi or Sanderson). I still wasn't high on him before this season started but he has looked pretty good so far. Someone somewhere compared him to Daniel Alfredsson and so far that seems to be a pretty good comparison of the type of player he might become.
- dcz28

It would be a great career if he plays like Alfie did, you guys would have one heck of a player for a long time!

Had Jake Sanderson or Jamie Drysdale been drafted at 4 by the Red Wings, no doubt in my mind I would've taken Raymond. Why tf can't we have him and Stutzle
- AlfieisKing

True!

I’m sitting back here just laughing at half these comments 😂😂🤦‍♂️

It would be a great career if he plays like Alfie did, you guys would have one heck of a player for a long time!
- Kevin Francis

I agree. I am a bit worried about injuries when it comes to him. He had injury issues last season in the SHL and he has taken some hard hits so far this season. If he keeps up his point production, he will become more and more a target for other teams just like Larkin is/was. Seider i'm not worried about him being a target...he has good size and mobility and likes the physical play.

I agree. I am a bit worried about injuries when it comes to him. He had injury issues last season in the SHL and he has taken some hard hits so far this season. If he keeps up his point production, he will become more and more a target for other teams just like Larkin is/was. Seider i'm not worried about him being a target...he has good size and mobility and likes the physical play.
- dcz28

The more he's insulated the better. That comes with depth and vets in the org. It took Alfie time to learn to pick and choose your spots. Playing physical like that all the time, like you said, leads to those little nagging injuries.

Namestnikov has got off to a nice start for you guys. He was solid here in Ottawa. Good to see him do well in Detroit.

I’m sitting back here just laughing at half these comments 😂😂🤦‍♂️
- sens4life1971

Curious as to why? Everyone has their opinions, we all don't have to agree or like the opinions.

It's usually impossible to accurately predict how any given player will develop over the course of their career based on a small sample of games.

If you were to judge Stutzle's offensive capabilities based on his performance this year you'd probably be way off.

I will reserve my judgement on the wisdom or lack thereof when it comes to selecting Boucher over Sillinger for a couple of years yet.

As far as overpaying for a player who would maybe move you into a poorer lottery position at best - well that just strikes me as exactly the kind of thing I would most be worried about Pierre"Proudest Day of My Life" Dorion doing.

Troy Terry looks like he would be a good fit but I wouldn't overpay. I absolutely would never move Sanderson or the 2022 first round pick. Also no to Gus, Chabot, Zub, Norris, Batherson, Tkachuk, Stutzle, Pinto JBD, LT, Formenton, Paul, CB, Boucher and Kleven. I think I'd move the 2023 first round pick and a second round in 2022 or 2023 or somebody that I haven't mentioned.

Play the kids. Experiment with different lines. This ridiculously absurd Covid testing and protocol will make a complete joke out of this season no matter what you do so hold onto your assets and picks and hope for a good roll at the lottery wheel.

Eventually people may begin to wonder why since only the pure and holy are permitted to play the game and only the pure and holy are permitted to attend the games as spectators what's all this hysteria about positive tests about?

Especially if everyone agrees to remain seated and be eating something while watching the game. Maybe even the players need to always be eating something when they're on the bench because everyone knows that if you're sitting down and eating you're perfectly safe.

I feel so bad for the players having their careers mangled by a level of ignorance and stupidity reminiscent of the Dark Ages.

The latest target for the Sens I'm told is Troy Terry of the Anaheim Ducks. Terry is 24 years of age, plays RW and Center. Scouting reports say he's a better playmaker than goal scorer but his start to this season, he's doing a little of both.

Keep an eye on RW Mikael Granlund in Nashville as well. The Preds want to re-sign Forsberg and with Granlund making 5M AAV for another 3 years, they know it'll be hard to keep Forsberg unless they can move a contract like Granlund's.

So they've waited until they've effectively blown the season in order to target a guy like Terry, who's magically gone from a career-high of 20Pts/48GP, to being a top-5 scorer in the NHL, with a >30% shooting%? I could barely describe a more overvalued and risky trade option in the entire NHL than Troy Terry right now. Plus, what scouting report has Terry been mentioned as a C? He's only taken 20 faceoffs in his entire 144GP NHL career, and has been virtually locked beside Getzlaf during this hot streak... who in turn has taken >300 faceoffs so far this year, good for 4th best in the NHL.

Similarly, the time to target Granlund was when he was a UFA in the summer... not now that he's put up 16pts/15GP. Same with Duchene, who might have been a good value trade acquisition in the summer, but now has 16pts/15GP as well. You mention nobody wanting to do the Ducks a favour with Henrique or Silfverberg, but where that may have been true in the summer, they've now posted starts to the season of 13pts/16GP, and 9pts/10GP respectively. To put that in context, any of those 4 would be 2nd on the Senators in PPG by a mile... plus it's a pair of teams that are challenging for their respective division leads.

If these teams are selling right now, they're going to be selling high and expecting a quality return. That's why you take care of this kind of major roster business in the OFF SEASON... not when you're up the creek without a paddle, at a strategic disadvantage, and desperate for options.

KHAWK - why don't you go cheer for another team? You hate the owner, you hate the GM, you hate the coach, the 2021 draft is giving your mental health a going over...

Seriously. Just go somewhere else.

So they've waited until they've effectively blown the season in order to target a guy like Terry, who's magically gone from a career-high of 20Pts/48GP, to being a top-5 scorer in the NHL, with a >30% shooting%? I could barely describe a more overvalued and risky trade option in the entire NHL than Troy Terry right now. Plus, what scouting report has Terry been mentioned as a C? He's only taken 20 faceoffs in his entire 144GP NHL career, and has been virtually locked beside Getzlaf during this hot streak... who in turn has taken >300 faceoffs so far this year, good for 4th best in the NHL.

Similarly, the time to target Granlund was when he was a UFA in the summer... not now that he's put up 16pts/15GP. Same with Duchene, who might have been a good value trade acquisition in the summer, but now has 16pts/15GP as well. You mention nobody wanting to do the Ducks a favour with Henrique or Silfverberg, but where that may have been true in the summer, they've now posted starts to the season of 13pts/16GP, and 9pts/10GP respectively. To put that in context, any of those 4 would be 2nd on the Senators in PPG by a mile... plus it's a pair of teams that are challenging for their respective division leads.

If these teams are selling right now, they're going to be selling high and expecting a quality return. That's why you take care of this kind of major roster business in the OFF SEASON... not when you're up the creek without a paddle, at a strategic disadvantage, and desperate for options.
- khawk

I agree with you 100 percent that this is a really bad time to be looking to add any kind of significant piece especially since all it will probably get you at best is a poorer draft pick in 2022.

I looked at Terry's stats and scouting reports as well and concluded he is probably overachieving right now. If the price wasn't high I think he might be okay as a middle six RW but Dorion would probably give away Sanderson, the 2022 first round pick unprotected and Brannstrom in exchange for Terry and be proud.

I can't adequately express how nervous Dorion makes me in this situation.