Guest Writer: Senators beat MTL after tough losses to BOS/CAR

God I would not give Alex DeBrincat more than 7.5M watching him. If he wasn't a 40 goal scorer, he isn't even worth 7.

William Nylander is getting 7 and is way ahead of DeBrincat (if we are only looking at this season).

At the same time, there's trade value with him since he has scored so much. Sens should trade him. He's not a defensive liability but the impact he has, his height, and other intangibles -- I would move on from him this summer unless he takes 7-8

I wouldn't give DeBrincat 7 million even if he was scoring 40 goals this year. If you want to have a truly competitive team the money would be much better spent on a quality RD, filling in the bottom six with players that can actually contribute offensively while being good defensively and a good LW that can play in the top six for under 5 million. Depending on how things go with Sogard there might be a need in net.

I wouldn't give DeBrincat 7 million even if he was scoring 40 goals this year. If you want to have a truly competitive team the money would be much better spent on a quality RD, filling in the bottom six with players that can actually contribute offensively while being good defensively and a good LW that can play in the top six for under 5 million. Depending on how things go with Sogard there might be a need in net.
- Whatisavailable

I actually like the way Sogard is playing
And I agree RD and a top 6 LW Batherson type contract

wow NJD got Meier for essentially nothing.

wow NJD got Meier for essentially nothing.
- Mithos

Essentially nothing 😳 huge haul for SJ lol

Is it true Talbot turned down an extension offer from OTT? I wonder what made him say 'no': the actual offer, or the fact that he wanted out for some other reason. Or both.

Essentially nothing 😳 huge haul for SJ lol
- sens4life1971

yes a late first, C prospects and a bottom 6 players for a 30+ goal scorer in his mid 20s with 1 year of RFA left is a huge win for SJS (sarcasm alert).

That game against Montreal was pretty unwatchable for 2 periods.
No less than the full four point swing against Detroit will get them in the playoffs. Islanders Pens had bounce back games and the Sens are just on the wrong side things here. They need all four points here. In regulation...and ZIP for Detroit.

The price of some of these rental trades is astronomical. I hope PD stands pat at this rate or moves some of this fringe players for anything he can.

Is it true Talbot turned down an extension offer from OTT? I wonder what made him say 'no': the actual offer, or the fact that he wanted out for some other reason. Or both.
- Panzer_IVA

I read they offered him 1.5 million

Shoulda kept Andy.
This silly goalie exercise with Murray and Talbot hasn't worked.

Nice article K.

It was a pretty bad game despite the win…at one point there was a 3 on 1 break and sogaard bailed them out. The game could’ve easily gone the other way with the amount of high scoring chances mtl had.

I think this season had a lot of promise, but it’s time to be realistic. Sens should be sellers. No point in getting a top 4d when you could acquire that in the off-season and if you’re tryna improve your chances at the lottery, don’t make your team better now.

I’ve liked cat’s game despite his inconsistency in scoring. At the same time all options should be on the table.

Talbot has been a failed experiment and giving up on Gus was a serious red flag from the beginning. PD should acquire what he can for Cam and give the net to the Sog/Man.

I understand these next two games against the wings are big..but really does it matter?

We should be making our decision quickly, in terms of being a buyer or seller to get an edge on the market: like the blues and the predators..I don’t know why we need until the deadline day to figure it out.

Is it true Talbot turned down an extension offer from OTT? I wonder what made him say 'no': the actual offer, or the fact that he wanted out for some other reason. Or both.
- Panzer_IVA

The Senators have to be careful. The injury to Forsberg may have changed their trade deadline plans for Talbot, but there are hard decisions to be made this off-season. Dorion will be forced to compromise, because there's just no way for them to have all of the following on next year's roster:
- DeBrincat extension at >$8M
- another Top-4D at >$5M
- long-term RFA deal for Pinto at >$4M
- 2 goaltenders making ~$3M
- an under-performing bottom-6F making ~$3M

Pinto could be offered a bridge deal, but they have to start taking advantage of the cap advantage of prospects like Sogaard, Greig, and Bernard-Docker. Sogaard could save them $1M-$2M over a Talbot extension. Greig saves them at least $2M-$3M vs. a UFA equivalent winger, and Bernard-Docker could save them another $1M on a veteran depth D-man. They'll also have the likes of Thomson, Sokolov, and potentially even Kleven to consider as options, assuming he's signed after the NCAA season.

Now the combination of those things could afford them the cap space to add a significant top-4D, but they have to tolerate the risk of bringing those prospects into substantial roles, and actually let them play. That means NOT re-signing Talbot, NOT overspending on depth D-men, NOT trying to sign Pinto to a deal like they gave White, etc. The team will get $5M back against the cap in 2023/24 when they stop having to pay for salary retention/buyouts, but next year in particular they simply can't afford to waste cap space and not deploy the talent in their prospect system.

The Senators have to be careful. The injury to Forsberg may have changed their trade deadline plans for Talbot, but there are hard decisions to be made this off-season. Dorion will be forced to compromise, because there's just no way for them to have all of the following on next year's roster:
- DeBrincat extension at >$8M
- another Top-4D at >$5M
- long-term RFA deal for Pinto at >$4M
- 2 goaltenders making ~$3M
- an under-performing bottom-6F making ~$3M

Pinto could be offered a bridge deal, but they have to start taking advantage of the cap advantage of prospects like Sogaard, Greig, and Bernard-Docker. Sogaard could save them $1M-$2M over a Talbot extension. Greig saves them at least $2M-$3M vs. a UFA equivalent winger, and Bernard-Docker could save them another $1M on a veteran depth D-man. They'll also have the likes of Thomson, Sokolov, and potentially even Kleven to consider as options, assuming he's signed after the NCAA season.

Now the combination of those things could afford them the cap space to add a significant top-4D, but they have to tolerate the risk of bringing those prospects into substantial roles, and actually let them play. That means NOT re-signing Talbot, NOT overspending on depth D-men, NOT trying to sign Pinto to a deal like they gave White, etc. The team will get $5M back against the cap in 2023/24 when they stop having to pay for salary retention/buyouts, but next year in particular they simply can't afford to waste cap space and not deploy the talent in their prospect system.
- khawk

Smith will never play the prospect ahead of old plugs unless he is forced to by injuries (think Stu at C), Smith needs to go for this to happen

100% Mithos.
And that has been my biggest criticism of the man.
He had nearly 3 years where ottawa fans were willing to accept nightly score board failure - with good effort so that the kids could develop.

He ground Colin White into dust. Say what you want about White. When he plays with confidence and solid linemates he's a second line center and is paid like one. Smith ruined him.

JBD and Lassi have lost their belief in themselves because he has buried them in the minors to play old ineffective goofs in front of them.
Josh Brown
Zaitsev
Chabot has played a career worth of hockey in three years if you add up the TOI.

He clings to useless hard hitting "edge" players even though that style has consistently failed him and the team.


he does not hold the top six accountable
BRADY holds them accountable.

Conflicting feelings today.

There are quite a few people in social media land intrigued by this home and home series against the Wings for playoff opportunity. Is it bad that I am just not feeling that energy? It's nice to have "meaning fun games" but I struggle the actual teams sees them that way with slow start after slow start.

A full and complete 60 minute effort could really give everyone a boost of confidence.

Have to believe that a deal is to come at some point, unless the current ownership directed a Zaitsev move. Which is hard to comprehend seeing the amount of bidding groups involved to purchase the team.

Conflicting feelings today.

There are quite a few people in social media land intrigued by this home and home series against the Wings for playoff opportunity. Is it bad that I am just not feeling that energy? It's nice to have "meaning fun games" but I struggle the actual teams sees them that way with slow start after slow start.

A full and complete 60 minute effort could really give everyone a boost of confidence.

Have to believe that a deal is to come at some point, unless the current ownership directed a Zaitsev move. Which is hard to comprehend seeing the amount of bidding groups involved to purchase the team.
- Gord_Wilson_2.0

I hear you. If they sweep the series though, will that change the mentallity into the rest of the week?

The Senators have to be careful. The injury to Forsberg may have changed their trade deadline plans for Talbot, but there are hard decisions to be made this off-season. Dorion will be forced to compromise, because there's just no way for them to have all of the following on next year's roster:
- DeBrincat extension at >$8M
- another Top-4D at >$5M
- long-term RFA deal for Pinto at >$4M
- 2 goaltenders making ~$3M
- an under-performing bottom-6F making ~$3M

Pinto could be offered a bridge deal, but they have to start taking advantage of the cap advantage of prospects like Sogaard, Greig, and Bernard-Docker. Sogaard could save them $1M-$2M over a Talbot extension. Greig saves them at least $2M-$3M vs. a UFA equivalent winger, and Bernard-Docker could save them another $1M on a veteran depth D-man. They'll also have the likes of Thomson, Sokolov, and potentially even Kleven to consider as options, assuming he's signed after the NCAA season.

Now the combination of those things could afford them the cap space to add a significant top-4D, but they have to tolerate the risk of bringing those prospects into substantial roles, and actually let them play. That means NOT re-signing Talbot, NOT overspending on depth D-men, NOT trying to sign Pinto to a deal like they gave White, etc. The team will get $5M back against the cap in 2023/24 when they stop having to pay for salary retention/buyouts, but next year in particular they simply can't afford to waste cap space and not deploy the talent in their prospect system.
- khawk

Both Dorion and Smith know that once they leave Ottawa they will never be a GM or a coach in the NHL ever again.

Dorion knows he can't trade DeBrincat for anything because no contender even wants him in their lineup while no bottom feeder is going to want to pay the guy 9 million for 1 year and then let him walk or cripple their team going forward by extending him; and PD can't afford to look bad on the DeBrincat acquisition so he has no choice but to sign him. The only question is how badly is he willing to hurt the team. A long term 8+ million dollar deal destroys this teams chances of ever competing for the Cup but enough of the fan base would cheer hysterically making him look good to the new owners so I'm thinking that's what will happen.

I don't think PD is so incompetent that he would grossly overpay for a RD at the deadline but with this guy you can never tell. If they win both games against Detroit in regulation he might feel that he'd be safe in taking the plunge.

As far as Pinto goes PD has already shown that he doesn't give a damn about the bottom six and signing DeBrincat would be the more popular move so I wouldn't be surprised to see PD give Pinto + away for somebody like Dumba.

As far as Talbot goes it depends on what happens with the other stuff but PD will most likely double down and extend him even though the talk is Talbot already turned down a low ball offer.

In the end every move will be made according to what PD thinks looks best to the new owners; especially if they are not hockey people.

Jake McCabe is a leaf

Jake McCabe is a leaf
- Mithos

Sereious arms race going on right now.

If they are going to trade Debrincat, the offseason is the place to do it. And I agree...can't afford to give out that kind of money to a 2nd line winger. I don't mind the move at the time, but don't compound the mistake now. Definitely not a 8 or 9 million dollar player.

If Talbot turned that amount down it is either because he believes he is worth more in the open market or he wants to play for a contender at that price point, wants to dictate where he will end his career. I think there will be a glut of backup, $1 to $2 million dollar goalies in the offseason. I would prefer they give the backup job to Mads but no guaranteed that Forsberg will come back strong. I came back off of two MCL tears (with surgery) to still play goal...but I'm s*** and not a professional.

If this team had addressed the RD issue in the offseason properly and affordably (hello John Marino) and had a better coach, I think they would be a playoff team at the end of this season. And yet another poor start dooms them.

Serious arms race going on right now.
- david22

The team hasn't delivered a clear message to Dorion that they're ready for the playoffs and are just suffering the inevitable consequence of yet another terrible start. They're a mediocre 4-3-1 in February, and more than 1/2 of their point came against STL, MTL, and CHI... and that includes blowing a late 2G lead vs. CHI, and playing like garbage for the first 2 periods vs. MTL. They need to back off any perceived trade pressure, avoid the crazy bidding wars, and then maybe see who's on the table later in the week as a good-value pick-up. Ideally, they might be able to use picks/prospects to lessen the AAV of a top-4D with maybe 2-3 years of term remaining. What the Leafs just did with McCabe is a near-perfect example.

What little I've seen of this Gauthier guy I've liked for the most part. He can skate straight up and down very well and has a shot which he showed in his goal against Montreal.

Two years ago I posted that Tkachuk needed to work with a skating coach to work on his edges because every time he tried to pivot he was falling down and I think he must have done that because he's not falling down anymore when he tries to be evasive with the puck.

That's not because of my post obviously but others must have felt the same way and he acted on it. Gauthier needs to do the same thing this summer. Apparently the Sens have a very good skating coach whose name I can't remember off hand and I hope there will be others in the organization that see the potential in this young man and steer him in that direction.

What little I've seen of this Gauthier guy I've liked for the most part. He can skate straight up and down very well and has a shot which he showed in his goal against Montreal.

Two years ago I posted that Tkachuk needed to work with a skating coach to work on his edges because every time he tried to pivot he was falling down and I think he must have done that because he's not falling down anymore when he tries to be evasive with the puck.

That's not because of my post obviously but others must have felt the same way and he acted on it. Gauthier needs to do the same thing this summer. Apparently the Sens have a very good skating coach whose name I can't remember off hand and I hope there will be others in the organization that see the potential in this young man and steer him in that direction.
- Whatisavailable

Gauthier strikes me as a pretty decent addition to the 4th line. He's got the size/speed to make an impact despite limited minutes and enough goal-scoring instinct to bury his chances. He's also unlikely to be more than a bottom-6 forward and should be a relatively affordable RFA player for at least 2-3 years. If they can expand upon his defensive game enough to trust him with PK minutes, it will be a very good trade. He's also pretty clearly happy to be part of the team, which I'm sure will help endear him to the fanbase.

Stu trying to put the team on his back after chabot screws up again