A controlled crash

WTF? This is in no way controlled.
- Aetherial

he's so (frank)ing delusional

I don't think I have ever seen someone on this site who has been so embarrassingly wrong about something with such a detailed trail of posts documenting the stupidity, all the while being too proud to admit he was totally wrong.

This is more embarrassing than "not Schenn for JVR".

And even more embarrassing than UG Taxtard going on about how Tavares will never come to Toronto.

Eat crow Spatso. Looks good on you. And when you're done eat a big bag of Richards.

If they would have gotten any reasonable value for him i'd agree with you on all points. I think he next contract will be too high, but they gave him up for so little.

I agree he is not good in his own end.
- Archaic

it always blows my mind that people are so narrow minded that they automatically equate "doesn't stand in front of the net and knock people over" to not being good defensively.

karlsson has higher hockey IQ than 99.99% of players in the NHL, he blocks shots, routinely is at teh top of the league in takeaways, plays a very solid positional game, can kill penalties, is EASILY the best transitional dman in the league, can skate the puck out of trouble in his own end better than anyone in the league.

people who claim karlsson is bad in his own end fall into 1 of 3 categories:

1. trolls and haters
2. never watch him play
3. stuck in the "don cherry era" of hockey fans who think that small fast euro dman can't play D simply based on the fact that they produce points

Looks like Colorado will be in the running for first overall pick while still making the playoffs
- Itsjustarash

coud be worse.........ottawa looks like they'll probably be even worse the next year, and by all accounts Lafreniere looks like he'll be better than hughes

he's so (frank)ing delusional

I don't think I have ever seen someone on this site who has been so embarrassingly wrong about something with such a detailed trail of posts documenting the stupidity, all the while being too proud to admit he was totally wrong.

This is more embarrassing than "not Schenn for JVR".

And even more embarrassing than UG Taxtard going on about how Tavares will never come to Toronto.

Eat crow Spatso. Looks good on you. And when you're done eat a big bag of Richards.
- poopstash

I think he tries to talk himself into believing what he writes. Like if he writes it often enough, it'll somehow be seen as reality. Problem is he has the hit rate of EK when it comes to being accurate.

coud be worse.........ottawa looks like they'll probably be even worse the next year, and by all accounts Lafreniere looks like he'll be better than hughes
- sensarmy_11

That's the spirit.

And yes, Lafrenière is something else...

it always blows my mind that people are so narrow minded that they automatically equate "doesn't stand in front of the net and knock people over" to not being good defensively.

karlsson has higher hockey IQ than 99.99% of players in the NHL, he blocks shots, routinely is at teh top of the league in takeaways, plays a very solid positional game, can kill penalties, is EASILY the best transitional dman in the league, can skate the puck out of trouble in his own end better than anyone in the league.

people who claim karlsson is bad in his own end fall into 1 of 3 categories:

1. trolls and haters
2. never watch him play
3. stuck in the "don cherry era" of hockey fans who think that small fast euro dman can't play D simply based on the fact that they produce points
- sensarmy_11

Having seen the Habs face Erik Karlsson a couple of times in the playoffs.

I can confirm this is true.

The guy can literally take over a game by himself.

That's the spirit.

And yes, Lafrenière is something else...
- Scabeh

Last I looked he's destroying the league as a 16 year old.

He's also only 16 and already listed at 6 Foot 1.

Last I looked he's destroying the league as a 16 year old.

He's also only 16 and already listed at 6 Foot 1.
- david22

I guess the only knock on him is that he's a winger.

But so is Ovechkin and he's not bad at all eh?

I'd do anything to have him on the Habs.

I guess the only knock on him is that he's a winger.

But so is Ovechkin and he's not bad at all eh?

I'd do anything to have him on the Habs.
- Scabeh

A young french canadian superstar? Montreal would go nuts. If they win the lottery that year cries of collusion would be huge.

A young french canadian superstar? Montreal would go nuts. If they win the lottery that year cries of collusion would be huge.
- david22

what could possibly go wrong?

what could possibly go wrong?


- sensarmy_11

Does this make me a bad fan, Adam?
- Mr_Clean

The leafs can save you.

Oh yeah, he may put up 100 points and he'll still be horrible in his own end, which everyone else has known for years except the Ottawa fanbase.

One day, you guys will look back on this trade as the Sens dodging a bullet.

The Sharks won't be any closer to a cup than they were last year.

You really think they can get by Winnipeg, Nashville ... maybe even Vegas? (although everyone expects Vegas to take a step back)
- Aetherial

Uh?
The sharks are much better today then 2 days ago.

This sens team might make the calder cup playoffs.
Think positive

If I was Dorion I would required Merkley in the deal. He will be good. Kids always mature and figure stuff out. He'll be a good player.
- Archaic

1) that statement is completely false... a lot of very talented kids never figure out how to handle the NHL
2) multiple GM's refused to even consider drafting Merkley because of his attitude problems
3) repeating that "he will be good" twice in a four sentence post doesn't make it any more likely to be true

That said, how San Jose managed to escape that trade with all of Hertl, Meier, Labanc, Roy, and their entire original top-4 defence intact is utterly beyond me. Good thing they wasted the entire trade deadline last year trying to make people take Bobby Ryan as well.

The whole situation has been one unfortunate event after another for Sens fans.

While Leafs fans, are chuckling away, there are some of us who sympathize because we know what it is like to have a completely embarrassing organization top to bottom.

It won't last forever, cheer for another team. I never stopped being a Leafs fan, but I did cheer for the Sabres for a couple playoff runs
- Aetherial

Uh?
No true leaf fan would ever cheer for the sabres.
Hand in your card.

i remember hearing that about merkley too......Bobby Mac was saying that more than half the teams in the league had him on their "do not draft" list, based solely on the fact that he has a terrible attitude and is almost uncoachable.

he's definitely a skilled player, but there isn't the leadership or competence in ottawa to take on a project like that....i'm glad they didn't get him
- sensarmy_11

I agree Merkley would have been a disaster in Ott....close to home for him, Canadian media would be all over him. You know he would just snap at one point.

coud be worse.........ottawa looks like they'll probably be even worse the next year, and by all accounts Lafreniere looks like he'll be better than hughes
- sensarmy_11

We will definitely be bottoming out next year and the year after...

coud be worse.........ottawa looks like they'll probably be even worse the next year, and by all accounts Lafreniere looks like he'll be better than hughes
- sensarmy_11

as it stands now...I think thats the right idea. Lafreniere a year later fits the Sens rebuilding timeline.

It sucks that ownership and management has destoryed this franchise the past 10 months but if they do this right and take their time....Sens can be set up really nicely to be a competent competitive team for a long time

it always blows my mind that people are so narrow minded that they automatically equate "doesn't stand in front of the net and knock people over" to not being good defensively.

karlsson has higher hockey IQ than 99.99% of players in the NHL, he blocks shots, routinely is at teh top of the league in takeaways, plays a very solid positional game, can kill penalties, is EASILY the best transitional dman in the league, can skate the puck out of trouble in his own end better than anyone in the league.

people who claim karlsson is bad in his own end fall into 1 of 3 categories:

1. trolls and haters
2. never watch him play
3. stuck in the "don cherry era" of hockey fans who think that small fast euro dman can't play D simply based on the fact that they produce points
- sensarmy_11

Just because someone disagrees with you doesnt make them any of the 3 things you mentioned above, that is extreme tunnel vision on your part. I have seen him play a lot, and he certainly is no where close to a defensive dynamo. Ive seen multiple awful defensive plays and giveaways he has made.

Its my opinion, and I can tell you I am not a troll/hater. I think he is the best offensive dmen in the league, but he is average in his own zone. JMO

1) that statement is completely false... a lot of very talented kids never figure out how to handle the NHL
2) multiple GM's refused to even consider drafting Merkley because of his attitude problems
3) repeating that "he will be good" twice in a four sentence post doesn't make it any more likely to be true

That said, how San Jose managed to escape that trade with all of Hertl, Meier, Labanc, Roy, and their entire original top-4 defence intact is utterly beyond me. Good thing they wasted the entire trade deadline last year trying to make people take Bobby Ryan as well.
- khawk

1. Ok, for the most part kids do mature, they really do. Look a Tyler Seguin as a good example. You need to support players as an organization and set them up to succeed.

2. Multiple GM's thought there were better players on the board, you have zero, and I mean zero actual inside knowledge of what the situation was in every draft room. You saying it on a message board doesnt make it more likely to be true

3. I have actually watched him play in person and its my opinion he will be good..

It's times like these that I wish the NHL was like sports leagues in Europe.

If you're not good enough, you don't get rewarded with the best young talent: You get relegated.

Buh bye TV money. Buh bye merchandising.

Then you can't have people like Melnyk running the team solely for money. If you're bad enough, the money runs out.

https://twitter.com/redsc...tatus/1040309239447732224

The mood in Ottawa this morning

Pageau out 6 months

1. Ok, for the most part kids do mature, they really do. Look a Tyler Seguin as a good example. You need to support players as an organization and set them up to succeed.

2. Multiple GM's thought there were better players on the board, you have zero, and I mean zero actual inside knowledge of what the situation was in every draft room. You saying it on a message board doesnt make it more likely to be true

3. I have actually watched him play in person and its my opinion he will be good..
- Archaic

it's not some guy on a message board making it up.....it was a fact, and discussed heavily during the draft.

from sportsnet

Ryan Merkley was the most polarizing player of the first round, hands down. While he was the first-overall pick of the 2016 OHL Draft and has put up 122 points in 125 games with the Guelph Storm, he was reportedly on a lot of teams’ do-not-draft lists. A first-round — and probably top 10 — talent in a vacuum, Merkley is a high-risk, high-reward prospect who wasn’t even a top-31 pick on draft guru Sam Cosentino’s mock.

a lot of teams flat out said, we wouldn't draft you AT ALL, let alone in the 1st round.

this trade from an ottawa perspective was bad, but the one thing that would have made it potentially even worse was if that kid was involved. i would want nothing to do with him as a prospect