Trevor Shackles: Thursday Think Tank: Duchene's Phenomenal 12 Months Various thoughts on this week's Think Tank!

Not sure where this comment came from "Get ready to love Eugene again.". It ain't happening.

Agreed on the 7D thing. It is very disruptive to the forward and defensive line combinations. Time for it to end.

Wolani's play is much improved over training camp, especially defensively. I would like to see what Troy Mann could do working with Jaros and Lajoie for a few months. I'm pretty sure that Mann will be coaching the team next year as he has the strong development background, is ready for the opportunity and would come at an entry level coach's salary.

I think this model for LeBreton works. Trinity does the real estate development and Devcore (Cirque du Soleil plus other huge money interest) take on the entertainment side of the proposal. We don't know which side the hotel and restaurant services fall. How far behind is the proposal for a downtown casino?

Melnyk maintains a position on the Board but not as primary owner. This is likely more about providing transition and avoiding the possibility of triggering a debt crisis for Melnyk in the short term. Not sure we can generate any love for Melnyk. But, he does get to keep the liver.

TO Ottawa J.Puljujarvi. B.Manning . A.Sekera and a conditional 2nd becoming a first if Edmonton makes it to western finals .

TO Edmonton R.Dzingel . C.Ceci . M.Boedker

I feel it's a fair trade for both parties .Ottawa gets a guy in Sekera that can play and help our young defence .Manning is a filler so some of our younger dmen dont keep getting trial by fire IE.Jaros.Harpur.Wolanin etc.
And Puljujarvi is the gamble that will be a win or a bust but ultimately will get a different look and a chance to grow with other youthful players whom wont cast a huge shadow IE Mcjesus and Draisaitl.
Colorado gets 2 proven nhl wingers that can score exspecially Dzingel whom is young and in Ceci they get a player who is about the same as Manning but unlike a manning ,Ceci could thrive on an Edmonton team that has a different system amd better players for him to learn and work with

Someone (who has a friend that knows a friend) told me yesterday afternoon that right now there is more interest in Ceci than any other Sen in trade discussions. He is being heavily scouted. No accident he played 23 minutes last night even though Chabot returned to line up and they played 7 Dmen.

I also believe trading Duchene would be best his value is probably the highest it ever will be and I think a team like Columbus would be a good trade partner seeing as they are going all in while they have Panarin and Bobrovsky .I think Ottawa could get someone like Ryan Murray plus for Duchene

TO Ottawa J.Puljujarvi. B.Manning . A.Sekera and a conditional 2nd becoming a first if Edmonton makes it to western finals .

TO Edmonton R.Dzingel . C.Ceci . M.Boedker

I feel it's a fair trade for both parties .Ottawa gets a guy in Sekera that can play and help our young defence .Manning is a filler so some of our younger dmen dont keep getting trial by fire IE.Jaros.Harpur.Wolanin etc.
And Puljujarvi is the gamble that will be a win or a bust but ultimately will get a different look and a chance to grow with other youthful players whom wont cast a huge shadow IE Mcjesus and Draisaitl.
Colorado gets 2 proven nhl wingers that can score exspecially Dzingel whom is young and in Ceci they get a player who is about the same as Manning but unlike a manning ,Ceci could thrive on an Edmonton team that has a different system amd better players for him to learn and work with
- roadzy

for free?

I also believe trading Duchene would be best his value is probably the highest it ever will be and I think a team like Columbus would be a good trade partner seeing as they are going all in while they have Panarin and Bobrovsky .I think Ottawa could get someone like Ryan Murray plus for Duchene
- roadzy

True.

Too bad ottawa grossly overpaid for him and will not get anything close to what they paid.

True.

Too bad ottawa grossly overpaid for him and will not get anything close to what they paid.
- Tumbleweed

Duh!

Until a change in ownership occurs all Sens trades will be upside down with talent going in one direction and salary relief coming from the other. In dealing for Duchene, Ottawa avoided having to do a new deal with Turris.

I will not be surprised to see Stone, Dzingle and Duchene as well as Ceci and Anderson all moved before the deadline. When somebody tells you it is not about the money...it is a lie...it is always about the money.

Ottawa can't just trade away everyone for picks, We should sign Duchene and Stone as our future top line players and core, while we develop our young guys.

We should be trying to trade Ceci, Smith, Ryan. We have good young guys coming up we need to make room for and develop.

Ottawa can't just trade away everyone for picks, We should sign Duchene and Stone as our future top line players and core, while we develop our young guys.

We should be trying to trade Ceci, Smith, Ryan. We have good young guys coming up we need to make room for and develop.
- Maverick1818

I think you are 100% correct.

I think the probability of their taking your advice is less than 10%.

Ottawa can't just trade away everyone for picks, We should sign Duchene and Stone as our future top line players and core, while we develop our young guys.

We should be trying to trade Ceci, Smith, Ryan. We have good young guys coming up we need to make room for and develop.
- Maverick1818

It really makes no sense signing both Dutchy and Stone .You only need 1 Captain to bring your team into the future whom will be grossly over paid to stay with a developing team .Why grossly over pay 2 players in there prime to keep your team from gathering picks and prospects they need to develop . I believe keeping stone and over paying him is by far the smartest move he is Captain material and has a 200 foot game that anybody would love to have young guys model there game after .Dutchy is a 1 dimensional player though very talented would be wasted on our current roster and could provide us a good young player and picks to speed up our rebuild .

I think this model for LeBreton works. Trinity does the real estate development and Devcore (Cirque du Soleil plus other huge money interest) take on the entertainment side of the proposal. We don't know which side the hotel and restaurant services fall. How far behind is the proposal for a downtown casino?

Melnyk maintains a position on the Board but not as primary owner. This is likely more about providing transition and avoiding the possibility of triggering a debt crisis for Melnyk in the short term. Not sure we can generate any love for Melnyk. But, he does get to keep the liver.
- spatso

I hear All-Star break is when Cirque Du Soleil takes over

So if Ceci and Manning are a wash as you imply, the Oilers would be trading 2016's 4th overall pick (Puljujarvi), the lead singer from Chicago (Sekera) and a conditional 2nd (?) for a rental (Dzingle) and a scrub (Boedker). I know Peter Chiarelli is less than smart... but unlikely...

So if Ceci and Manning are a wash as you imply, the Oilers would be trading 2016's 4th overall pick (Puljujarvi), the lead singer from Chicago (Sekera) and a conditional 2nd (?) for a rental (Dzingle) and a scrub (Boedker). I know Peter Chiarelli is less than smart... but unlikely...
- grim

Pulijarvi is shaping up to be a bust, sekara is a cap dump, and the 2nd is m'eh

Dzingel would be the best winger on that roster, and boedker wouldn't be far behind.

I wouldn't even do that deal from Ottawa's perspective if Boedker wasn't included, I think adding him makes it an overpayment on Ottawa's behalf.

I hear All-Star break is when Cirque Du Soleil takes over
- JACMAN

Josh Norris had season ending surgery, his NCAA season is over.

sucks for the kid, but hopefully he comes back strong. don't think he would have been here next year, likely back in the NCAA, so he should have lots of recovery time.

didn't hear what the injury was.....does anyone know

So if Ceci and Manning are a wash as you imply, the Oilers would be trading 2016's 4th overall pick (Puljujarvi), the lead singer from Chicago (Sekera) and a conditional 2nd (?) for a rental (Dzingle) and a scrub (Boedker). I know Peter Chiarelli is less than smart... but unlikely...
- grim

Not entirely sure you have looked at the options Edmonton has for wingers ? Um Lucic, Chiasson need I say more ? Ziggy and Bordker would be a drastic up grade and the only way it's not an over payment on Ottawas part is if Pul becomes more than a busted bottom line minute eater

Pulijarvi is shaping up to be a bust, sekara is a cap dump, and the 2nd is m'eh

Dzingel would be the best winger on that roster, and boedker wouldn't be far behind.

I wouldn't even do that deal from Ottawa's perspective if Boedker wasn't included, I think adding him makes it an overpayment on Ottawa's behalf.
- sensarmy_11

Boedker is on pace for 9 goals. Nobody is looking for a $4M cap hit forward on pace for 9 goals.

Boedker is on pace for 9 goals. Nobody is looking for a $4M cap hit forward on pace for 9 goals.
- SensFan25

9 goals, but nearly 50 pts......and that's being anchored to guys like pyatt and paarjavi all year.

goals are obviously incredibly important, but don't overlook playmaking.....and strong 2-way play.

boedker obviously isn't a game breaker, but he would EASILY be a top six winger in Edmonton

Duh!

Until a change in ownership occurs all Sens trades will be upside down with talent going in one direction and salary relief coming from the other. In dealing for Duchene, Ottawa avoided having to do a new deal with Turris.

I will not be surprised to see Stone, Dzingle and Duchene as well as Ceci and Anderson all moved before the deadline. When somebody tells you it is not about the money...it is a lie...it is always about the money.
- spatso

that's a new one ek jr. trading guys at a massive loss before they have a bad contract.

well, i can at least admit I was wrong about something. you can shove your head further up your ass.

that's a new one ek jr. trading guys at a massive loss before they have a bad contract.

well, i can at least admit I was wrong about something. you can shove your head further up your ass.
- Tumbleweed

Not really. Same thing happened when they traded Zibanejad. They did not want to negotiate and sign long term deal so they traded him for a player (Brassard) on an existing value deal. There was no serious attempt to sign Stone last year, they gave him a one year bridge deal to free agency. Same for Ceci. They traded Karlsson without ever making him a serious offer. They traded away Turris rather than sign him and got back Duchene who was going into the final year of a relative low cost deal. They dealt Hoffman, they put Smith on waivers.

Melnyk has avoided signing players to long term deals. They do deals where they take back players on bargain contracts always trying to manage down the forward average of the team payroll. No reason to believe that Duchene, Stone, Dzingle, Ceci and Anderson are not going to be part of this same predetermined pattern.

Remember it was this time last year when the Sens asked Karlsson if he would waive his limited no trade deal while saying they wanted to resign him..

The irony is that there is a clever upside in what they are doing. Cap space is a huge asset for a rebuilding team. Even though the Sens may give up most of their veteran players for picks and prospects, they will have no difficulty (in the off season) acquiring other veteran players from teams that are trying to shed cap space.

What we are seeing is pretty ugly and highly discouraging. But, it is textbook strategy for doing a rebuild. It is also consistent with the streamlining of expenditures of a company that is about to be sold into a new ownership group.

I am not suggesting that what the Sens are doing is anything that I am happy about. I am merely saying that there is nothing spontaneous about these outcomes. Zibanejad, Karlsson, Stone, Turris, Duchene, Brassard, Hoffman, Dzingle with more guys to come are merely casualties of a calculated financial strategy...it has nothing to do with hockey.

The final outcome of this process is a team comprised of Bobby Ryan and a lot of really good young players and a boatload of prospects. This is the MBA strategy for winning a Stanley Cup. The fans will buy into it and be highly enthusiastic once Melnyk is gone. But, short term, it is highly discouraging.

So, get ready for Stone in Boston, Duchene with the Islanders, Dzingle in Buffalo, Ceci in Edmonton and Anderson in Colorado. They will make it look like the players choice. But, all you need to do is go back and watch Melnyk's interview with Borowiecki. He lays it all out. 15 plus new players added to the roster in a one year period. It can only mean that 15 had to go.

What happens if they can't reach the cap floor? How below it would they be without Stone, Duchene and Dzingle?

Not really. Same thing happened when they traded Zibanejad. They did not want to negotiate and sign long term deal so they traded him for a player (Brassard) on an existing value deal. There was no serious attempt to sign Stone last year, they gave him a one year bridge deal to free agency. Same for Ceci. They traded Karlsson without ever making him a serious offer. They traded away Turris rather than sign him and got back Duchene who was going into the final year of a relative low cost deal. They dealt Hoffman, they put Smith on waivers.

Melnyk has avoided signing players to long term deals. They do deals where they take back players on bargain contracts always trying to manage down the forward average of the team payroll. No reason to believe that Duchene, Stone, Dzingle, Ceci and Anderson are not going to be part of this same predetermined pattern.

Remember it was this time last year when the Sens asked Karlsson if he would waive his limited no trade deal while saying they wanted to resign him..

The irony is that there is a clever upside in what they are doing. Cap space is a huge asset for a rebuilding team. Even though the Sens may give up most of their veteran players for picks and prospects, they will have no difficulty (in the off season) acquiring other veteran players from teams that are trying to shed cap space.

What we are seeing is pretty ugly and highly discouraging. But, it is textbook strategy for doing a rebuild. It is also consistent with the streamlining of expenditures of a company that is about to be sold into a new ownership group.

I am not suggesting that what the Sens are doing is anything that I am happy about. I am merely saying that there is nothing spontaneous about these outcomes. Zibanejad, Karlsson, Stone, Turris, Duchene, Brassard, Hoffman, Dzingle with more guys to come are merely casualties of a calculated financial strategy...it has nothing to do with hockey.

The final outcome of this process is a team comprised of Bobby Ryan and a lot of really good young players and a boatload of prospects. This is the MBA strategy for winning a Stanley Cup. The fans will buy into it and be highly enthusiastic once Melnyk is gone. But, short term, it is highly discouraging.

So, get ready for Stone in Boston, Duchene with the Islanders, Dzingle in Buffalo, Ceci in Edmonton and Anderson in Colorado. They will make it look like the players choice. But, all you need to do is go back and watch Melnyk's interview with Borowiecki. He lays it all out. 15 plus new players added to the roster in a one year period. It can only mean that 15 had to go.
- spatso

If they were smart they'd capitalize on that now, when trading away said veterans. Knowing this management group they'd screw up their leverage and have to pay teams draft picks to take on their salary since they'd know the Sens have to reach the floor.

As per Sportsnet... "Report: Teams calling Senators about Ceci". The $6M arbitration ask is reason alone to let him go at this point.

Time to really let the Oilers rumours fly.