Trevor Shackles: The Senators are Essentially Circumventing the Cap Ottawa isn't actually spending to the cap floor

Wondering why the league hasn’t forced Melnyk to sell?

Perhaps I can interest you in one Jeff Carter? 5.27mm hit, but 3mm/2mm/2mm over the next 3 years. Call me.

I actually find the whole thing to be quite bizarre... I think the franchise makes money, and he is able to use the fact that the arena situation is keeping the franchise from being more profitable. I also think there is some ego in the way as well. The city doesn't want him, and I doubt the league does either, and I think he is hanging on just to spite them. Eventually they will sort out the arena, and he will turn bigger profits..

I think he'll leave once he gets the price he's looking for...

This is hardly the first time this has happened. Arizona almost single handedly helped Chicago stay cap compliant for a couple years. I believe Friedman calls this "weaponizing" cap space.

How do you prepare a business (any business) to obtain the best return on sale?

You sanitize the books. Reduce expenses, cut cost, avoid or sell off any long term commitments.

Melnyk will sell. Everything he is doing only excites the market for future investors.

Contrary to what most people think. The franchise is actually far more attractive to an investor without having paid out mega contracts to Duchene, Stone, Karlsson, Dzingle and others who have moved on.

The Sens have put together a roster of really nice young players and prospects. And, they have a boat load of picks coming.

So, be patient. This is not about crashing costs for the sake of crashing cost. This is about lip stick.

How do you prepare a business (any business) to obtain the best return on sale?

You sanitize the books. Reduce expenses, cut cost, avoid or sell off any long term commitments.

Melnyk will sell. Everything he is doing only excites the market for future investors.

Contrary to what most people think. The franchise is actually far more attractive to an investor without having paid out mega contracts to Duchene, Stone, Karlsson, Dzingle and others who have moved on.

The Sens have put together a roster of really nice young players and prospects. And, they have a boat load of picks coming.

So, be patient. This is not about crashing costs for the sake of crashing cost. This is about lip stick.
- spatso

I heard the same thing from a close friend of mine that is linked to the club, confirmed what you mentioned above. Melnyk is selling. The group that put a bid on Lebreton flats currently owns Melnyk’s debt. The club will be sold in September.

If Bettman had any kind of balls, he would just contract the league, getting rid of the 2 worst run franchises - Ottawa and Phoenix. But we know his head is too far into Phoenix's butthole it would never happen.

Nothing will change as long as Melnyk owns the team.

It's interesting that if a team tries to go past the cap max people get upset, but teams like Ottawa and Aeizona are fine not coming close to actually spending to the cap floor.

I heard the same thing from a close friend of mine that is linked to the club, confirmed what you mentioned above. Melnyk is selling. The group that put a bid on Lebreton flats currently owns Melnyk’s debt. The club will be sold in September.
- SilverSevens

I keep hearing similar things, yet nothing keeps happening. Hope the rumors are right this time around.

Personally, I don't believe in this book sanitization thing. Giving a clean slate has some advantages on the surface, but you also want to be selling a product that is attractive - i.e.: a team with some key stars/franchise players that are loved by the crowd. Right now, it almost feels like 1993 all over again. Minus Daigle.

I keep hearing similar things, yet nothing keeps happening. Hope the rumors are right this time around.

Personally, I don't believe in this book sanitization thing. Giving a clean slate has some advantages on the surface, but you also want to be selling a product that is attractive - i.e.: a team with some key stars/franchise players that are loved by the crowd. Right now, it almost feels like 1993 all over again. Minus Daigle.
- Panzer_IVA

That shirt time when Daigle played for the Rangers he had a breakaway and with his glove caught a pass behind his back dropped it to his stick and scored. of course today it probably would have been called back for offsides but still a helluva play.

I keep hearing similar things, yet nothing keeps happening. Hope the rumors are right this time around.

Personally, I don't believe in this book sanitization thing. Giving a clean slate has some advantages on the surface, but you also want to be selling a product that is attractive - i.e.: a team with some key stars/franchise players that are loved by the crowd. Right now, it almost feels like 1993 all over again. Minus Daigle.
- Panzer_IVA

Everyone "knows a guy" who has inside information. It happened during the Heatley fiasco, and its happening now.

There's a lot more "chatter" happening now to be fair, but at this point I'll only believe it once its official.

That shirt time when Daigle played for the Rangers he had a breakaway and with his glove caught a pass behind his back dropped it to his stick and scored. of course today it probably would have been called back for offsides but still a helluva play.
- blueshirts_fan

And hey, there's another highly touted French Candian player expected as first overall this draft.

It's not nearly as bad as you're making it sound? They're a team clearly rebuilding that actually has a pretty bright future. Now is not the time to be spending too much on overpriced free agents and mucking up your cap for the future.

By all accounts, they did offer Karlsson, Stone, and Duchene reasonable contracts that were right around what they ultimately signed for.

Gaborik and MacArthur were also on the team and getting paid before their injuries. The Callahan trade was just a good trade for Ottawa any way you look at it.

Sure, Melnyk us a bad owner, but what their doing this is sets them up to be successful in the future far more than spending a bunch of money on middling players that aren't going to do much anyway.

And hey, there's another highly touted French Candian player expected as first overall this draft.
- david22

Will we remember who gets taken 2nd this year?

Melnyk sticks around long enough to collect his franchise fee split from the Seattle team.

NHL has to do a better job of vetting owners.

How do you prepare a business (any business) to obtain the best return on sale?

You sanitize the books. Reduce expenses, cut cost, avoid or sell off any long term commitments.

Melnyk will sell. Everything he is doing only excites the market for future investors.

Contrary to what most people think. The franchise is actually far more attractive to an investor without having paid out mega contracts to Duchene, Stone, Karlsson, Dzingle and others who have moved on.

The Sens have put together a roster of really nice young players and prospects. And, they have a boat load of picks coming.

So, be patient. This is not about crashing costs for the sake of crashing cost. This is about lip stick.
- spatso

it's amusing that you believe this.

Melnyk sticks around long enough to collect his franchise fee split from the Seattle team.

NHL has to do a better job of vetting owners.
- Return of the Roar

Well, if they threaten to move a US-based team to Canada, they can just come up with arbitrary, astronomical relocation fees.

Imo i think we should applaude the cheapness this year. Its not the time to be spending.
But due to recent past actions leaves Sens fans weary and jumpy understandably. If it unfolds properly in a year or 2 this will be brilliant cap space management.
With a caveat... with proper spending right now they could easily jump start this train into forward motion alot quicker.
ie...shoulda,coulda,woulda Mark Stone.

This is hardly the first time this has happened. Arizona almost single handedly helped Chicago stay cap compliant for a couple years. I believe Friedman calls this "weaponizing" cap space.
- leafsfann

It's called "weaponizing the cap" if they actually get assets out of acquiring bad contracts.

Great article.

Hey ottawa fans...plenty of room still on the flyers bandwagon.

We are set up for the 20’s...just about to get interesting.

You deserve better!

There's a lot more "chatter" happening now to be fair, but at this point I'll only believe it once its official.
- david22

Oh, I 100% agree on this.

by July 1st 2020 Chabot will be traded, and the following year, if his development goes the way like his brothers has, Brady will be traded so you can forget about this whole 5 year spending to the cap crap, melnyk has no money to pay Chabot and Brady their bonus laden contracts, as both will want Aho type contracts. As long a melnyk owns the team they will be a farm team for the rest of the NHL.

I am convinced the reason White has not signed a new contract yet is because he want s 3 year one to get him to UFA and then leave ASAP. The number is hockey analysts saying melnyk has no bigness owning a NHL team is increasing rapidly with each move OTT makes or does not make.