Michael Stuart: Submit Your Questions to Mike's Mailbag!

Do the Leafs target Hainsey at the trade deadline?

When do you think the sens will make an impactful trade again? I am not talking about upcoming deadline moves, but rather a large transaction (a la Duchene/Karlsson) to get developed talent. I say this as they are going to have a bevy prospects after the coming draft and only so many spots

If the Sens don’t land the top pick, do they try to put together a package to move up for Lafrenière?

Time to offer Zaitsev, Ennis, and Hainsey back to the Leafs for Ceci, Harpur, and Luchuk, plus their 1st in 2021, with Ottawa retaining all of the salary necessary in 2019/20 to keep it balanced. Maybe throw in STL's 6th-2020 for SJ's 7th-2020 to "even it out".

Why didn't the Ravens run the danged ball?

If the Sens don’t land the top pick, do they try to put together a package to move up for Lafrenière?
- LondonSen

I don't think so. I doubt there's any point.

If they do luck out and get the first overall, it would take a pretty monumental offer to make me consider moving him.

When do Callahan,Gaborik, and MacArthur come off the books and what impact will that have on front office decisions? Do we throw Bobby Ryan in that conversation as well?

If the Sens don’t land the top pick, do they try to put together a package to move up for Lafrenière?
- LondonSen

Fact: Lafrenière will be drafted 1st overall.
We will know the teams selecting him (and Byfield) in April.

NO way any team will do that, including the Sens. It doesn't happen anymore.


*Sens NEED a top 3 pick, without a doubt a top 5 pick. None of this crap of not getting top picks. That means they need to aim to finish in 30th place. Trade away Pageau, Demelo, and others that won't matter in 3-4 years from now and will give us good returns + a better draft position by 1-3 spaces*

Does Demelo get resigned or does he get traded?

Does Demelo get resigned or does he get traded?
- Bartacus

Good question

I think the Sens want him back and will offer him a contract. I can easily see him resigning here in Ottawa but I don't see him with the Sens without a contract going into UFA. If they can't work out a deal in the next 30 days or so I'm sure he'll be shopped

Good question

I think the Sens want him back and will offer him a contract. I can easily see him resigning here in Ottawa but I don't see him with the Sens without a contract going into UFA. If they can't work out a deal in the next 30 days or so I'm sure he'll be shopped
- AlfieisKing

Multiple teams are in CAP trouble with their problems only getting more severe next year and beyond. Teams are learning to sign their RFA's to top dollar, long term deals. Veteran UFA players will be squeezed as the UFA market plays itself out.

Essentially, rather than pay a player for past performance (Ryan, Karlsson, Duchene and even Mark Stone), you need to pay them relative to anticipated performance or trade them or let them walk.

Somebody next year will pay Taylor Hall huge dollars over seven years and come to regret the decision within a few years later.

As a general operating principle, teams should not sign their own UFA's unless they are dealing with an exceptional talent and they are able to keep the term of the deal to a reasonable limit (eg three years).

Open CAP space is a strategic weapon. The Sens should continue to maximize the leverage that comes from holding open CAP space. Signing of a key veteran UFA will only be appropriate when the Sens have a core group of young talented players capable of contending for a Cup.

The CAP drama in Toronto best illustrates the future dilemma facing some NHL GM's. The Leafs are one point ahead of Florida but the Panthers have a game in hand. The Leafs will drop out of a playoff placement when the Panthers move ahead of them in the standings.

More important, the Leafs have shaky goaltending and their defensive team has not played well and have been decimated by injuries (Morgan Rielly now out for 8 weeks).

So, the Leafs need goaltending and defensive help. Riddle me this, how do the Leafs adapt for their goaltending and defensive challenges without the flexibility of CAP space?

Leafs will need some CAP space to fix the problem. What is the price they are going to have to pay to get this done? Remember, it has already cost them their 2020 1st round pick (Carolina) so they could move Marleau off their CAP.

Interesting, early stage panic starting to creep into Toronto centric media. They are beginning to realize the disaster of last summer when the Leafs gave up Kadri, Hainsey, Connor Brown and Zaitsev in order to strengthen their D by adding Tyson Barrie and Ceci. This is a good Hockey News discussion of the topic. https://thehockeynews.com...fs-blueline-so-whats-next

Fact: Lafrenière will be drafted 1st overall.
We will know the teams selecting him (and Byfield) in April.

NO way any team will do that, including the Sens. It doesn't happen anymore.


*Sens NEED a top 3 pick, without a doubt a top 5 pick. None of this crap of not getting top picks. That means they need to aim to finish in 30th place. Trade away Pageau, Demelo, and others that won't matter in 3-4 years from now and will give us good returns + a better draft position by 1-3 spaces*
- AlfieisKing

I disagree. if a team like Detroit wins the 1st overall, and Ottawa offers them say the 3rd and 6th picks....they HAVE to consider it.

the wings don't have a great prospect pool right now, so adding 2 GREAT prospects, instead of 1 REALLY GREAT one might help them.

Imagine the wings adding something like Drysdale and Rossi, might be worth moving the 1st overall

What or who do you legitimately believe is a legit NHL player down in Belleville.

Perhaps the bigger question will be how Ottawa will manage to keep everyone through the expansion draft? That might be the reason their NHL time is being managed.

I disagree. if a team like Detroit wins the 1st overall, and Ottawa offers them say the 3rd and 6th picks....they HAVE to consider it.

the wings don't have a great prospect pool right now, so adding 2 GREAT prospects, instead of 1 REALLY GREAT one might help them.

Imagine the wings adding something like Drysdale and Rossi, might be worth moving the 1st overall
- sensarmy_11

No, nobody is moving 1st overall

Lots of talk of 'weaponizing cap space', but that's something the Sens have avoided to date unless the contract is heavily insured. It's all about limiting money out with Melnyk steering. That said, we can dare to dream; any chance Sens leverage their cap in a meaningful way this time around, and if so, what overpaid pending UFA targets do you see worth chasing?

Lots of talk of 'weaponizing cap space', but that's something the Sens have avoided to date unless the contract is heavily insured. It's all about limiting money out with Melnyk steering. That said, we can dare to dream; any chance Sens leverage their cap in a meaningful way this time around, and if so, what overpaid pending UFA targets do you see worth chasing?
- Bartacus

I would love to see what we could get from Edm for taking Gagner, or Pitt for taking Galchenyuk

Question for my Sens-fan brothers:

What are the seats in 200 level like? Worth the extra $50 more than 300 level?

I disagree. if a team like Detroit wins the 1st overall, and Ottawa offers them say the 3rd and 6th picks....they HAVE to consider it.

the wings don't have a great prospect pool right now, so adding 2 GREAT prospects, instead of 1 REALLY GREAT one might help them.

Imagine the wings adding something like Drysdale and Rossi, might be worth moving the 1st overall
- sensarmy_11

The fact Ottawa would make that trade is the exact reason Detroit wouldn’t.

The CAP drama in Toronto best illustrates the future dilemma facing some NHL GM's. The Leafs are one point ahead of Florida but the Panthers have a game in hand. The Leafs will drop out of a playoff placement when the Panthers move ahead of them in the standings.

More important, the Leafs have shaky goaltending and their defensive team has not played well and have been decimated by injuries (Morgan Rielly now out for 8 weeks).

So, the Leafs need goaltending and defensive help. Riddle me this, how do the Leafs adapt for their goaltending and defensive challenges without the flexibility of CAP space?

Leafs will need some CAP space to fix the problem. What is the price they are going to have to pay to get this done? Remember, it has already cost them their 2020 1st round pick (Carolina) so they could move Marleau off their CAP.

Interesting, early stage panic starting to creep into Toronto centric media. They are beginning to realize the disaster of last summer when the Leafs gave up Kadri, Hainsey, Connor Brown and Zaitsev in order to strengthen their D by adding Tyson Barrie and Ceci. This is a good Hockey News discussion of the topic. https://thehockeynews.com...fs-blueline-so-whats-next
- spatso

leafs should never have signed marner and should have traded him for a legit 1-2 Dman, they are so front loaded that a Goaltender on a hot streak and they are done if they make the playoffs. Mathews and Marner are overpaid by 2m each and tavares by 1-2m, they have not won any cups, Kane a Toews at least won 3 cups before they got 10.5m and now Chicago is a lottery team because of bad contracts.

Regular season stats are meaningless, its the cup that matters, Mathews can sore 100 goals a year for the next 5 years its all meaningless if the leafs get booted out in the first round if they even make the playoffs.

The leafs are a great teaching tool for the sens on how NOT to build a team...EDM has the same problem but they have a legit generational player in MCDavid but they are a bubble team themselves.

Question for my Sens-fan brothers:

What are the seats in 200 level like? Worth the extra $50 more than 300 level?
- Atomic Wedgie

Yes- my family's seasons tickets were right in the middle at the 200 level. I think section 218. Can see the play develop really well and all the small details of the game

300 level is fine if you don't mind the distance- tends to be more of a party there as well

Yes- my family's seasons tickets were right in the middle at the 200 level. I think section 218. Can see the play develop really well and all the small details of the game

300 level is fine if you don't mind the distance- tends to be more of a party there as well
- AlexBoucher

Thanks. I did the math - last time I saw a game there was 1997. IIRC, the very top of the upper bowl is waaaaaaay far from the ice.

Thanks. I did the math - last time I saw a game there was 1997. IIRC, the very top of the upper bowl is waaaaaaay far from the ice.
- Atomic Wedgie[/q

You won't be disappointed!

Question for my Sens-fan brothers:

What are the seats in 200 level like? Worth the extra $50 more than 300 level?
- Atomic Wedgie

200s, front row, centre ice are the best seats I have sat in there. May be personal preference, but you feel close but your far enough away to see plays develop on boths ends to the ice. I only sat there once as a kid when Shaun Van Allen scored in OT in game one of the Devils/Sens conference final series. 2003 I think? Was crazy cool.