In fairness, the Sens were the last place team in the league defensively. Won't be hard to improve when all you can do is go up and not down.

Last place team defensively. Among the top offensively. Looking to Phaneuf to solve the defensive woes. Thinking they stole him from another team. Finishing 10th or 11th in the conference. Does that not sounds like exactly where the Leafs were 2-3 years ago?
- systemtool

Well as long as the Sens are happy wallowing in the poop..sounds like they are

i didnt even mention the Leafs got a Prospect and a 2nd out of the deal
all for unloading a boat anchor

Ottawa doesn't have the funds to put together a winning team so long as Melnyk is around.
- Feeling Glucky?

Melnyk has the funds to build a Stanely Cup contender, and to fund the LeBreton redevelopment, which will be source of increased future funding for the Senators for decades to come.

leaf fans can't use "they don't spend to the cap" excuse anymore, as it's obvious there is more than enough funding to run an NHL franchise and to take on the largest urban redevelopment project in the entire country.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/ca...ats-winning-bid-1.3555832

Do you see any graduates from the AHL team, making the leafs roster next season?
- D0PPELGANGER

I do. We saw many of them at the end of last year.

Nylander. Sosh. Hyman. Carrick. Brown.

I am confident that Phaneuf is going to get a lot of credit this year for the Sens playing a far stronger defensive game. Ceci/Phaneuf will take some pressure off of Karlsson/Methot. Not sure that Phaneuf will have the impact of Kessel in leading Pittsburg in their Stanley Cup run, but he will have a very good year. The Phaneuf deal was a shrewd move by Ottawa. Hard to believe the Leafs took back more than $10.5m in salary as well.
- spatso

Do you even math, bro?

Lindberg – 2-way deal, will be the ahl. Zero caphit.

Cowen – will be bought out. $650k cap SAVINGSSSSSSSS!!!!!

So: Michalek @ $4M + Greening @ $2.65M – Cowen @ $650k = $6M

So $1M in cap savings vs. Phanuef.

Not too smart, are you.

SENS are in a better position because they 100% won't be signing Stamkos

Melnyk has the funds to build a Stanely Cup contender, and to fund the LeBreton redevelopment, which will be source of increased future funding for the Senators for decades to come.

leaf fans can't use "they don't spend to the cap" excuse anymore, as it's obvious there is more than enough funding to run an NHL franchise and to take on the largest urban redevelopment project in the entire country.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/ca...ats-winning-bid-1.3555832
- D0PPELGANGER

Or more likely, melynk bankrupts both the development and the sens.

Do you even math, bro?

Lindberg – 2-way deal, will be the ahl. Zero caphit.

Cowen – will be bought out. $650k cap SAVINGSSSSSSSS!!!!!

So: Michalek @ $4M + Greening @ $2.65M – Cowen @ $650k = $6M

So $1M in cap savings vs. Phanuef.

Not too smart, are you.
- Tumbleweed

SENS are in a better position because they 100% won't be signing Stamkos
- daeth

Turris. Zibanejad. Lazar. Some jabroni maybe Pageau.

Arguably the worst center depth in the league. Cup winning teams are built down the middle. They all have that ace at center.

In fairness, the Sens were the last place team in the league defensively. Won't be hard to improve when all you can do is go up and not down.

Last place team defensively. Among the top offensively. Looking to Phaneuf to solve the defensive woes. Thinking they stole him from another team. Finishing 10th or 11th in the conference. Does that not sounds like exactly where the Leafs were 2-3 years ago?
- systemtool

It needs to be pointed out again - the Sens got scored on, with Karlsson on the ice, at ES, at a pretty low rate. They were pretty decent. With Karlsson on the ice, their goals against rate was by far the worst in the league.

This is a trend with Karlsson. To some extent, it happens every year.

If they ever plan on tightening up defensively, they're going to have to teach Karlsson how to defend, or just get rid of him. The Sens will never stop bleeding goals with Karlsson doing the things he does.

Turris. Zibanejad. Lazar. Some jabroni maybe Pageau.

Arguably the worst center depth in the league. Cup winning teams are built down the middle. They all have that ace at center.
- systemtool

That challenges for the worst set of centres in the league for this upcoming season. I can't think of a set of centres I would take this group over. Arizona maybe?

EDIT - Jersey and Nashville. That's all.

Bottom 5 group in the NHL easily though.

Turris. Zibanejad. Lazar. Some jabroni maybe Pageau.

Arguably the worst center depth in the league. Cup winning teams are built down the middle. They all have that ace at center.
- systemtool

Turris = Toews
Zibanejad is a young Sundin
Lazar is the next Kris Draper

On the cusp of greatness.

Do you even math, bro?

Lindberg – 2-way deal, will be the ahl. Zero caphit.

Cowen – will be bought out. $650k cap SAVINGSSSSSSSS!!!!!

So: Michalek @ $4M + Greening @ $2.65M – Cowen @ $650k = $6M

So $1M in cap savings vs. Phanuef.

Not too smart, are you.
- Tumbleweed

This takes money ,ottawa moved their dead cap for a useful player .With the money we saved ,it lessens the average salary for us .Cap hit really doesnt matter ,even with resigning our ufa,s we should still have plenty left

Turris = Toews
Zibanejad is a young Sundin
Lazar is the next Kris Draper

On the cusp of greatness.
- daeth

Don't forget they have Giroux too. I forgot that.

This takes money ,ottawa moved their dead cap for a useful player .With the money we saved ,it lessens the average salary for us .Cap hit really doesnt matter ,even with resigning our ufa,s we should still have plenty left
- top shelf 15

Of course. Brilliant move by the Sens.

Don't forget they have Giroux too. I forgot that.
- systemtool

It'a actually Pagiroux.

Turris. Zibanejad. Lazar. Some jabroni maybe Pageau.

Arguably the worst center depth in the league. Cup winning teams are built down the middle. They all have that ace at center.
- systemtool

One thing i can agree on ,we have a solid number 2 and 3 center.But that ace is what we are missing ,i think we a very solid at wing and depth is decent .But this team need a number one to set it all up

This takes money ,ottawa moved their dead cap for a useful player .With the money we saved ,it lessens the average salary for us .Cap hit really doesnt matter ,even with resigning our ufa,s we should still have plenty left
- top shelf 15

or another way to look at it:

Ottawa got bullied by a team with more money into taking on the 2nd worst contract in the league for a dman; and all the got in return was some short-term financial relief.

Of course. Brilliant move by the Sens.
- systemtool

I thought it was ,we didnt really bleed out youth or anything useful to gain a solid 2nd pairing guy .With expansion coming ,we would have probably had no one to replace Methot should he have been selected.Now we have Phaneuf ,and Chabot coming in a couple of years

or another way to look at it:

Ottawa got bullied by a team with more money into taking on the 2nd worst contract in the league for a dman; and all the got in return was some short-term financial relief.
- Tumbleweed

Expansion bro ,you can only protect a few defenders.Methot is more than likely gonzo .And we cant just trying out kids in the top 4

I thought it was ,we didnt really bleed out youth or anything useful to gain a solid 2nd pairing guy .With expansion coming ,we would have probably had no one to replace Methot should he have been selected.Now we have Phaneuf ,and Chabot coming in a couple of years

- top shelf 15

I bet you did think that.

I thought it was ,we didnt really bleed out youth or anything useful to gain a solid 2nd pairing guy .With expansion coming ,we would have probably had no one to replace Methot should he have been selected.Now we have Phaneuf ,and Chabot coming in a couple of years

- top shelf 15

you bled cap space and more importantly to Ottawa, budget, on a decent dman, who is in his decline in his early 30s, and doesn't do NEARLY enough to take the leagues worst defensive team to even a decent defensive team.

Expansion bro ,you can only protect a few defenders.Methot is more than likely gonzo .And we cant just trying out kids in the top 4
- top shelf 15

I doubt you even have to protect Phaneuf, I don't think there would be too many teams looking to take him without dumping salary back on the Sens.

I love how there are Sens fans that were professing that Phaneuf is just fine on Ottawa, since he'll be second pairing, and that's really where he belongs, yet, now you've got some Sens fans chirping that they'll get a TONNE of use out of him, and he'll be second on the Sens in ice time, and that's a huge improvement. He makes Methot expendable???? Which is it? Is Phaneuf going to be fine because he's sheltered on the second pairing in Ottawa, or is he going to be taking 23 minutes a game like Sens fans are now claiming? Because, just a few months ago, we were told the problem in Toronto was that he can't handle that much responsibility. And now, exactly that, is the answer to the Sens problems???

I bet you did think that.
- systemtool

I did ,everything Ottawa does isnt without serious deliberation.This is because we have EM as an owner ,no way he takes on a Phaneuf,s deal unless there was something to either be lost our gained for our club .Hell i was just surprised it wasnt done sooner ,our inabilty to ice a nhl calibre top 4 .Has cost us much in the last few seasons ,having two of Boro,Wiercicoh and Cowen play in your top 6 would damage any team .

Phaneuf isnt a savior ,he is expected to at least be a solid number 4 for us .Ceci is the guy that will be the man on the 2nd pairing ,which for us is a good thing .As most that see him agree he is a very solid young and improving number 3

you bled cap space and more importantly to Ottawa, budget, on a decent dman, who is in his decline in his early 30s, and doesn't do NEARLY enough to take the leagues worst defensive team to even a decent defensive team.



I doubt you even have to protect Phaneuf, I don't think there would be too many teams looking to take him without dumping salary back on the Sens.

I love how there are Sens fans that were professing that Phaneuf is just fine on Ottawa, since he'll be second pairing, and that's really where he belongs, yet, now you've got some Sens fans chirping that they'll get a TONNE of use out of him, and he'll be second on the Sens in ice time, and that's a huge improvement. He makes Methot expendable???? Which is it? Is Phaneuf going to be fine because he's sheltered on the second pairing in Ottawa, or is he going to be taking 23 minutes a game like Sens fans are now claiming? Because, just a few months ago, we were told the problem in Toronto was that he can't handle that much responsibility. And now, exactly that, is the answer to the Sens problems???
- prock

NMC means we have to protect him which is fine ,again actual dollars are what matter in Ottawa not cap.Having phaneuf is more to mitigate the probable loss of Methot in expansion ,and to provide some veteran support until another hopeful develops and tries to crack our lineup in Chabot

Phaneuf isnt a savior ,he is expected to at least be a solid number 4 for us .Ceci is the guy that will be the man on the 2nd pairing ,which for us is a good thing .As most that see him agree he is a very solid young and improving number 3
- top shelf 15

There are quite a few stats to indicate that Cody Ceci is among the worst dmen in the entire league. The same stats that Sens fans try to use to defend Karlsson and Stone.

Did you watch the world championships? Did you see how they gave him his ice time against teams like France and Hungary? They were using him to rest the good players? Then when they faced good teams, he sat on the bench a lot more (and was still a weakness in the little bits of ice he got).

NMC means we have to protect him which is fine ,again actual dollars are what matter in Ottawa not cap.Having phaneuf is more to mitigate the probable loss of Methot in expansion ,and to provide some veteran support until another hopeful develops and tries to crack our lineup in Chabot
- top shelf 15

depends what the rule is. If so, that trade means you gained Phaneuf, and lost Methot. Something a good portion of the hockey world will see as little more than a lateral move.