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The Lightning...what have you done?

2008-11-03T22:21:17Z

At the deadline last year I remember hearing rumours that Brad Richards might be moved.� The first thing I thought of was - how can you possibly move that salary.� Even with the market changing and players receiving more and more money on the open market, Brad Richards is still overpaid at 7.8 million dollars - not to mention that he has two more years after this one.� So I was thinking that the Lightning and the Hawks might be good partners.� Brad Richards and his 7.8 million for Nikolai Khabibulin and his 6.75 million dollar contract.� Tampa would receive a goaltender that they're already comfortable with, a guy that had already lead them to the glories of the Stanley Cup, because let's face it, the Lightning's problem wasn't scoring goals, it was keeping the pucks out of their own net.

Then it became know that the Dallas Stars were interested in Richards.� Then came the news that Richards, no trade and all, had been moved to the Stars along with Johan Holmqvist for Mike Smith, Jeff Halpern, Jussi Jokinen and a 4th round pick.

So let me get this straight: the Lightning felt that Richards and his almost 8 million dollar albatross was going to be moved - and they managed to get three NHL hockey players back?� Not to mention Halpern's intangibles.� This is a guy who could be an assistant captain on most teams, he brings leadership, excellent 2-way play, kills penalties and is a two time 20-goal man.� Not to shabby.� Add in Jussi Jokinen and all of a sudden Tampa has one of the best shootout guys in the league and a guy that flirts with 50 points every year.�

However, make no mistake as to what the centerpiece of this trade was.� Mike Smith had a wonderful rookie year for the Stars, appearing in 23 games, posting a 0.912 save % and a 2.22 GAA.� The year he was traded he had a .906 save % and a 2.45 GAA.� His puck handling skills have usurpted even the great Marty Turco - and he needed a place where he could be the number one guy.�

Because I think the management of the Lightning are a little slow when it comes to trades of consequence, I would rather chalk this trade up to Brett Hull and Les Jackson wanting to make a splash in the West that no team could match - and getting over-anxious in the process, but the reality is: this was the first of a few beautiful moves by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

So the Lightning go into the summer without Brad Richards, but with Smith, Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, who is due to come off injury reserve in January.� Very nice.

They weren't done as we all know.

On July 1st they acquired the rights to Ryan Malone and Gary Roberts for a conditional draft pick from the Penguins.� Malone was then signed to a 7 year package that averaged 4.5 million per year.� A little long in the term department, but Malone would be a winger on line two or even flanking Vinny and St.Louis.

Gary Roberts was signed to a one year 2.4 million dollar contract.� Not needed in the least.� Over-zealous?�� But it's not the end of the world.� All of a sudden, the Lightning look pretty good.� Sure they overpaid a veteran forward, but hey, if he can help with his leadership etc., then who's to question?

They added Mark Recchi for 1.5 million and Olaf Kolzig for under a million as insurance.� I think both of these were top notch signings.

Then something happened.� I don't know what exactly, but I can tell you, it's tarnished the Lightning as a franchise and put them back at least a year, probably more like 2 or 3 years.� Don't even look at the fact that the Lightning spend 3 and 3.5 on Prospal and Vrbata, just look to this transaction:

July 4th, 2008:

Breaking News:

The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded Dan Boyle and Brad Lukowich to the San Jose Sharks for Matt Carle, Ty Wishart, a 1st round selection in 2009 and a 4th round selection in 2010.

What!?� Are you guys out of your mind?� You had one of the premiere power-play quarterbacks in the entire NHL, not to mention someone you had just signed to a 7 yar contract extension at 6.7 million per year.� His leadership, his Cup experience and most importantly, his points are gone.� Lukowich is a lesser blow, but a blow nonetheless - but Boyle....Boyle is crippling.� Why?� Because they got back Matt Carle, a guy so lowly regarded in the Sharks' organization that he was a regular healthy scratch.� A guy that had been offered to the Ottawa Senators, along with a 1st round pick, for Wade Redden.� All of a sudden, the Sharks saw a chance to move him and upgrade their puck moving D by about...I don't know...100 to 1.� And they took it.� They send a young prospect Ty Wishart and a 1st rounder to Tampa as well, but I guarantee they didn't mind in the least.

I'm gonna go ahead and call this a franchise dehabilitating trade.� Why?� Because on August 29th, came this:

Breaking News:

Ottawa Senators traded Andrej Meszaros to the Tampa Bay Lightning for Filip Kuba, Alexander Picards and a 1st round selection in 2009.

What a great trade for the Tampa Bay Lightning.� Meszaros is a young buck coming up through the NHL, who had hit a couple of snags along the way, but was probably about ready to break out.� The problem for Tampa here is: what the heck do we do with Meszaros now that we've acquired him?�

Meszaros could have learned so much from Danny Boyle, but...they had just traded him for a lost young man who was in desperate need of direction - much like Meszaros, but really, nowhere near as good.� So, for the entire pre-season Meszaros and Carle made an amusing duo while Paul Ranger was out.� Neither knew exactly what to do with themselves.� 'Mez' would log massive minutes, but strangely the points weren't coming.� Carle would log big minutes, but oddly, the points were coming for him either.

No kidding you idiots!� You traded the wrong guy!� What you should have done, is trade Kuba, Picard and a 1st for Meszaros and bloody kept Danny Boyle!� But no, couldn't leave well enough alone.� Especially when Boyle has come to you and re-affirmed that he didn't want to leave.� Imagine how lethal the Lightning would be with Boyle and Meszaros on the blueline, running the power-play for years to come.� 6 years actually, for both, coincidence?� Not if I was in charge.� Maybe what the Lightning should've done is save some of their money that they threw at the Vrbatas, Roberts, Prospals, etc. etc. etc. and kept Danny Boyle in the mix. Lecavalier and St.Louis would have thanked you because the outlet passes that make a team run would be snapping up the ice.� Instead, the Lightning will not be feared for a while.� Not with their number one and two D-men being young men who haven't 'got it' yet.

I said it at the time and I'll say it again.� Tampa Bay owners and management are idiots.� You needed to leave well enough alone and make smart, franchise forwarding transactions, not alienate one of the premiere D-men in the league and force him to accept a trade - a trade that you flat out lost.

Which brings us full circle to the Brad Richards trade.� Did the Lightning aggresively pursue Mike Smith, Jussi Jokinen and Jeff Halpern, or did the blind squirrel find the nut?

Suprises...good and bad

2008-10-29T19:28:16Z

The NHL is like every other business in the world - it's a 'what have you done for me lately?' business, mixed with a spot of 'you used to be awesome, so we'll give you another chance."� But every year at around the same time, there are guys that open your eyes and make you think..."Hmmm...is he for real?� And if so, can my team get him?".� Sure the usual suspects are doing damage.� Spezza, Thornton, Iginla, Zetterberg, Datsyuk etc. aren't going anywhere anytime soon, but to take a step back and say he's doing well and it's a surprise, that's sometimes the most fun.� So without stretching this intro any farther, let's take a look at what's been...

The 8 Biggest Eye Openers:

1.Ryan Kesler - Vancouver Canucks C.� Have you happened to catch this guy play?� Every time he touches the puck it's absolutely electric.� This is a guy who has it all, speed, decent size, hands and the hockey smarts to put it all together.� And early favourite to be nominted for the Selke - at least!� Bobby Clarke at least got something right when he signed Kesler to an offer sheet.

2.Filip Kuba - Ottawa Senators - D.� Seriously, did you see this coming?� I know he was going to get prime time power-play time, but to have 11 assists in his first 8 games?� That outdoes some of the games top forwards.

3.Aaron Varos - NY Rangers - W.� Nothing more to say here.� Actually there is: where the heck did you come from?� 14 points all of last year - and 9 points in 12 games this year?� Sather should've bought a lottery ticket the day he acquired you, stars were aligned.

4.Keith Tkachuk - St.Louis Blues - W.� 36 years old and his best years behind him right?� Big Walt says: 8 goals in 8 games - no ****ing way sport.�

5.Mike Smith - TB Lightning - G.� How badly does Tampa Bay need this guy right now?� They can't score to save their lives, their D is in shambles, but somehow Mike Smith keeps them in games.� He sports a .941 save % and a 2.13 GAA.� You think TB is underachieving now - imagine if he wasn't up to the task...

6.Mikko Koivu - Minnesota Wild - F.� Electric.� This was supposed to be his brother in Montreal, but instead it's Mikko who's guiding the offense of the Wild.� Suprised?� Some saw it coming, but yes...you should be somewhat surprised.

7.Brandon Dubinsky - NY Rangers� - F.� Jagr calls Tom Renney weekly to get updates on how the kid is doing.� Guess what Jagr?� It's all good.� With 11 points in his first 12 games, Dubinksy is ready to play with the big boys - and he looks damn good doing it.

8.Fabian Brunnstrom - Dallas Stars - F.� Okay...I expected him to get a rude awakening - especially in the West, but he seems to have found his stride quite nicely.� Huge surprise?� Perhaps not, but like Koivu - it certainly could've gone either way.

Let see if there are some more shockers on December 1st.�Until then, check back with me next week and we'll take a look at the early year's Biggest Disappointments.

Enough is enough!!

2008-10-23T14:29:50Z

O.k.� As a die hard Sens fan, anyone who is also in the category knows full well the words 'chokers,' 'instability', and the ever-popular 'goaltending issues.'� Well, after watching my boys lose to the Panthers, despite is being only the 5th game in an 82 game season, I've had enough.� Gerber, you need to go.� PERIOD.

Never mind what the pundits or so-called analysts are always saying about Ottawa's problems and troubles, as fans, we've known FIRSTHAND what ails the Senators and what their achilles heel has always been, except for that brief glimpse of that stacked feeling when Hasek was between the pipes, but that's over and probably best forgotten.� The fact is, seeing as this is the 5th straight game that Gerbs has allowed 3 or more goals not the problem in itself; but rather it's what those 3 goals were!� Letting in softies or tricklers consistently is terrible, not to mention completely deflating to your team mates.� When the onus is put on our top line to score at least 4-5 goals to ensure a victory night in and night out simply because you know you're supposed #1 (and�I HATE using that term and Gerber in the same sentence) couldn't be tasked with stopping a beach ball shot from center ice is pathetic at best.�

What's truly boggling is in all fairness, Gerber makes big saves, but for some franked up reason, can't make the easy ones, or the stops that most agree an NHL caliber goalie should be making with little to no effort.� That really throws my mind for a loop.� And to make mattters worse, it seems like Murray has been exhausting all possibilities to replace Gerbs with someone who will at least instill a bit more confidence in the team as a whole, and this particular point brings me to another thought: remember the 2 opener games in Sweden?� Think back, as clearly and unbiasedly as possible...� Now, close your eyes and picture how the team played in game #1, remember all that you can; and now picture how the team played in the following game the next afternoon with Auld in nets...� Honestly, can ANY of you disagree that the boys were playing much harder and more gritty and determined hockey when they knew Auld was their last-defence?� Despite my bias for Gerber, I can't help but realize this reality... and after watching the boys last night against a mostly pathetic Panthers lineup (although Bowmeester never ceases to amaze with his all around play) the Sens looked almost terrified every time a Panther player raised their stick for a slapshot or flicked a wrister on Gerbs.� As a matter of fact, I would be willing to bet that most of the Ottawa fans in attendance collectively held their breath every time that happened...� Is there an end to this lacklustre and pathetic goaltending?� I truly hope so, and after last night, I'm sure both Hartsburg and Murray are not only pissed, but now know without a shred of doubt that Gerber brings NO confidence to the fans, or more importantly as far as I can see, to the team in front of him.

I will be watching friday's game with Auld in nets against the Ducks very closely to see is my hypothesis and observation from the opening games in Sweden were in fact correct or just a fluke.� I truly do believe Auld inspires WAY more confidence in the players and hey, compared to Gerber, he's a BRUTE in nets.� As a co-worker of mine mentioned, who knew of Auld when he was backstopping the Bruins: "the thing with Auld is he's so big in net, you have to make him or goad him to move before thinking where to put your shot; whereas with Gerbs, all you need to do (and it seems the entire league has caught on to this now) is pick a corner and shoot."�

Sad, but true I'm afraid.

At this point, what can we expect from Murray and/or Hartsburg: probably more double-talk to the media, that Gerbs is #1, but really, I'm sure they've both seen the games we as fans are watching... If he can't be traded, do you waive him?� Melnyk has a hard-on for Lord Stanley's mug and he would like NOTHING more than to bring it to the city and citizens of Ottawa at ALL costs (most of us know how competitive and how much Melnyk HATES to lose) so I'm sure he'd be willing to suck up that loss as well...� who knows, but the more I see from Elliott in Bingo, and Auld has proven to be a very effective goalie, I think running with a tandem of Auld and Elliott is our best option and shot.� While it remains to be seen if Auld could shoulder a load of say 60-70 games, I think and feel that deep down in my gut, he WANTS and will relish the opportunity to have center stage and to show to everyone in the league that not only was it mistake to pass him around like a puck bunny, but that Murray made the right choice in signing him and that he could potentially be Ottawa's answer to questionable goaltending, but at this point, will anyone disagree that anything would be an upgrade to Gerbs?

I apologize for this rant, and I should explain that I have NO illusions or misconceptions of beloved Sens hoisting the cup this year, as it would be a welcome bonus, but it's CERTAINLY not a given (and neither are the habs...) but as much as I've supported Gerbs in the past, I'm losing all my patience with him.� I'm sick and tired of this confidence crap.� SHOW ME $3.7M worth of confidence Gerbs...� For that price tag, I'd be working my tail off to showcase my skills and pride at being the backstopper, the #1 goalie, in the nation's capital.� But alas, it seems Gerbs doesn't have it.� I'm not sure what his deal is, mommy or daddy didn't hug you enough or reinforce your sense of self-esteem?!� Who knows?!� Fact is, at the end of the day, you're being handsomely compensated to provide a skill; and the way I see it is, if you cannot keep to your end of the bargain or contract, perhaps it is time to relieve Gerbs of his services...

O.k.� Rant over...for now.�

Cap'n' Clutch and his wild ride.

2008-10-14T15:41:02Z

� Well folks. This is my last week of leave before I go back to work.� Many of you may not know the reason for my five weeks off work and my severe lack of posting on the site as well.� I just became a father on September 19th at 6 minutes past midnight and to say it's life changing it's only words�until you experience it first hand.� All I gotta say is WOW.� It was awe inspiring to see my Wife's almost instant bond with my little daughter.� You read about this in�books and I always thought it was a load of bull plop until I witnessed it first hand.� One thing you should know about my Wife is she's not the type to go gaga over babies at all.� She's told me for years that she much prefers kittens over babies and even while pregnant still thought she'd have that attitude about our daughter.� It was amazing to see this connection occur.� Once our daughter was cleaned and wrapped up and given to my Wife, it was a matter of about 30 seconds before she turned to me with tears in her eyes and�with a genuine sincerity I had never witnessed before said - I Love Her.

� Well, now onto the Hockey side of this blog.� First of all a big thanks to the members for keeping this site alive and growing and also a big shout out to the other two Co-founders for shouldering most of the workload while I have been preoccupied with my litte one. You may have noticed some changes on the site in terms of layout and colour and you may also have noticed some categories no longer exist.� I want to assure you all that the topics are still there but they have simply been merged in an effort to streamline the site a bit more.� I've been trying to come up with a good colour combination that is soothing and eye catching and I hope you like the latest layout and colour scheme; If not you can always PM us or post it in the suggestion box.

� A little on the Stats of the site.� We are now comfortably over 9000 posts and the GM Game thread is the most viewed and with over 300 replies it's also top in that category as well.� We are now up to 89 members and I encourage all of you to spread the word because it's you guys that make this site what it is and the more of you the better.� Also if you like the site then people will hear that in your voice and want to check the place out.� As well, for those of you that are near or have passed me on the Top posters list;� don't get too comfy up there because I'm only off work for one more week and I fully intend to take back the number 2 spot.

� Now this wouldn't be my blog without�a little positive spin on the Sens so here goes.� Gerber's mistakes aside, we showed we can stay in games we don't belong in and that to me is encouraging since we can obviously play better than we did and there's no reason that we can't win games against the top teams if we tighten up our system and get more committed.� Also keep in mind we had no Alfie during that game vs. Detroit as well so if we add him back at some point I see good things for this team.� And the youngsters;� WOW!!!� Winchester is king along the boards.� I saw him fall, stay with the puck, get up and skate through the crowd and STILL had the puck.� He's a smart player like Kelly but appears to have more skilled hands which is great.� Foligno is freakin' awesome and I hope he keeps it up all year because he is our power forward for sure and our top six solution IMO.� I still feel we need a Puck moving D man to round things out and it's even more obvious when Alfie is out because Alfie has that ability to calm things down in his own end and move the puck out on his own.

� Who are your standouts on the Sens in this early part of the season?�

We're ALMOST there...

2008-09-16T17:35:47Z

Craig Hartsburg

Born: June 29, 1959 in the lovely city of Stratford, Ontario.� The same city who's legendary Stratford Shakespear festival launched the iconic career of William "James T. Kirk" Shatner.� O.k.� I just HAD to do a shout-out to Bill.� C'mon!

Now, as passionate Hockey fans, I think it's safe to assume most are familiar with Hartsburg's recent success with the World Juniors, capturing back to back gold medals and now, thanks to Ottawa's GM Bryan Murray, he has officially been handed the reins of Head Coach of the Ottawa Senators back in June of this year.� So, like most fans, after the debacle of a season they had last, I'm very excited and anxious to see what Craig does...� and we won't have to wait too much longer.

Right after the press conference where Murray, Mlakar, and Melnyk announced the hiring of Hartsburg, Craig wasted little time getting down to business.� As Garrioch mentioned in today's Sun, he went about contacting some players right away to get their take on what direction they feel they need to go and how they can better themselves and in turn, the team as a whole.� To me, that is a great sign.� I'm quite comforted to hear that he not only chose to hit the ground running, but he obviously has a plan or plans in mind and is looking to get the ball rolling ASAP.

With physicals set for today and the official first day of training camp tomorrow (I believe) we, the fans, will finally get a glimpse of what Hartsburg and Murray too feel about our squad and Craig can finally put some of those ideas and thoughts from paper to the ice.� As an enraged fan, I know results WON'T be instantaneous, but since most of the core have remained intact and they ALL accept responsiblity for their season and it's pathetic end, I expect we'll see these boys flying out of gate with a vengeance.

As for Hartsburg's credentials...� I've been hearing a lot of naysayers saying he wasn't a good pick by Murray to coach this squad, because his previous NHL experience was quite sad (their words, not mine) and left a lot to be desired.� I have to disagree on that one, because when one looks at his record, considering the players and teams he had to work with (I know, it's a coaches job to get the best out of his players and work with what he's got to make it work) I'm really not going to hold it against him.� Lets not forget he is a 10 yr veteran NHL player, seeing an entire decade with the Minnesota North Stars from 1978-79 season to the 1988-89, where he notched 413 points in 570 NHL games played (98 G's, 315 assists.)

In the 1995-1996 season, while at the helm of the Blackhawks bench, he saw his team to a 40-28-14 record, for a total of 94 points, and surprisingly notching 273 GF record vs a 220 GA.� They moved past the Flames in the first round (4-0) only to fall to the Avalanche in the Semis 4 games to 2.� That's not bad for his NHL debut, if I don't say so myself, and considering�some of the BIG name players on his Blackhawk squad consisted of Roenick, Chris Chelios, Gary Suter, Bernie Nichols, Brent Sutter, and the infamous Bob Probert, I'd be happy with that record, except no one wants to be ousted from the playoffs, but still.

The following season saw the hawks dip a little, going 34-35-13 for a total of 81 points.� A further setback saw them ousted in the first round by the Avalanche...again, in 6 games.�

In what would be Hartsburg final year behind the bench in Chicago (1997-98), they posted a dismal season of 30-39-13 for a whopping 73 points, finishing 5th in the Central division and missing the post-season.� This was the first time under Hartsburg's tenure that the Hawk's GA exceeded their GF's (192-199). It's not a huge margin, but perhaps worth mentioning, and their #1 goalie was none other than Jeff Hackett, backed up gy Chris Terreri.

Hartsburg was then hired to coach the (I'm sorry, I can't say their old name without being prone to maniacal fits of laughter) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim...� With a team consisting of upcoming and then stars Teemu Selanne Paul Kariya, Hartsburg looked ready to try and improve an underachieving and sometimes slacking Duck team (my what 10 years does to a team, eh?)

In his freshman year with the Ducks, 1998-99 season, they posted a record of 35-34-13 for 83 points, and finishing 3rd in the pacific division, only to be swept by the surging Detroit Red Wings.� To note: their #1 goalie, Guy Hebert, recorded 6 shutouts and posted a 31-29-9 record, with a GAA of 2.42 and SV% of .922.� Oh, I also found this to be interesting...Selanne played 75 games, notching 47 goals and 60 assists...107 point season.� Adding to it, 4 playoff games played, with 2 goals and 2 assists.�

for the '99-00 season, Hartsburg kept the goalies and most of the lineup intact and they skated to a 5th place finish in Pacific division posting a 34-33-12-3 record for 83 points and missed the post-season.� Now, in all fairness to Hartsburg, not much had changed with his squad, and the Ducks were still a new team and some could argue still developing every day!� Nonetheless, a disappointing end for the Ducks.

Again, in his 3rd and what would become his final year coaching the Ducks...In fact, he was replaced mid-year by Guy Charon was a downward spiral, and as a Sens fan, I can attest to what that feels like.� Hartsburg went 11-15-4-3 and then Charon took over and only managed to go 14-26-7-2 for a total of 66 points, and 5th in the pacific.� Their GF and GA's were almost brutal (188 GF vs 245 GF) and the result was Hartsburg's firing, leaving his NHL record: total games played, 443, with a 184-184-69-6, leaving him dead-even at the .500 mark...until now...

Now I know, his record seems somewhat dismal and this may leave some Sens fans panicked and wondering what the hell did Murray get us into?� Well, I still believe that one truly must look at the rosters and teams Hartsburg had to work with and cut him some slack, for since then, he's achieved great success at the world juniors, and he's truly grown as a coach who knows not only how to handle players but who can also get them to push and give 150% EVERY shift!�

THAT, to me, is beyond encouraging and I cannot wait for puck drop and see what kind of record he now begins with the Sens.�

As far as I'm concerned, and I think most Sens fans should consider this, Hartsburg is coming to Ottawa with a clean slate.� Sure, people will often reference what he's done at the World Junior level, but as far as his past NHL experience...?� Well, the game has certainly changed a LOT since then and he seems more than up to the challenge of leaving his mark on the Sens.� Let the Era of Hartsburg begin.

There Will Be Blood

2008-09-01T15:54:52Z

� Starting when the first puck drops in the rookie tournament and moving right into training camp and the pre-season comes a battle of epic proportions. Let�s be fair here: this is the NHL that these guys are competing for. The Show...the place every young hockey player aspires to be.

� Now think of this. There are 12 spots on forwards, 6 on defense and a player who sits in the pressbox, maybe two. Spezza, Heatley, Alfredsson, Vermette, Fisher, McAmmond, Kelly, Neil, Ruutu, Donovan take up 10 of those possible spots. They�re locks, they�re not going to the AHL, that�s for sure. They might sit in the pressbox, but theoretically, they�re the 10 guys who are taking spots on forward for the Ottawa Senators this season. So then, you have two spots open. Figure that Foligno�s a pretty good bet to make the team out of camp (it would be a massive disappointment if he was demoted to the AHL), Bass is almost sure of a spot based on his solid play last season and into the playoffs. I mean...he was really, really effective as a 4th line, grinding/checker, why should he lose his job?

� Then there�s Jesse Winchester who Murray thinks so highly of, he signed him to a two year, one-way contract. A guy that Murray scouted for a full year and then beat 20 other teams to sign him. Do you really think he�s going anywhere?

� What about Ilya Zubov and Alexander Nikulin? Didn�t Murray say that they�d be full time NHLers this season? So now you have Winchester, Zubov and Nikulin battling for the right to sit in the press box.

� Next we have Phillips, Volchenkov, Schubert, Kuba, Smith and Lee who are locks to play on D. Even if Lee was sent to AHL to begin the year, there would still only be one spot left. But, I personally don�t think Lee will be sent to the AHL, I think he�ll start the year as a Senator, so Nycholat, Bell and Picard, have no place on this team right now. At best one of them will be in the pressbox and the Sens will carry two extra players, but that�s unlikely to happen in all 82 games.

� So it all comes down to the kind of training camp where if you�re one of these three and you have a guy in your sites, you �accidently� let �er go. If it happens to hurt the guy a little...oops. Well maybe not quite that far, but you can expect the kind of competition that would normally be reserved for NHL games. If you�re not ready and you�re on the bubble, you�re going down to Bingo. Bus rides, crappy food, run down motels - or nice, cushy planes, good food and big money if you blow Murray and Hartsburg out of their chairs.

� Even Chris Neil and Dean McAmmond are playing for jobs in a sense. They�re playing for jobs on the Senators, that�s for sure. I mean...I like McAmmond a lot, I always have. He�s a great utility player that can play all 3 forward positions and can excel at each one. We can call upon him to play top 6 in a pinch, and while he won�t light it up, he�s not a detriment out there. But he didn�t recover well from the Downie hit. And while at times it looked like he was hitting his stride, he�d fade back into oblivion and be reduced to 4th line minutes. He makes a low salary, but it�s still almost a million. If he has a turkey of a training camp, is he on his way out? Can he even avoid it at this point?

� I like Chris Neil too. He fights, and we�re losing guys who can drop �em pretty quick. He�s really tough, he likes to dole out punishing hits and he gets under guy�s skin. But he took too many dumb penalties last year - and Hartsburg won�t have patience with him if he keeps having these tremendous mental lapses. If he has a turkey, there are guys in the wings who want his place so badly. They can�t fight though, so Neil has a big edge here.

� The NHL season will be an interesting one for the Ottawa Senators. I think we�ll be above average for sure, but as much of a roller coaster as this season might be, it�s nothing compared to what�s coming. In the following weeks we will see the most vicious competition we might see all year.�

� And they�re all on the same team.

Meszaros Situation

2008-08-29T16:06:44Z

�� As everyone with an internet connection and at least a passing interest in the Sens will know - there is a rumour that has been floated of Meszaros signing an offer sheet for 5+ M per season on a long term deal.� Some of this information is from The Hockey News and then it's been taken and run with by our site, HockeyBuzz and many others.

� I personally think it would be fantastic news for the Sens if this were to occur for a few reasons.� First of all the picks would likely come from a team that isn't expected to do well this year so the picks would be excellent and would set up our prospect pool quiet nicely.� Second of all this season is a long shot for the Cup and I'm of the opinion if you aren't going for it then I'm good with another long off season and a better draft position for our own draft picks.� Since Lee will have a full season under his belt in 09/10 and Karlsson will be ready for callups our D will be able to survive the loss of Meszaros and still keep us on track for a fantastic 2010 season as 504Heater has pointed out on many occasions.� Even if we don't stand pat and just coast in 08/09 there's the possibility of picking up a guy like Schneider with all the extra cap space and if Burke plays hardball then we revert back to my original plan or find another Puck moving D man option.� By 2010, with the extra picks our farm will be filled with players that can be called up and fill in nicely AND guys like Foligno, Bass, Lee and Karlsson will all be key contributers, couple that with Volchie being a chizzled Vet and our Back end will be scary good along with our forward crew.� The real big issue here is will Elliot or some other acquisition be ready to take us all the way in 2010?�

� So in conclusion, regardless of the validity of this rumour it has given me a lot to think about and scenarios are still dancing through my head.� We could stand pat and wait for 2010, we could go balls out and get a guy like Schneider of someone of that calibre, or someone could surprise out of the likes of a Bell or Nycholat.� I can't wait for the season to start!

Analyzing the Ottawa Senators - Part 2: Defense

2008-08-20T18:10:49Z

The Ottawa Senators had a very hard time on defense last year. Chris Phillips, Anton Volchenkov, Andrej Meszaros and especially Wade Redden all looked absolutely bewildered from time to time. A lot of us cursed John Paddock for not continuing with Brian Murray's tight defensive structure last year - and the damage done by Paddock's lackadaisical approach will take time to be righted.

This is an area where new coach Craig Hartsburg will have a lot of input. Gone should/will be the moments of indecision, that split second along the boards where there's no Senator player to receive an outlet pass and get out of our zone. This will have to be a 5 man unit at all times.

Why? Because we don't really have any puck movers, to be frank. We have guys who are capable and competent in moving the puck, but none that excel at it. Brian Lee will have a little extra pressure riding on his shoulders this year, but from all accounts, this is a character that loves the pressure.

In fact, does he not remind you of a pre-13 million dollar contract Wade Redden? He does to me. And that's a good thing too, because Brian Murray couldn't replace Wade. I know what you're thinking...you're thinking that Redden was such a detriment to the team at times - who needs to replace him? Okay, I can agree with that, but what we do need is to replace the idea of Wade Redden. He was one of the better puck moving defensemen in the entire NHL for the better part of a decade. Smart, crisp passes through the defensive zone and onto the tape of forwards breaking through the neutral zone.

This is where the Senators get a failing grade. They don't have the weapons to have a fast transition game - or simply to get the puck from their defensive zone to the neutral zone with speed. This will result in a lot of turnovers until the problem is remedied. Teams will jut sit in the neutral zone waiting for our forwards to try to dance through.

When Brian Murray was trying to land Brian Campbell, I was so nervous I could no longer wait for updates. I left and went to play ball hockey. This was the replacement for Wade Redden. Except better. He's fast, he's got moves and he won't wet the bed in the defensive zone. In the grand scheme of things, 7.1 million would've been just fine. We would've had to let Mez walk - and probably a couple of other things we didn't really want to do, but what a lethal PP that would be. Plus...imagine Campbell and Lee or Campbell and Karlsson. Wow...enough to make a Sens fan cry.

That's the negative, this is the postitive: when you cross the blueline into the Ottawa Senator's zone this year - for goodness sake keep your head up. Between Phillips, Volchenkov, Jason Smith, Schubert, Mez and even Lee - you're liable to be hurt badly if you're not paying attention. As a matter of fact, for nasty, angry defense, I think the Sens rank right up there. We will grind you, wear you down until you're spent - and we'll try not to let you score umpteen times in the process. Smith's leadership and shot-blocking are both priceless intangibles and shows exactly what Murray was going for in the off-season. A vocal, smart supporting cast that will not be afraid to let you know if you're not giving it your all.

Brian Lee enters his first official NHL season - but last year we got a glimpse of how smart a hockey player this kid is. One moment in particular I remember was Lee positioning himself perfectly between a forward and a puck, riding him off the puck, retreiving the puck, then racing down the ice for a 2 on 1 with Spezza. While it didn't pay off in a goal, it might as well have, because it served notice that while Wade Redden might be all used up, Brian Lee is just getting started. He will man the PP this year and will contribute in both offensive and defensive situations.

Jason Smith. What can you say about a guy who does it all? He blocks shots at a Volchenkov-esque level, he is a nasty D-man who won't be afraid to clear the crease and he's a born leader. When we were knocked out of the playoffs last year, I watched as Smith made opponent's top players pay a heavy price. Especially Sidney Crosby. Crosby would be staring at a puck in Biron's pads and Smith would knock him in the face for being too close to the blue paint. Again and again and again until, even though Crosby was very successful, the pact was: each point, each sniff around the goal was gonna result in a moutful of pine. I love that. We needed that. Phillips isn't nasty enough and Volchenkov will destroy you coming into the zone, not necessarily when you're in front of the net. Jason Smith's stick has claimed a lot of teeth in his time - I expect more to fall this year.

Meszaros is a young defender who's capable of blocking shots, hitting guys and scoring 35+ points. But for this to work, he needs to make smarter decisions with the puck in his own zone. Being paired with Smith - if that's what happens - will benefit him greatly. He will be able to learn from Smith's defensive abilities, while not being afraid to make the rush up the zone, knowing that a pillar will always be back there to help him if he loses the puck. If 'Mez' can put it all together this year, then all of a sudden the Sens will look like their old selves. Skill to burn up front and a powerful backend.

Schubert. I hope that this 6'3", 240lb monster will stay on D once and for all. He's huge, he's nasty and he has all the tools to be a top 4 D-man. What he needs is time to iron out mistakes and judgement errors in his game - and the only way to do that is to play. He's actually got a nice outlet pass and we all know he's got one of the hardest shots on the Sens. He'll join Brian Lee on the point of the PP from time to time - and watch out if he can harness the power of that shot. Accuracy is all that's missing now.

In terms of extra guys that may be used, there is Lawrence Nycholat, Matt Carkner and Brendan Bell. Thomas Kudelka hasn't put it together yet unfortunately, so there's really no chance he'll see NHL duty this year. Of these three, I maintain that Nycholat is Tom Preissing to a T. He's built the same, he weighs the same - the only difference here is that Tom Preissing made the jump to the NHL and stuck there. Nycholat by my estimation was never given a chance to stick. If he was to play an average of 15 minutes a night - for 82 games - I think we'd be pleasantly surprised to the tune of 25 points. That's a nice contribution from a number 6 man. I hope Murray and Hartsburg give this guy a chance - however, if they don't, how can any of us second guess them? They would know something we don't, not big enough, not strong enough...something.

In all, Brian Murray has made this defense very, very nasty and gritty, but he hasn't really done anything to replace Wade Redden - and to a degree Joe Corvo. Will this defense score? Not much. Do defenses that don't score win championships? No. Starting a season with Brian Lee, Andrej Meszaros and Lawrence Nycholat as your primary puck movers doesn't instill loads of confidence. But we will make it extrememly difficult for teams to waltz on into our zone at will - and extremely painful as well.

B-

504Heater

Analyzing the Ottawa Senators - Part 1: Forwards

2008-08-15T04:55:17Z

261.� That�s the number of times the Ottawa Senators bulged the twine last year.� That�s good for 2nd in the league, one less than Montreal and four more than the Detroit Red Wings who went on to win it all.� So in theory it couldn�t be our offense that let us down last year...could it?

The answer is in two parts.� First the obvious: of course the offense didn�t let us down, it was the defense and the lack of clutch goaltending.� And the coach...and the coach�s system.� Many would buy into that.� But...the second part is: the offense did let the team down last year.� How many games down the stretch did you curse the Sens for not being able to score a damn goal?� For me it was constant.� The fact that Gerber couldn�t stop a beachball in some of those games didn�t really matter.� No matter what happened the Sens couldn�t put the puck in the net to get back in a game or take an early lead.�� Remember when the Sens always seemed to score first?

So, that being said, we have two different directions that we could go here.� We could get pretty nervous knowing that effective players such as Cory Stillman and Patrick Eaves are gone, or we could be pretty optimistic knowing that Randy Robitaille, Martin Lapointe and Brian McGrattan no longer take up roster spaces.

We could also put it this way: the Sens are losing 28 goals from their offense when you include Redden, Commodore and Richardson.� So that means 16 of those goals came from forwards who have since departed.� 16 goals is not a big number, obviously every little bit helps, but it�s not a mountain that the Senators can�t climb this season.� Coming into the 2008/2009 season,� roles will expand for Nick Foligno, Cody Bass and potentially one of Ilya Zubov, Alexander Nikulin, Jesse Winchester and Shawn Weller.�

So let�s take a look at what we�re left with.� Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley are monsters.� There are few - if any - better lines in hockey.� The only thing Sens fans continue to yearn for is a little more backcheck from Spezza and sometimes Heatley.� A little less fanciness...but then you start to limit their creativity and no one wants that.� With Mike Fisher you get that enigma...is he a power forward who can bury 30 goals or more?�� Or is he simply a huge, monster of a guy who pounds opponents into submission and unleashes a very inaccurate shot that happens to go in 22ish times a year?� We might never actually find out either, because Fisher never gives up and he always gets injured.� So, to get a fair assessment of him, we have to keep projecting.

Trying to look at it from the outside looking in (which is quite hard to do), I would see Vermette being Fisher�s left winger with Foligno on his right.� Or Vermette - Fisher - Alfredsson, with Zubov or Foligno on the top line.� If Zubov can come in and score 15 goals, we�re in decent shape, if he comes in and scores 20+, we�re in real good shape, but imagine if this kid�s work ethic this off-season propels him onto the top line with Spezza and Heatley.� It�s a dream come true.� I can�t shake the feeling that Foligno and Kelly would make a killer duo, but first we�ll need to see what shakes out in training camp - or maybe a last second deal...

As it stands, if Nick Foligno ends up forming a 2nd line unit with Fisher and Vermette, I�d say we have a little more grit than most 2nd lines, but our offense will undoubtedly suffer.� This is a minus for this hockey club, just as it was last season at this time.� Not a huge minus, but a minus none the less.

If Hartsburg decides to go with a third line of McAmmond - Kelly - Donovan, he�ll likely be rewarded with a beautiful checking line.� As individuals they�re all very capable, competent and smart hockey players.� As a unit, they could be an insufferable blanket for the opponent�s top lines.

Now...the interesting part starts.� Assuming Ilya Zubov does what I think he�s going to do in training camp - lights it up - and assuming that he nabs a top six position, what happens to the remaining Sens under contract?

The �dream line� of Ruutu - Bass - Neil has me really excited.� This is a line that can absolutely wreak havoc.� Or it can cost you a power play goal.� But rest assured, this is a pain-in-the-butt line to play against.� Will they score?� Not often, but their willingness to grind opponents into the boards - particularly defensemen - is a very attractive thought.� Then there�s Jess Winchester, someone who Brian Murray seems pretty confident will play a part on the Sens this upcoming season.� And if that�s true, then where do you possibly put him?� Can he play wing well enough?� All of a sudden someone like McAmmond looks like a million bucks (off the books), although I don�t fully support that idea.

Looking at the roster when all this is said and done, what does it still yell out?� It yells out, where the heck is the 2nd line sniper!?� Are we pinning our hopes on Nick Foligno or Ilya Zubov a little too much?� I think we are personally, but then again we have some interesting characters that can be inserted there if the need arises.

Is it good enough though?� Funnily enough, the forward ranks are pretty much exactly where they were at this time last year.� The only real difference is last year we were wondering if Patrick Eaves would break out, this year we�re wondering if Nick Foligno will break out.� We lacked that 2nd line sniper last year as well - right up until February.� And we ended up scoring 261 goals.�

Some people say our offense let us down last year, some people would say it was the defense, some would say it was the goaltender.� It doesn�t change the fact that we scored a ton of goals with virtually the same forward core.

Final grade:

B+

504Heater

An introduction...

2008-08-14T16:45:26Z

Welcome to everyone who's made their way over here or more importantly, to anyone who's made their way over to GMCentral.� When we were first talking about this, Clutch, Cronie, Jam and I all knew that in order for this to succeed, we would need serious fans of the Sens - and then hopefully of other teams.� And so far, it's been amazing...and it's only the beginning.

What is this site for?� Well...if you were to ask me, I would say that it's primarily an area where we can chat about different elements of the Sens, trades, proposals, general stuff that would get us to page 100 and post 2000 on HB.� We all have a thirst for hockey here - and we need to quench it.

Also...and maybe dearest to me is that we get to write pieces about something that we are passionate about beyond reason: The Ottawa Senators.� How many times have you lay in bed trying to get to sleep, only to have line-ups and trades running through your heads?� How many times have you wondered if we will EVER win a Cup?� How much do you actually think about hockey?

If the answer is...too much...then you've come to the right place.� We can't get enough here, and after a while, we'll have you guys writing your own pieces in GMCentral, so finally your voice can be heard loud and true.� Finally you can have your opinion out there with people commenting on it.� Finally...you can have a site to call your own.

Use it guys!� Write your pieces.� Write your trade proposals.� PM us and ask us questions.� Talk...that's what this is all about!

A heartfelt thanks go out to the 3 other brothers who have this site humming:� Cronie, Jam and Clutch.� And as much as I thank them for starting this and know they'll continue their good work, I can't stress enough - that it's YOUR site as well.

Welcome and thanks for coming.� I look forward to writing a new blog as many times as humanly possible in the coming days, weeks and years.

Heater

Cap'n' Clutch's Intro Post

2008-08-13T14:50:15Z

� Hello all,

� Those of you that know me will know that I'm awfully optimistic about the Sens at times so this blog will come as no surprise to some.� First of all I want to thank Jamvan for helping me get this up at all because he gave me the link where we could start the forum.� I also want to thank him for navigating through the design limitations on the blog page as well.� I think it looks great but feel free to comment.� I would also like to thank Cronenbergfan for his first post and all his work in Rumour Chat.� BTW, I asked him to write a blog yesterday morning when the site was ready and within the hour it was already up and ready so, big thank you for that.�� I want to also�thank 504Heater for bringing an infusion of fresh perspective since being away for a week at a Cottage (Lucky SOB) and also to all three for their insightful comments and great conversation starting Topics.� So that's us, the GMCentral Braintrust.� Now�a big�thank you to all the members and visitors of our site�for making this an instant success story because without you guys there is no site (I know it's a cliche).� And before I forget, a thank you goes to the links we've added and a special mention to Spector's Hockey for adding GMCentral as a link and to HockeyBums for allowing Cronenbergfan to plug our site on HockeyBums.

�� OK, now that the thank you's are over onto the positive spin.� Please go easy on me it's my first time LOL.� Seriously though I'm writing from the perspective of a Fan that never played competitive Hockey so keep that in mind.�

�� A lot of changes have occured with the Sens since last season and I will attempt to address many of them in this blog today.� 1 - New Head Coach and new Assistant Coach - This was an absolute neccessity and although the two of them don't have a tonne of NHL experience, their World Junior records are amazing and will be a great asset when dealing with the influx of youth that I expect to see this season.� I think it's safe to say that the pressure of coaching the Junior Canadian team is extremely intense and should stand them in good stead when handling the pressure that comes with coaching in Ottawa.� I have also heard that these two have tremendous Defensive systems and will undoubtedly hold this team accountable.

2 - Redden, McGratton, Corvo�& Emery are all gone and some new faces are in�- I will start with Redden; he was a shell of his former self and I won't get into the speculation as to why but, suffice is to that he really was more of a liability on this team than an asset and this will allow some other players an opportunity.� McGratton was brought in initially for muscle and to intimidate but it was quickly assertained that he was not reliable defensively and hardly played the last half of the season, his spot will definitely be a blessing for some young up and comer.� Emery is a tough one for me because I loved his in your face attitude but he just took it too far and his game went down the tubes as well.� He had that strut and attitude the the Sens never really had before.� He was an issue and it's been written about enough so I won't get into it except to say he really needed to go and there's a reason he needs to prove himself in Russia.� The addition of Auld will be great, as many have pointed out, Gerber does better when he knows he's number 1.� Now onto Corvo this one is even more difficult to put a positive spin on actually.� I will simply default to the fact that he really didn't want to be here and Murray is filling this locker room with team players like Ruutu, Donovan and Smith.� Ruutu is that true agitator that everyone hates if he's not on your team and I can't wait to see him bother other teams.� Donovan was one of our better players last spring and truly wants to be here after taking a massive cut in pay to remain.� Smith, all I hear are good things about this guy and if Murray can get Mesz back in the fold I can only see good things from those two and the development of Mesz as an all around player should be amazing this season.

That's about it for now.� I don't want to go into too much detail about each player here as there may be blogs about that in the future;)

Welcome to the FIRST blog

2008-08-12T20:01:53Z

Wow!� What a wild ride this has been.� What started out as a concept amongst 4 hockey-fanatics turned into this: our latest venture, to provide you, the hockey fan, with a venue to discuss, rant and rave about your passion: HOCKEY!!!

First and foremost, I must congratulate Jamvan for his excellent design and touch-ups on the site and the tweaks performed by Cap 'n' Clutch as well to help make the site workable and easier to navigate.� Since going live on August 5th, as of today (August 12th) we are sitting at over 400 posts and well over 1200 views on our Top Ten topics!� No easy feat, I can assure you.� We have also welcomed 21 registered users to our community and we anxiously await their contributions to the forum and site.� Oh my, where are my manners, allow me to introduce the admin staff.

1st, there is Jamvan: the man with the internet geek skills to help turn this page beautiful and easier to maneuvre through.� Jam will also be adding his thoughts and rebuttals in our forum and when you see him, say Hi Jam!!

2nd, there's Heater: he will be flooding the forums with opinion pieces and trade specs and prospect ratings and just about ANYTHING that comes to mind when it comes to men lacin' 'em up and hitting the ice!� I assure you, there will be more than enough to keep the readers and frequenters of our site stimulated and hungry for more.

3rd, is our Captain, Cap 'n' Clutch: the man who got us 3 Hockey nerds together and convinced us this was a good idea!� I am kidding, but seriously, he had the drive and enthusiasm that I must say was incredibly contagious and rather infectious.� He is the brain behind GM Central.� Oh, and if you're feeling blue or depressed because your respective team is currently on a 4 game losing skid, look no further than Cap 'n' Clutch's "positive Blog" that will have even the most cynical pessimist smiling.�

and then there's me, Cronenbergfan.� I'm a hockey nut like all of you.� I will be throwing my opinion out there in the forums because you NEED to read what I have to say!� But seriously, I will be throwing out juicy rumours as I come across them and discussing the trade proposals of you, our Hockey-minded community.� As a matter of fact, all of the Admin staff will be contributing opinion pieces, rumors, trade proposals, speculations and the like so there will be NO shortage of topics to choose from and discuss or debate.� So, all this to say, Welcome and we hope you'll enjoy your visit and check back often, or hey, like us, STAY and never leave!

Our forum will offer a section for Rumors and speculations; a section on prospects and up-&-coming players, a suggestion forum, and GM Central - where YOU, the Fans, make the trade proposals and create your lines and teams.�

Later as the site progresses, we hope to have game simulations running for EACH and EVERY game on the schedule of that day so you can view�adjusted stats and rosters respectively.� I assure you, this site thinks big and we plan to deliver.�

So come one, and come all and join what we hope will be the Mecca of Hockey discussions and forums.� We are open 24/7 and we will keep you thirsting for more.