Predictions For The Ottawa Senators Off-Season
by GelatinousMutantCoconut on May 17, 2010 11:35 PM EDT
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PrintNote: I'm not advocating for any of these things. But Bryan Murray will do them anyway.
Anton Volchenkov will be re-signed at the last minute on June 31st or July 1st to a 5 year, 25 million dollar deal.
Matt Cullen and Andy Sutton will move on via Free Agency.
Alex Kovalev, Filip Kuba and Pascal LeClaire will remain in Ottawa.
Bryan Murray will draft Emerson Etem.
Discuss.
Apparently my post needs five more words...
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My prediction and hope
What i would do.
1. Sign Volchenkov @ 5 millions for 4 years, then trade him to Washington or another team that would of paid that money anyway. If Volchenkov sees this coming and does not sign, then let him leave. The NHL is not about yor best team, it’s now about who’s best and how to fill your roles. 5$ million for a strickly defensive defensemen is stupid. Komirasek’s price is an anvil for Toronto.
2. Sutton goes and BM tries to sign Cullen to 3 years at 3 million. This would be hard to negotiate but if he doesn’t take 4 million or less, then he’s too expensive.
3. Kovalev stays, Kuba stays and Leclaire stays. Kovy and Snoppy only have another year, if we are out of the playoff, they become good chips to trade as a rental. As sad as it is we are better with Kuba then without.
4. If he is available, draft Mikael Granlund or Kirill Kabanov. granlund would bring a 1-2 center punch and Kirill could be NHL ready in 2010. Would take a top 6 role for cheap (3 years).
I really hope they don't sign-and-trade
It’s a reputation killer. It’d be nice to get something in return for Volchenkov, but not at the expense of our respect on the free agent market. Sure, it’s good business to maximize the value for your assets, but it’s also good business to treat your people well.
Maybe we can get a draft pick for his rights. If Washington, Detroit, or LA really want him, they might pay to make sure they get him.
by Peter Raaymakers on May 18, 2010 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions
I had not thought of this
My thought is that He would see this coming and would just wait for the FA.
by Bikini Cowboy on May 19, 2010 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Great idea!
1. Volchenkov walks to Washington for a five-year, $26.25M contract. Ottawa isn’t willing to go above $4.25M per season.
2. Andy Sutton and Matt Cullen are both re-signed: Sutton for three years at $2.7M per, Cullen for four years at $2.8M per.
3. Kovalev, Kuba, and Leclaire all stick around. Cheechoo is bought out.
4. Senators draft a forward.
by Peter Raaymakers on May 18, 2010 9:43 AM EDT reply actions
If Ottawa sign Volchenkov for 5 mil a year I am leaving the fan base
Like the Marlins? Of course you don't, but read this anyway http://bitethehandthatseeds.blogspot.com/
by Alexander Calloway on May 18, 2010 10:27 AM EDT reply actions
Well this is boring
1. Volchenkov, Sutton, and Cullen walk
2. Ottawa replaces those three with old veterans
3. Ottawa drafts a forward in the first
4. Cheechoo stays in Bingo until the season ends and goes on to Europe
Like the Marlins? Of course you don't, but read this anyway http://bitethehandthatseeds.blogspot.com/
by Alexander Calloway on May 18, 2010 2:15 PM EDT reply actions
Cheech in the minors next year would be good and bad. Sure it would be cheaper to buy him out, but that also counts against the cap for the next 2 seasons. If he did stay in the minors all year Eugene would be out of pocket for it, but the Sens would also have more cap room to play with.
by modsuperstar on May 18, 2010 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions
don't forget
If he is in the minors we can call him up and re-entry and maybe somebody tries him out. As a depth player i think he would have value at 1.5 mil. I think we can get something for him at the next trade deadline, as he willl be on his last year and does not count against the cap, same for Kovalev.
by Bikini Cowboy on May 19, 2010 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions
If Cheech stays in Bingo the Sens don't play him a dime
It’s a lot cheaper to keep him in Bingo than buy him out.
Like the Marlins? Of course you don't, but read this anyway http://bitethehandthatseeds.blogspot.com/
by Alexander Calloway on May 20, 2010 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't think you're correct
The Sens owe him the full amount of his salary regardless of where he plays. That’s why buying him out is more attractive. If he stays in Binghamton his salary just doesn’t count against the cap. It’s still paid by the Senators club and needs to be budgeted for.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
by Mark Parisi on May 20, 2010 11:40 AM EDT up reply actions
I think not
“Players on a team’s Active Roster, Injured Reserve, Injured Non Roster or Non Roster as of 5:00pm New York time on a particular day count toward the team’s Upper Limit; in addition, if a player practices or travels with his NHL team or plays in an NHL game prior to 5:00pm and is then assigned to the minors, he will still count for that day.”
Like the Marlins? Of course you don't, but read this anyway http://bitethehandthatseeds.blogspot.com/
by Alexander Calloway on May 20, 2010 10:16 PM EDT up reply actions
During the season: Players assigned to the minors – even if on one-way contracts – do not count (as long as they are not on conditioning assignments or fit the condition of 50.5(d)(i)(B)(5) above) as well as players signed to a contract that are in Major Junior hockey or overseas. Players suspended by either the team or the NHL will not count for the duration of the suspension as long as the player is not receiving his salary; however, teams must keep enough payroll space available to be able to accept the player should his suspension end immediately.
Like the Marlins? Of course you don't, but read this anyway http://bitethehandthatseeds.blogspot.com/
by Alexander Calloway on May 20, 2010 10:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, you guys are saying the same thing. Although Cheechoo in the minors is still owed the full $3.5M or whatever, that salary does not count against the NHL salary cap.
All Mark was saying is that although it doesn’t have to factor into the salary cap budget, the Senators organization will still have to pay Cheech his money.
by Peter Raaymakers on May 21, 2010 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions
The Sens would pay him full salary minors or not, as he has a 1-way contract. That’s why 2-way contracts are valuable to teams, as they give the team flexibility to pay a player at 2 different pay scales. If the Sens buy him out they would have to pay him 2/3 of his salary, and that cost would be a cap hit over the next 2 seasons.
So it’s a double edge sword, keep him in the minors and it essentially cost Eugene money out of pocket to do it, but not cost the team any salary cap room. Buy him out and it costs the team over a mil in salary cap room over the next 2 seasons, which is essentially a 4th line player or 2. The Sens are still paying Emery to be injured for the Flyers and will still be doing so next season. I don’t think the Sens want to be carrying around any more dead cap space.
by modsuperstar on May 20, 2010 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
1) I think if Volchenkov would re-sign for around $4M he’d have done it by now. Murray will be lucky to get a pick at the draft for his negotiating rights.
2) I think Sutton is more likely to re-sign than Cullen because he’s cheaper. Cullen could get around $4M on the open market. Though Cullen does like Murray from his days in Anaheim, so who knows…
3) It’s funny to talk about Kovalev, Kuba and Leclaire staying as if Ottawa has any choice but to keep them. That’s about $15M worth of dead weight right there, no one is trading for it. (Maybe Sutter gets desperate again?) I’d rather throw $9M a year of that at Kovalchuk.
My only prediction is that Cheechoo gets bought out. Other than that, the team made 5th and went to six games with a ton of injuries. They’ll stand pat and hope for healthy seasons from Leclaire, Kovalev and Michalek.
I don’t see how Kuba is unmovable. The other 2 yes, but a scoring defenceman is always something of interest to other teams.
by modsuperstar on May 19, 2010 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, I guess his status as a scoring defenceman is pretty questionable. He had one high-scoring season, with 15 goals, in 2006 for what I think was the championship Lightning team. Every other season he didn’t score more than 10. He’s also only been a plus player twice in his career. He did have a career high in points last season, but on a shitty, non-playoff team that played him 20 minutes a night. On any other team he falls down the depth chart.
What he is is a veteran with a cup ring, some really solid depth. And not at all worth about $4M a year.
by Conrad Amenta on May 19, 2010 9:05 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m as disappointed in Kuba’s defensive and physical play as the next guy, but you can’t argue with the numbers he puts up.
This year, he played only 53 games, but was still the highest-scoring defenceman on the team. Karlsson’s streak near the end made it close, but Kuba still had more points in fewer games. And despite playing far fewer games, Kuba had as many points as players like Jay Bouwmeester and Sami Salo. And oddly enough, Kuba’s production on a per-game basis has actually steadily increased through his career; this season, he had 0.53PPG, career second-best only to his 0.56PPG production from last season.
I’m not averse to shopping Kuba, but he does provide this team with something. And there’s no question that he’s a point-scoring defenceman, if not anything resembling a goal-scorer.
by Peter Raaymakers on May 19, 2010 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions
the truth
Unfortunately, the senators are better with him than without.
by Bikini Cowboy on May 20, 2010 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions
I don't think the Senators are better with him.
And I think I can prove it.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
by Mark Parisi on May 20, 2010 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions
He does put up points – and a new career high in the Sens’ playoffless year – and it made sense for Murray to sign him given how integral he was to the Mezaros trade (which, looking back, might be sort of a wash). But I’m not sure if this team, with this depth on the backend, needed another so-so defender making a decent hunk of money, and with a NTC. Even a mill cheaper and we could re-sign Volchenkov.
by Conrad Amenta on May 20, 2010 1:54 PM EDT up reply actions
I actually don't begrudge Murray re-signing him
With the way the free agent market was shaping up (Campbell was out of the team’s price range, etc.) and the shape of the defense corps at the time, Kuba looked like a useful piece. Murray couldn’t have known that he’d be getting Karlsson when he offered Kuba the deal.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
I’ll rephrase, he’s a point generating d-man. He picks up loads of assists and even though he was injured for a good chunk of the season was still the Sens highest scoring d-man.
by modsuperstar on May 20, 2010 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions
And I thought I’d point out he put up his career highs with the Wild and wasn’t on Tampa’s championship team. The fact that the Wild were a defensive minded team speaks better for his breakout season.
by modsuperstar on May 20, 2010 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Ottawa will never draft a forward again. We’ll be reading about another 6ft3, 220 pound 18 year old Dman with 9 career pts in 278 games. The organization carries too much guilt around for letting Chara walk.
The guilt
From what i read the choice came down to charity. Redden was more into PR and charities. Perfect example that hockey decision should be made about the hockey.
by Bikini Cowboy on May 20, 2010 9:15 AM EDT up reply actions
At that point, Redden was still a well above average defenseman
I feel it was a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation. I hoped that both players would take a discount to stay, but when have players ever NOT taken money? Obviously hindsight makes this an easy debate, but at the time there was some actual on-ice justification for keeping Redden as well.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
by Mark Parisi on May 20, 2010 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I didn’t blame them for Chara at the time either. He wasn’t as multifaceted as his is now, he was a shutdown guy and we still had Phillips. Redden was the first pass who drove the whole system.
by Conrad Amenta on May 20, 2010 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions
lol, Chara Guilt, I love it
Cannot play with 'em, cannot win with 'em, cannot coach with 'em. Cant do it.
I'm pretty sure this did factor in
It was the fact that Redden was better for the community, the fact that Redden had a better ‘06 playoff, the fact that Redden was willing to take a more significant discount than Chara (the team offered them both $6M per year to both stay; Chara said no, Redden said yes [if they’d both stay], so it looked like Redden cared more about the franchise’s success), and also because Chara apparently wanted more of a leadership role (not sure how much higher he’d get than assistant captain; they weren’t going to strip the C from Alfie).
Anyway, there were lots of things that factored into the decision. It ended up being a huge mistake, but at the time it wasn’t as much of a mistake as it appears today.
by Peter Raaymakers on May 21, 2010 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Well, Volchenkov`s house is up for sale.
This is 100% confirmed, so bye bye Android. It`s been fun. Not surprised.
I read it on another blog.
Obviously, this doesn`t make it so, but I have read this a few times already (on different sites).
He is moving, but whether that is still in Ottawa or not is a mystery. I assume it is out.
Here is the guy`s blog: http://prosportsblogging.com/nhl-hockey/ottawa-senators/volchenkov-definitely-leaving-ottawa-after-house-goes-up-for-sale/
Never reference Kevin Lee as a reliable source. NEVER! The guy’s pretty much on the same level as Eklund, only slightly better because he uses his own name. It’s brutal.
As for the house for sale, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s true. And even if it is, that doesn’t mean it’s a done deal that he’s leaving: If he signs a new contract here, he’ll get a nice signing bonus. Who’s to say he hasn’t just decided to buy a newer, bigger house in Ottawa is he ends up re-signing here?
His house for sale doesn’t change what I assumed would happen, anyway. The writing’s been on the wall since February that he would likely be out of Ottawa’s price range.
by Peter Raaymakers on May 23, 2010 9:46 PM EDT up reply actions
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