Silver Nuggets: Off-season plans; stayings and goings
by Peter Raaymakers on May 26, 2010 7:00 AM EDT
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It's been a while since I did one of these, but a few Ottawa Senators headlines are coming out as the off-season moves onward:
- TSN's Scott Cullen takes a look at the Sens' off-season game plan. (TSN)
- Unfortunately, the Senators don't have much cap room to put their off-season strategy into action. (Citizen)
- Extra! Extra! Anton Volchenkov is selling his house. But let's take a step back... he's probably leaving, but selling his house doesn't mean it's a done deal. (Sun)
- Alex Kovalev is apparently an untradeable asset. I'm not surprised, but I think if he can recover from his injury he'll be a good guy to have around next season. (Sun)
- Oh, and there's no market for Jason Spezza. Which brings about two questions: Why are people still looking to trade our number one centre, and if we were (we're not, by the way), any GM not interested would have to be crazy. And a third question, I guess, being why one would ask a former GM who's looking for work (Doug MacLean) about what current GMs are thinking. (Sun)
- We'll see CHL teams in NHL11 next year?!?! I'm getting it so I can play as Mike Hoffman's Saint John Sea Dogs. (From the Rink)
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I don't know why anyone is still talking about trading Spezza
Cheap headline material, and nothing more.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
A Garrioch Gimme
He must have a requirement to post a certain number of articles on the Sens, regardless of actual news. But to craft soemthing as blatantly empty as this is not only lousy journalism, it is bad long term for his own interests. Who wants to come to a town where the sports beat writers are so bad, so lazy that they will stoop to stoking these kinds of fires unprovoked?
In his defense, I don't think he's the only sportswriter who does this
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
100% Agreed
No, many of them poop in their own nest. But I’m not sure that’s a great defense, either.
Shocked you didn't put the story that he Senators wanted Cammalleri, but settled for Kovalev.
And from what I hear, Spezza doesn’t really care much for the fans either.
by Alexander Calloway on May 26, 2010 2:15 PM EDT reply actions
Yeah, I'd seen both of those
I don’t know why I didn’t post them. They were getting a bit old, though.
by Peter Raaymakers on May 26, 2010 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions
The Cammalleri thing is a non-starter
He was never coming here for what Murray offered
Cannot play with 'em, cannot win with 'em, cannot coach with 'em. Cant do it.
Agreed
It was just an easy way to further demonize Kovalev and make an easy story. Of course Ottawa wanted Cammalleri. So did a whole whack of other teams.
by Peter Raaymakers on May 26, 2010 7:54 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t know that a GM uninterested in Spezza is “crazy”.
That’s a big cap hit and a long-term deal for someone that’s at best a 1.5 centre.
While he obviously is an offensive catalyst, he’s a half #1 centre.
His strenghts:
Great offensive vision
Great shot
Fine passing
His weaknesses:
Poor decision making
Average defensive awareness
Lazy play (the Spezza Poke-Check, where he lazily pokes at the puck to get it off another player)
Good to average skating
Intangibles:
Are there any? There are games where Spezza seems “All WOrld” but they are few and far between. A lot of the time I look at him and am left wanting. When you consider he’ll be 30-31 by the end of his contract…you wonder if he’ll ever round into that consistent, two-way forward you really need for a long run.
I think you need to be happy with him but…Johnathan Toews got it much younger, so did Getzlaf, etc.
Kinda like a Pierre Turgeon but with potential to improve on that.
Cheers.
by BesterThanYesterday on May 26, 2010 3:47 PM EDT reply actions
Yzerman had a lot of the same critiques early in his career
Not that I’m comparing the two players outright, but just because Spezza doesn’t get it right away doesn’t mean he never will. His defensive play improved a great deal this year.
Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs
Okay, fair point: There will be a few GMs in the league who would be better off without Spezza. Teams who have a number one centre and are tight to the cap won’t be looking at Spezza as a viable option, no matter the asking price. But there are plenty of teams who would benefit from his services, and who don’t have a centreman nearly as skilled as Spezza.
Still, you make a valid point. I was a little guilty of exaggeration.
by Peter Raaymakers on May 26, 2010 7:57 PM EDT up reply actions
The Sens have said they plan on signing all their RFA
by Alexander Calloway on May 26, 2010 6:37 PM EDT reply actions
I figured as much
But that’s good to know. Where did you see that?
Silver Seven: the Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators blogs.
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