Ball is rolling... what next?

by Joebo on Feb 12, 2011 12:44 AM EST

Now that Mike Fisher is gone for a pick (sniff, sniff! ok everyone, put away the tissues... it's not the first nor the last time we'll trade away a starlet's hockey spouse!), time to poll the audience:

Let's hear what move you think Bryan Murray should make next... If he reads this blog, this might be your chance to steer the Sens' rebuild!

Let's hear your best ideas in the comments!

Poll

What's BM's next move?

A. Package Nashville's pick + a veteran for the Leaf's pick (from Boston)?

28 votes

B. Take all and as many picks as possible for any veteran, and hope to fill gaps via free agency? (i.e.bye bye Kovalev, Ruutu, Philips, and whoever else anyone wants?)

43 votes

C. Make New Jersey an offer they can't refuse for Parise (e.g. Ottawa's #1 pick + Gonchar + Regin)?

8 votes

79 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

My 2c

I think Ottawa needs another bona fide star besides Spezza in order to compete in the playoffs, and that we can’t wait for this year’s top pick to be that guy, so my vote is to go after Parise, Richards or some other difference maker that a cap team won’t be able to keep over the summer.

by Joebo on Feb 12, 2011 12:51 AM EST reply actions

I'd love to get Toronto's first rounder

But to be completely realistic, there’s no way Boston will deal it away. What Chiarelli said was that he’d consider trading a first-round pick—he didn’t specify Toronto’s pick, so that likely means he’d trade away the Boston first-rounder, which will probably fall somewhere between 25-30 overall (as low or lower than Nashville’s first rounder, in all likelihood). Toronto’s pick could be a lottery pick; you don’t just give those away, so he’d want a real good asset for it.

What we might be able to do is trade Phillips and Ottawa’s second-rounder for Boston’s first rounder, but that would just move us up maybe 5-10 spots in the draft. Might be as few as 2-3 spots, so Murray will have to decide if that’s worthwhile.

An Ottawa Senators fan blogging at www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Feb 12, 2011 10:53 AM EST reply actions

He is open to trading Toronto's pick

Link here

But…it would take a lot.

Trying to be Erik Karlsson's agent since October, 2010.

by Adnan on Feb 12, 2011 11:51 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah, sorry, my bad

But still, you’re right. That pick, if a lottery pick, could yield a very good player. He’d need to get a very good player to consider giving it away.

An Ottawa Senators fan blogging at www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Feb 12, 2011 12:29 PM EST up reply actions

Even if the leafs continue to play well

and the pick ends up being in the 6-8 range, Ryan Strome or, (God-Willing) Huberdeau may still be available, and those are both very attractive prospects.

http://ottawasconsensus.blogspot.com/

by DaveYoung on Feb 12, 2011 1:11 PM EST up reply actions

Strome would be siiiiiiick.

Huberdeau too, for that matter.

I voted option A.

by oldmonk on Feb 12, 2011 1:50 PM EST up reply actions

Huberdeau is not a real prospect. Too soft. He’s Mike Hoffman version 0.0, not 2.0. Saad is the only worth while prospect not touted as a top 5 pick.

by ojc on Feb 12, 2011 6:05 PM EST up reply actions

He can't demand a current top three forward

He’s probably looking for a good prospect. Boston is tight against the cap with most of the team signed through next year. There is only about 6 million available through RFA’s next year and those spots would have to be filled anyway. If Seguin plays well and there is no reason to believe he wont another superstar demanding top money in a few years might make it hard on them. But in looking at it again if Mark Savard does not come back it’s a player in that range they might be looking for like maybe a Michalek.

by Hockey Playoff Run SensFan on Feb 13, 2011 11:38 AM EST up reply actions

What if

NAS soils the sheets and finishes 20th overall. No conditional pick BUT 2 top 10 picks!
I also think with the money from Fisher and losing Kovalev/Phillips/Leclaire contracts we WILL sign Parise to a long deal. He’s a superstar, is young and we could build around him and Spezza/Karlsson.

by MadCash on Feb 13, 2011 12:30 AM EST reply actions

I also think we are going to make a run at Parise

by LeTigre on Feb 13, 2011 2:47 AM EST up reply actions

I would like that, but it's assuming the Devils let him reach RFA status, right?

Teams typically lock up their superstars (except for Buffalo). We did it with Spezza, the Caps just did it with Semin. I think the same thing will happen with Parise.

Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs

by Mark Parisi on Feb 13, 2011 10:29 AM EST up reply actions

The Issues money long term

The devils at the moment cannot afford parise and kovalchuk money long term, unless they unload salary. If theres no signing by the end of the season then maybe we can get Parise, if they dump salary at the deadline I doubt hell be free.

by Sensfan90 on Feb 13, 2011 10:53 AM EST up reply actions

Sure they can

Kovalchuk’s cap hit is only $6.7M per season, which is incredible manageable—especially as time goes on and the cap, I assume, continues to rise. I assume Parise’s will be between $5-6M if they sign him long-term, $4-5M if it’s shorter, the Devils will be fine.

The Senators had locked up Heatley for $7.5M and Spezza for $7M long-term. The Devils are fine.

An Ottawa Senators fan blogging at www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Feb 13, 2011 11:02 AM EST up reply actions

I don't know about that

The Devils have 7 RFA’s next year that will want a raise and a million in buyouts to deal with. They also have five UFA’s. They do gain 4.5 mil if Arnott is not resigned. It’s going to be tight in NJ next year again as it was this year. They will not be as competitive as their owner wants if they have to sign scrubs to meet the cap.

by Hockey Playoff Run SensFan on Feb 13, 2011 11:14 AM EST up reply actions

I agree

According to cap geek they have about 50 million comitted to 14 skaters plus Brodeur next year (some of them on two ways) so they probably can sign Parise but it will be very tight to the cap for a mediocre team. If we were to go in with a 5 yr/ 7 per season deal we may be able to get him however I may want to acquire some extra picks for next year’s draft before doing the offer sheet as I believe the cost for that offer sheet would be a 1st, 2nd and 3rd rounder.

by jayssensraps on Feb 13, 2011 11:36 AM EST up reply actions

Hey, I never said they'd be good

But they wouldn’t get better by letting Parise walk.

They clear up $9M+ after this year, plus another ~$3M with the cap going up. They won’t likely re-sign Arnott, because they’ll have to make that choice; he might be traded by the deadline. There won’t likely be a problem trading some assets (I could see Clarkson being valuable), and they might have to fill out the lineup with scrubs, but it won’t be nearly impossible. I think they’ll actually be better than this season, because they weren’t nearly as bad as they looked to start this season.

An Ottawa Senators fan blogging at www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Feb 13, 2011 12:26 PM EST up reply actions

agreed

by Hockey Playoff Run SensFan on Feb 13, 2011 2:29 PM EST up reply actions

Agree Devils want to resign Parise

But the cap is going to squeeze them. Ideally they’d like to dump their junk commitments (i.e. Rolston, and maybe Zubrus), but I think other teams are happy to leave them in the squeeze, hoping to get a crack at Parise.

I’ve read speculation elsewhere that Devils might move Parise at the deadline if they don’t think they’ll be able to make the cap number work, rather than risk losing him for nothing.

They’ve got about $17M (if the cap stays the same) to sign a backup G, 2 D’s, 3 F’s (including Parise and a 2nd line C) to fill the minimum roster. So he might fit, but it’ll be tight since he’s probably worth about $8M per.

by Joebo on Feb 13, 2011 11:43 PM EST up reply actions

parise will not go anywhere

They will never let him go.. NEVER.. but can Ottawa take on some of their salary next year say Rolson or salvador so they can resign Parise. We could take on salary, and their 1st round pick for maybe a philips, and Nashvilles first?? Then we would most likely get two top 5 picks.. rebuild over!!

by Eric Cartman on Feb 14, 2011 2:04 PM EST up reply actions

I think they’re as unwilling to trade that first-rounder as they are to trade Parise, unless they really climb the standings. It’s the one bright spot to this horrible season for them, and they’ll likely want to parlay it into something that can help them avoid it happening in the future. Especially considering how cap-constrained they already are; cheap good prospects will be hugely important.

An Ottawa Senators fan blogging at www.silversevensens.com

by Peter Raaymakers on Feb 14, 2011 2:18 PM EST up reply actions

I like your thinking

Sweet plan, take Roston (SHGs! Wait that was 10 years ago…) and the pick to help em out.

Why not take Brodeur off their hands at the same time to free up some real cap space?? Can’t hurt at this point!

by Joebo on Feb 14, 2011 9:17 PM EST up reply actions

I picked the second option...

I would love it if Murray could pull off the first option. The first option could be embedded in the second option.

I would also LOVE to get Parise, but I doubt the Devils won’t sign him before he reaches RFA. There are a bunch of wingers on free agency this year… is there anyone you’d like to see get signed?

by Los Blancos Chicca on Feb 14, 2011 9:17 AM EST reply actions

I get the feeling this won't be popular...

but both Gagne and Hejduk are coming up UFA. Hejduk may well just retire, but gagne will still be kicking around. Hejduk would be a great veteran to have around the young team we are moving towards, and would only really need to be around for 1 year; we could then find someone else, either through the draft or another UFA. I don’t think Hejduk would last more than a season. A caveat: the chances that he would come to Ottawa so late in his career when he could get a 1 year deal with Pittsburgh or Washington and make one last run… yea I didn’t think so either.

Gagne has had almost a wasted season in TBay; he has been very slow to get on form since his injuries. Signing him would be a pretty big gamble, but on his game he is a winger that could be really effective alongside a healthy Michalek and Spezza for a year or two while the club rebuilds.

O Magnus....

by Irish_Human on Feb 14, 2011 9:52 AM EST up reply actions

I don't know if we want a veteran winger as a mentor and such

Why not keep Kovalev (assuming we can convince him to stay)?

Trying to be Erik Karlsson's agent since October, 2010.

by Adnan on Feb 14, 2011 9:58 AM EST up reply actions

Absolutely Not.

If we are signing old wingers to produce only in fits and starts, they better come a lot cheaper and with a way better head on their shoulders. I would rather beg Craig Conroy to come out of retirement than re-sign Kovalev.

My comment about a mentor is related to the fact that something about the Ottawa team has had a certain stink to it ever since the redden-emery-heatley days (I mean those events to be sequential). Kovalev has done nothing to help that. Fresh faces with good reputations PLEASE

O Magnus....

by Irish_Human on Feb 14, 2011 10:02 AM EST up reply actions

I see what you are saying about reputation etc...

But I am kind of tired of the older guys… I want a winger that can play with Spezza and use this rebuild time to grow a healthy relationship as a line on the ice. (do you know what I mean?)

So guys like Parise, Ladd, Fleischmann, etc.. on the LW.

I want us to draft Landeskogn for RW, if we could. And then get another centre to fill in for Fisher, Like Stamkos (HAHAHA) or someone through FA or via trade. Richards is a UFA (which goes against what I said up there)… ideally we would get Boston’s pick and grab centre using it.

by Los Blancos Chicca on Feb 14, 2011 1:23 PM EST up reply actions

Yea we’ll have to wait and see how this all shakes out. I would rather see a long-term solution coming in as well, but I feel like we might be in for a stop-gap season not unlike the one Edmonton is having now; the talent is in place, with more on the way, but they have to develop first

O Magnus....

by Irish_Human on Feb 14, 2011 9:10 PM EST up reply actions

Thumbs-up on Gagne

He’s regaining form recently, and might remain a little under the radar depending on whether he makes noise in the playoffs or not.

The risk with him is that he’s picky about where he wants to play (he was sore when he got traded to TB, I recall he made a comment about being excitedto play “next year” instead of longer, or something like that), so he might veto the Sens in rebuild mode.

But I do think he’d be good if he was willing to play in Ottawa.

by Joebo on Feb 14, 2011 9:24 PM EST up reply actions

Phillips for Grossman

Dallas is headed for the playoffs, Grossman is injured, so they need Phillips!

Good trade for Ottawa to get leaner on payroll and get a solid defensive guy to pair up with Karlsson or Gonch.

Dallas gets playoff experience and a solid defensive pairing for Robidas.

I hope BM doesn’t read this, think it’s a good idea, works the deal with Neiuwendyk … loses Grossman in the shuffle and comes out with Niskanen though!! Ugh.

by Joebo on Feb 14, 2011 9:29 PM EST reply actions