Silver Nuggets: Case for Butler on top line; Daugavins heading to Latvia for tryout

$2.5M is slightly above the average (or median) NHL salary and Campoli would only be a 5-6 d-man. He’s OK, but he can’t defend great, doesn’t play tough and has highly overrated offensive skills.

if we lacking a 4th to 6th/7th defenceman right now, Campoli would be worth paying, or even overpaying, short-term. But with Kuba, Lee, Carkner definitely bottom pair guys, and if Phillips and Gonchar regress (even though Gonch looked good those last couple of months), we have too many mediocre D as it is. Can’t clog up the system with the blue chip hopefuls (and nice finds in Boroweicki and Weircio+ch and Gryba) coming up soon.

I think he’s going to attend the Sens training camp. If he doesn’t make the team, he’ll go to Latvia. It’s a shame, I don’t think he’ll make it, but I really liked his playing style and personality. Could have been Binghamton’s captain this year.

was a fan of Kaspars, ever since a year or two after he got drafted he looked really good (as an overage guy) in the OHL.

He has put up ~20 goals the past two AHL years playing on second/arguably third lines, and had 20 points in the Calder Cup run. Again, playing off the top line. He looked good on the PK too, and apparently was always a threat a man short (4 playoff shortie points).

I wonder if a one way contract could have kept him year. We are rebuilding anyway the next year or three, may as well get a bunch of the Condras and Greenings and Roosters to stay in the system for minimal investment. Worst case, whoever doesn’t play well, send him down. Best case, they all play like they deserve to be in the NHL, or at least play well enough to have value to exchange for a mid-level pick or prospect.

Now, if he signs over there, we lost an asset for nothing, like Wick.

One fan posted that Kaspars was in line for a late season callup, but that was nixed due to injury. I wonder if some one could clarify the circumstances because that is news to me.

However, I do agree with the rest of the blurb: Its good on Kaspars that he even wants to show up at the Sens NHL camp, despite being passed over for even a cup of coffee, after his last two solid years. Especially when he likely has guaranteed money (and more of it) waiting back home.

Unlike his moustache rides, it’s safe to say that the Daugman isn’t going play in Ottawa for free. Unlike many of the Ottawa forward prospects down in Binghamton, Kaspars was never rewarded with a cup of coffee with the Senators roster last season. It’s a credit to him that he even wants to come to camp and contend for a spot, with the number of forwards who are already armed with one-way contracts, the odds are certainly stacked against him. However, as a charismatic cog in Binghamton’s Calder Cup winning lineup who exhibited some strong PK skills and modest offensive production, I’ll be rooting for him.

Locke is with us another year.
We lost Keller and Potulny, though Potulny is guaranteed one way in the second year of the deal he signed with the Caps.

between some NHL fringe and NHL legit players is speed.

Locke, unfortunately, does not have decent footspeed. I thnk guys like Condra, Wick, Daugavins and O’Brien all skate well, and Greening does too, relative to his size, based on what I saw at the NHL level (and for O’Brien and Kaspars, the AHL highlights that were posted here and at AHL.com).

No telling what role a guy like Kaspars or O’Brien may have in the NHL. I would imagine third-fourth line guys, but we have enough third liners already (Condra, Greening, Z. Smith, Neil, Winchester, Konopka, arguably Foligno and Regin, too, if they don’t take the next step).

I do like Daugavins’ creative streak, though. And for a moderately sized guy, he does play physical. I hope he impresses at camp, even though it may surpassing a one-way guy like Greening and a one way contract in the minors. I guess that is the danger of signing a boatload of bottom six guys, you will have some of those guys as Black Aces or in the AHL.

Better than a Redden contract, at least.

topsix are more rare than bottom six.

We have plenty of bottom six guys, and just signed three more (Condra, Smith, and Greening) to one way deals.

Kaspars has the hands and speed to challenge Regin, Foligno in a topsix role. I think Spezza, Alfredsson, and Michalek are gimmes, but Alfie’s health is an issue.
Butler and Filatov should be given every opportunity, and have higher end…high end skill than Kaspars. But they too are question marks.

Kaspars put up 20 goals a year in the AHL with limited PP and topsix time, had a great AHL playoffs, and has that ‘compete’ aspect, the speed, and likes contact, much the same way that caused our management to reach slightly for Noesen. I like that draft pick, because the ‘compete’ aspect, with a blend of physical play, skill and speed at both ends of the ice, is more likely to produce a NHL 20 goal scorer than just blindingly good skill with questionable ethic. If the gamble doesn’t work out, we still have Prince, Pageau, Zibanejad and Puempel with high end skill from that draft.

And he is only 23, similar in age to the other Glorious Unprovens.

His name should remain in the hat to compete with the other question marks to fill out the top six spots. We have so many bottom six guys, we may as well throw a bone to some of our other prospects that have the potential to score some NHL goals.