What to do with Filip Kuba?

by I Still Miss Hossa!!! on Feb 21, 2012 2:13 PM EST

This is a interesting question. Conventional wisdom would be to trade him. He's a 35 years old UFA who most likely isn't apart of the team's future ( my definition of team's future is a player who will be part of the team in 3 years to come and will have an active role). However there are some compelling reasons why we should keep not only at the deadline, but maybe even a short term contract as well.

There's no doubt that 2010-11 was a terrible year for Filip Kuba. He got injured in the first day of training camp, and never quite caught up. He finished with 16P and an ugly -26 in 64 games. It can be argued that Kuba's bad year was more of a result of being on a terrible team than evidence of his play deteriorating. His play, as well as the team's overall play, improved in the last quarter of the year.

2011-12 has been a completely different story. As of today, Kuba has 22P (5 goals) and a +18, tied with Zdeno Chara and Pavel Datsyuk for 22nd in the league. He is 32nd in the league in avg. TOI (23:30) and 9th in the league in avg. SH TOI (3:31). He's on the 1st pairing with Erik Karlsson, and often, if not always faces the top lines from every team. THe argument could be that Kuba's high Plus-Minus is a result of being partner with the highest scoring defenceman in the league. However, Karlsson's success is in large part due to Kuba steadying influence in the back end, which allows Karlsson to take more chances offensively. Next year, 2012-2013, we have 4 defensemen under contract: Phillips, Gonchar, Karlsson and Cowen. Hopefully Murray will actively look to sign a top level defenceman, but those are few and far in between.

So I ask you, what should we do with Kuba? Should we trade him while his value is high? Should we keep him for the rest of the year, and risk losing him in free agency for nothing? Or should we look to sign him to a short term contract?

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Short term signing

I say sign him for one year, even if the price is inflated a bit. I think that we need time to develop the defensive D side of things here, perhaps come up with someone in the offseason while drafting a couple of new defensive prospects.

Without knowing whether BoroCop or Wiercoch are ready or not or whether they ever will be, to just give away our best defensive guy for a mid round pick just doesn’t seem like a good move… and that’s probably what we will do no matter what is said here.

by Marvellous on Feb 21, 2012 2:28 PM EST reply actions

Absolutely agree...

But I think we can maybe try to get someone better via FA. If no,t Kuba for another year would not be a bad option. If we loose him for nothing, not a big deal really since we were all willing to give him up for a bag of pucks a year ago. Chances are we will have more injuries next year and Boro or Wiercoch will be able to get some NHL time via callups.

by Eric Cartman on Feb 21, 2012 3:02 PM EST up reply actions

That would be ideal, but I don’t think Kuba will sign for 1-year.

He’s old and would want some security, someone will give him multi-year. Plus, does he even like Ottawa given the fans reaction last year, early this season?

I love soft players (especially Europeans) that play on the perimeter. Enigmas are awesome. Grit and heart-and-soul are red flags.

Erik Karlsson is better than your favourite player.
Twitter: @sens_adnan

by Adnan on Feb 21, 2012 9:13 PM EST up reply actions

I always wonder about that, do players care much about the fans

or do they care more about team chemistry?

by whatsinaname on Feb 21, 2012 9:50 PM EST up reply actions

I'd be surprised if he resigned here.

He’s 35. He probably wants at least a 3 year retirement deal. He hasn’t been liked by the city (Exhibit A: Our Filip Flowchart). I’d keep him till the off season, then wish him well.

At the same time, if Hal Gill can get two prospects and a pick, you gotta think that Kuba is worth a first. And if that’s the case, I’m seriously considering a 1st and prospect for Kuba.

Kick the tires BMurr. And keep the future in mind.

by The Tif on Feb 21, 2012 3:25 PM EST reply actions

I agree with The Tif

If Murray can swing a deal for anything like what the return was on Hal Gill or Pavel Kubina, the Senators would be crazy not to take it.

The Marginal Virtues

by JonathanA on Feb 21, 2012 3:54 PM EST up reply actions

Agree BM has to listen

If he’s has a deal on the table too good to refuse (top 20 first rounder, package for a younger/better top 2 D like Suter) he’s got to act.

But if that doesn’t happen, a 1 year deal would be a good idea. Kuba is chewing up a lot of minutes and I don’t think Phillips can do that anymore, not is Cowen ready to play that role yet.

We should definitely investigate UFA and/or trade to get a top 4 guy for next year to ease the departure of Kuba, Gonchar, and potential reduction in role for Philips.

by Joebo on Feb 21, 2012 4:41 PM EST up reply actions

We'll see with Kuba

Only BM knows what the possibilities of resigning Kuba short term are. If we draw the Bruins in the 1st round, we’ll be lucky to win one game if Anderson is unbeatable Kuba or no Kuba. We just aren’t good enough defensively to handle the best teams over a series YET. No thanks to Burke for shoring up the Bruins with the Kessel deal.

It’s easy to speculate about trade stuff, and we aren’t privy to some of the conversations that are going on.

BM admitted he talked to Dallas about Grossman and they wanted a prospect that we didn;t want to part with… and Dallas settled for two draft picks.

by Marvellous on Feb 22, 2012 7:40 AM EST reply actions

That's the only team I'm really worried about.

I think we can take any other team in the East. None are as physical as the Bruins.

by The Tif on Feb 22, 2012 8:41 AM EST up reply actions

Respectfully disagree

The Bruins aren’t playing that great now – trouble scoring and Thomas isn’t looking like a Vezina winner…if Spezza and Karlsson stay hot along with Anderson the Sens can beat anyone.

by OD99 on Feb 22, 2012 2:25 PM EST up reply actions

Anybody else humming "What do you do with a drunken sailor?" right now?

by B_T on Feb 22, 2012 1:40 PM EST reply actions

Now I am.

What do you do with a fi-lip ku-ba
What do you do with a fi-lip ku-ba
What do you do with a fi-lip ku-ba
Before the trading deadline

by The Tif on Feb 22, 2012 2:36 PM EST up reply actions 5 recs

Annnnnd.... rec'd

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by Mark Parisi on Feb 22, 2012 3:15 PM EST up reply actions

My devious plan worked

Oh, and rec’d

by B_T on Feb 22, 2012 4:04 PM EST up reply actions

That's Awesome

Rec’d

by I Still Miss Hossa!!! on Feb 22, 2012 4:40 PM EST up reply actions

The team will make the decision based on their play

Say they don’t lose again until the trade deadline or the teams behind us continue to faler then I don’t think Murray moves Kuba because I don’t think he can.

We might be willing to say that having him isn’t a big deal and we should get something for him but while BM has to think of the future he also has to think of now and show some respect to the team he has in the locker room. If he just drops a piece of the puzzle right before the play-offs those guys will be pretty upset.

Plus you know that once the play-offs start anything is possible and the Sens and management will want to go in with the best possible opportunity…

That said, if the Sens are offered a mid-first rounder it would be VERY hard as a fan to say they shouldn’t take it.

by OD99 on Feb 22, 2012 2:24 PM EST reply actions

if the Sens are offered a mid-first rounder

What are the Sens going to do with a mid-first rounder in the play-offs?

by Peter.vR on Feb 22, 2012 3:57 PM EST up reply actions

Put a 39 sweater on it and let some fast forward skate around it

We won’t be able to tell the difference anyway.

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by Mark Parisi on Feb 22, 2012 5:38 PM EST up reply actions

ZING!!!!

by I Still Miss Hossa!!! on Feb 22, 2012 5:52 PM EST up reply actions

39?

pretty sure we were talking about Kuba.

by Peter.vR on Feb 22, 2012 11:21 PM EST up reply actions

I don't think you got my joke.

Silver Seven - The Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa Senators Blogs

by Mark Parisi on Feb 23, 2012 2:07 PM EST up reply actions

sorta I did

but it ignored the topic, so I got thick.

Kuba was slow last year after his injury, maybe, just maybe, 39 can rebound too?

by Peter.vR on Feb 23, 2012 3:57 PM EST up reply actions

I don't think Carks is ever going get faster than he is now

I love him, and I hope we don’t trade him. But I also hope we don’t have to play him against any speedy forwards if we make the playoffs.

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by Mark Parisi on Feb 23, 2012 10:22 PM EST up reply actions

I'm with everyone else in doubting he'd want to re-sign here

There are a lot of pending UFA defencemen so maybe he’ll be short on options, but I don’t really think Kuba is too interested in returning to the team where he had some of the lowest points of his career, playing in front of some of the most critical fans he’s ever played in front of. Stranger things have happened, though; I didn’t think there was a chance they’d re-sign him last time around, either, and he got a lofty three-year deal with a restricted-movement clause.

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by Peter Raaymakers on Feb 22, 2012 4:32 PM EST reply actions

I agree

However, this team seems to be a tight knit group and have great chemistry. Gonchar had almost as bad a year as Kuba did, and he came out and said that he wants to stay because he likes the direction team is going in. Maybe Kuba feels the same way? Enough to stay on for another year or two?

Obviously this is just pure speculation on my part

by I Still Miss Hossa!!! on Feb 22, 2012 4:38 PM EST up reply actions

Kuba will get at least a two year offer

I’d be really surprised if some GM doesn’t offer him a two year deal for the money he’s making now, in which case he’ll be history.

It’s hard to say. Dmen like Karlsson are redefining what teams want out of their dmen in today’s game, and the value placed on defensive dmen as well.

by Marvellous on Feb 23, 2012 7:57 AM EST reply actions