Silver Nuggets: Impatience? Boredom? Or is it the Time?

I started this morning as I do most mornings: scouring the internet and blogosphere for some new content related to our Ottawa Senators. Sometimes I do this as a formality because I have something I already want to write about (like Wednesday's Conn Smythe post) and sometimes, like today, I do it looking for inspiration.

Today, inspiration was staring me in the face. Of the 6 Senators links I have today, 3 were about potential UFA targets for the Senators, and one was about potentially trading Mika Zibanejad or Jason Spezza for a bevy of talent. These articles come on the heels of previously linked posts about signing Bryan Bickell or Pascal Dupuis.

So the question is, why? I have three ideas;

Impatience: Our Supreme Overlord Head Jerk wrote one of my favourite articles on this site ever, during the dark ages. He postulated that Sens Army was partially to blame for the stopgap measures taken by the organization to keep the team "competitive". While the fanbase seems to have come around to the notion of a rebuild, it is pretty easy to do when the team has played 3 playoff rounds in the first two years of it. And yet, already, people are clamouring for a big move. A massive trade, a big signing. Are we impatient, just two years in?

Boredom: Armchair GM-ing is a favourite pastime of all sports fans. Hell, why are fantasy sports so popular? It is that time of year, when the number of story ideas for the Senators starts to run a bit dry. When stories are no longer happening and being reported, but being generated. Perhaps this accounts for the influx of these types of articles?

Time is Now: Maybe, just maybe, the case is that the time is now. That the team has stockpiled, showed they have the right coach, the right system and the right goaltender(s). That the time is now to take a big step forward to be counted among the contenders in the NHL, but that step must be bringing somebody from the outside into the fold.

What say you?

Sens Links

• Adnan drums up some discussion by throwing out the idea that one of Jason Spezza OR Mika Zibanejad should not be here long term. [SSS]
• Bobby on whether the Senators should pursue David Clarkson. My opinion: no thanks. [SSS]
• WorstEverything gives a bunch of potential guys Murray could be after. The one that intrigues me most is Danny Briere. Wonderfully talented, will have something to prove, trains with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, is from the area and is a MONSTER in the playoffs (channelling my inner Pierre, but seriously. He scores playoff goals). [WTYKY]
• Nichols, on the other hand, provides a case for pursuing Patrick Elias! While I wasn't crazy about the idea, this is a pretty compelling argument. [6thSens]
• Chet Sellers on the best Sens draft class ever *coughcough2008cough* [RBM]
• As pointed out in the comments the other day, NHL.com has the Senators choosing Max Domi, though I doubt he falls so far. [Sens]
• While SenShot has us taking Robert Hagg. I don't know him, but he's Swedish, so sign us up! [SS]

League Links

• How disappointing was your team's playoff exit, ranking-wise. DGB was quite kind to us Sens fans. [Grantland]
• Evgeni Malkin signed a new contract. For the next 8 years, Geno will take 9.5 million from the Penguins. [NHL]
• Award winners wil be announced by the NHL at 5pm today. Check back for our reaction. [NHL]

Why all the "should we sign X player" posts?