Silver Nuggets: Questions for you about the Roster

Today, Curtis Lazar plays his 10th game of the season. All indications are that the young rookie is staying with the big club, and if so, I highly doubt that Bryan Murray and co. want to have two forwards in the press box for the whole season. Add this to the fact that with Marc Methot making progress in practice, ramping up his skating, the Senators may have two defensemen in the press box soon.

With a glaring hole on defense, it certainly makes sense for the Senators to try and swing a quantity for quality type trade, but we don't know what's out there at the moment. Also worrying - the team has still been calling about a forward, such as Buffalo's Chris Stewart.

Given all of this, I have a couple questions for you:

1. Should Curtis Lazar be sent back to junior?

2. If not, how do you handle the extra forward situation? Is someone waived? Who? Is someone traded? Who?

3. With Marc Methot returning, how do you handle the extra defenseman situation? How would YOU optimize the Senators lineup?

On Friday, I'll look at a couple of interesting responses, and give you my thoughts on how I'd answer these questions (though Question 1 should be answered for us by then).

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Sens Links

• I'm still sad about the Senators loss to the Bruins on Saturday. Here are your game recaps. [Silver Seven, Rank the Performances, Ottawa Citizen, SenShot, SensChirp,
• Hopefully the week ahead changes my negative thoughts into positive ones! Four home games. [Silver Seven - Week Ahead, SensChirp]
• Eden has a nice post on the Sens special teams play so far this season. [The Storied Sens]
• With October finished, Jack has his monthly thoughts. Good recap of a busy month for the Senators. [SenShot]
• Here's Nichols on the Sens continued interest in Chris Stewart. He's not what we need, Murray. [6th Sens]
• Paul MacLean's Monday TSN 1200 segment. It sure sounds like Curtis Lazar is staying with the big club, and the coach says that yesterday and today are going to be a time of intense internal discussion as the team reaches its 10 game mark. [TSN1200]
• BSens defenseman, and former U Miami (Ohio) Redhawk, Chris Wideman was named the AHL's player of the week AND the AHL's player of the month. Wideman ranks second in the league (!) in goals with 7 and leads the league in shots on goal (42 in 10 games). [AHL, SenShot]
• Ian with his Monday prospect update, featuring recaps of the BSens weekend games. [Silver Seven]
• Here are Jeff's recaps of the BSens games against the Utica Comets (VAN) and the Syracuse Crunch (TB). Hopefully the rest of the BSens team can start to string together some solid performances, much like their NHL affiliate. [SenShot - Utica, SenShot - Syracuse]
• Amelia is on Ups and Downs duty this week - take a look at who's trending in the right direction. [Silver Seven]
• A hilarious Bobby Ryan picture from Varada. [WTYKY]

Sports Links

• A really good read on the performance revolution in sports and "getting better" at getting better. Technology is rapidly revamping on how athletes train, and an interesting glimpse on how it's helping increase reaction time is explained. [New Yorker]
• In addition to concerns about burning a year off a player's entry-level deal, over the last nine seasons, only five 18 year olds and thirteen 19 year olds scored at a rate of 0.5 points/game and above. [Puck Daddy]
• Something that the Senators don't have to worry about so far this season - why teams should never play a tired goalie [The Globe & Mail]
• Ryan Classic talks about the impact of the extra point on team record. It's bigger than you think. [Storify]
• Here's a youtube video that was circulating yesterday where goaltender David Leggio knocks his net off during a 2-on-0 breakaway in order to face just one shooter in a penalty shot situation. [YouTube]
• An NHL column on Vladimir Tarasenko, who was taken with the pick the Sens traded to St. Louis for David Rundblad (the Sens only wanted Jaden Schwartz, who was taken earlier and Bryan Murray doesn't like to take Russians). Rundblad eventually became Turris, so I'm not disappointed, but wow is this kid a talent. [NHL]

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Thanks for reading!