Sens Buzz

Moving Day

2009-07-25T11:28:00.004-04:00

Sens Buzz readers, it's the end as we know it. After nearly a year on Blogspot, Sens Buzz has joined Silver Seven, The 6th Sens, Sens Chirp, and Five For Smiting in haveing their own domain name. Sens Buzz has teamed up with the FanSided network to bring a Sens blog to the FanSided network.

FanSided, I believe, is growing and I would like to be part of that. The blog is the first hockey blog from the teams of Canada, so that's a first for the Sens blogosphere. It was a difficult decision but I wanted to move on and take on new challenges.

I also wanted to expand the blog from not just a rumor site, but opinionated as well. I want to make the blog edgy. I realized the last post was controversial and I accept that after reading through it. I am sorry to everyone who was insulted by it. It's a mistake but I think I need to move on from it.

Readers, welcome to SenShot. I'll write my first post tomorrow morning but enjoy the site for now. Thanks to Zach and Adam Best for the chance and hope ever reader comes over and reads the writers of Sens Buzz at SenShot now!

PS: Another reason I leaved was because the logo I got was crazy good! Very snazzy IMO.

Wow

2009-07-24T23:32:00.003-04:00

Seriously, just wow. People need to calm down and chillax for just a moment. Some many things can get out of hand that this just needs to stop.

First, I did not freaking come up with this! I listened to Leafs Lunch and Bill Watters said it. I didnt have much knowledge that Watters has made some outlandish accussations in the past. So, I was not the one who started this. This is something if you have a problem if you need to report to Watters.

Im sorry, I didnt want to accuse those players because they are probably my favorite players of all-time. I just lookedon the Sens roster and made some suggestions, thats all. Last time I remebered, everybody is entitled to their opinion. If you disagree with me, say it in a civil manner. I will be more than happy to reply to that.

To the one that said about my credibility, if you havent realized, Colorado and Los Angeles always were interested in Heatley, something every Sens blogger said, but dropped out. I have said fro the past month Minnesota, San Jose, and Edmonton are the only teams interested right now in Heatley. Secondly, it was Auld and Caporusso for Russell. If you add in Caporusso, that makes it a very even trade.

People need to stop trolling around on every blog they find first. Think before you right. If you dont like this blog, then dont come. Its your own fault if you still keep coming in. If seen too many trollers hurt a bloggers credibility that I will not stand to have it happen to me.

Jesus, some people need to get a life.

Coming Soon to a Blog Near you: SGESBA

Holy Crap! Sens on the Drugs! + Eaves back to Ottawa?

2009-07-24T16:06:00.003-04:00

As reported first by Leafs Lunch AM and Another Ottawa Senators Blog, Bill Watters stated on Leafs Lunch that the reason Dany Heatley wants to leave the city of Ottawa and the Ottawa Senators is because he wants to escape "the rampant drug use of players within the Sens' organization".

Holy fuckers. I am stunned. Sens' players using drugs? Are you kidding me? Is this true? AOSB says that it may not be true but either way I am totally disgusted at the Sens. Watters says "Numerous Sens players were involved in an alleged purchase of some of that Peruvian marching powder". That is shocking. This looks bad for Ottawa and the NHL. Maybe I finally understand why Heatley would want to leave Ottawa. He probably didn't want to get involved in anything on the record about this if the alleged drug use came about. But, what if Dany Heatley used drugs too?

When you look at the Sens players, I can't see much players using drugs. Maybe Chris Neil, even though he was injured for most of the year. Nick Foligno is a guy that pops up unfortunately. The guy came out of nowhere after the start of the second half and looked bigger than ever. Anton Volchenkov? Dare I say it, Daniel Alfredsson? Wow, I can't believe I just said that.

Also, a rumor to throw out there. Eaves was traded to Boston and then bought out. Whichever team he goes to, if he goes to one, will be paying $1.4 mil/year, for 2 years. I'm guessing Murray will have mild interest.

What in interesting off-season this has been for the Sens and Sens fans.

Super-Gigantic Enormous Scandulous Big Announcement (SGESBA) Part One

2009-07-23T23:47:00.003-04:00

Hey Sens Buzz followers. In a couple of days, you will witness the biggest announcement since Graeme and Tim over at The 6th Sens joined Bloguin and since the Sens signed Geoff Kinrade.

It's called SGESBA. Coming soon to a blog near you (yes, this blog doofus!).

RUMOR: Picard to Washington?

2009-07-23T13:02:00.002-04:00

As I posted on the "Latest Buzz on the Sens" sidebar to your left, the Washington Ovechk...err...Washington Capitals are heavily considering Alexandre Picard as a good 1-2 punch with Norris Trophy runner up Mike Green.

The Capitals, after Green, have NO offensive defensemen and a bunch of defensive defenseman. They do have John Carlson in their prospect pool but Hockey's Future says he'll need 2-3 more years to join the roster full-time. Picard had 15 points in 47 games last year which isn't much but if he can play with Mike Green and the high-octane Capitals offense, he can get 40+ points. Picard also played in the 06-07 season with the Flyers and racked up 23 points in 66 games.

Many of you are probably asking what the reutrn would be. I would guess that Bryan Murray would ask at least for a 4th round pick. If he would go further and ask for a 3rd rounder, I'm betting George McPhee would relunctantly agree.

I do have an update on Brian Elliott. Expect him to re-sign(finally) on the weekend. Both sides have agreed on a 3 year, $3 million contract which would pay Elliott $1 million/year, the same salary Auld had. I think the deal is solid, and it guarantees we'll be looking at a LeClaire-Elliott tandem for quite some time now.

In other news, the Sens named Brad Lauer the new assistant coach of the team. For you who aren't familiar with Lauer, he played for the Sens back in the good ol' days. He also was an assistant with Clouston back in Kootenay. The Sens also named Chris Schwarz conditioning coach and Dom Nicoletta assistant athletic therapist.

The Curious Case of Ruslan Bashkirov

2009-07-22T14:29:00.002-04:00

Let's go back in time in Ottawa Senators history. Era 1998-2006. 3 General Managers by the name of Rick Dudley, Marshall Johnston, and John Muckler were at helm during that time. Dudley lasted 1 year, Johnston 2 years, and Muckler 6 years. All three GM's had a notorious rep at drafting. All three of them weren't afraid to take some European player out of the forests, namely Russian players. The Sens were successful during these times but the future looked bleak. They drafted way too many Russians who never played a single minute for Ottawa. Some might say that is the reason of the demise of our beloved Senators.

After a trip to the Cup Finals, Muckler is finally fired after constant years of complaining from Sens fans to fire the old-timer. Bryan Murray took over and so far, has done a solid job. He sometimes misses the mark on his trades, but at drafting, he's one of the best in the biz. So far, Murray has been at helm for 3 Drafts. In total the team has made 20 picks from 2007-2009. When at helm with the Ducks and Wings, Murray has be known to draft mainly Canadians, Americans, and Swedes. That continues here in Ottawa.

Players From Canada- 8/20- 40%
Players From USA- 6/20- 30%
Players from Sweden- 5/20- 25%

Well that doesn't add up, eh? There's still 5 % left, which if you're a math geek, you know that means 1 player left. Yes, in 2007, Murray drafted a Russian(gasp!). He comes by the name of Ruslan Bashkirov.

Born in March of 1989, Ruslan had always impressed scouts whenever he played. In 2006, Ruslan made the switch to the Q, and played for the Quebec Remparts. Playing 60 games that season, Bashkirov recorded 67 points, mainly 30 goals and 37 assists. Many teams were impressed with his decision to play in the QMJHL, and many scouts were baffled at his pure skill. Bashkirov had one of the best hands in the Q, and a very strong shot. Director of Central Scouting E.J. McGuire had this to say about Bashkirov 2 months before the 2007 Draft:

" He(Ruslan) has the ability to become a Top 6 Forward in the league in a few years. His work ethic is also something to be amazed at and his willingness to be the best on the ice just gives you the impression that he wants to play in the NHL. His consistency has been an issue for much of his junior career, but the team that drafts him can mold him very well in my opinion. I see Ruslan as the next Alexei Kovalev if he decides to stay in Canada next year"

The season had ended and the Remparts lost in the playoffs. 1 week later, Ruslan made an announcement, something that changed his hockey career and the scouts perception on him.
Ruslan declared he was homesick, and wanted to play with his twin brother Roman on Atlanat Mytischi in the KHL. Many saw this as a step back for the young Russian. Many had declared him as a late first round pick. Now, because of his declaration to the KHL, many saw him fall tremendously.

As happened with Alexei Cherepanov that same year, people were scared of the Russians because of the lack of a transfer agreement between the KHL and the NHL. The first round ended, and Bashkirov still wasn't picked. He and his family pondered and even Ruslan himself wondered if the decision to join the KHL was the right one. His agent, however, re-assured him that is was the right one and that he was going to get drafted.

Bashkirov met Cherepanov after he was drafted and congratulated him. After some talk, Bashkirov asked Alex what if he was drafted by the Rangers, and Cherepanov smiled and just said "I'd rather face off against you".

The second day of the draft kicked off early. After 15 picks went through, Rusland started to get frustrated. I remember watching the second round on the NHL Network and Ray Ferraro predicting the Buffalo Sabres would take Ruslan Bashkirov with the 59th overall pick. I was thinking with myself, thank god, we won't have the urge to draft another Russian now. Contrary, with the 59th pick, Buffalo took Drew Schiestel. The Ottawa Senators were on the clock, and many were expecting them to draft a defenseman after drafting Jim O'Brien with the 29th overall pick. However, Ottawa took yet another Russian, and his name is Ruslan Bashkirov.

After hearing his name, Ruslan hugged his parents and twin brother Roman, and went to the podium. With smiles around, Ruslan put on a Sens jersey, something he wished he would wear full-time in a few years.

Even though Murray is known for drafting Russians, he took a gamble on Bashkirov, even though he knew he was playing in the KHL next year. Bashkirov had sniper abilities something Ottawa saw and admired. Murray hoped he could convince Ruslan to come back to Canada after 2008. He never did.

Bashkirov played once again in the KHL in 2008, this time with Ladya Toglatti. Some fans hope he returns, and I bet there's still something in Ruslan that hopes he returns himself.

Be My Number Two

2009-07-22T11:41:00.003-04:00

I am of the opinion that you don't need to have 6 top 6 forwards to ice a good team. But you should have 4 top 6 forwards and two of them should be centers. Having two top quality centers makes it tougher to shutdown two lines. Just look at the Stanley Cup champions since 2000.

09 - Malkin-Crosby
08 - Datsyuk-Zetterberg (Listed as a winger but he essentially plays C)
07 - Getzlaf-McDonald - Getzlaf was an emerging star and McDonald put up 78 points.
06 - Brind'Amour-Staal
04 - Richards-Lecavlier
03 - The exception to the rule
02 - Fedorov-Yzerman
01 - Sakic-Forsberg
00 - Modano-Nieuwendyk

That list has at least a bakers dozen worth of Hall of Famers. How many Cups did Gretzky win without Messier? How many did Lemieux win without Francais?

Just look at the list below of the second line center point leaders from every team and you'll see of the 11 teams that had a 50 point player from the center position only one of those teams did not make the playoffs.

The Elite:
1. Penguins - Crosby - 103 / Staal 49 2. Flyers - Richards - 80 3. Bruins - Krejci - 73
The Target:
1. Devils Travis Zajac - 62 2. Sharks - Pavelski - 59 3. Canucks - Kessler - 59 4. Red Wings - Hudler - 57 5. Capitals - Laich - 53 6. Hurricanes - Brind'Amour 51 7. Thrashers - Little - 51 8. Blues - Perron - 50
The Expected:
1. Stars - Richards - 48 2. Flames - Conroy - 48 3. Sabers - Connolly - 47 4. Leafs - Grabovski - 47 5. Lightning - Stamkos - 46 6. Panthers - Horton - 45 7. Hawks - 8. Sharp - 44
The Rest:
1. Kings - Handzus - 42 2. Predators - Legwand - 42 3. Oilers - Gagner - 41 4. Rangers - Dubinsky - 41 5. Coyotes - Reinprecht - 41 6. Canadiens - Plekanec - 39
7. Wild - Belanger - 36 8. Jackets - Malhotra - 35 9. Islanders - Neilsson - 33 10. Ducks - Ebbett - 32 11. Senators - Fisher - 32 12. Avalance - Arnason - 22

Last year the Senators had the 2nd worst production from their 2nd line center. Fisher is capable of being an average second line center capable of 45 - 50 points, in the two previous seasons he got 48 & 47 points, but don't expect more than 50 points cause it's likely not going to happen. If Ottawa had a 2nd line center then Fisher would be able to play his 3rd line role, which he is better suited too and he would likely be one of the best at his position for that role, instead of dissapointing on the 2nd line. It's easier to put a 3rd line player on the wing with two top line players than a 3rd line player at center and expect the wingers to carry the line.

I'm not saying that for the Senators to win they need a Hall of Famer, but wouldn't it help to get a quality second line center? One that could put up say 50 - 55 points and could have good chemistry with either Heatley or Alfredsson. But wait what if the Senators already had this type of player one that averaged .63 PPG good for 51 points in an 82 game schedule. And what if this player has since averaged .66 PPG since leaving the Senators good for 54 points in an 82 game schedule. And what if this players salary was a manageable 2.375 and he'd likely take a home town discount since he was born and raised in Kanata. Hmm .. what if the Senators just kept Todd White, would their secondary scoring issue be solved?

Some Quick Hits To Pass Along

2009-07-21T19:07:00.002-04:00

What's with Atlanat Mytischi and take our goaltending sloppy seconds? Today, Martin Gerber, notorious ex-Sen goalie, signed with AM of the KHL. Remember, Atlanat was the team that took former ex-Sen reject goalie Ray Emery under it's sheel for a year. Thanks fro your service to the NHL, Gerbs. You and your incapitated glove will be surely missed by.

Tomas Plekanec re-signed with the Habs today, a one-year contract worth $2.75 million. Good move I guess. Scracth Plekanec off the Sens' radar.

I have been told by a close source that Brian Elliott is clsoer to signing. It's expected to be a 3 year deal worth $3 million, which means he will make $1 million/yr, the same salary former Sen Alex Auld had.

Sens Buzz Tuesday Live Chat---4 PM ET!!!

2009-07-21T15:16:00.001-04:00

We are experiencing technical difficulties in posting the live chat on the post, so please follow this link to join in our weekly live chat. Topics will be Dany Heatley(no duh!), Travis Zajac, Chris Kelly, Jason Smith, Tomas Kaberle, soem interesting tibits on Brian Elliott, and much more! It's gonna be a good time!

All Those Years - (10 Years of Poor Drafting)

2009-07-21T11:58:00.003-04:00

10 years of poor drafting is the reason the Sens have no secondary scoring perhaps we should have a little patience while Murray tries to restock some of our prospects. Perhaps Bryan Murray should be given a fair shake before he's fired. In essense the reason that the Senators are in such bad shape has less to do with Murray and more to do with the state the teams prospects that have been developed for the 10 years prior to his scouts taking over the team. I removed Jason Spezza from their draft picks because he was essentially dealt for Alexei Yashin.

2007: Jim O'Brien (1), Ruslan Bashkirov (2), Louie Caporusso (3), Ben Blood (4) (Murray was GM but his scouting staff wasn't fully in place)
2006: Nic Foligno (1), Eric Gryba (3), Kaspars Daugavins (3), Pierre-Luc Lessard (4), Ryan Daniels (5), Kevin Koopman (6), Erik Condra (7)
2005: Brian Lee (1), Vitaly Anikeenko (3), Cody Bass (4), Ilya Zubov (4), Janne Kolehmainen (4) Tomas Kudelka (5), Dmitri Megalinsky (6), Colin Greening (7)
2004: Andrej Mezaros (1), Kirill Lyamin (2), Shawn Weller (3), Peter Regin (3), Jeff Glass (3), Alex Nikulin (4), Jim McKenzie (5), Matthew McIlvane (8), John Wikner (9)
2003: Patrick Eaves (1), Igor Mironov (2), Phillip Seydoux (3), Mattias Karlson (4), Tim Cook (5), Sergei Gimayev (5), Brian Elliott (9)
2002: Jakub Klepis (1), Alex Kaigorodov (2), Arttu Luttinen (3), Scott Dobben (4), Johan Bjork (4), Vitaly Atyushov (9)
2001: Jason Spezza (1), Tim Gleason (1), Neil Komadoski (3), Ray Emery (4), Christoph Shubert (4), Brooks Laich (6), Jan Platil (7), Brandon Bouchenski (7), Neil Petruic (8), Gregg Johnson (9), Toni Dahlman (9)
2000: Anton Volchenkov (1), Mathieu Chouinard (2), Antoine Vermette (2), Jan Bohac (3), Derrick Byfuglien (4), Greg Zannon (5),
1999: Martin Havlat (1), Simon Lajeunesse (2), Teemu Sainomaa (3), Chris Kelly (3), Andrew Ianiero (5), Martin Prusek (6), Mikko Ruutu (7), Layne Ulmer (7), Alexandre Giroux (7), Konstantin Gorovikov (8)
1998: Mathieu Chouinard (1), Mike Fisher (2), Chris Bala (2), Julien Vauclair (3), Petr Schastlivy (4), Gavin McLeod (5), Chris Neil (6), Michel Periard (7), Sergey Verenkin (8), Rastislav Pavlikovsky (9)
Note: Players in Italic are considered (by me) serviceable NHL players.

The NHL draft is considered average if two players make a regular impact in the NHL. In the last 10 years I see only one draft where the Ottawa Senators have had a strong draft 2001. Thus far I would consider the 1999 & 2000 drafts to be average and the 1998, 2003, 2004, 2005 drafts to be weak. The 2002 draft was a huge failure and I'll reserve judgement for the 2006 & 2007 drafts for another year or so but currently it is bordering on weak. In this 10 year span the Senators have had 14 serviceable NHL players of those 14 players 5 players (Havlat, Eaves, Laich, Emery & Gleason) were traded for players that no longer play on the current Senators roster. Only two of those transactions were done by Bryan Murray and in both cases he was forced to make those deals because of Emery's attitude and Eaves was packaged with Corvo who requested a trade from Ottawa. Vermette and Mezaros have also left the team but Ottawa still has assets from those two players.

If the Clouston had to send out a team of players drafted by the Senators during the 1998 - 2007 entry drafts it would look similar to this:
C - Mike Fisher Chris Kelly Brooks Laich* Ilya Zubov/Peter Regin
RW - Martin Havlat* Patrick Eaves* Chris Neil Cody Bass
LW - Nic Foligno Antoine Vermette Brandon Bouchenski Petr Schastlivy
D - Anton Volchenkov Tim Gleason* Christoph Shubert
D - Andrej Mezaros Brian Lee ?
G - Ray Emery* Brian Elliot

Quick Analysis
Forwards:
In 10 years of drafting the Ottawa Senators have drafted ONE top line player and that was 10 years ago,he no longer is on the team and was traded for players that aren't on the team. Arguably two or three second line players (Vermette, Foligno & Fisher) although at this point in time I think all with the exception of Foligno are better suited for third line roles. They have been able to develop a good core of role players in later rounds such as; Kelly, Laich, Vermette, Neil and Fisher. The problem is that they haven't found any impact players outside of the first round.
Defense:
In the first round they look to have hit on top 4 defensemen in; Volchenkov, Mezaros, Gleason and perhaps Lee, but I wouldn't classify any of them as a top defense pairing type. Outside of the first round Ottawa has not selected a single defenseman that is capable of contributing on a regular basis.
Goalies:
In 1998 - 2000 we used three draft picks on two goalies (Chouinard & Lajeunesse) in the first two rounds of the drafts. Those goalies combined to play 24 minutes with the Ottawa Senators. The best goalie drafted during those three years was Martin Prusek who was a backup to Lalime. In the later rounds of the next three drafts the Sens found success with Emery and Elliott but neither appears to be a franchise goalie and we all know what happened to Emery.

Here is list of 10 propsects from the 1998 - 2004 drafts that were picked after the first round:
2004: 1. David Krejci 2. Johan Franzen 3. Brandon Dubinsky 4. Mikael Grabovski 5. Chris Campoli 6. Alex Edler 7. Tyler Kennedy 8. Karri Romo 9. Thomas Greiss 10. Kris Versteeg
2003: 1. Matt Carle 2. Shea Weber 3. Patrice Bergeron 4. Patrick O'Sullivan 5. Max Lapariere 6. Lee Stempniak 7. Joe Pavelski 8. Dustin Byfuglien 9. Tobias Enstrom 10. Shane O'Brien
2002: 1. Duncan Keith 2. Jiri Hudler 3. Matt Stajan 4. Tom Gilbert 5. Josh Harding 6. Jarrett Stoll 7. Maxime Talbott 8. Tomas Fleishmann 9. Dennis Wideman 10. Erik Christenson
2001: 1. Patrick Sharpe 2. Kevin Bieksa 3. Marek Svatos 4. Ryan Clowe 5. Jordan Tootoo 6. Mike Smith 7. Cristobal Huet 8. Marek Zidlicky 9. Christian Ehrhoff 10. Ryan Clowe
2000: 1. Nick Schultz 2. Ilya Bryzgalov 3. Jarrett Stoll 4. Paul Martin 5. Nic Wallin 6. Dominic Moore 7. Lubomir Vishnovsky 8. JM Liles 9. Henrik Lundqvist 10. Paul Gaustad
1999: 1. Jordan Leopold 2. Mike Commodore 3. Nik Hagman 4. Fran Kaberle 5. Nic Havelid 6. Mike Comrie 7. Ryan Malone 8. Ryan Miller 9. Radim Vrbata 10. Henrik

Also, in 2003 Zach Parrise, Ryan Getzlaf, Brent Burns, Ryan Kessler, Mike Richards, Corey Perry were all picked within 12 picks of Patrick Eaves. If we could have moved up to acquire any one of those it may have shored up our secondary scoring. Given that Murray had no problems moving up to acquire Karlsson we know that if he sees a player he likes he won't hesitate to move to get the player.

We all know that Murray has flaws, mainly contract negotiation, but he has been known to be good at drafting & developing prospects in the past. Our 2008 draft looks to have 3 potential NHL quality players (Karlsson, Wiercioch & Smith) and I feel confident that Cowen will be able to step into an NHL lineup within a year or two. So maybe the best thing is instead of having Murray be the scapegoat for previous GM's problems, perhaps we can have a little patience and our organization may turn around and all those years will be forgotten.

Sens Rumors Around the Net

2009-07-20T13:25:00.003-04:00

As much as we all want Dany Heatley and the Sens to decide on his future and get on with training camp, but it wouldn't be the off-season if there weren't rumors surrounding the Nation's Capital. Here's the buzz around the net.

Steve Zipay of Newsday dismisses a rumor that came up on a radio talk show that Glen Sather and the Rangers offered Ryan Callahan, Ryan McDonagh,and Michael Del Zotto for Dany Heatley. Zipay states that Bryan Murray said the Rangers never offered a player that scored more than 15 goals last season. That rumor looks good, we get two VERY good prospects in McDonagh and Del Zotto but I can't see where they would fit. We have too much players like Ryan Callahan so there's no way I would accept that deal.

The New Jersey Ledger reported a couple of days ago that Ottawa was one of the teams interested in RFA Travis Zajac. I wasn't aware of this until I read the article but I can believe that Murray might have interest in him. A career year last season, and a very bonafide second line centre. Don't worry Sens fans, he's going to arbitration so we won't need to give up draft picks for him.

I can't believe I'm sourcing this, but Eklund, grandaddy or rumors, had stated in his recent post that Derek Morris is heading to Ottawa if Heatley gets traded. I've never heard of this rumor before but I have heard Murray is in the market for a Top 4 Defenseman. Morris isn't one though and we already ahve enough defensive defenseman. If he's going to get his Top 4 Defenseman, it will be through a trade.

P.J. Axelsson has narrowed the team he is intersted in down to 3 and it is believed Ottawa is one of them. Don't be surprised is heads to Sweden after all. He had light discussions with the Sens and they were in the neighbourhood of a 2 year contract worth $1.9-$2.1 million/year. Of course if he is signed Kelly is most likely gone.

What about this rumor? I've heard Murray has inquired about Canadiens RFA Tomas Plekanec. Pleklanec had 39 points last year but had great chemistry with Kovalev back in Montreal 1 year ago. He is also heading to arbitration so no need to sign him to an offer sheet. He made $1.8 million last year so $2.5 million/year is not far off for his skill. TSN lists his potential as a second-line centre. If Ottawa can get him and Kovy together, now that would be brilliant.

Last link of the day is a new blog I found on the Sens Blogosphere. Dead Red Sens is a blog dedicated to the Sens and his latest post has him thinking what if Murray wash hired in 2002 as GM instead of Muckler. Great read and a great new fixture on the Sens blogroll.

Chris Kelly

2009-07-20T09:08:00.004-04:00

I am looking to provide analysis on potential Sens trade-bait that doesn't contain Dany Heatley throughout the week; such as Chris Kelly, Alex Picard, Jason Smith, Christoph Shubert and Cody Bass. First on the list is Chris Kelly.

Chris Kelly
Why he's on the market? It was funny because during the NHL draft he was part of a panel at the Local Hero's and I kept thinkin' to myself there's a good chance he could be dealt. The Senators need to move salary in order to get under the cap and Kelly's salary is probably the most efficent to move. The Sens have several prospects with similar skill sets that can take his place.
Salary Cap Number: Kelly has a cap hit of 2.125 for the next 3 seasons. I think this is about market value for a quality third line player who can contribute on the PK unit.
Potential Options:
1. Dallas Stars (Makes the most sense the Stars have 8 Million in cap space, were 24th in PK last year and have a need for 3rd & 4th line players)
2. New York Islanders (They are 20 Million under the cap, the team is filled with prospects and needs some good serviceable defensive minded forwards.)
3. Red Wings (Not sure if they have the cap space. But the PK was bad last year. The Sens would need to take on a salary to get this deal done.)
Or Packaged as part of a Heatley deal.
Market Value: Probably a 3rd round pick or a second level prospect.
Why should they keep him? He contributes well in the defensive side of the game is a strong PK'er. Best suited as a 3rd liner but can fill in on the top 6 when needed, he just can't score.
Who would replace him? The Senators have four prospects that could take advantage if Kelly left the organization; Peter Regin (looks like a 2nd or 3rd line defensively responsible center), Cody Bass (3rd or 4th line energy player that may be able to contriute as a PK), Ilya Zubov (Probably best suited as a top 6 winger) and Zach Smith (Might be one year away but he's another player cut from the same mold as Kelly).

Wild Little Oilers March Against the Newfound Sharks

2009-07-19T21:58:00.003-04:00

The summer of Dany Heatley might be coming to an end. Everyone said Heatley was going to go before the draft or even before the free agency period started. Well, that almost happened. In what is becoming a summer of discontent for many Sens fan alike, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. The question is, however, will Bryan Murray and co hurry up and the find the light, or, as he is known for, will it take little steps to reach the golden land. The golden land being the all-elusive Stanley Cup.

Dany is either going to Edmonton, Minnesota, San Jose, or staying right here in Ottawa. I've heard that the Wild may take their offer up a notch but the Oilers have said they won't be waiting much for the Heater and San Jose has HUGE cap problems. If this issue is not resolved by August 15th you can bet your feathers that Heatley staying in the Nation's Capital. Truth be told, Sens fans need to see this from the perspective of the interested teams. If you're Steve Tambellini, would you really give away Andrew Cogliano and Ladislav Smid for a problematic forward like Heatley? Would you take a greybeard in Jason Smith? San Jose might want to shake up a little bit, but how are they going to do it? Unless they move Cheechoo or Marleau they can't do anything at all. Also, why damage this team insanely. The Sharks are a perfectly fine team. They have the talent and grit to win the Cup. They just need to change their midsets, not mortagage the future for Heatley. Minnesota obviously needs a big forward to play with Marty Havlat and Mikko Koivu, but is Heatley really the snwer? For god sakes Koivu is a great playmaker, they can get Todd Bertuzzi for 5 mil less than Heatley and he will score 40 goals alongside Koivu and Havlat. Something to note is that the Wild have to WORST prospect pool in the league. Yes Sens fans, there is one even worse than us. The team waqs built as a trap by now ex-GM Doug riseborough and it will remain a trap until they completely re-tool and re-stock.

However, one has to think Heatley can't stay in the Big O. How could he be face-to-face with Cory Clouston after all that has happened. Spezza, Neil, and Alfie have all burned him. I can somehow see him back, but I thought Murray wanted to get rid of locker room antics.

In all of this, I see Heatley being traded to Minnesota. Somehow Murray will work out a deal with Chuck Fletcher. Just somehow. Let's hope it's the right one.

Dany Heatley, Chris Kelly for Brent Burns, James Sheppard, Cody Almond

Bet on it.

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How Would You Like This Trade?

2009-07-19T12:01:00.002-04:00

Just to start, this is not a rumor or has not been discussed at all by Darryl Sutter and Bryan Murray. This is something I thought of and wanted to see if you guys liked it.

To Calgary: Dany Heatley, Filip Kuba
To Ottawa: Dion Phaneuf, Daymond Langkow

How would you like that trade? I am sure Phaneuf is not on the trading block but just for talking purposes...

Looking At The Current Lineup

2009-07-17T14:13:00.004-04:00

It's July 17th, and we're getting closer and closer to the start of training camp. Not much has changed after last season, and while I was examining my Excel Depth Chart, if we don't trade Heatley, this may become another non-playoff season. Here are the current starting lineups.

2009-2010 Season

Forwards

Heatley - Spezza - Kovalev
Foligno - Fisher - Alfredsson
Donovan - Kelly - Shannon
Ruutu - Winchester - Neil
Zubov

Defensemen

Kuba - Campoli
Phillips - Volchenkov
Lee - Smith
Picard

Goalies

LeClaire
Elliott?

The first two lines up front are actually pretty lethal. Spezza now has two guys that he can set up cleanly. Heatley's got the one-timer and Kovalev has got the skills, especially his shortside snapshot. Jason showed under Cory Clouston last year that he can be creative and not make many mistakes. Anybody around El Capitano is due to be awesome, and Alfredsson shwoed great chemistry with Foligno and Fisher mid-way last year. Foligno and alfie are 2nd line players but Fisher is more suited in a 3rd line role, so you bet Murray would like to get a 2nd line centre before the season starts. The 3rd line shows promise, and suit their role, though don't expect much scoring from them. The 4th line is all muscle, and it may be the 1st strong 4th line we've ever seen.

The defense is the same as last year, but expect the shutdown pair of Phillips-Volchenkov to perform better sicne they are in a 2nd pairing role. Kuba and Campoli supply the offense on the first line even though Campoli is not a Top 4 Defenseman. Lee and Smith round out the last pairing and that could be a pretty reliable one. Smith showed progress in a Sens uniform under Clouston and he could be the mentor to Lee like Lawrence Nycholat was a few years back.

Goaltending may be a strong suit for the team this year. Pascal LeClaire is coming off an inury-plagued year, so there are questions about his health. However, if he is healthy, he's a best in net. With the Stars' acquisition of Alex Auld, Brian Elliott should be ready for full-time backup duty, even though he hasn't signed yet.

Reasonable Expectation: 7th to 9th

This team, even though finished strong last year even without Kovalev, still has weaknesses and there is tough competition for the last 3 spots in the East. It will be a battle between New Jersey, Buffalo, Montreal, New York Rangers, and the Sens. I think you can count Jersey in sicne their trapping method will be guaranteed in. I don't see Montreal in, just because their defense is weak in their own zone and the tandem of Price and Halak is shaky. So the last two spots in the Eastern Conference will be between Buffalo, New York, and Ottawa, if the team's current lineups persist.

What should they do?

To Edmonton: Dany Heatley, Jason Smith
To Ottawa: Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner, Ladislav Smid

Cogliano + Penner + Smid= $6.683 million(if Smid signs for 1.3 mil/yr, as estimates say)

Heatley + Smith= $8.100 million

Salary Cap Left= $1.417 million

To Detroit: Chris Kelly
To Ottawa: Justin Abdelkader

Kelly= $2.125 million
Abdelkader= $0.825 million

Salary Cap Left= $2.617 million

To Boston: Shean Donovan
To Ottawa: 5th round pick in 2010

Donovan= $0.625 million

Salary Cap Left= $3.242 million

To Phoenix: Alexandre Picard
To Ottawa: 4th round pick in 2010

Picard= $0.800 million

Salary Cap Left= $4.042 million

Place Schubert on Waivers

Schubert= $0.883 million

Salary Cap Left= $4.925 million

Sign Elliott to a 3 year, $3 million contract

Salary Cap Left= $3.925 million

Penner - Spezza - Kovalev
Foligno - Cogliano - Alfredsson
Abdelkader - Fisher - Shannon
Ruutu - Winchester - Neil
Zubov

Kuba - Smid
Phillips - Volchenkov
Lee - Campoli

LeClaire
Elliott

Now isn't that amazing!

Start Me Up

2009-07-16T15:14:00.003-04:00

Whether Heatley is in the line-up or not ,starting the season strong is key for the Ottawa Senators this year. With so much drama in the off-season the Senators will want to get focused on playing hockey instead of whether Heatley's staying or going. The schedule makers have been kind to the Ottawa Senators; if the Senators don't have a good start the fan are likely headed for a long, long season. Here is a list of the Senators first 11 games.

From my inital thoughts they have only 2 or 3 teams that should be locks to make the playoffs. The rest are either playoff bubble teams or contenders to have the number one pick.

Game 1: Oct. 3rd: New York Rangers (Road)
The Rangers should make the playoffs I see them as a middle of the pack team 4-6. After signing Redden to his crazy contract Sather hands out 5 year - 7.5 million dollar deal/year to injury prone Gaborik.
Game 2: Oct. 6th: Toronto Maple Leafs (Road)
The Battle of Ontario takes on a new turn with Burke in control. The new battle is between the GM that built the Ducks Stanley Cup team and the GM that took credit for building the Ducks Stanley Cup team.
Game 3: Oct. 8th - New York Islanders (Home)
Tavares first road game takes place in the building where he performed his biggest games last year for the WJC. The Islanders are in rebuilding mode, just like they have been since 1987.
Game 4: Oct. 10th Atlanta Thrashers (Home)
The Thrashers, Heatley's (we can't get enough of this fellow) former team, are heading into a season where 10 of their vets are heading into a contract year. Including franchise player Ilya Kovalchuk. So far the Thrashers have been playoff bound once in 10 years.
Game 5: Oct. 12th Pittsburgh Penguins (Home) - Stanley Cup Champions
The Sens get to host Crosby and Malkin. It is the Sens first chance to face a Stanley Cup contender, we should have a better understanding of where the Sens stand after this game.
Game 6: Oct. 15th Tampa Bay Lightning (Home)
Len Barrie after coming up with the 10 million needed for Gary Bettman. Will say that he thinks Martin St. Louis is overrated because he played against him when St. Louis was with the Flames. Then he will trade him to Ottawa for Kelly, Smith and Shubert. My point is Tampa Bay sucks!
Game 7: Oct. 17th Montreal Canadiens - (Road)
The Canadiens are a bubble team this year. The big news will be Kovalev playing against his former team. I think the bigger news should be that the Canadiens signed Jason "Wee-Man" Acuna to be the tough guy on a line with Gionta and Cammelleri. Who knew he even played hockey?
Game 8: Oct. 22nd Nashville Predators - (Home)
Nashville is a team that will be playing for one of the final playoff spots in the west. During the game Mike Fisher will hand a love note to Shea Weber to give to Carrie Underwood when they get back to Nashville.
Game 9: Oct. 24th Boston Bruins - 2008/09 116 Points (Home)
I'm not sure if the Bruins are contenders or just had a good year last year. They remind me of the Senators from three years ago when everyone had a career year and I wouldn't be suprised if they were just an average NHL team this year.
Game 10: Flordia Panthers - (Road)
I don't see the Panthers making the playoffs after losing it's best player and replaced him with Jordan Leopold. The best is that we get to see McCabe attempt to play defense.
Game 11: Tampa Bay Lightning - (Road)
After Chris Kelly scores no goals playing next to Lecavalier, Len Barrie pulls a Lemieux and suits up for TB as a player/owner. Len Barrie says anyone can score playing next to Lecavalier, don't you know he's the Michael Jordan of hockey?

In 9 of their next 15 games are against contenders such as; Devils (twice), Flyers, Rangers, Penguins, Capitals, Devils, Bruins and Sharks, this isn't a friendly schedule for the Ottawa Senators. So Senators need a fast start then perhaps the Senators can start getting back to being in the news for playing hockey rather than the rumor mill.

Rumors, Rumors, Rumors, and More Rumors!

2009-07-16T12:39:00.004-04:00

First of all, thank you to everyone who has been sending me your questions about what's next for Bryan Murray in the off-season. It's fun to answer your questions. Here are the latest rumors around the net.

The Fourth Period reports that the "Heatley to Oilers" deal is still alive. Dave Pagnotta says that Heatley never officially rejected the deal and reports say he might still be considering it. I've heard that the Oilers aren't going to be waiting on Heatley much longer. Currently this is a game of cat and mouse between Murray and the Oilers, Sharks, and Wild. Bryan is trying to "elevate" the offers by saying to one GM he's considering the other deal. Personally, that's my conspiracy theory but I think Murray might be considering keeping Heatley for the season.

Other than Heatley, the Sens still have assets and their disposal. The 6th defenseman role is still up for grabs between Jason Smith and Alexandre Picard. Many fans' best guess is that one of the two will be packaged with Heatley if he gets traded. There aren't much teams interested into the two. Obviously Edmonton would love to bring back their former captain Jason Smith, and I posted on Twitter that Columbus likes Picard, though I doubt it with the emergence of their defensive prospect Kris Russell. I personally think Jason Smith would be a better linemate with Brian Lee than Alexandre Picard. Chris Kelly is beign thrown around by Murray but things are closed as of now. Detroit are still the only interested team as said before. Christoph Schubert would like to be traded out of Ottawa but don't bet on it since there will be NO takers for the German.

On the free agent market, P.J. Axelsson is receiving more offers for his servcies and he may not at all come to Ottawa. Even though he would like to play with his friend Alfie my best guess would be that he will be shortly packing the bags and heading to Sweden. The New Jersey Star Ledger, however, is reporting Ottawa is one of few teams interested in RFA Travis Zajac. Zajac had 62 points last year with the Devils and will likely want a huge increase on the $984,000 he made last year. I haven't heard anything about this but it sure is interesting.

2009-2010 NHL Schedule Released

2009-07-15T15:04:00.002-04:00

6 minutes ago, the NHL released the 2009-2010 regular season schedule, something I have been waiting for a long time. As did the Sens' schedule, which features, again, at least 1 game vs. every team in the NHL I predicted on Twitter that we would host Chris Pronger and the Flyers in our home opener. Looks like my predictions was wrong.

Here's a link to the schedule...http://www.nhl.com/ice/schedulebyseason.htm?team=ott

Our first game is on October 3rd, a Saturday against the New York Rangers. Home opener night is October 8th against the New York Islanders. Circle that date, it will be the first time the Canadian messiah John Tavares comes to town not in a Canadian uniform.

Here's some dates to circle...

October 12th- vs. Pittsburgh Penguins(Here Come the Chumps!)
October 17th- @ Montreal Canadiens(Also known as the night Kovalev scores 9 goals)
November 26th- vs. Columbus Blue Jackets(LeClaire faces the guy that stole his job)
December 3rd- @ Los Angeles Kings(Can we actually score a goal against these guys?)
December 19th- vs. Minnesota Wild(Comeback already granted?)
February 13th- @ Detroit Red Wings(Pretty good intra-conference rivalry going on here)

Alos you've gotta think IF Dany Heatley is traded, the day he faces his old team mates will be pretty feisty. Are we gonna see a Brendan Bell return? A Mike Comrie return?

Summer 2009 Sens Top 10 Prospects

2009-07-14T16:46:00.002-04:00

The 2009 NHL Entry Draft is over. We got some good players, not Tavares or Hedman worthy but I bet they'll do as good as those two. With the Draft over, it's time for the semi-annual list to come in. I'll refresh everyone's memory and give you a short rundown of my Winter Top 10.

1. Erik Karlsson
2. Brian Elliott
3. Jim O'Brien
4. Brian Lee
5. Ilya Zubov
6. Peter Regin
7. Louie Caporusso
8. Patrick Wiercioch
9. Zack Smith
10. Cody Bass

7 months later, the Top 10 list changes with new prospects coming in. Note that Elliott and Lee aren't on my Summer list because essentially they're not prospects anymore. Elliott is the new backup in Ottawa and Lee is sure to make the roster. Drum roll please, here we go!

1. Erik Karlsson
No doubt Karlsson stays on top after 7 months. He's got the stuff to become one of the best offensive defenseman in the league, a quick, hard shot, a good first pass, the ability to see the ice well, and his definite calmness.. He's been working on his physical stature and the Sens are really impressed with him. He signed a 3 year deal with the Sens this summer and some fans are hoping he'll make the big squad this year but I'd say odds he makes it are 25 to 1. He still needs to grow and the best option for him is Binghamton.

2. Jared Cowen
The first round choice in 2009 for Murray and co, Cowen's best ability is to get into the dirty zones and compete hard for the puck. He's big and mean and isn't afraid to lay out the big hit every game. He's a good puck mover as well and has a quick shot. The biggest concern for me is his penalty trouble which he will have to improve on. He had his season cut short because of the knee injury but he was a steal for the Sens. Odds of making the team are 35 to 1 for him so expect him to go back to Spokane for the year.

3. Ilya Zubov
Zubov, who already has more than 10 games under his belt, may be the only potential Top 6 Forward in the Sens prospect system. Zubov's best asset is his vision of the ice and his playmaking abilties. His strong shot leaves goalies baffled and his ability to make his teamates around him better is great. He practiced with NHL'ers such as Chris Kelly and Evgeni Malkin last summer and gained muscle weight. One thing I really like about him is his physical presence, something Russians are not known for. He's got a 10 to 1 odds to crack a spot on the roster IF the Sens trade dead weight such as Kelly and Donovan.

4. Peter Regin
Regin, aka The Great Dane, also has more than 10 games under his belt, but has had more success than Zubov. He's a good third liner who can score goals anywhere. He can get down low and score those dirty goals or he can use his fast wrister. He's also essentially a good penalty killer and his work ethic is great. I would compare him to Mike Fisher but with a better shot. He has a 10 to 1 odds to crack the roster and again IF the dead weight leaves town.

5. Patrick Wiercioch
Most likely the steal of the Draft in 2008, Wiercioch not only has offensive prowess, he's big and strong. He has a great first pass and and a shot that will never miss the net. He makes teamates around him better and isn't afraid to battle hard and long for the puck. He's another defenseman that probably won't make the team, as far as 30 to 1 odds, but he'll be in Binghamton for the majority of the season conditioning with Karlsson.

6. Jim O'Brien
O'Brien had one of the best seasons in his career scoring a point per game. Noto nyl did he do that, but he improved his defensive game big time. He's a very good two-way forward and is developing into more of a RW, something the Sens lack in their system. His debut with Bingo was short, only 6 games and fortunately I saw one. He's a good playmaker but needs to develop his shot into a faster and stronger one, but his development has been quick. I'd say 30 to 1 odds he makes the roster, and he's assured to be joining Binghamton in the fall.

7. Louie Caporusso
Caporusso also had the season of his career in the NCAA with Michigan, escalating to being 4th in Hobey Baker voting. He's a natural centre who can make some mistakes but makes up for it with his amazing shot and vision of the ice. He's been known sometimes to be a "puck hog" but I think that may be a plus in Ottawa who has too much passers. He told HF that he'd be going back to Michigan for his last season in the NCAA. He's a got a bright future for a Torontonian!

8. Erik Condra
Notre Dame improved this year along with Condra who is becoming Ottawa's premier wing prospect. He signed a contract because of his year with Notre Dame which saw his offensive abilites improve. He's a sniper who can also take over the game in his own style. He's a coach-pleaser and very responsible in the defensive zone. EC may become Alfredsson's replacement when he retires and sure would look good with Spezza. He's playing in Binghamton and may be a late-season callup.

9. Robin Lehner
Drafted in the second round, Lehner was the best goaltender in the Draft Class of 09 and was the 2nd one chosen. His daddy was the former coach of Rangers' astandout Henrik Lundqvist and Lehner is being compared to Lundqvist. His big body and big size makes up most of the net. He's got a glove being compared to Dominik Hasek and his lightning quick reflexes are those of Marc-Andre Fleury. His weakness may be rebound control but with a good defensei n front of him he can be a franchise goaltender.

10. Zack Smith
Smith, who played 2 games with the Sens, had a breakout year for Binghamton after beign drafted in 2008. Smith has a great, quick shot and his ability to make room for himself is outstanding. He has a lot of grit and gumption and will be physical whenever he needs to be. He'll have to wait before making the big club but he's worth it. What's with Bryan Murray and gettign players with the last name "Smith"?

So there's the Summer edition. 3 players enter into the list, and 3 players drop out. I'm pretty sure there'll be changes come Winter time so it's always fun to see who the Sens' future superstars are!

Sens Buzz Free Agent Frenzy Live Chat!!!

2009-07-14T12:40:00.000-04:00

Sens Buzz Free Agent Frenzy Live Chat

Take A Chance On Me

2009-07-14T09:41:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to take a quick moment to say thanks to albanada for letting me be part of the SensBuzz team.

Since SensBuzz took a chance on me I was wondering if the Senators should take a chance on Heatley.

Well .. I guess you'd have to ask yourself a couple of questions.
Are we going to get full trade value for Dany Heatley?
If Dany Heatley didn't ask for a trade would you want him on your team?
Is Dany Heatley one of the elite forwards in the NHL?
Are the Ottawa Senators better off without Dany Heatley?
Can Dany Heatley exist in the Senators dressing room?

If the Ottawa media didn't paint Dany as a monster it might be a little easier.
If it wasn't such a slap in the face to the Ottawa fans, it might be a little easier.
If he didn't throw his coach under the bus, it might be a little easier.

But it can be done ... Kobe Bryant wanted to leave the Lakers, then he came back and led them to a championship. Why wouldn't it work here too?

The main question is; why would the Senators want Heatley back? Well, he has been known to score a goal or two. Heatley's had back-to-back 50 goal seasons, a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals and looked like a Hall of Famer that just signed a long term deal that would keep him with the organization for a long time. A potential face of the franchise once Alfredsson retires. When he was traded for Hossa I remember saying he will be the next captain of the Ottawa Senators. That might not be the case now.

Right now the Senators organization is painting Heatley's keepers as the villian and not Dany. This makes be believe that Murray would still like to salvage the relationship. And there is a chance Heatley could be welcomed back to the Senators.

I'm guessing we still don't know the full reason why Dany Heatley wants out. If it's because of the coaching that can be worked out. Cory Cloutson is a demanding coach that expects excellence out of his players. One of my favourite quotes from a coach is Jimmy Johnson; "Treat a person as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a person as if he were where he could be and should be, and he will become what he could be and should be." Maximize your potential and that's what Cory expects from his players. Heatley is capable of doing this, the best hockey I saw Heatley play was when Spezza & Alfredsson were out of the lineup in 06-07. He was the best player in all areas of the game and made players around him better. In my opinion Heatley doesn't do this; Spezza makes Heatley better, but I do not believe that Heatley makes Spezza better.

The best thing for the Senators organization is have superstars buy into winning, the Detriot way. Steve Yzerman transformed from a strictly offensive player into arguably one of the top 15 greatest players in NHL history. Dany Heatley can stay a great player score 40 - 50 goals for the next 5 seasons. Or he could develop into a complete player and perhaps become one of the best of his era. I'm not saying this would be easy but maybe Heatley just needs to take a chance on Cory.

More on Heatley, Axelsson, and Smith

2009-07-13T12:14:00.003-04:00

As I posted on Twitter some mintues ago, I spoke to a source who believes Bryan Murray likes the Sharks' offer the best. There are trying to sort out what will be packaged with Heatley. What was reported is that the Sharks would like Chris Kelly as well but Murray would like them to take on a different salary, such as Jason Smith or Alexandre Picard. Murray has told the media he will be the one waiting for the calls, instead of making them. Definetly, it means the ball is in Doug Wilson's court. I still think it's the Oilers' game to lose, but the Oilers are leery of surrendering Denis Grebeshkov instead of Ladislav Smid. Minnesota also have an offer in place but it's one that Murray would like GM Chuck Fletcher to change.

The P.J. Axelsson talks have stopped for now as Axelsson wants to take a break to re-think his thoughts. As thought before, it seems as if one of his friends back from Sweden Daniel Alfredsson is doing soem calls to convince him to sign with the Sens. Both sides are agreeing on a $2.3 million/ year contract but Murray doesn't want him under for more than 3 years, while Axelsson would like to finish his career with the team he signs with. The KHL is also a possibility for P.J. but he would like to stay in the NHL.

It seems as if Jason Smith is the odd man out on defense. He has an expensive contract with him and is getting old. He can be a really good warrior for you, and he blocks shots as well. He might retire and just like Luke Richardson assume a job with the team, but Murray would like to see what they can get in return for him. One interested party is the Edmonton Oilers, where Smith spent his better years.

Remember, tonight is the last time you can submit your entry to become a Sens Buzz writer. I've had 4 entries come in so far and all of them have been very entertaining. Tomorrow early morning I will e-mail the 2 winners and give them their permissions right away. I will also write a post saying who the winners are, but i nthe morning since I won't be at a computer for the rest of the day.

Scratch My Back, and I'll Scratch Yours

2009-07-10T14:56:00.003-04:00

In similar context, Dany Heatley told Bryan Murray to go find him a trade, and he's gone from Ottawa. Well, Murray went out, and probably neglected his family just to help Heatley and his family. He found him a trade, though not the best one, and all Heatley had to do is do what he said before, get out of Ottawa. He didn't, and he's now getting help from his neighbours in his matters. There's not Heatley rumors today, but I just wanted to remind everyone that, even though he's a "Canadian Boy", he's no icon and neither a role-model.

Bryan Murray is persuing a free agent by the name of P.J. Axelsson. He's a good two-way forward and a potential second line centre. I'm hearing it may be a 2 year contract worth around $1.7 million/year. Axelsson and Alfredsson are very good friends and I bet that Alfie had something to do with it. Foligno, Axelsson, and Alfredsson could be a very solid line. Of course if he signs you would think Chris Kelly is gone from Ottawa.

A lot of you have been asking about the status of Christoph Schubert. There are still some people in management that want to keep him but I don't get why because unless they strap some goalie pads on him. Right now there aren't teams really interested in him but my guess is that he'll find himself in Russia in a few weeks.

An RFA that may be an interesting option is Tuomo Ruutu. He was amazing last year for the Hurricanes and would look good in a Sens uniform for cheap. Plus, his brother can convince him to come here.

I've had some very interesting entries in the contest to become a Sens Buzz writer. Something has come up and I won't be at the computer on July 15th so I've moved the deadline back to July 14th. Remember to email your entry at ademaj4@gmail.com by the Deadline!

Jason Spezza---The New Assistant Captain of the Sens?

2009-07-10T11:15:00.003-04:00

Flashback to 2007, the year every Sens fan loves. If you didn't know it already, we did a favor to the Pittsburgh Penguins by telling them how to play in the playoffs, the hard way. A month later, the team named Sidney Crosby captain and Evgeni Malkin assistant captain. Many pundits had no idea why they did this move. The team had Mark Recchi, Gary Roberts, and Sergei Gonchar but instead they went with the young guns.

Back to 2009, I think all of us are praising that same move. Both Crosby and Malkin grew that year under the leadershop of Roberts and Recchi. Seeing how the two youngsters would never leave Pittsburgh, it was smart to give them the leadership of the team, and give them more responsibility.

Dany Heatley was given the "A" last off-season in a move to inspire him and Jason Spezza to expand their role on the team. It seemed to work in the first stages of the season, but both players suddenly lost interest in the game. We now all know what happened with Dany Heatley, so it's safe to say he won't be given the "A" next season even if he returns. This is why the Sens need to give it to Jason Spezza. Without his longtime friend Dany, he now realizes his role has to expand and he's watching Alfie, like a role-model. If you give Spezza the "A" right now, when Alfie retires, Spez will get the feeling what it's like to be a leader on the ice and in the locker room. It happened with Pittsburgh, and they went on to win the Cup. Now, I'm not saying this kind of move would bring Stanley here, but when Spezza takes over the captaincy one day, every young gun on the Sens at that time will be looking at him, seeing what adversity he had to face as a Senator, and how he overcame it. A role-model, indeed.

Little steps are all that it takes to become a stronger and more united team. Management has to realize that, but so should Sens fans. The future is in the hands of the present.

How WILD is Dany Heatley?

2009-07-09T12:28:00.002-04:00

Late midnight, I had been informed that the Minnesota Wild have put forth an offer that may be too good to pass. The Wild are the third team to offer a package for the servcies of Dany Heatley. The first two were the Oilers and the Sharks. Bryan Murray is trying to get a Top 4 Defenseman and a Second Line Centre out of it. Ther two positiosn are the Sens' most glaring needs currently. So, do you want know the offer? Drum roll pleaase! Ba dum ba!

Wild acquire: Dany Heatley
Senators acquire: Marek Zidlicky, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, 5th round pick in 2010

So, just to preview the previous two offers made for Heatley...

Oilers acquire: Dany Heatley, Jason Smith
Senators acquire: Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner, Denis Grebeshkov

Sharks acquire: Dany Heatley, Chris Kelly
Senators acquire: Joe Pavelski, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, 3rd round pick

All three offers are enticing, I can tell you that. I expect one more offer, possibly from the Colorado Avalanche, to be put forth during the weekend, with Murray then deciding. There is still a possibility that Heatley will stay, but the return you can get for Heatley could pretty much help rebuild the team right on the fly. If the Sens swap with the Oilers, the acquisition of Grebeshkov might mean the Sens will press Steve Tambellini and co. to sign him before trading him. The best offer I think is the Sharks one. Pavelski is a pure two-way forward, Vlasic is a good top 4 defenseman, and getting rid of Chris Kelly and his contract get us a third rounder.

How about you Sens fans, which offer do you like best.

Remember, if you want to join the Sens Buzz crew, email me at ademaj4@gmail.com a min. 100 word paragraph saying what you would do in the off-season if you were General Manager of the Ottawa Senators. Deadline is July 15th! Send them in now!

Ottawa Senators 2009-2010 Depth Chart- July 8th

2009-07-08T17:45:00.006-04:00

Sens Trade Auld to Dallas

2009-07-08T16:16:00.003-04:00

The Ottawa Senators have sent goaltender Alexander Auld to the Dallas Stars for a 6th round pick in the 2010 Draft. Bryan Murray has spent the last week trying to find Baldy Auldy a new home and finally find one in Dallas. Murray had discussed before July 1st of sending Auld and Louie Caporusso to the Blue Jackets for Kris Russell, however, Howson nixed the trade and got Mathieu Garon in Free Agency.

LeClaire-Elliott is now officially the tandem to start next year. Not surprising

The Heatley, The Kelly, and The Vacation

2009-07-07T17:08:00.004-04:00

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the earlier chat earlier today. It's fun talking about the Sens and the NHL. The main topic was Dany Heatley, of course, but there were many more topics discussed, such as Chris Kelly, Brian Elliott, and Alexei Kovalev.

Many reports suggest the Columbus Blue Jackets may have entered the Heatley Sweepstakes, and even though it does make sense from a financial standpoint, I haven't heard anything about Scott Howson talking to Bryan Murray. The two have talked a lot the past year and Murray may have taken some flak for not pulling of the Auld-Russell trade, so let's say the talks between the two are off for now. San Jose is piecing an offer together and many people are wondering who would be in it. Milan Michalek is a possibility along with Joe Pavelski and/or Ryan Clowe. A darkhorse, as mentioned earlier, are the Pittsburgh Penguins who would absoulutely love to have Heatley and Sidney Crosby together. The hot rumor was Chris Kunitz, Alex Goligoski, and the Pens' 1st rounder in 2010 for Heatley. I like the deal and it also puts the Sens and Pens under the Cap. However, my money's still on the Edmonton Oilers. Bryan Murray has to give htis ultimatum to Heatley whther he likes it or not, it's Oilers or Sens. I've heard Jason Smith may be going to Edmonton along with Heatley for Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner, and Tom Gilbert. I expect a deal to be done by the end of July.

Chris Kelly is also an interesting player to watch. His stock has dropped dramatically and is making a lot of money for his type of play. Jesse Winchester is a cheaper, younger version of Kelly. Detroit is interested because they need a PK'er, and Florida may be as well. The return may be a high pick or a mid-tier prospect. There is also word Murray may be trying to acquire Jiri Hudler's arbitration rights. I think Kelly is gone but he might stay.

As I said to some people during the Live Chat, I will be going on vacation from August 5th to September 1st to Europe. I won't be able to access a computer unless I have time, which I doubt but I will try. However, I want to keep Sens Buzz up and running during my leave so I am looking for 2 authors to become the main writers during my vacation and co-authors when I come back. If you are interested, please e-mail me at ademaj4@gmail.com. In you're e-mail, please include your name and location, and an essay of min. 100 words. You will have to write about what you would do to the Sens if you were Bryan Murray. Deadline is July 15th. When I choose the 2 writers, I will get e-mail the permissions and you can start blogging!

Tuesday Live Chat---More Sens Rumors!

2009-07-07T11:40:00.002-04:00

Sens Buzz Tuesday Live Chat

BREAKING NEWS: Sens sign Kovalev

2009-07-06T15:54:00.005-04:00

Acccording to TSN and the Fan 590, Bryan Murray makes his first splash on the free agent market by signing forward Alexei Kovalev. Wow, I am really shocked. Then, I feel evil. In your face Hab fans! Murray will speak to the media at 4:30 PM ET. More to come include term and money.

UPDATE 4:00: It's a 2 year deal
UPDATE 4:12: I'm hearing it's a deal worth $5 million/year. Wow
UPDATE 4:14: Yup, 2 year, $10 million deal. It looks like Heatley may be gone along with Picard or Smith. Or even Kelly. Must congrats Sens Chirp for first reporting it. I had been told the Sens might make a move today but I thought it would be Bertuzzi. More to come folks.

Are We There Yet?

2009-07-06T12:39:00.002-04:00

After weeks in which every Sens fan was refreshing TSN every minute to see if Dany Heatley had been traded, things have cooled down. Bryan Murray would like to turn his attention to a couple of free agents out there in the markert then if he doesn't snatch one, he'll go back to Heatley.

First off, I never got the chance to thank everyone for joining me in the Live Chat last Friday. We went about 4 hours and had a great discussion about Heatley, Brian Elliott, Chris Kelly, Chris Neil, Todd Bertuzzi, and the Sens' development camp. I've decided to do the Live Chat a weekly thing, every Friday. It will be a treat to end of the week it had been.

Back to DanyMan. The Oilers are still going hard after him and still appear to be frontrunners but the package they offered may have to change a bit. Jason Smith could be headed the other way. The Kings are out of it after they acquired Ryan Smyth last weekend, but it also allows the Avs to pursue Heatley. The Avalanche have been interested in the Heater before he asked for a trade from Ottawa. The Sharks are also prepared to make an offer that would include Ryan Clowe and Marc Edouard-Vlasic. I also mentioned a week ago that the Hurricanes may be interested but I don't se how they would get Heatley. They're defense is much the same as the Sens and unless the want to give up a premier prospect such as Zack Boychuk, it doesn't seem like it's happening. According to another source, "Beware the Pittsburgh Penguins, Heatley-Crosby would be sick". Gives you something to think about, eh?

Chris Kelly, according to some rumblings may have asked for a trade as well. He's another player who has seen his offense decline and has started to become another 3rd-liner, something the Sens have a lot. I see Detroit being interested. They need to improve their Penalty Killing and Kelly is one of the best in the league on the PK. Kelly for Hudler rights, 4th round pick?

I'll end this post with Todd Bertuzzi. He likes Ottawa and Murray likes him. There are teams piling up for him and it may be hard for the Sens to sign him, but relatively worth $2-$2.5 mil a year which the Sens can afford. Having that big body in front of the crease and striking shot would help the Sens in a lot of ways.

Free Agent Frenzy Day Three and Sens Rumors and Innuendo Live Chat!!!!!

2009-07-03T11:49:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Free Agent Frenzy Day Three

SENS SIGN ST.PIERRE AND BRODEUR!!!!!!11111111

2009-07-02T12:25:00.002-04:00

The Ottawa Senators made two huge moves yesterday by signing forward Martin St.Pierre to a one year, two way contract and goaltender Mike Brodeur to a one year, two way contract. Bryan Murray probably had his best day as GM last night by improving the Sens' roster last night.

In all seriousity, when all the other 5 Canadian teams made some important signings, we did nothing, zero, nada, zilch. I know the team was handcuffed by Dany Heatley's impeccable martyr-like disapprovement of the trade to Edmonton, but they still should have done more. There is still prized free agents left(Tanguay, Samuelsson), and let's hope to all Murray gets one done.

First, on the Chris Neil signing. Chris Neil is awesome, he plays hard, fights hard, aggressive on the forecheck, and was the only player along with Elliott and Alfie that wanted to win last year. But, how is he making $2 million a year, when Colton Orr, who has similar stats to Neil, is making $1 million a year? Will this be another Murray overpayment?

The Sens have about $2.5 million left in cap room, which I think is enough to sign Samuelsson. However, if they somehow trade Heatley, that makes it $10 million, which would give them much flexibility if they want to go after an RFA or two.

The 2009 Free Agents Prediction Game

2009-06-30T15:23:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow we all know it's Free Agent Frenzy Day. Even though many do not make predictions for where the Free Agents will go because it is tricky, I'll a shot at it. Remember, I predicted last year Marian Hossa would be a Bruin, so I'm not that good at this stuff. Enjoy!

Player(Former Team)- New Team

Forwards

Mats Sundin (VAN)- Retires
Joe Sakic (COL)- Avalanche
Saku Koivu (MTL)- Wild
Mike Comrie (OTT)- Coyotes
Robert Lang (MTL)- KHL
Mike Cammalleri (CGY)- Leafs
Henrik and Daniel Sedin (VAN)- Canucks
Steve Sullivan (NSH)- Predators
John Madden (NJD)- Devils
Brendan Morrison (DAL)- Stars
Todd Marchant (ANA)- Capitals
Mike Sillinger (NYI)- Kings
Jason Williams (CLB)- Blue Jackets
Nik Antropov (NYR)- Canadiens
Rob Niedermayer (VAN)- Canucks
Tyler Arnason (COL)- Thrashers
Derek Armstrong (LAK)- Coyotes
Radek Bonk (NSH)- Predators
Manny Malhotra (CLB)- Blues
Samuel Pahlsson (CHI)- Ducks
Michael Peca (CLB)- Blue Jackets
Jeremy Roenick (SJ)- Retires
Marian Gaborik (MIN)- Canucks
Marian Hossa (DET)- Red Wings
Martin Havlat (CHI)- Blackhawks
Alexei Kovalev (MTL)- Rangers
Brian Gionta (NJD)- Canadiens
Maxim Afinogenov (BUF)- KHL
Miroslav Satan (PIT)- KHL
Mike Knuble (PHI)- Flyers
Ales Kotalik (EDM)- Senators
Petr Sykora (PIT)- KHL
Todd Bertuzzi (CGY)- Sharks
Mike Grier (SJ)- Ducks
Mark Recchi (BOS)- Bruins
Chris Neil (OTT)- Sharks
Mikael Samuelsson (DET)- Blackhawks
Ian Laperriere (COL)- Devils
Tom Kostopulous (MTL)- Lightning
Chad LaRose (CAR)- Hurricanes
Alex Tanguay (MTL)- Stars
Jere Lehtinen (DAL)- Ducks
Erik Cole (CAR)- Hurricanes
Kyle Calder (LAK)- Lightning
Mark Bell (NYR)- KHL
Ruslan Fedotenko (PIT)- Penguins
PJ Axelsson (BOS)- Penguins
Taylor Pyatt (VAN)- Canucks
Donald Brashear (WSH)- Flyers
Travis Moen (SJ)- Blue Jackets
Brendan Shanahan (NJD)- Retires

Defensemen
Scott Niedermayer (ANA)- Ducks
Mathieu Schneider (MTL)- Canadiens
Sergei Zubov (DAL)- KHL
Jay Bouwmmester (CGY)- Flames
Adrian Aucoin (CGY)- Lightning
Jay McKee (STL)- Sabres
Derek Morris (NYR)- Lightning
Mattias Ohlund (VAN)- Canadiens
Christian Backman (CLB)- Leafs
Jaroslav Spacek (BUF)- KHL
Nick Boynton (FLA)- I really have no clue, nobody likes this guy
Niclas Havelid (NJD)- Thrashers
Greg de Vries (NSH)- Retires
Phillipe Boucher (PIT)- Retires
Darryl Sydor (DAL)- Stars
Rhett Warrener (CGY)- Flames
Karlis Skrastins (FLA)- KHL
Denis Gauthier (LAK)- Kings
Dmitri Kalinin (PHO)- Coyotes
Paul Mara (NYR)- KHL
Mike Komisarek (MTL)- Islanders
Martin Skoula (NJD)- Devils
Francis Bouillon (MTL)- KHL
Mathieu Dandenault (MTL)- Canadiens
Marc-Andre Bergeron (MIN)- Coyotes
Francois Beauchemin (ANA)- Canadiens
Jordan Leopold (FLA)- Panthers
Marek Malik (TBL)- KHL
Teppo Numminen (BUF)- Retires
Kurtis Foster (MIN)- Thrashers

Goalies

Nikolai Khabibulin (CHI)- Blackhawks
Manny Fernandez (BOS)- Oilers
Martin Gerber (TOR)- KHL
Martin Biron (PHI)- Avalanche
Dwayne Roloson (EDM)- Retires
Manny Legace (STL)- Devils
Olaf Kolzig (TOR)- Retires
Antero Nittymaki (PHI)- Flyers
Mathieu Garon (PIT)- Penguins
Frederik Norrena (CLB)- KHL
Jason Labarbera (VAN)- Canucks
Andrew Raycroft (COL)- KHL
Ty Conklin (DET)- Red Wings
Curtis Joseph (TOR)- Retires
Kevin Weekes (NJD)- Rangers
Brian Boucher (SJ)- Sharks
Scott Clemmensen (NJD)- Lightning
Craig Anderson (FLA)- Islanders
Jonas Gustavsson (SEL)- Leafs

Have a good Canada Day everyone! Hope your hockey dreams come true, such as Bouwmeester to Sens!!

24 Hours

2009-06-30T12:32:00.003-04:00

Folks, there's only 24 hours left until the market opens, where every General Manager's phone rings like hell and the UFA's start to ponder where they want to play next year. Tomorrow I will be away from the computer because of course it's Canada Day. But I'll try to get everyone covered on what may happen tomorrow because it's gonna be one hell of a ride.

Let's start with the saga that is Dany Heatley. I can't believe Murray is even thinking of bringing him back. Heatley back would create such a distraction in the locker room and would re-energize friction between Clouston and Heatley, you can't let it happen. Get the best value for Heatley right now and it will help the club in the long-term(and short-term?). But I suspect the Rangers and Oilers are leading the sweepstakes, as TSN reported last night. The Wild also have mild interest in Heater but they may be turning their focus towards Hossa and Gaborik. But how about the Hurricanes as a wildcard? Is there even a remote chance we see the glorious return of Joe Corvo? Don't bet on it. My money's on the Rangers.

Chris Neil is up. Everyone knows he turned down the 4 year $6.8 million, and I think that is as high as Murray might go. Don't get me wrong, Neil is very valuable to this team, but his time on this team has come to an end. He's demadning too much money for a fourth-liner and Ottawa needs to shed some salary if they want to be players in the free agent market. Expect the Sharks to sign Neil. Makes you think that Murray should have traded him at the Trade Deadline.

Auld for Russell is still up in the air. Murray and Howson are trying to agree on what will come with Auld to Columbus. While Murray is willing to give a 3rd round pick, Howson wants to mid-tier prospect. Last time I mentioned Josh Hennessy, but Howson might go as far as Louie Caporusso. More teams are coming in for Auld, most notably the New Jersey Devils who look like they will lose both Kevin Weekes and Scott Clemmensen.

So who are the Sens looking for in the free agency pool? As everyone knows, Murray wants a top-6 forward. You may be thinking about Henrik Sedin or Martin Havlat or even Mike Cammalleri, but what about Mikael Samuelsson? He's told the Wings he will test the free agency waters and I have heard Bryan Murray wants him. Another winger Murray is in the market for is Ales Kotalik, who I would absolutely love in a Sens uniform. He has one of the best one-timers in the league and would help the power-play dramatically. Kotalik was also the best shootout player in the league last year and we all know the Sens have problems in the shootout.

Jiri Hudler is also an interesting option for the Sens. He's an RFA and with Hossa looking to re-sign with the Wings, he'll be too expensive for the Wings. He's a definite top 6 forward and won't command too much. Even though he is small he plays hard and has good hockey sense. However, an offer sheet to Hudler will force the Sens to give up some draft picks.

Another intriguing trade option is Chris Kelly. He's wanted by Detroit, and why not? Detroit lost the Cup because of their horrible penalty killing and Kelly is one of the best PK'ers in the league. Jason Smith might also garner interest from teams that need veteran leadership, such as the Oilers. Alexandre Picard is an interesting situation because he played good for the Sens when he was not a healthy scratch last year. However, the Sens can't allow a log-jam at defense and Picard can be bought-out or even traded. Christoph Schubert I hear will be back next year as a defenseman in Bingo or a late-season call-up for Ottawa.

I'll be back later today with my UFA predictions.

UPDATE: Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt, Mike Busto have been traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Chris Higgins, Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valetenko, and Doug Janik. This means the Rangers are now the frontrunners for Heatley and the return could be big. The Rangers now have McDonagh, Del Zotto, Sanguinnetti, Stauer, and Gilroy coming up. No need of Marc Staal there. Here is a possibility. Heatley and Picard for Zherdev, Dubinsky, Staal, Rangers' 1st rounder in 2010.

Response to the Critics

2009-06-29T15:45:00.003-04:00

When I first started this blog, I always tried to give you the best and accurate rumors. I never like derogatory comments and I had mentioned before most of them came from Anonymous users. However, a few days ago, I lifted the ban and allowed anyone to comment. However, like very blog it seems these days, the results weren't very welcoming.

I do have to say this. If you have a problem with me and/or my blog, contact me at my e-mail. I will be more than happy to have a response to your criticism. However, do not barge in and say something you can't back up and/org do not have the guts to stand up and prove your criticisms. Don't be a pussy and be a man, don't just leave some dumb comments and walk away like a jackass. Do it the right way if you have to. Or, just don't read this blog anymore if you disagree with it. It makes everyone's lives easier. I have seen too many "Anonymous Comments" that discredit the writer in my time as reader of blogs. Once again, I'd like to allow anyone to write, but if this nonsense continues, then I'm afraid I'll have to ban anonymous comments once again.

Welcome to Ottawa, young lads

2009-06-27T22:52:00.002-04:00

The NHL Draft is a pretty cool thing, Since I love in this putrid city called Montreal, I went to the big bonnanza, and it was pretty cool being in the same place as future superstars. I think the Sens' organization did a good job this year, and are really showing signs of improvement. Here's my analysis of the first 3 picks the Sens made this year.

Jared Cowen- D from Spokane Chiefs
Even though MPS fell down quite a bit, Murray chose Cowen because, truth be told, ever since Big Z left, we have never had a big, physical defenseman, and Cowen will help that cause in the future. Jared is a physical, punishing defenseman who uses his ize to his advantage. He won't allow you to get past him and also a strong shot from the point. Erik Karlsson's relative small size is overcome as his futre defensive partner makes up for it. The best thing however is that he only needs one more year of conditioning and he's ready for the big leagues. His knee is still in question but I think he'll overcome the critics.

Jakob Silfverberg- RW from Brynas Jr.
Even though I would have liked Zach Budish with the pick, Silfverberg is a very nice pick. He's a solid, two-way player who has good hockey sense and works well. He has playmaking abilities along with a strong shot. Bryan Murray and Sens fans alike are all hoping he'll transfer into the next Daniel Alfredsson. He needs to work on his overall frame and needs time to grow into a better player but this is a solid pick and will be on Sweden's team at the World Juniors.

Robin Lehner- G from Frolunda
I must say, I love this pick. We need a goalie and Swedish goalies have developed into one of the best in the league. and Lehner will continue that. I have a friend who has followed Lehner closely and said "He's a very good goalie with amazing reflexes, good puck-handling skills, solid rebound control, and a knack to see the puck well. He'll be a future starting goaltender for the Sens in a few years and will join Bingo after his contract expires this year. Great pick by Ottawa".

I also have some news on the Heatley front and on Auld for Russell. Bryan Murray stated to Darren Dreger many times last night that everything is dead on the Dany Heatley sweepstakes. All have heard that the Minnesota Wild are new contenders for the services of Heater, but a source said lat last night that the New York Rangers may have become the frontrunners last evening at the Draft. They can certainly play the 4 million bonus owed to Heatley on July 1st and have the right package in return for Heatley. I'm hearing Sather may offer Nikolai Zherdev, Marc Staal, Derek Stepan, and the Rangers' 1st round pick in the 2010 Draft for Heatley and Alexandre Picard. Now, to the Auld for Rusell rumor. I've been told the two sides are coming to an agreement but Columbus wants a low-level prospect such as John Hennessey along with Auld. It will be very interesting Sens fans as July 1st comes closer and closer.

My Off-Season as the General Manager of the Ottawa Senators

2009-06-21T20:11:00.004-04:00

Welcome all, my name is Bobby and I'd like to tell you about my adventure this summer. It all started June 20th, when I dropped an inkling of poison into Bryan Murray's teapot. One sip, and he was in the hospital. Since he was in the stages of collapsing, the first person he sees will become the new GM of the Ottawa Senators in his time of absence. And guess who shows up, yup, me, and then it all starts. It was time to put my stamp on the team, build it from the bottom up.

It all starts when I meet Dany Heatley. I talk to him, and when I'm convinced he's really full of himself, I call Dean Lombardi. He says that he's trying to give up two pain-in-the-asses, Jack Johnson and Justin Azevedo. I offer him Heatley and Alexandre Picard for Johnson, Azevedo, Alexander Frolov, and the 5th overall pick in the 2009 Draft. He reluctantly says yes. My first trade, I thought was genius. We get a young, budding defenseman, and top 6 forward, an up and coming forward, and a high draft pick. Plus, I hated Picard's cockiness.

It's June 26th, aka Draft Day. I meet Alex Auld, and I actually start to like him. Good backup. However, Scott Howson gives me a call, and offers Kris Russell for Alex Auld. I choke on my vodka and say yes. With the 5th pick, I take Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi and with the 9th pick, I take Oliver Ekman-Larsson. As the Draft becomes tedious, I give new Sen Jack Johnson a call, and he says he wants a 2 year, 4.4 million dollar deal, I say "I'll give you a 2 year, 4.2 million dollar deal", and he accepts.

Steve Tambellini calls, and he's pissed. He wanted Heatley and now since he didn't, he's getting shit from Darryl Katz. To make his boss happy, he offers a 4th round pick in the 2010 NHL Draft for Christoph Schubert. I know I'll accept it, but I want to joke around with Stevie, so I say no, then yes, then no, but then yes. Another over-the-edge defenseman gone.

It's July 1st and I tell Chris Neil, Mike Comrie, and Brendan Bell to go take a hike. Neil signs with the Leafs, Comrie signs with the Syracuse Crunch, and Bell goes home to cry. While those three take a mental break, I continue and sign Ales Kotalik to a 2 year , 7.8 millon deal. Kotalik is a massive offensive threat and has a bomb from the point. I look to get Nik Antropov, but the Rangers re-sign him to a 10 year, 100 million deal. That's it for me on that day. 2 days later, I get drunk on some more vodka. Seeing the name "Brodeur" on the Free Agents list, I quickly sign him to a 1 year, two way contract worth $500,000 and send him to Bingo.

It's July 15th, and I get a call from Shean Donovan, who I easily consider the best player on this team. He shocks me, saying he's decided to retire. He's 34, so it's weird. I suspect Ilya Zubov had something to do with it. Three days later, I continue, my succesful season by signing Jiri Hudler to a 3 year, 11.4 million deal offer sheet. I have to give up two 2nd rounders in the 2010 Draft for him but all in all it will pay off. I persuade Ken Holland not to reply by giving him some of my world-famous vodka. The next day, I watch Napoleon Dynamite, I hate it, and seeing a character similar to Chris Kelly, I trade him to the Panthers for a 2nd round pick in the 2010 NHL Draft.

It's August 1st, and we're reminded by Mats Sundins' self-imposed, retarted deadline last year. However, good news comes out of it. Jason Smith calls me and announces he's retiring. Another shocker, but it's another salary off the books. After long negotiatons with RFA Brian Elliott, we agree on a 5 year, 5.5 million deal.

Ahh, the beginning to training camp, my first as GM, and probably my last. Erik Karlsson plays solid, but he goes to Bingo for further conditioning. Ilya Zubov and Cody Bass make the lineup. Here's the starting lineup for the Ottawa Senators for the 09-10 season as constructed by moi.

Forwards

Frolov - Spezza - Alfredsson
Hudler - Zubov - Kotalik
Foligno - Fisher - Shannon
Bass - Winchester - Ruutu

Defensemen

Kuba - Campoli
Phillips - Volchenkov
Johnson - Lee
Russell

Goaltenders

LeClaire
Elliott

To tell you the truth, with no ego pertaining, I love this team. The fact that we can roll out 3 lines that can play aggressive and score in abundance and a very strong, physical 4th line is really great. Even though we added some Russians, these Russians have a good work ethic and any defensive mistakes they make they will most certainly made up on offense. One enlightening thing that the 4th line is the only line that has more than one natural centre, and I felt it important to put Winchester as centre because he plays strongest on that position.

On defense, Kuba and Campoli make up a very solid top pairing and will help the PP greatly. Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov get demoted to second pairing which allows them to get more aggressive and play harder. Jack Johnson and Brian Lee know each other very well from Team USA and are a perfect pairing, while Russell is ready to come up when somebody gets injured and also helps Bingo's defensive core.

The goaltending tandem is also very strong. Pascal LeClaire provides great consistency and is a true No.1 goalie but in any emergency that he gets injured, Brian Elliott is there to save the day as he did many times last year.

However, one of the most exciting things that after doing the salary cap calculations and with the NHL saying the cap will stay the same, I have $6,192,860 left, which gives me much flexibility if we are in contention for the Cup and we need another big-time player. Yes, that's me and my extraordinary skills as GM.

October 1st, Murray is ready to come back and his big ego allows him to take all the credit. That is simply dumb. But whatever, I've given myself some big self-esteem and established a new vodka brand called "Sybbob". Good times my friends, good times. Let the money roll in!

BREAKING NEWS: Murray close to sending Auld to Jackets

2009-06-19T22:44:00.007-04:00

Bryan Murray and Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson are closing in on another trade right before Draft Day on Friday. Multiple sources tell me that Murray has a deal in principle to send goaltender Alexander Auld to the Jackets for defenseman Kris Russell.

To start off with, sorry to any fans who thought this was another Heatley post. It looks like Auld has stolen his thunder. But back to the trade, Murray has been interested in Russell for a very, very long time and almost acquired him in the Vermette for LeClaire trade, however, he would face cap problems. Now that it seems as if Brendan Bell will not be re-signed, Jason Smith set to reitre, and one of Christoph Schubert or Alexandre Picard to be traded, there is room for the budding, young defenseman.

The Blue Jackets do not have a backup to Steve Mason since Frederik Norrena and Wade Dubielewicz are set to become Unrestricted Free Agents. Auld fills that role perfectly and is very cheap at 1 mil per year. It also gives Howson some flexibility since this is the last year on Auld's contract and helps burn the log-jam the Jackets have on defense.

For anyone who isn't familiar with Russel, he is a very fluid, puck moving defenseman and responsible defensively. He is projected to be a Top 4 Pairing defenseman and is cheap as well. I think Murray wants to get rid of any goalie controversary and establish a LeClaire-Elliott tandem before training camp.

NHL Awards Predictions

2009-06-18T17:04:00.002-04:00

Tonight, the Sin City will become the Shinny City, as the Palms Casino and Resort hosts the NHL awards. Players will be there to celebrate the past season and most likely get some babes in Las Vegas, 'cause it's their chance! Here are who I think will win.

Lady Byng Memorial Trophy- The Winner is...Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings

Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy- The Winner is...Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks

Calder Memorial Trophy- The Winner is...Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets

Lester B. Pearson Trophy- The Winner is...Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins

Jack Adams Trophy- The Winner is...Andy Murray of the St.Louis Blues

Bill Masterton Trophy- The Winner is...Richard Zednik of the Florida Panthers

James Norris Memorial Trophy- The Winner is...Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins

Vezina Trophy- The Winner is...Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins

Hart Memorial Trophy- The Winner is...Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Bruins

Say It Loud, Say It Clear

2009-06-17T14:10:00.002-04:00

News broke out 3 days ago that Heatley gave Bryan Murray a list of preferred destinations in his next journey who Murray has spoken to. I have confirmation from a source that there are 7 teams on that list and they are...

SAN JOSE SHARKS
LOS ANGELES KINGS
ANAHEIM DUCKS
CALGARY FLAMES
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
DALLAS STARS

There you have it folks. All three teams from California are on the list(GASP!), his hometown is on it(DOUBLE GASP!), a team close to his hometown(GASP, AGAIN!), a team buried in the riches of Texas(HOLY SHISHKIBOB!), and the defending Cup Champions who include 2 of the 3 best players in the NHL(GA...UGH, GETTING HARD TO BREATHE HERE!). I think Heatley is becoming a fair rich Hamlet(BURN REX MURPHY!) who wants to learn the secrets of a true ninja somewhere else.

I can tell you that 6 of those 7 teams have made calls about the Heater. When you examine the situation, it's a 50% chance that a California Team will get him. But there are really 5 frontrunners for his services. They are...

LOS ANGELES KINGS- OFFERING JACK JOHNSON, ALEX FROLOV, 5TH OVERALL PICK IN THE 2009 DRAFT, 96TH OVERALL PICK IN THE 2009 DRAFT(PICARD INCLUDED)

ST.LOUIS BLUES- OFFERING PATRIK BERGLUND, BARRET JACKMAN, AARON PALUSHAJ

SAN JOSE SHARKS- OFFERING MILAN MICHALEK, MARC-EDOUARD VLASIC, RILEY ARMSTRONG

EDMONTON OILERS- OFFERING DUSTIN PENNER, TOM GILBERT, RILEY NASH, 10TH OVERALL PICK IN THE 2009 DRAFT(SMITH INCLUDED)

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS- OFFERING CHRIS KUNITZ, MAX TALBOT, ALEX GRANT, 30TH OVERALL PICK(KELLY INCLUDED)

With these trades, the lineup would like like...

1. Frolov - Spezza - Alfredsson
Foligno - Fisher - Shannon
Zubov - Kelly - Donovan
Bass - Winchester - Ruutu

Kuba - Campoli
Phillips - Volchenkov
Johnson - Lee
(Assuming Smith retires, Neil and Comrie leave, Bell re-assigned to Bingo)

2. Foligno - Spezza - Alfredsson
Comrie - Fisher - Shannon
Kelly - Berglund - Donovan
Bass - Winchester - Ruutu

Kuba - Campoli
Jackman - Volchenkov
Phillips - Lee
(Assuming Smith retires, Neil leaves, Bell, Picard re-assigned to Bingo)

3. Michalek - Spezza- Alfredsson
Foligno - Fisher - Shannon
Zubov - Kelly - Donovan
Bass - Winchester - Ruutu

Kuba - Lee
Phillips - Volchenkov
Vlasic - Campoli
(Assuming Smith retires, Neil and Comrie leave, Bell, Picard re-assigned to Bingo)

4. Penner - Spezza - Alfredsson
Foligno - Fisher - Shannon
Zubov - Kelly - Donovan
Bass - Winchester - Ruutu

Kuba - Campoli
Phillips - Volchenkov
Gilbert - Lee
(Assuming Neil and Comrie leave, Bell, Picard re-assigned to Bingo)

5. Kunitz - Spezza - Alfredsson
Foligno - Fisher - Shannon
Talbot - Zubov - Donovan
Bass - Winchester - Ruutu

Kuba - Campoli
Phillips - Volchenkov
Grant - Lee
(Assuming Smith retires, Neil and Comrie leave, Bell, Picard re-assigned to Bingo)

Sens Buzz Official NHL Mock Draft Version 3.0(Final Version)

2009-06-16T22:03:00.003-04:00

Since we're about 1 and a half weeks away from witnessing the day the NHL sees it's future superstars in one combusted city(Montreal), I'm saving time and doing my Mock Draft now including with the trades I think will happen on the big day. I will be live at the Draft since I live in Hab Town so I hope I can do some up to date hits during the evening of June 26th. May I say what a pleasant idea it was to make the Draft on Prime Time television. Splendid. Here we go!

1. New York Islanders select John Tavares
The Islanders already have Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo, so why not add another young offensive talent in John Tavares, who is destined to become Captain of this team very quickly. Tavares has great skill and has progressed in defensive ability. Think of another Mike Bossy.

2. Tampa Bay Lightning select Victor Hedman
The Lightning get what they needed badly in Hedman, who will make na impact right away with the Bolts. He has very smooth puck-handling skills and isn't afraid to get into the dirty zones and play physical. He is the best player in this Draft without question. Think of another Chris Pronger.

3. Colorado Avalanche select Matt Duchene
Duchene is a very talented player who the Avs are lucky to get. He's smart on the ice with good puck handling skills, a rocket of a shot, and a great first pass. He may eventually become better than Tavares. Think of another Jason Spezza.

4. Atlanta Thrashers select Evander Kane
The Thrash of Atlanta get what they want in a franchise centreman who will be dishing out passes to Ilya Kovalchuk and Angelo Esposito in the near future. He's a big body who plays with a mean streak and will do anything to win. Think of another Stephen Weiss.

TRADE: Ottawa Senators send Dany Heatley and Alexandre Picard to Los Angeles Kings for Jack Johnson, Alexander Frolov, 5th overall pick in the 09 draft, 96th overall pick in the 09 draft

5. Ottawa Senators select Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi
With Alfredsson gone in 4 years and Heatley now gone after the trade to the Kings, the Sens need to find their next true franchise winger and they've got it in superstar Svensson-Paajarvi, who is a pure goal-scoring machine and a defensive helper. Think of another, yup, Daniel Alfredsson.

TRADE: Phoenix Coyotes send 6th overall pick in 09 draft to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 7th overall pick in the 09 draft, 68th overall pick in the 09 Draft

6. Toronto Maple Leafs select Bryaden Schenn
With that Burkie gets another set of twins even though their play is very different. Brayden is a big puck moving type of player who knows where his teamamtes are at all the times. Schenn will provide a centreman for the Leafs(gasp) of the future. Think of another Mike Richards.

7. Phoenix Coyotes select Jared Cowen
Even though there are still offensive talents lef the Yotes need a franchise defenseman and get wizard Cowen, who is a big body that ins't afraid to put on the mean stuff and forecheck hard. He also has a big shot that leaves goalies flabbergasted. Think of another Robyn Regehr.

TRADE: Dallas Stars send Matt Niskanen, Mike Ribeiro, Jere Lehtinen, 8th overall pick in the 09 Draft to the Anaheim Ducks for Chris Pronger

8. Anaheim Ducks select Jordan Schroeder
After the big trade, the Ducks opt to buld their offense even more by going for another small offensive wizard in Schroeder. He excelled with the Gophers and with Team USA in the World Juniors. He can score goals quickly and will excell in the Ducks' system. Think of another Zach Parise.

9. Ottawa Senators select Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Another pick, another Swedish talent. Ottawa starts modeling Detroit's system and selects a defenseman that will make up another great defensive duo. Larsson has a great 1st pass and hard shot to the net, and is very reponsible in his own zone. Think of another Niklas Kronwall.

10. Edmonton Oilers select Dmitry Kulikov
The Oilers get a Russian defenseman, but don't get fooled, this Russian has already played in Canada and knows the the game very well. He reads the play greatly and forechecks hard. Kuls adds to the Oilers' great defensive system. Think of another Sergei Zubov.

11. Nashville Predators select Zack Kassian
The next Milan Lucic is a stable power forward who pressures the opponent so he can get the puck himself. He has although more offensive talent than Lucic, something the Preds desperately need to get back into the playoffs. Think of another Milan Lucic.

12. Minnesota Wild select Jacob Josefson
The Swedish centre has a great passing ability and has knack of getting in front of the goalie. The Wild need offense, Josefson is offense. Pretty good fit, eh? Think of another Brad Richards.

13. Buffalo Sabres select Ryan Ellis
Ellis improved his stock greatly at the Juniors. While undersized, he has ag reat shot and a very good Power Play QB. If the Sabres don't get him, than Darcy Regier needs to have his brain re-examined. Think of another Mike Green.

14. Florida Panthers select Simon Despres
With Bouwmeester leaving July 1st, the Panethers draft another franchise defenseman in Despres, who is a fluid and mobile puck mover who will push the Panthers on top of the game. Think of another Brian Rafalski.

15. Anaheim Ducks select John Moore
After trading Pronger to the Stars and drafting a winger, the Ducks now take a reliable D-Man who is great defensively and a big body. He is a bit of a project but it's worth the risk. Think of another Duncan Keith.

16. Columbus Blue Jackets select David Rundblad
The 3rd Swedish defenseman choseen in the Draft, while Rundblad may not be as gifted offensively as the first two, he a fluid and reliable defensive defenseman, something the Jackets lacked this year. Think of another Jonathan Ericsson.

TRADE : St.Louis Blues send 17th overall pick in the 09 draft to the Vancouver Canucks for the 22nd overall pick in the 09 draft and Shane O'Brien

17. Vancouver Canucks select Nazem Kadri
Kadri falls down in the Draft because of his on and off season however he is still very gifted offensively and passes very well. Think of another Patrice Bergeron.

18. Montreal Canadiens select Chris Kreider
Kreider is probably the best puck-handler in the Draft and has strong shot and reliable defensively. The Canadiens need an exciting forward for the team and their fans and boom comes Kreider. Think of another Travis Zajac.

19. New York Rangers select Peter Holland
A camper in front of the net, Holland has a strong shot and can bury the stinky goals anytime you want. Think of another Tomas Holmstrom.

20. Calgary Flames select Olivier Roy
Kiprusoff is getting worn down and the Flames have no true goaltending prospect, so they take Roy(no relation to Saint Patrick), who has great reflexes and is a true leader in goal. Think of another Marc-Andre Fleury.

21. Philadelphia Flyers select Carter Ashton
The Lethbridge product is a big power forward who can do the rough stuff and score down low. The Flyers get a top line 1st line winger. Think of another Mike Knuble.

22. St.Louis Blues select Scott Glennie
The Brandon native is a character 3rd line player who has a strong shot nad very responsible defensively. Think of another Jeff Carter.

23. New Jersey Devils select Kyle Palmieri
"Palmy" is a physical players despite his size and a good two-way player, which helps the Devils improve of the offensive side. Think of another Chris Drury.

TRADE: Washington Capitals send 24th overall pick in 09 Draft to the New York Islanders for the 26th overall pick in the 09 Draft and Quintin Laing

24. New York Islanders select Calvin DeHaan
A great body and a strong shot make up for a great draft by the Isles. Think of another Brent Seabrook.

25. Boston Bruins select Stefan Elliott
The Bruins took huge steps this year and take another one by adding a a puck moving defenseman in Elliott. Think of another Brad Stuart.

26. Washington Capitals select Nick Leddy
The Capitals need to add to the Mike Green defense by adding Leddy who is a bone-crunching hitter and a strong shooter. Think of another Pavel Kubina.

27. Carolina Hurricanes select Dylan Olsen
Olsen is another Zdeno Chara who is very good in his won zone and is a ocmpliment to his teammates. Also a very great leader. Think of another Willie Mitchell.

28. Chicago Blackhawks select Louis Leblanc
Leblanc is a gifted play maker who is NHL ready. The Hawks add to their stellar team in offense. Think of another Patrick Marleau.

29. Detroit Red Wings select Tim Erixon
The Swedish keep coming in Hockeytown with Erixon who is a very mobile D-Man and sees the ice very well. Think of another Tomas Kaberle.

30. Pittsburgh Penguins select Gabriel Lemieux
The defending Cup Champs go over the board a select the product for Shawinigan, who will give them great defensive coverage in the near future.

So there's the mock draft. Feel free to ramble about, because no way in hells this will be the exact draft.

Quick Hit: Oilers offer massive swap to Sens

2009-06-12T19:04:00.002-04:00

I got a text from a source who says Steve Tambellini, GM of the Edmonton Oilers, has offered Bryan Murray a package for Dany Heatley, Jason Smith, and Christoph Schubert. The trade would see Heatley and Smith go to the Oilers for Tom Gilbert, Patrick O'Sullivan, Riley Nash, and the 10th overall pick in the 09 Draft. What do you think Sens fans?

Who Do You Think The Sens Will Draft Contest

2009-06-11T17:54:00.002-04:00

Hey Buzz readers, the NHL Draft is coming up soon and all of the future stars of the NHL will be in Montreal to hear their name drafted by a team. This is your chance to voice your opinion on the big day. all you have to do is to say who you think your beloved Ottawa Senators will draft on June 28th and you'll be entered. Please give me your answers in the comment section. Here are mine:

I Think: With the 9th overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the Ottawa Senators are pleased to select from Leksand of Swedish Elite League, Oliver Ekman-Larsson

I Want: With the 9th overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the Ottawa Senators are pleased to select from the USA U-18 National Team Developmental Program, Jordan Schroeder

Colorado, Los Angeles, San Jose: The frontrunners for Dany Heatley

2009-06-10T18:52:00.004-04:00

Today was a busy day as the fallout from yesterday's breaking news started to soothe in. I've been told by multiple sources that Bryan Murray is already starting to talk to other teams for the servcies of Dany Heatley. Heatley has requested that he be traded to a team in the Western Conference, though I think teams like Pittsburgh and Boston may be in the market for a big, scoring winger. However, the main frontrunners are all from the West, and really aren't all that surprising.

As mentioned a couple of posts ago, the Avalanche had interest in Heatley before he requested a trade and still have interest. The return package seems the same, with Murray possible trying to convince them to take Alex Auld. If both of them are put into a package and sent to Colorado, I hear Wojtek Wolski as the main component coming back, along with the 3rd overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and a low-level prospect. I think this is the best possible trade for Murray and the Sens, getting a top-6 forward in Wolski, a pick that will most likely used to get Matt Duchene, the most complete forward of the Draft. The prsopect is also a nice addition for Binghamton and Elmira.

Another team on the trails for the Heater are the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings first showed interest for Jason Spezza this season and rumors continued a couple of weeks ago, but it looks like they're after another Sen. In return I would expect Alex Frolov, Jack Johnson, and a 2nd round pick. Frolov is another great top-6 forward, Jack Johnson provides defensive and offensive depth, while the pick gets them a solid prospect. While I think this would be agreat trade for Ottawa, Los Angeles would get shafted on this one. Frolov was 5 goals removed from a 39-goal season, which Heatley had. Jack Johnson is a promising blue chip prospect who hasn't been given a chance by the Kings to play his game. However, as the same with Colorado, Heatley would like to go to a Stanley Cup contender and Los Angeles doesn't appear to be one for now.

And finally, we go up North and visit the perennial Stanley Cup contenders in the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks need a big change in their team. Everyone iso n the bloc kexcept Dan Boyle and Joe Thornton. Heatley would be the goal scoring winger Thornton needs on his line. I'm sure in return Patrick Marleau would be part of the package and prospect Mike Moore. I tihnk Heatley would love to go to San Jose because they are Cup Contenders and he with Thornton would be just sick. I really think San Jose is trying to get Heatley however you know Murray, he'll try to get the most he can before Heatley's stock drops dramatically. Good ol' times, eh?

Dany Heatley---the ultimate douchebag

2009-06-09T18:48:00.002-04:00

I really love it that I'm not Bryan Murray right now. When everyone's punching bag in the Nation's Capital is Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley comeso ut of the dark and demands a trade. That's ultimate douchebaggery. Remember, Heatley signed a 6 year contract 2 years ago. Oh goody goody goody.

I am betting everyone money that there are 28 teams in the NHL who want the Heater. Detroit isn't in a position to get him cap wise but everyone else is capable of getting him. After the news broke out earlier today, I talked to some sources who said the main teams in play for him are the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, St.Louis Blues, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and finally, imagine this, the Toronto Maple Leafs. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Burkie down south wants him. Of course, he's a goal scorer and well, Toronto desperately needs a goal scorer. Creepily, the Maple Leafs actually have possible trade assets. Here's my rumor. Dany Heatley and Alex Auld for Tomas Kaberle, Niklas Hagman, and a 1st round pick in 2010. However, I think his hometown is his prefered choice. Oh my god, is Phaneuf comign here? Exciting times Sens fans, exciting times. Breaks the silence though. No Tuesday Night Rumors tonight, but I'll have a post tomorrow.

Tuesday Night Rumors

2009-06-02T18:55:00.003-04:00

This is a new feature I'm trying out for the off-season so pretty much I hope it works. Here zee go!

-I mentioned a week ago how the Avs were interested in Dany Heatley. Apparently, there may be more teams in the hunt including, yes, the New York Islanders(gasp!). A deal with the Islanders would possibly include, yes, the first overall pick of the Draft(another gasp!). There is a big market for a high-scoring winger and Heatley is one of the names in the mix.

-I've been asked about the future of Jason Smith. He didn't have his best year including missing the rest of the season because of a lower body injury. I've been told he is contemplating his future but don't expect a quick decision to come out. I expect him to announce his choice mid- August.

-July 1st isn't very far, and expect some rumblings to come in Sens' land in the next few days. I've heard the Sens are interested in Ales Kotalik, Mikael Samuelsson, Jiri Hudler, PJ Axelsson, and Phil Kessel. Right now Bryan Murray is talking to Ken Holland about the services of Hudler in exchange for Chris Kelly and a draft pick. However, I fully expect PJ Axelsson to sign with the Sens. It's been rumored for a long time and Alfredsson would likely convince his Swedish buddy to come over to the good side.

-On the draft font, the 9th pick overall could be a very interesting one. I actually heard a rumor that Ottawa and St.Louis are talking a swap of some picks(9th for 18th, 48th, 108th) so the Sens in the meantime could get more picks and also draft Chris Kreider. Kreider is a very skilled player who has been compared to the likes of Jordan Staal and Rick Nash. It's possible guys.

-On the GM front, it seems as if Murray will stay for the 09-10 season. If it's another season of wary excuses, then he's gone. I've heard Bryan is in contention for the President Role which would open the GM Role to you guessed it, Steve Yzerman.

Draft Quirks and Quarks

2009-05-29T22:31:00.003-04:00

The Combine started today with a slew of promising soon to be supertsras coming in to see where they might be drafted at and who will get them. The Sens were prominent at the Combine, I've been told they interviewed 3-4 players today and will continue to interview more as the Draft nears.

The last couple of weeks have been slow on Sens' front but with the Draft coming. In all due respect to other prospects, it very well may be Zack Kassian the Sens take. The Sens need a power forward and Kassian is just that. The Bruins took a gamble a few years ago with Milan Lucic and that played out perfectly. Kassian is the same type of player who can get into those dirty zones and give you the shift of his life evry shift. Jordan Schroeder impressed some with his fitness levels today and his speed while in Minnesota really wowed me over. He will take 2-3 years to develop into a more mature NHL player but he's worth it. Think Zach Parise or Nikita Filatov when you tihnk Schroeder.

And then there's Oliver Ekman Larsson, who is a very interesting quota. He's seen his stock jump all over the place, and figures to be drafted anywhere from 7th to 12th. The Sens would like to compliment Erik Karlsson and even though Patrick Wiercioch comes to mind maybe another Swedish defenseman wouldn't hurt. Murray hinted before seasons' end he's been checking out a Swedish defenseman but is the risk worth it?

There's also the possibilty of moving up. I posted yesterday the interest in Colorado's pick, and there is interest there. Believe me, Bryan Murray will do what he feels is rigth to move up in the Draft. Currently I see him targeting MSP who is hot commodity and I have a feeling the Kings may want to move back to get more quality draft picks.

My Stanley Cup Pick

2009-05-29T18:45:00.003-04:00

So the Stanley Cup Finals are here and it's Penguins-Wings all over again. These two teams have a nice rivalry going on right now and this could be on of the best Finals ever. I went 1-1 in the Conference Finals getting the Pens right but the Hawks wrong. So far I've gone 8-6 in the playoffs which isn't bad, but here's the grandaddy of 'em all, the ifnal pick! Here we go...

(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins
The Red Wings have actually gone out of the Western Conference virtually unmarked. They got banged up a little in the Hawks series but with the exception of the Ducks series they haven't gone past 5 games which is a good thing heading in. Ditto for the Penguins, who physically dominated the Flyers and Hurricanes in their series' against them. Both teams have primary scorers and secondary scorers. In the Penguins' clinching Game 4, all goals were scored by the 3rd and 4th lines, lines the Pens can depend on. However, the Wings have the avantage up front because all playoffs long their leading scorers are Jiri Hudler, Valterri Filpulla, and Johan Franzen, and guess what, they still have Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Marian Hossa. Talk about scoring depth, Detroit has it. Both Pittsburgh and Detroit have dependable defenses, however Pittsburhg lacks the big pairing that Detroit has with Nicklas Lidstro mand Brian Rafalski. 2-0 Detroit. On goaltending, Marc Andre Fleury would lvoe to win the Cup to prove hsi ifnal critics wrong, while Chris Osgood has been proving his critics wrong all his career. But because of his bigger stature, great reflexes, and younger attitude, Fleruy will eventually outduel Osgood. 2-1 Deroit. Then special teams, where Detoit barely edges the Pens on the PP, but the Pens ahve showed they're on of the best in the biz on the PK, so it'sn ow tied a 2-2. But experience is very important and it proved to be crucial in the Wings' win over Chicago and Columbus. This may be a bit safe but we'll have a repeat in Cup Champions. Marian Hossa will be the difference because of his hinger, just ask Kevin Garnett back in 08.
Red Wings in 7 Games
Series MVP: Marian Hossa
Conne Smythe Winner: Nicklas Lidstrom

RUMOR: Avalanche interested in Dany Heatley

2009-05-28T17:48:00.002-04:00

Right now this is in the early stages, but I have spoken to a few sources who seem to agree that Pierre Lacroix, the interim GM of the Colorado Avalanche, is interested in Dany Heatley. Even though Bryan Murray said Heatley's on the no-trade list, if the value for him is right, then this could be a possible deal.

There are many possibilities in the return but the main cog that Bryan Murray would like to get is the 3rd overall pick in this year's draft currently owned by the Avalanche. Murray would like to have that pick because players like Matt Duchene, Evander Kane, and Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi are projected to go near that spot and all 3 of them are soon to be superstars. I have a feeling Paajarvi is his target. This deal could also involve Alex Auld as the Avs are in need of a goaltender.

How do you like this trade...

Dany Heatley, Alexander Auld, 9th pick for Wojtek Wolski, Billy Sauer, 3rd pick

Sens Buzz NHL Playoffs Conference Final Predictions

2009-05-17T11:51:00.002-04:00

Well I went 6-2 in the 1st round and 1-3 in the 2nd round. That's how unpredictability in the NHL playoffs happens. Canada again won't win the Stanley Cup for the flippin 16th straight year. Damn those Hawks. Just a bit of a re-cap, I chose the Penguins to win the Cup in the pre-season. Then I chose the Sharks to win the Cup before the First Round. Then I chose the Canucks to win the Cup before the Second Round. Now, I'm changing again with the elimination of the Canucks and going back with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Here are my predictions.

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes
Many people wouldn't have thought this would be the matchup for the Eastern Crown. However, it is now, and it's gonna be heck of a good matchup. Two young teams with solid veteran leadership who have an underrated defense(in the case of Carolina, veru underrated) and young, amazing goalies. Both teams have depth up front but the Penguins have the advantage because of their 2 superstars, Crosby and Malkin. Eric Staal again will have to work his ass off to lead this 'Canes team into victory. Carolina has the advantage on defense because they are more aware in their own zone. However, both teams have future superstars in net but Fleury has proven to be more consistent in net than Ward which gives the Penguins the lead
Penguins in 6 Games
Series MVP: Evgeni Malkin

(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) Chicago Blackhawks
Detroit, the defending Cup Champions come in to face the "inexperienced" young Hawks team. However, Chicago isn't inexperienced anymore. They've beaten two veteran teams in Calgary and Vancouver, and I have a feeling Detroit is next. Look, Detroit's offense is amazing and their defensre is, well, not bad, but Chicago has proven they can find a way to win their young talent. Chris Osgood started to wear down in the series aginst the Ducks, and that's not a good sing, as Nikolai Khabibulin has proved to be not only a leader on the ice, but in the locker room too. That's the difference folks. It will be good series, but passing of torch has begun.
Blackhawks in 7 Games
Series MVP: Nikolai Khabibulin

So there are my picks. How do yours go? Fell free to drop a line.

NHL Mock Draft Version 2 (1-10)

2009-05-07T22:49:00.006-04:00

Bored on a Thursday Night, I've decided to do a new version of the draft. Since the teams are now settled, we know their needs. I'll be choosing on that category and the person they get I will put an NHL comparable. Here zeeeeeeeeet is!

Pick #1- New York Islanders select...John Tavares

In the near future, I stil think Victor Hedman will be a better all around player than Tavares but the point of the Draft is to fulfill your team's needs and the Islanders need a scoring threat in their lineup. Johnny T has a quick but accurate shot which always leaves goaltenders look like floormats. He's been working on his all-around play and the results showed at the World Juniors, where he was not only a presence on the ice, but he was a leader on the bench and in the locker room. There are two main problems against Tavares. First, he needs to improve his skating and secondly, he tends to slump near the end of the season, which the Isles don't need. but when you put the positives and negatives together, the positives are too much to skip on him.

NHL Comparable...Joe Sakic

Pick #2- Tampa Bay Lightning select...Victor Hedman

The Lightning used 21 defenseman during this season. 21. Holy buzzers. That's the sign of a team that needs a Top Pairing Defenseman, and quite easily Hedman fits that bill. Victor is a smooth, great puck moving skater who can transition from zone to zone at the speed of lightning. He's aggresive on the forecheck and is a big force that can scare away much smaller opponents. Hedman is the simply the Swedish Chris Pronger and it always helps an ailing team to have such a big D-Man like Hedman. Look what Pronger did for St.Louis, Edmonton, and Anaheim. Hedman will equal that and maybe even top that. The only concern against him is his shying away from the physical play. However, just like Pronger in his twentys, he'll learn quickly how to play the NHL-style of play.

NHL Comparable...Chris Pronger

Pick #3- Colorado Avalanche select...Matt Duchene

Duchene, who ironically was an Avs fan growing up, is the type of player the Avalanche need to rebuild the beleagured team. He's smart, fast, aggressive, and possibly the best defensive forward in the Draft. Duchene has all the tools to become a better player than Tavres. He has great hands and a great release, while he gives a team more stabilization on their shore. Colorado will use Duchene any oppurtunity they get to help him become a bigger, meaner person.

NHL Comparable...Jason Spezza

Pick #4- Atlanta Thrashers select...Evander Kane

Kane is another centre with great hands, great speed, a great release, and a great leader. Kane barely made Team Canada but played well even though he was on the Fourth Line. Even though Todd White emerged as a top centre this year, drafting Kane will mean they will have addressed one of their issues, getting a top line future centre. He will need time to develop and get bigger and stronger but he is a shifty guy who is a future asset to any team who drafts him.

NHL Comparable...Stephen Weiss

Pick #5- Los Angeles Kings select...Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson

MPS are the initials of a future superstar. Svensson has the slick stuff. He can skate well, posses great hands, can get into the rough stuff, and posseses a neat shot. He can pick the corners and leave goalies baffled after he takes the ice. The Kings improved this season, but still need scoring help. The LA Kings have taken defenseman to help their future in their own zone, but a left winger who is the next Alfredsson wouldn't hurt at all. Along with Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar, he will make up a big line for years to come in Hollywood.

NHL Comparable...Daniel Alfredsson

Pick #6- Phoenix *Hamilton* Coyotes select...Jared Cowen

Cowen didn't play for much of the WHL season because of a knee injury, but when he isn't injured, he's a monster. He plays aggressive, has s strong shot from the point, is a solid penalty killer, and to throw in there a mean player. He's a huge guy who will be an imposing force for the Coyotes for years to come. With the Coyotes needing future d-men, Cowen is the first step to restructuring the team. He's a typical Western Conference player with big plans for his future team.

NHL Comparable...Sheldon Souray

Pick #7- Toronto Maple Leafs select...Brayden Schenn

Brian Burke, also known as big headed general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, sees the Coyotes don't take Schenn and instantly jumps on him like a cat on a mouse. Schenn has sweet, little hands which can move around you anytime you want. Bryaden also follows his brother, Luke in two categories. First, his physical play, and second, his ability to play big minutes. He's been a penalty killer for his entire minor career which the Leafs need. Toronto continues their "rebuilding" with another Don Cherry type of guy. I can already see the headlines, "Cherry goes on rant about Malkin, says Schenn Brothers are better than him."

NHL Comparable...Brian Rolston

Pick #8- Dallas Stars select...Ryan Ellis

The product from the Windsor Spitfires has always showed off his skills in every level he's played hockey at. However, the 09 World Juniors was his coming out party. Ellis was arguably Canada's best defenseman at the World Juniors. Ellis is one of the best offensive defnseman you'll ever see. He has a strong shot from the point and good vision of the ice. He's reliable in his own zone but will need to work on that bit, but if you step on the ice with him you're guaranteed to rack up more points than usual. The Stars need an Power Play QB and with a bit more training Ellis is their guy. However, don't be surprised if they trade their pick to move down in the draft.

NHL Comparable...Mike Green

Pick #9- Ottawa Senators select...Jordan Schroeder

Think Nikita Filatov last year in the draft, what hands he has and great scoring ability, subsitute that with Schroeder and you've got the replacement. Schroder, sicne the 08 Juniors, has been lighting up the WCHA with the Minnesota Gophers and has showed signs of huge improvement as he gets older. Schroeder is small, but quick and creative. He will do anything to drive the puck in the net and will sometimes even turn on his mean streak and play aggressive on defense and on the forecheck. The Sens need lots of things, but they need a forward with tons of skill and Schroeder is just that.

NHL Comparable...Zach Parise

Pick #10- Edmonton Oilers select...John Moore

There's lots of people the Oilers can select with this draft pick. They don't need any more forwards because they're already stacked on that front, but last season's meltdown shows that they need a heart and soul type of guy and penalty killer who can chip in on the offense as well. Insert John Moore, who has had a stellar year with the Chicago Steel, leading them in points, time on ice, blocked shots, and hits. Imagine Moore and Souray together on the ice, on the same pairing. Yikes, I wouldn't want to be the opponent.

NHL Comparable...Scott Niedermayer

Sens Buzz Second Round NHL Playoff Predictions

2009-04-30T18:15:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the long break. I've had some things going on the past few weeks and with the Sens season over, I thought it was the time to take a break. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be regularly posting until the middle of May because of a 1 week vacation to Halifax. It'll be nice to relax and kick back after a long and dreadful season for the Sens. However, I'll be giving my playoff picks as they go so here they are for the second round. Note that I went 6-2 in the First Round with the Sharks aka my pre-playoff Stanley Cup winner(WTF?) and the Flyers(No excuses) bailing out on me.

Eastern Conference

(1) Boston Bruins vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes
These two teams faced very different climates in the first round. Boston faced a weak Habs team on the brink of exteriation and blew them up. The Hurricanes played the "Oh My God What A Trap" Devils and were 64 second away from being eliminated. However, Jussi Freakin Jokinen and Eric Calm Staal shocked everyone in the hockey world. Both teams have depth on offense and solid goaltending in Thomas and Ward, but Carolina's defense is virtually unknown out of ex-Sen "Uh Oh" Corvo and Boston has Big Z, Wideman, Ference and Aaron Ward. I see Phil Kessel being the difference here as the Hurricanes push but the Bruins reply.

Bruins in 6 Games

Series MVP: Phil Kessel

(2) Washington Capitals vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins

Pretty much this series has been on the top of the NHL's wishlist since the trio of Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin broke out in the NHL. With the rivalry between Crosby and Ovechkin escalating to a new level, this will be one heck of a series. Both offenses are pretty explosive with the Capitals having the sligh edge with their depth, the Penguins have a more steady and aligned defense and Fleury is mroe capable than Varlamov right noe. However, I for some reason think the Penguins will go after Ovechkin every chance they get and it will land them in the penalty box, and you don't want the Capitals' PP to step on the ice. I like Varlamov and he will be the unsung hero in this series.

Capitals in 7 Games

Series MVP: Simeon Varlamov

Western Conference

(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (8) Anaheim Ducks

You have to go back to who knows when that the last two Cup Champions face each other in the playoffs. The Red Wings easily ousted a hapless, inexperienced Blue Jackets team. The Ducks on the other hand, shocked me and the hockey world and beat the Ducks in 6. I personally hate the Ducks after beating the Sens in the Cup Final two years ago but you have to like the defensive structure they have with Pronger, Niedermayer, Whitney, Beachumin and Brookbank. Osgood showed some rust in Game 4 and Hiller has the better rebound control. While both defenses are great, the Red Wings' offense beats all and it will be the difference in a tough, punishing series that goes the distance.

Red Wings in 7 Games

Series MVP: Johan Franzen

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (4) Chicago Blackhawks

You've gotta love the Canucks' balanced attack. Their offense is lightning, their defense is thunder, and their goaltending is...well...god-like. The Blackhawks are speedy and young, but so are the Canucks. Luongo is obviously better than Khabibulin but never count out the Bulin Wall. Both goaltenders will get more shots than they did in the First Round. The diffrence iwll be the expeirence the Canucks have, which Mats Sundin should apply this series. The Canucks get out of this one quickly and buld their way to a probably Stanley Cup win.

Canucks in 5 Games

Series MVP: Henrik Sedin

And just for the record, the Canucks face the Capitals in my Stanley Cup Finals rpediction. And the Canucks bring the Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993.

Zack Kassian---The Next Milan Lucic?

2009-04-21T18:40:00.002-04:00

While the Sens are trying to figure out who will be a future Senator on Draft Day, most fans have concluded the Sens will take the best player available at the 9th position. Not so fast though, storming in is young Peterborough Pete Zack Kassian. Kassian is a big, strong, power forward from the outskirts of Ontario.

And guess who Kassian is being compared to? The one, the only, Milan Lucic, who is probably my 3rd favorite player in the NHL. Lucic is awesome. Kassian is awesome. Zack had 63 points in 61 games this season, but more importantly, took off in 5 fights.

I still like Jordan Schroeder as a pick for the Sens because of his speed, skill, and talent, but it wouldn't hurt if we had our own Milan Lucic on our team.

Bryan Murray Will Draft A Defenseman or A Winger

2009-04-18T11:46:00.002-04:00

Before the blog, I'd like to give Dean Brown a shoutout for his play-by-play on the Flyers-Penguins series. With the egomaniac Bob Cole set to retire after this season, Dean Brown could be his replacement. It would be sad to see him go as he is one of the best in the biz.

The NHL Draft is looming upon us Sens fans. Since there is no postseason in the Nation's Capital this year, the focus has shifted to the Entry Draft in Habitant Town. I've taken a vacation to Edmonton to meet some family mostly because with the Habs pre-emptively losing to the Bruins not very far away. So back to the topic. I've heard from a couple of people that Bryan Murray WILL NOT draft a centre. Bingo and the farm is stocked with centres and even though there are some really good centres in this draft Murray needs to address the quota and find a guy that will help solidify the weaknesses of the prospect farm. MyNHLDraft has the Sens taking Dmitry Kulikov, a solid two-way defenseman who showed his great vision of the ice when Russia nearly beat Canada in the semi-finals. Kulikov had 5 points(1 goal, 4 assists) in the game. If the Sens would draft him, and added bonus would be his experience on North American Ice. He had 62 points in 57 games with the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL and was a plus 14. He also was a main cog in the Voltigeurs' run for the Memorial Cup, which unfortunately ended. Kulikov had 17 points in 9 games in the playoffs. A knock on him, however, is the more I read about his stats and talent analysis, the more he reminds me of Filip Kuba. After the Sens locked up Kuba for 3 more years, I don't think they would want the second coming of Filip as a present.

NHL Draft Site(who finally updated their their Mock Draft yesterday) has the Sens surprisingly taking John Moore, who has seen his Draft Stock rise in the last few days. Moore, born in Illinois, has enjoyed a breakout season with the Chicago Steel of the USHL. He's a special teams expert on the Power Play and on the Penalty Kill, and a wizard on the ice. Moore reminds me of Scott Niedermayer, an expert on both sides of the ice. John also has a mean streak going on and can hit hard. The thing against Moore is that his previous season in Chicago didn't go as well, so I'm guessing he's a streaky guy. The Senators got killed this season by streaky guys and it wouldn't help if they drafted possibly another one.

And then there is Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the bloomer from Leksand. Oliver has been improving in every area of his game and an unknown scout who works with Leksand says "he can grow into another Mattias Ohlund or Niklas Kronwall". With Karlsson already on borad, would like to see a guy on Karlsson's pairing that can understand him internally. Larsson has a heavy shot form the point, some say it compares to that defenseman it Detroit's shot. He has the tenacity of a first-line blueliner. He's been working on his vision on his own zone, but the most important thing is that he's working. you've got to love a guy that does anything to benefit himself and his team. After that, there's the chance Jared Cowen falls into our laps. The Big Defenseman from Spokane busted his knee and got sent home for the rest of the season. He's a big hovering defenseman with a lethal shot from the point and a contributer in his own end. He's been injured quite a lot but I can see this guy eventually developing in another Zdeno Chara. And every Sens fan would love to have him back in another person's body. Okay, that just sounded weird. Rephrase that. Ok, never mind.

But I still think the Sens should draft Jordan Schroeder. Schroeder's stock has also risen and I think his skill level may be second only to Tavares. He'll have to load up if he wants to be a guy that will scare defenseman right of their skates, but his extremely likeness to Jordan Eberle makes me think this guy is the real deal. I'm still sticking with my pick of Schoreder just because the Sens' biggest need eventually is a winger, especially a right winger.

And if there's any chance that MSP falls to us, there's no questions he should be drafted. But unfortunately, I'm pretty sure the Kings will draft him at 5th.

Sens Buzz First Round Playoff Predictions and Playoff Pool

2009-04-13T16:10:00.003-04:00

Well, alas this will be my first playoff predictions that don't feature Ottawa in it but I think every fan loves to predict even without their favorite team in the playoffs. Here are my predictions, analysis, and Series MVP. Note I predicted Pittsburgh to face Dallas in the SC finals. Dallas didn't make the Playoffs. There goes half of it.

Eastern Conference

(1) Boston Bruins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens
What a difference a year makes, eh? Last year, the Habs were riding off one of the best years in their franchise history and facing a lowly Bruins team who had barely made it in the playoffs. This year, the Bruins face a Habs team who have done major horrible this season and if it weren't for Matt D'Agostini's impeccable season-saving goal against the Bruins in the last week of play, the Habs would be in the outside looking in. The Bruins will blow past the injured Habs' defense so fast that Hab fans won't have time to blow up Montreal.
Bruins in 5 Games
Series MVP: Zdeno Chara(sniff, sniff)

(2) Washington Capitals vs. (7) New York Rangers
The Capitals have been on fire as of late and maybe on fire since their 2-6 start to the season. Alex Ovechkin is poised yet again to win another Hart Trophy. Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom have improvedm uch as the Caps' secondary scorers. Mike Green is on pace for a Norris Trophy season and Jose Theodore has been just fine in goal this year. The Rangers have been better since Torts took them over, however, they still have questions on offense and I still doubt they can handle the massive ego of Sean Avery. The caps bust 'em open like a pretzel in a barbecue.
Capitals in 4 Games
Series MVP: Nicklas Backstrom

(3) New Jersey Devils vs. (6) Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have been the NHL's hottest team since the Trade Deadline. By acquiring Erik Cole, the Canes' have spiked up their offense and are also getting help from their defense. joe Corvo has great playoff experience which should be useful to the Canes. The Devils have been sluggish since Marty Brodeur borke the all-time wins record. Role players such as Paul Martin on defense and Johnny Oduya have quietly faded while Zach Parise's stock has plummeted. The question will be whether the Devils can rebound and find a way to beat Paul Maurice's team, unfortunately, the Canes have better depth at all positions on the ice and Cam Ward will find a way to win.
Hurricanes in 6 Games
Series MVP: Cam Ward

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers
The Battle of Pennsylvania resumes in watch should be a series for the ages. Sidney Crosby and Art Ross winner Evgeni Malkin lead the Penguins against Jeff Carter and Mike Richards and the Flyers. The Penguins get the edge on offense because of their 2 superstars but the Flyers have more depth on offense and defense and even though Fleury will outduel Biron/Nittymaki, the Flyers have the edge this time.
Flyers in 6 Games
Series MVP: Scott Hartnell

Western Conference

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (8) Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim barely made the playoffs and you can feel the ripple of Brian Burke on this team. San Jose has steamrolled through the regular season and will attempt to do the same in the playoffs. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau have something to prove and with coach Todd McLellan, they might as well start now. Marleau got rid of Ron Wilson and Todd has re-energized both of them. There is hatred between these teams and you can feel it in just how phyisical they play. The Sharks prevail in a easy one over Getzlaf and hsi crew.

Sharks in 5 Games

Series MVP: Patrick Marleau

(2) Detroit Red Wings vs. (7) Columbus Blue Jackets

The defending Cup Champs come in as a favorite once again. They've had success in the goal scoring department and have had solid defensive play. The BJ's, one of the best stories in the NHL this season, will play in their first ever playoffs and will give Detroit a run for their money. Chris Osgood will improve as Detroit goes on and unfortunately the combo of Datsyuk, Hossa, Zetterberg, and ex-Sen Hossa will be too much for ex-Sen Mike Commodore and etc. to handle. It will be a good one with an energized crow at Nationwide Arena, but Detroit takes it.

Red Wings in 6 Games

Series MVP: Marian Hossa

(3) Vancouver Canucks vs. (6) St.Louis Blues

The Canucks stole the the Northwest Division right under the Flames' noses. They have solid offense, shutdown defense, and amazing goaltending. When you talk Stanley Cup contenders, they're one of them. The Blues went from 14th at the All-Star Break to 6th, which is outstanding. They have great young players in TJ Oshie, Brad Boyes, David Backes, Patrick Berglund, Erik Johnson, and great goaltending from Chris Mason. If Vancouver doesn't collapse under pressure, they will handle the Blues., who should give the Canucks a good push for the series win.

Canucks in 7 Games

Series MVP: Alexandre Burrows

(4) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (5) Calgary Flames

Chicago and Calgary both have great young teams who have done great this season, and it's a wide open series. Chicago gets the edge on defense and special teams because of their depth but Calgary has superstars such as Iginla and Jokinen. The difference in this series will eventually be goaltending, and even though Kiprusoff has been a bit better this season he's been lacking consistency lately and with a solid duo in Khabibulin and Huet, Chicago gains the advantage against a weak Flames' defense.

Blackhawks in 5 Games

Series MVP: Patrick Kane

Stanley Cup Final

San Jose Sharks def. Washington Capitals in 7 games

Also, here's my CBC playoff pool...

F Pavel Datsyuk

F Patrick Kane

F Alexandre Burrows

F Erik Cole

F Jeff Carter

F Alexander Ovechkin

D Cam Barker

D Dan Boyle

D Zdeno Chara

D Matt Hunwick

G Nikolai Khabibulin

G Cam Ward

What'ya think?

World Championships On Guard

2009-04-13T11:58:00.004-04:00

You will lose Price! LOOOOOOOSSSEEEEEE! Well the season is over, and there will be no playoff hockey in the Nation's Capital this year. Even Binghmton collapsed and finished the season in 5th in the East Division, 1 point behind the Philadelphia Phantoms, who occupy the last playoff spot. There are many Bingo fans who are mad at Bryan Murray but maybe I'll do that at a later time.

I've been told from a few sources that the Ottawa Senators will see many of their players heading to Switzerland for the World Championships. Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, Chris Phillips, and Alexander Auld will be representing the Red and White. Nick Foligno and Ryan Shannon will be with the USA. Jarkko Ruutu will play for Finland, Anton Volchenkov will suit up for the Russians, and Christoph Schubert will play with the Germans. Meanwhile, here are my predictions for who will make Team Canada.

C Stephen Weiss
C Derek Roy
RW Jason Pominville
LW Dany Heatley
C Jason Spezza
RW Jamal Mayers
C Todd White
LW Martin St.Louis
C Steven Stamkos
C Jason Arnott
LW J.P. Dumont
C Mike Ribeiro
RW Shane Doan
D Jay Bouwmeester
D Brent Burns
D Sheldon Souray
D Shea Weber
D Chris Phillips
D Luke Schenn
D Ian White
G Dwayne Roloson
G Marty Turco
G Alex Auld

So the lines would look something like this...

Heatley - Spezza - Doan
St. Louis - Ribeiro - Pominville
Dumont - Roy - Mayers
Arnott - Weiss - White
Stamkos

Bouwmeester - Souray
Phillips - Schenn
Weber - Burns
White

Starter- Roloson
Backup- Turco
3rd String- Auld

What'ya think of them?

EDIT: Yeah, I didn't pick Mike Fisher. He was actually very close to making it for me, as I was deciding between Fisher and Stamkos for that 13th Forward position. alas, Stamkos is new breed and just what Canada needs, not a pretty boy like Fisher. Plus, Mike can know enjoy the offseason with Carrie Underwood.

Sens Buzz' Ottawa Senators Awards

2009-04-10T16:32:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year again. The lords and oberons show who they think deserve the Senators' Awards for this season. Here zey are:

Selke Trophy
Winner: Daniel Alfredsson
(Chris Kelly, Antoine Vermette)

Lady Byng Trophy
Winner: Filip Kuba
(Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley)

Calder Trophy
Winner: Brian Lee
(Brian Elliott, Jesse Winchester)

Vezina Trophy
Winner: Brian Elliott
(Alexander Auld)

Norris Trophy
Winner: Anton Volchenkov
(Filip Kuba, Brian Lee)

Hart Trophy
Winner: Jason Spezza
(Daniel Alfredsson, Anton Volchenkov)

Once Again, Bryan Murray proves his "worthiness"

2009-04-03T11:34:00.003-04:00

Tyler Bozak has signed with the Maple Leafs. I'm a bit surprised because I heard that the Colorado Avalanche were frontrunners all the way through but I guess Brian Burke stole him right under. Of course, our hapless General Manager Bryan Murray was in the Final 3 for Bozak but showed once again he isn't capable of the being Ottawa's GM and let's hope he respectably re-signs in the off-season.

People have asked me if the Sens are interested in Hobey Baker hat-trick Finalist Matt Gilroy. Right now things are preliminary and Gilroy is at the stage of 25 teams being interested in him but I doubt the Sens will make any push for him because or depth on defense is too stocked.

YAY! Rumors! Well I've only heard Bryan Murray(if he is still GM at the time) will trade Alex Auld. Jason Smith is also on the trading block along with Alexandre Picard. It will be a busy off-season for the Sens and Sens fans.

Anyone else hate it when the Bruins announcer says "WOO" after he announces the Bruins' goal. It sounds like he just inhaled some good weed and has to let it out. I just think it's dumb. It's not the worst thing though. The Anaheim Ducks' goal horn sounds like a mutant fart.

Quick Hit: 3 Teams Still Standing In The Bozak Battle

2009-04-02T12:00:00.002-04:00

The Battle of Ontario has been ferocious every year. This year, both teams won't be making the playoffs. But another battle is growing. One of my sources has told me that Tyler Bozak called the Minnesota Wild last night to say he won't be signing with them. Right now, Bozak is down to three teams, the Colorado Avalanche, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Ottawa Senators. I've been told one of Ottawa or Toronto will be told that they're not in the running anymore by noon or later today. There is a chance that he might decide today but I don't think so. Choosing what team you're going to go to is a hard decision. I'd expect he will decide in 3-4 days.

Who will win in my opinion? I still think Colorado will edge Ottawa. One very surprising thing is that all 3 teams are not going to make the playoffs this season. It looks like Bozak wants to have a fresh start with a team.

Game Day Against the Cats

2009-03-31T15:44:00.003-04:00

The Sens will try to even out the season series against the Panthers tonight in South Florida. Game start is 7:30 PM. Florida is 1 point out of 8th place which is currently occupied by the ever relentless Canadiens. So it should be a bittersweet game tonight.

The lines will be the same from Sunday's win against the Bolts. I've heard Bryan Murray might not be at the game because of some guy named Tyler Bozak. According to the Ottawa Sun and SENS Town, Bozak's list is down to 5 and even though not every team in the list is mentioned, it's believed Ottawa, the only Canadian team on the short list, and Colorado(surprise surprise) are frontrunners. Bozak plays with Sens' prospect Patrick Wiercioch at Denver so I'm guessing he had to do with something in Bozak's decisions. Back to the game though. The Sens haven't played good at all this season against the Panthers. The Pizza line have scored most of the goals for Ottawa so expect Clouston to put his secondary guys like Foligno, Shannon, and Comrie out there more often. Florida is on their own streak, recently demising the Dallas Stars 6-3 with Cory Stillman, the ex-Sen scoring 2 goals. Jarkko Ruutu has also had a pleasant stay in Florida so far, so it should be interesting what he does to another coach. Brian Elliott will get the start in order to try for his 2nd straight win and shutout. Pete DeBoer will start Craig Anderson tonight, who has been absolutely stellar against Ottawa this season. Anyone reminded of the sick save on Vermette?

Panthers 4(Zednik, Bouwmeester, Ballard, Horton) Senators 2(Alfredsson, Foligno). Book it.

The Quest To Find the Next Erik Karlsson Linemate

2009-03-31T10:54:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Graeme over at 6th Sens for the quote. Kevin Allen of USA Today had a Q and A with Sens' GM Bryan Murray and talked over some different topics, such as the firing of Craig Hartsburg, the Comrie/Campoli trade, and the upcoming NHL Draft. An interesting side note is that Allen asked Murray about the upcoming offseason and this is what he had to say:

"I think getting Tavares and (Viktor) Hedman would have been great because they are franchise-style players. But this little run gives the organization some credibility and the fans some hope. That's why we want to keep winning. We had won about three in a row, and my head scout Pierre Dorion came back from a scouting trip and told me, "I'd better go see some different guys." So he flew over to Europe to see a guy who is later in the draft. We think there might be another defenseman who could better than Hedman. He's not as ready, but we think he could end up being better."

Murray is so controversial these days that bloggers like us will one day snap a twig and become as "succesful" as him. I did some research to find the "European Defenseman Who May Be Better Than Hedman" and found 5 guys who oculd be auditioning to become the next Erik Karlsson linemate. Of course I still think the Sens should grab a winger(cough cough Paajarvi) to improve the farm system though I guess Bryan Murray is confident in his forwards and sees a need for defense. Here are the 5 guys, and surprise surprise, they're all Swedish.

Peter Andersson- 6'5'', 210 lbs, Frolunda HC
Unfortunately, I didn't find much information about Andersson except his weight and height and the team who he plays with, but he plays regularly on the Frolunda's 3rd pairing and has shown some improvements in the last months. Since his anonymousity, I guess he won't be the guy but Murray did suggest he was "later in the draft" and NHLDraftSite has him taken in the 3rd Round by the Devils.

Tim Erixon- 6'1'', 187 lbs, Skelleftea
Erixon has lit it up the last weeks with Skelleftea and not so surprisingly his draft stock has gone up. He's a "defensive wizard" on the ice and is not afraid to go for the big hit. He's been playing with coveted defenseman David Rundblad for a bit and the results have shown he can be a 4-6 defenseman on any roster. He has to add to his phyical frame a bit and surprisingly fits the bill Murray filled. NHLDraftSite has him going in the 2nd Round, taken by the Sharks. He could be late bloomer and steal.

Anton Myllari- 6'2'', 235 lbs, Vasteras
Even though they comer from different countries, most scouts are comparing Myllari to the Sens' won Anton Volchenkov. Maybe even better because he also has a heavy shot from the point, something many scouts are envying. As I write this, Myllari's stock has slipped a bit but he will be drafted late in the 1st Round or early in the 2nd Round. I think there's a chance Murray would like to go with someone who has a punishing physical frame and can intimidate anyone...just like Hedman. However, I don't see hi, a mainly defensive defenseman, put alongside Karlsson.

David Rundblad- 6'2'', 183 lbs, Skelleftea
Another guy from the Skelleftea oraganization, Rundblad has become their player. He has excelled in many places on the ice. He's a shot blocking machine and a Co-QB on the PP. Many people have compared him to Niklas Kronwall, who of ocurse, is rocking everyone's socks this season for Detroit. He owuld fit nicely with Karlsson but he is such a hot ocmmodity that he will be drafted in the 1st Round and teams such as Phoenix or the Rangers might trade up to snatch the Swede. He could be the one but I see another guy being chosen and he is...

Oliver Ekman-Larsson- 6'1'', 165 lbs, Leksand
Larsson is an amazing athlete. He's a great ksater and has matured so much in Leksand the past year. He's been coached by his defensive linemate Kenny Kallstrom and it's worked in strides. Larsson is a late bloomer who is generally Erik Karlsson but with another name. He has a huge shot form the point and comes back to helps his teammates in his own zone. Scouts in Ottawa have been seen in Leksand where Larsson plays and I think Murray is right with him not being ready but if he is drafted I can see the 2010-2011 season having Karlsson-Larsson as one of the Sens' pairings.

Any thoughts Sens fans? Who do you think should become Karlsson's Next Linemate, or are you still hoping Murray will do the Holy and pick up Victor Hedman? Have your say!

March Review: Who is on Target to become the Newest Senator?

2009-03-30T11:49:00.003-04:00

Today, in the depressing orally shit that has become of the Ottawa Senators' season(hey, they won 3-0...against Tampa Bay...clap clap clap), I'll be looking forward to the off-season and draft for the Sens and who might suit up in the black, red, and white next season.

Sources Say...

Mike Comrie: Comrie has been re-energized since re-joining the Sens halfway through the season. I expect him to re-sign for a 2-year deal, around 2.5-3 million a year.

Johan Franzen: I think every Sens fan would love to see him in a Sens' uniform next year. He will have offers from his own team in Motown and in almost every team in the NHL, but there is a strong chance he may choose Canada for his next destination.

Ales Kotalik: He's been strong since joining the Oilers at the Trade Deadline. He has a bomb from the point and is excellent in shootouts, something the Sens need to improve. I've actually heard from some sources that Bryan Murray mgiht make a move on him since he's pretty cheap for a winger.

Jay Bouwmeester: It's no secret, every team is interested in him. I am almost 100% certain he'll be coming to Canada and the Sens are a potential suitor. The good thing for GM Bryan Murray is that since the cap is expected to fall, he won't be getting Brian Campbell money, making him more affordable.

Draft Announcers Say...

Simon Despres: Adam Kimmleman had the Sens getting Despres but I can't see it happening. Of course he's an excellent blueliner and has good vision of the hockey rink but the Sens are already stacked up on the defenseman.

Nazem Kadri: Kadri rolled up his sleeves before the OHL season started and it payed off. He has been a huge help for the Knights and has pure, skill, offensive ability. The Sens will be looking for a scoring forward come Draft Day and Kadri fits the bill.

Matt Duchene: Duchene has lighted it up this season and especially when top contenders like Tavares and Hedman havn't looked good in the further parts of the season, duchene's stock has grown. I don't see him dropping this far, but if he did, it is certain Murray will snatch him up because of his ability and his NHL equivalence of former Murray draftee Ryan Getzlaf.

Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi: The reason why the Sens' farm system is weak on the forwards side is their lack of scoring wingers. Paajarvi would be a huge boost and would look good alongside Spezza or O'Brien in the near future.

Jacob Josefson: Another gifted centre who could come in next season and improve the corps but he has been crtiticized for his soft defensive play and work ethic. However, he's a nother Swedish talent his is the NHL equivalent of Pavel Datsyuk. Believe it or not, Josefson might be the guy Murray drafts in June.

Jordan Schroeder: He's close to becoming a Jarome Iginla, and he showed that i nthe World Juniors. He has the best skill level out of the above mentioned and can really light it up. He's been criticized for his skating level but could be a steal for the Sens.

Brayden Schenn: Imagine that folks, Brayden Schenn who is Luke Schenn's younger brother, gets drafted by the Sens. Wouldn't you want to see those two get toe to toe during the Battle of Ontario. Schenn is quick and talented and will remind Sens fans of Antoine Vermette with Schenn's great penalty kill abilities.

Scott Glennie: He's a hard-working winger who has matured so much in the past years. He's very responsible in both sides of the ice and has a strong shot. If Murray opts to go for the hard-working winger, he would fit perfectly on the second line.

Jared Cowen: He could be what the Sens are looking for. Even with a stacked blueline depth, Ottawa could have room for Cowen, who adds defensive awareness to his mad power-play skills and a gift for seeing the ice well.

Well there yeah have it Sens fans. Who would you take out of those players? Well, you can voice your opinion and win some prizes as well. I'm launching a Draft Day Pool for Sens Fans and Hockey Fans abroad. All you have to do is sign up by emailing me at ademaj4@gmail.com and send in yoour 1st Round Mock Draft. For the player you have chosen that the Sens will take, highlight him as he will be "Your Target" that day. He could earn up to 200 points for you on Draft Day is you choose the right player.

Defense?! What Defense?!: Thrashers 6, Senators 3

2009-03-28T22:04:00.003-04:00

What that fucking shinny game for the Sens? Are they overbloated that they think they can beat Atlanta? What is inside their heads? What the fuck was Filip Kuba doing? More importantly, what the hell was Daniel Alfredsson doing? How the hell do you allow Nathan Oystrick and Marty Reasoner to score on you? How do you take out your goalie when he was not at all the reason for the deficit, and in the outside, he made 4 sick glove saves, 3 which were on Ilya Kovalchuk who has the second-best shot in the NHL behind that guy in Washington. Everything went fucking wrong for the Sens tonight.

First, to the positives. Chris Phillips played a good defensive game. He wasn't allowing Kovalchuk and Armstrong to develop anything and was the Sens best player tonight. Jason Spezza played a sound game. He went hard to the net and was getting shots on the Moose. Ryan Shannon also played pretty good. He was on the bad end of a clean hit by Eric Boulton but tried to put his team back in the game and was effective all night. Nick Foligno dropped the gloves for his First NHL fight of his young career. Pretty much, he was taken down but I think he own the fight. He got some 10 punches on Boulton who threw only some 5 punches.

Defense was zero tonight. No one outside of Phillips played defense tonight. I think I'm going to blame most of the goals on Filip Kuba. He was standing like lawn-mower and screening his goalie for most of the game. Where was Alfie tonight? He was invisible and really should have stepped up for his team. Personally, I didn't like Cory Clouston's goalie change. Elliott was doing fine and was just unlucky on a tip from Reasoner. I can understand Brian's frustration and even when Auld came he allowed a weak goal on the first shot he faced. It will be interesting to see who starts tomorrow in Tampa Bay. I'm guessing it's Auld who will be thrown in.

CBC continues it's annual dictatorship and doesn't show the game when it's on Saturday night at 7 PM, which is perfect for them. They instead allow a meaningless Boston-Toronto game that ended up in a Boston 8-5 win. So resorting to my Centre Ice package, I watched the Sports South feed. Terrible, just terrible. They had some many commercials featuring Kovalchuk and Lehtonen repeating that it was just annoying. And they made fun of Nick Foligno in the 2nd Intermission for dropping the gloves. And they were being pretty much douches all night. The economy has hit so hard in the US that they can't find decent commentators for hockey games. Woo hoo.

So tomorrow Ottawa faces Tampa Bay. Another Woo-Hoo!

Quick Hit: Sens interested in Tyler Bozak

2009-03-28T13:13:00.002-04:00

Last summer, Tyler Bozak's name surfaced around as a potential sign for many teams. Now that his season is over, Darren Dreger reports that he could very well be signed in the next 2-3 days. Talking to a source, he says "Bryan Murray is known for his quick hit signings, and Bozak will be no different". Tyler Bozak is a second-line center who was hampered by injuries this year, but still managed to record 25 points in 19 games. It would be interesting to see how he would fit in the Sens' lineup. Logic says he would be ready for NHL action next year.

18-20 teams are interested in him and my guess is that he won't sign with Ottawa. Not only there would be not much room in the lineup for him, but Ottawa's alreadt stacked with centremen. Since he's a Denver alumni, I'd say Colorado will snatch him up.

Greetings to No.100!!!!

2009-03-27T17:45:00.002-04:00

Simple as much? 100 posts ago, I started this blog with nothing. Well a long time has come, and here we are!

On this special anniversary, I ask anoyone if they want to join as an author they can by emailing me at ademaj4@gmail.com.

Here's to many more!

Mathematically Out of the Playoffs, But Not Out of the Draft Lottery

2009-03-26T17:14:00.002-04:00

With the push for the playoffs officially over after last night's heartbreaking 2-1 loss to the Hurricanes, I think management has to stress something. The team won't be making the playoffs in the next 1-2 years unless they finally settle some issues. The first issue was settled by acquiring a franchise goaltender. The second issue that will be on the top of Murray's "To Do's" on July 1st is a scoring winger. And thirdly, the Sens need to draft in the Top 6 of the Draft to get a high end player. Jared Cowen isn't too far out of the equation.

Cowen is Chara #2 essentially. He's big, muscular, and posseses a strong shot from the point. He also plays very well in his own zone and will get in your face anytime, anywhere. The only knock against him is his injury history. This year his season was sidelined by hand and ankle injuries but once he recovers he's one great prospect.

Trades will also have to be made. One of Volchenkov, Phillips, and Smith will have to leave. I'm guessing Murray will want to stick with his top pairing so there's a chance Jason Smith will be traded. Alexandre Picard's days are also numbered. He started the year off well but doesn't fit in the lineup now with Campoli in. His ocntract is also too big so there's a chance they may buy him out. Alex Auld will most likely be traded. He is the obvious odd man out with Elliott's recent excellent play. There will be teams interested in him, like Boston if they lost both Thomas and Fernanadez.

The Boost From the Clous-ton

2009-03-24T18:31:00.002-04:00

Pletch over at Sens Army made a good point how there should be a new coaching award for new coaches. Montreal is in ruins and Gainey made the bombastic, stupid idea to fire Guy Carbonneay. Here in Ottawa, I criticized heavily Bryan Murray for firing Craig Hartsburg but his the team's recent play, you can't disagree with him. John Paddock and Hartsburg tried to implent some defense into the team. For Paddock, it didn't work. For Hartsburg, it worked a bit better, as the team is on track to having a better year defensively. However, when you loosen the reins on the offense, the defense will catch up to.

Anyone else noticing a bit of a weakness on the Penalty Kill since Antoine Vermette left? For example, the game against the Islanders, the Sens dominated but both Islanders' goals were both scored by Josh Bailey and both were on the PP. It seems like management will have to find a 4th killer on the 1st Unit along with Phillips/Volchenkov, Alfredsson, and Kelly. Jesse Winchester has been in that role for the last few games, but I think it's better if he was used on offense to spurt him again.

By the way, when will Winchie score? He has 3 on the season and personally I hope he gets 5 this season because he's become one of my favorites and was one of the few bright spots in the 1st half of the season. Clouston has given more minutes to his secondary scorers such as Nick Foligno, Mike Fisher, and Ryan Shannon. However, Shean Donovan hasn't been suedm uch, and I think it's been a disappointing season overall for him. With Neil most likely gone and Bass ready to step in his role, I think it would be good to trade Donovan and but either Ilya Zubov or Peter Regin on the fourth line with Ruutu and Bass.

Who else is excited for next year's goaltending? Brian Elliott looks very good however I think management should give him the backup job next year. Auld looks like he is done in the Nation's Capital. He's a good goalie but he's very streaky. Very, very streaky.

So tomorrow I see a hard line, tooth-to-nail, exciting game to watch. Zee final score will be...

Ottawa 6(Kelly, Spezza, Heatley, Foligno, Kuba, Winchester), Carolina 5(Cole, Staal, LaRose, Wallin, Staal) in Over-Time.

Operation Spoiler-iffic

2009-03-18T16:05:00.002-04:00

Mathematically, they're still in the hunt for a playoff spot. Realistically, they're not. So the lords and oberons of Sens Buzz have decided to run a thing we like to call Operation Spoiler-iffic. Here's the skinny.

Everytime the Sens face a team that has a realistic chance of making the playoffs but haven't clinched yet, (a.k.a Rangers, Penguins, Canadiens, Sabres, Hurricanes, Panthers), if the Sens win the game, the player with the game-winning goal will receive $5 and an Operation Spoiler-iffic poster. This Operation is for the fun of the rest of the season. It's always nice when you hamper a team's playoff chances(cough cough Montreal). So join Operation Spoiler-iffic today by sending me an e-mail to ademaj4@gmail.com. You'll get to chance to receive a poster and a Gino Reda mug! Join now!

Holy Batman, Was That A Win?!!?: Senators 4, Sabres 2

2009-03-17T22:07:00.003-04:00

Really, that was pretty amazing. Down 2-0 in the first after Toni Lydman and Jason Pominville notched goals past Brian Elliott. However, the Sens came back to haunt and spoil yet again a team's chances by a bit to win 4-2. Goals by Dany Heatley, Brendan Bell, and Daniel Alfredsson sealed the deal for the Sens. Too bad they didn't play this way at the beginning of the season.

Elliott along with his defense struggled in the 1st. The Sabres fired 6 shots on goal and 2 of them were goals. That's not a pretty way to start the game. However, patience prevailed as the Pizza Line and Brendan Bell dominated the Sabres en route to the victory. Filip Kuba played tremendous tonight and I think he's taken insult to Don Brennan's article about him. Hope don learned his lesson, that sneaky little bastard. Ryan Shannon used his speed ability pretty well and is also helping that Second Unit a lot. Brian Lee got in some rough stuff at the end of the game. He's been great after his disastrous beginning to the season but needs to control himself on the physical front the game a bit.

A little tidibt to pass on tonight. Management is close to signing Cory Clouston to a 2 year contract to keep him as coach. He's really helped this club and "loosened the reins", which has helped players like Nick Foligno, Mike Fisher, and Ryan Shannon to develop. Theo nly think I would suggest to him is to use Shean Donovan more. That speed is helpful to the lineup. But overall, it was a good game tonight.

P.S: Sens win season series 5-1

Smart Prime Ministers are Sens fans, Dumb Prime Ministers are Leaf Fans

2009-03-15T14:52:00.001-04:00

I came across this last night. Sens Town had a feature a few weeks ago which showed that Jean Chretien was a Sens fan. Jean Chretien is arguably the Best Prime Minister in the last decade. On the other hand, Stephen Harper, arguably the Worst Prime Minister of the last decade is a Leaf fans. Any more questions?

General Manager Watch: Day 1

2009-03-08T16:08:00.005-04:00

While we're I guess on the topic of next season, I'll pass out a tidbit for everyone to indulge in. It seems like Eugene Melnyk will not get his soccer team after all and will use his anger on hopefully the firing of Bryan Murray. I have been told Steve Yzerman and Jim Rutherford are on the top of Melnyk's list but Neil Smith is also being considered along with Assistant General Manager Tim Murray. But does Melnyk really want to go down the Murray route once again?

Steve Yzerman and Neil Smith are probably going to be frontrunners because of their availability. Rutherford is still the GM of the Hurricanes but would most likely give up his job to come closer to home. I really like Yzerman as GM because he's under Ken Holland in Detroit and the way they rebuilt their franchise over there is incredible, and I bet Yzerman has gotten a few tips and tricks up his sleeve. He seems the perfect guy for a rebuilding team like the Sens. Rutherford has also done some amazing stuff with the Canes as he sent them from second last in the NHL to Stanley Cup winners in a short span of one year. Carolina also made the Finals a couple years back but eventually lost to Detroit. Neil Smith has a history of drafting well with Tony Amonte, Doug Weight, Sergei Zubov and Alexei Kovalev. He led them to the Stanley Cup in 1994 and after being the Gm of the Islanders for a month, he's on the block.

So there's Day 1 folks.

Pizza Pizza Pizza!: Senators 6, Sabres 3

2009-03-07T22:25:00.002-05:00

Daniel Alfredsson, Nick Foligno, Chris Kelly, and Chris Campoli gave something their fans could cheer about going back home, and obviously that's free pizza! The Sens scored 6 goals for the first time since the 4th game of the season as the Senators slaughtered the Sluginators.

Ever since Cory Clouston has come in he's given more time to his secondary scorers and that has worked. Nick Foligno now has 7 goals under Coach Clouston, and he had 6 goals under Hartsburg. Chris Kelly is shurgging off his nickname of "Mr. Hand of Stone" Sens fans have apparently given him. Chris Campoli's acquisition has been brilliant, he lets that shot rip like a bomb and even though he's not the best in his own zone, he is hwat the Sens needed from the start of the year. And of course Primary Scoring came from El Capitano who might have started a fashion trend around the league with that jaw-protector.

Peter Regin is making a case for a roster spot next year and he deserves it. He's a big body who uses it to his advantage. Anton Volchenkov and Jesse Winchester continued their mean streaks. Brian Elliott played good in goal, making 27 saves including some great stops in the 2nd period. He did let a weak goal by Jochen Hecht that bounced twice of his stick and in. The 1st goal was was a bomb from the point, and the 2nd one was weak, but I don't think you can blame Elliott because he thought that Vanek was gonna go glove side, which he always does, but he went pad side and it just trickled past Elliott. He will have to improve his rebound control but he is making his casing for the Number 1 job next year.

On some other notes, anyone catch Dean Brown calling Mike Milbury "Mike Murphy"? With Mike's previous history, watch out Dean. Antoine Vermette got an assist in his Blue Jackets debut as Columbus steamrolled over the best team in the league, the Detroit Red Wings, 8-2. Gerber had his first loss as a Maple Leaf in 4-1 loss to the Oilers. Jason Smith left the game with a lower-body injury and my guess is that he'll be out for 7-10 days. Brian Lee will most likely be re-called but is it possible the Sens will give Mattias Karlsson a chance before the season ends? Alexandre Picard is done for the season. The Sens are now 5 points back of the Leafs in the standings with 17 games left. Do it for Sens nation. Just do it for Sens nation.

Thanks For Reading!!!

Get Your Fresh Sluggalow! Sluggalow People! SLUGGALOW!!!

2009-03-07T16:27:00.003-05:00

Sens fans have been complaining of the new 3-D cartoonish logo ever since it's debut 2 off-seasons ago. But imagine being a Sabres fan and having to see your favorite team with that logo on their jersey. Welcome to the new NHL.

The Sens signed Craig Schira today to a 3-year contract. Schira has played in the Western Hockey League for 5 years with both the Regina Pats and Vancouver Giants. He's a good puck-mover and has bomb from the point. Currently in 66 points with the Giants he has 16 goals and 39 assists for 55 points. He looks like a good addition but we officially have a big log-jam at defense, not only on the current roster but only the prospect list. We have Erik Karlsson, Mattias Karlsson, Patrick Wiercioch, Kirill Lyamin, Tomas Kudelka and now Craig Schira. We will see Sens fans. We will see.

The Sabres come into the Scotiabank Place tonight on two straight 5-1 wins over the Habs and Coyotes. The Sens are coming off a 4-2 win over the Oilers. The Sens currently lead the season series 3-1, with tonight and one more game left in the season series. Ever since the Brawl, the Sens have dominated the Sabres and should continue that. Jason Spezza has played with a mean edge the last 2 games, something many Sens fans are excited to see out of him. The lineup will be the same as Peter Regin will play tonight despite his apparent foot injury he suffered after he blocked a shot from Souray. Brian Elliott will get the start tonight and I'm guessing he wants to end the season out strong to at least give him the chance to compete for the starting role.

Magic crystal ball says Ottawa 5(Fisher, Alfredsson, Heatley, Regin, Winchester) Buffalo 3(Stafford, Afinegenov, Connolly)

Thanks For Reading and Enjoy The Game!!!

Wake Me Up When September Ends

2009-03-07T00:09:00.002-05:00

Pascal LeClaire looks tired in that picture. I don't know if he's tired from the trip to Ottawa just to wear a jersey or if he's heard all about the Ottawa media and is probably figuratively saying "Look, you don't want me to screw up and I don't want me to screw up". Isn't it also funny that he wears the 3rd jersey and not the regular home jersey? Sign of things to come. Jesus please don't let it happen.

There's 19 games left in the season and frankly, I don't give a frank. The Sens won't be making the playoffs so it will be nice break for me. I've been busy with everything lately that I'm happy that I can even keep up with the tempo of this blog. But right, I'm looking forward to next year. I'm looking forward to Bryan Murray getting fired. I'm looking forward to Steve Yzerman taking over as General Manager(crosses fingers). I'm looking forward to Pascal LeClaire. I'm looking forward to the draft, where we need to draft some high-end offensive talent. Being in the same offensive league with the Islanders is embarassing. Tavares is far away, so I'm guessing the New-GM(yes, I'm saying that) at that time will go for a guy like Matt Duchene or Jordan Schroeder or Evander Kane or Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi or even Brayden Schenn. Or maybe we steal Hedman and have a top pairing in Karlsson-Hedman for years to come. Think about that.

I wanted to spread a quick rumor and it's about July 1st. With the shocker re-signing of Filip Kuba, two of Jason Smith, Anton Volchenkov, and Chris Phillips should be traded, and we could see a package of both Smith and Phillips heading to Edmonton for a first round pick and a prospect. There is possibility that the Sens will go after Mike Komisarek is the off-season, as he looks like a good partner for Volchie.

Either way, just put me to sleep and Wake Me Up When September Ends.

Thanks For Reading!!!

Pot Smoking Hippie Say Whaaat?

2009-03-03T18:29:00.002-05:00

How the hell is the General Manager of the Ottawa Senators, Bryan Murray, still have a job? If he re-signs even one of Chris Neil and Filip Kuba, I will officially hate him. He's really fucking ruining our club and thinks of his own job right now, not the future of this team. Steve Yzerman, anyone?

With the Trade deadline less than 24 hours away, you think it would be smart for Murray and Clouston to take out Kuba from the game, as it would destroy any chance of him getting injured, which if it happened, would me a momentual failure. No team would trade picks and prospects for a 33-year old, pending UFA and have him injured. And with his injury history, you've gotta watch out. But instead, alas, Muray makes another dumb choice.

About the goalie rumor here in the Nation's Capital, the Sens are pursuing LeClaire and Clemmensen now that Backstrom is off the market. Those rumors have colled down a bit amnd accoridng to a source, "The Sens will likely get their No.1 goalie in the offseason or stick with Elliott and Auld". We shall see Sens fans, we shall see(the light?!).

So here are now my final Trade Deadline Predictions:

Filip Kuba traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2nd round pick and Marc Methot

Chris Neil traded to the Boston Bruins for a 3rd round pick

Christoph Schubert is put on waivers to no avail

Brendan Bell picked on waivers up by the Carolina Hurricanes

Martin Gerber traded to the Calgary Flames for a 5th round pick

Hoping...Antoine Vermette and Kirill Lyamin traded to the New Jersey Devils for Scott Clemmensen and a 5th round pick

What do you think, Sens fans? Fair or foul?

Holy hot damn, there's a game today. Blah blah blah it's against the Calgary Flames, the magic crystal ball says Ottawa 3(Spezza, Schubert, Alfredsson) Calgary 4(Moss, Iginla, Camalleri, Bertuzzi SO Winner).

Thnaks For Reading and Enjoy The Game and the Follow-Up to Tomorrow!!!

Welcome To The Jungle

2009-03-02T22:28:00.002-05:00

Ron Wilson blasted another blasphemy of his again today. Every day I hate that guy more and more. Otherwise, all I say to Ron is, Welcome To The Jungle. The Jungle of Trade Deadline.

As Wednesday approaches, there are more wacky rumors coming across to me. I was told today that there were many, many calls about Dany Heatley's services, and even was told Philadelphia asked about him and possible offered a package including highly-touted prospect James Van Riemsdyk. How about that Sens fans? Even Anton Volchenkov was a subject for 2 teams, supposedly Buffalo was interested in him but Bryan Murray won't trade him right now. Jason Smith is a possible target for teams like the Calgary Flames.

However, this rumor isn't crazy. Filip Kuba is close to being traded to Columbus for a 1st-2nd round pick and a prospect. Scott Howson was at the Leafs-Sens game so it's not very surprising. Chris Neil's sweepstakes are close to being done, with the Red Wings pulling away right now. In return Ken Holland would send a third round pick. How about that Sens fans?

Talking about possible goalie targets, Scott Clemmensen is being pursued by the Sens. Right now I've only heard Antoine Vermette and Kirill Lyamin going back to the Devils. Bob McKenzie bnoted today on Off The Record that the Sens had interest in Pascal LeClaire, and even though I think it could happen, I hope it won't. Pascal isn't a No.1 goaltender. Manny Fernandez is also on the market but it looks like he might not be too expensive for the Sens to pursue.

Should be an interesting couple of the days for Les Senateurs.

Thanks For Reading!!!

Sunday Night's All Right For Rumors

2009-03-01T22:45:00.004-05:00

You've gotta start choking on your cold beer when you know the future of this club is in the hands of the above figure. He drafts great, but he may need to re-think his strategy during trade deadline and free agency periods.

Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun stated today Filip Kuba wants to stay in Ottawa. While I think he's done great this season in the Nation's Capital, I've stated it before and many Sens fans must know this, he's not an option for the future. With Erik Karlsson, Mattias Karlsson, Patrick Wiercioch and even the newly-acquired Chris Campoli in this club's system, there's really know room for him. The same thing with Chris Neil. Many Sens fans say he should stay, par example the great author Jeremy Milks from Black Aces, but Cody Bass is his replacement, and is about 1 million less. I'm pretty sure those 1 million will come in handy come July 1st.

While we're on the topic of Chris Neil, a source I talked to today fully expects Neil gone on Wednesday, but only for a 2nd to 3rd round pick and a possible conditional 4th rounder if Neil re-signs with the club he's traded. He also states Detroit Red Wings GM will be in attendance on tuesday against the Flames, adding feul that the Wings might go after him.

As stated last night, the Sens have interest in Scott Clemmensen. I can now confirm that Antoine Vermette and a propsect will be offered to the Devils for Scott. Fair deal, Sens fans?

Thanks For Reading!!!

Don't Wanna Be A Canadian Idiot: Leafs 4, Senators 3(OT)

2009-02-28T22:02:00.003-05:00

It's sad that the Sens are now 6 points behind the Leafs in the standings and even though there is time to vault over Toronto in the standings, it still is just sad. Goals by Ryan Shannon, Jarkko Ruutu, and Daniel Alfredsson almost did the trick for the Sens, but alas, a lead is a lead, and when you're not drunk on your success, you can keep it. But tonight, the Sens were drunk. and they were plowed on it.

Turnovers really cost the Sens the game tonight. One really bad play by the attractive commodity Filip Kuba led to another bad play where Brian Elliott couldn't keep the puck in his glove which led to another bad play where Jason Spezza tapped the puck in his own net. It was just that kind of game for the Sens tonight. Dany Heatley actually played pretty good, he had some good shots unfoprtunately stopped the seemingly alive Curtis Joseph and laid a hit o Stapelton tonight. Anton Volchenkov became a hero tonight as well, he laid about 5 hits and that phyisical edge of his is really paying off. Brian Elliott made some really nice saves, especially in the 2nd to keep it a 2-2 tie, but that goal by Kubina to win the game was a stoppable goal. I think Clouston should still play him but Ells needs to practise some more before he gets that top job.

On to Jason Spezza. He played horrible tonight, he was lazy on both zones of the ice. Pretty much what everybody said. However, Don Cherry was right in the post-game show(which, by the way, was one for the ages), how was that hooking penalty that cost the game for the Sens a hooking penalty? Fuck, that was a really bad call and it didn't even affect the play, because it was Kaberle's own fault that he turned away the puck. Some dumb calls out there tonight.

I'll be back tomorrow with some quick hits and hopefully a answer to the Picard injury.

Thanks For Reading!!!

EDIT AT 1:03 AM: Staying up late and watching some movies(Body of Lies is amazing by the way). Nonetheless, Hockey Leaks is reporting Ottawa has interest in Scott Clemmensen. I have also talked with 2 or 3 sources that agree the Sens have offered the Devils a package including a roster player and prospect for the stud goalie.

Ottawa looking at acquiring Ladislav Smid

2009-02-27T10:56:00.002-05:00

First, the Ottawa Sun reported that the Edmonton Oilers were interested in Christoph Schubert and the return asking price would be the stay-at-home defenseman Ladislav Smid. I was talking to someone who said "This could be a bigger deal and that Ottawa really wants to pair him up with Volchenkov". He has been compared to Volchie previous years and can handle the puck well also. And you know MacT would love to get rid of him for a bigger body in Schubert.

Smid has scored 21 points in 188 games in his 3-year career. His statistics have gone south since his rookie year, but his defensive game has gone way north, as exemplified in the game Ottawa played against Edmonton on December 30th, where Smid bravely blocked shots by Daniel Alfredsson and Filip Kuba. He would be a nice addition to the Sens roster and seeing him with Volchenkov, I think, would work.

Staying away from the Oilers-Sens rumors, Neil and his camp will meet with management today and even if it seems that they have reached an impasse, they are still trying to negotiate something. It's very much the possibility they trade Neil and sign him in the offseason, though that wouldn't really make sense. The Sharks may have talked with Murray before the game about Neil, according to the Ottawa Sun, which also stated that the Red Wings are in play for Neil. Chris Neil will be traded to one of the San Jose Sharks, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, and, yes, the New Jersey Devils. All top 4 teams in the league. Surprising, not really. I still think Boston is make a late push and get him.

On Filip Kuba's court, differently from Neil's situation, there is no way Kuba will re-sign with the team. It's simple and clear, he's a great defenseman and a great Power play QB who rarely makes mistakes on the defensive front, but the Sens need to rebuild their defensive core, and Kuba won't be a part of it. With the Whitney trade and the Schneider trade, Kubes is probably on the list of top 3 defenseman available, along with Niclas Havelid and Jay Bouwmeester. Boston won't get him because they've gone either ways, and it's morel ikely he will be traded to the Western Conference. The Minnesota Wild, Phoenix Coyotes, and Columbus Blue Jackets are in play for him.

Should be an interesting 4 days and 21 hours until the Trade Deadline. Stuff could happen. Stuff could happen.

Thanks For Reading!!!

Fear The Fin: Sharks 2, Senators 1

2009-02-26T22:10:00.004-05:00

The Sens played good against a team like the San Jose Sharks, the league's best team. It wasn't as much as a disappointing as if a 2-1 loss to the Thrashers would have been, but a loss is a loss. Mike Fisher got a goal from the re-direct from lightning-quick Chris Campoli's shots to open the scoring and lead by 1 after 1. But two quick Power Play goals by the Sharks after The General breaks down lead to the Sharks win.

Dany Heatley had some good chances. Daniel Alfredsson had some good chances. Nick Foligno had some good chances. Filip Kuba had some good chances. What's the difference between these guys and Jason Spezza? They actually shot the frigging puck! Spezza played by far his worst game of the season and even though he is a great player he has to drop these kind of games. It affects everyone around him, even the fans who were booing him right out of Scotiabank Place. Mike Comrie and Chris Campoli both played pretty well, especially Campoli who looks rgeat with the Sens. So far the trade has been won by the Sens, even though Dean McAmmond scored a goal aginst the Laffs tonight.

Props to the guys over at 6th Sens for the great live blog. You've gotta believe they're live blog will be great on Wednesday, especially when Eklund isn't there. Too bad the Sens couldn't win for them.

The boys host the Maple Leafs who are 5 points up on the Sens in the standings. Ottawa better pick up it's act so they can finish the season over their Ontario rivals. Believe.

Thanks For Reading!!!

Shadows In The Night

2009-02-26T11:25:00.002-05:00

Last year, the Sens took the Sharks to overtime when Johnathan Cheechoo cashed in with the overtime winner. Tonight, the Sharks are the league's best team and have changed a lot from with new coach Todd McClellan.

The Sharks are coming off a 4-1 loss to the ever-embattled Detroit Red Wings last night. It should play for some fatigue, especially since I heard they arrived in Ottawa in the peak of midnight. Coupled that they're facing a victorious, well rested Ottawa team, the stars may be aligned for a win tonight. Alex Auld will make his second straight start tonight and according to The San Jose Sharks website, the Sharks will counter with Brian Boucher.

This team has some real good pedigree. Not only do they have some great stuff up front(Thornton, Marleau, Cheechoo, Setogouchi, Pavelski, Clowe), but they have some nice defenseman who compliment their offense as well. And of course they have Evgeni Nabokov, a Vezina Trophy contender and their backup, Brian Boucher, is 9-1-1 this season. Talk about a ferocious tandem.

The Sens have to play hard tonight. Their hockey sense has to be great tonight because they obviously can't let the Sharks go on the PP, and when they are on the PP, the Sens have to counter with their brilliant PK. I think we'll expect a more balanced attack, as the Sharks are going to defend the Pizza line, but players like Mike Comrie and Mike Fisher, and even Chris Campoli and Filip Kuba could contribute more heavily.

For some rumors to end off the post, I talked to asource late last night and he, quote on quote, said "Murray has many assets in his hand and with top notch availabilities becoming too sought after, teams might go for cheaper good players, which contributes Kuba and Neil, and even maybe Jason Smith". What do you think, Sens fans?

Magic crystal ball says 4-3 SO win tonight(Donovan, Spezza, Foligno, Campoli SO winner; Vlasic, Setogouchi, Boyle)

Thanks For Reading and Enjoy The Game!!!

Alexandre Picard to be traded tomorrow?

2009-02-25T18:43:00.004-05:00

With Chris Campoli's acquisition and Brendan Bell listed over him in the depth chart, Alexandre Picard's days are numbered. It's not secret some teams have expressed interest in the young defenseman from Laval but it seems like the return won't be too high.

He's scored 14 points this season, and has scored the most goals for a defenseman for the Sens this year. Many teams like Phoenix and Boston have interest in Picard's former partner- in- crime, Filip Kuba, but if the asking price becomes too high, teams might go after the cheaper Picard. What would Ottawa get in return? The most they can get is a third round pick, but a fourth round pick is more likely. It's all part of Murray's "plan" to rebuild the team.

By the way, how stupid is Bryan Murray. He says he won't trade Alfredsson, Heatley, Fisher, and Phillips but he never moentions Jason Spezza. What a way to add "fuel" to the stupidity some Sens fans have. I tihnk it's being more clear now that Bryan needs to go. We need a fresh face.

Thanks For Reading!!!

February Review: Around the NCAA

2009-02-22T20:08:00.003-05:00

The National Collegiate Athletic Association has produced some great puck athletes in it's years in business. Many Sens' players have played in the NCAA before coming to Ottawa. Players such as Cody Bass, Jesse Winchester, Brian Lee, and Brian Elliott began their stomping grounds in the NCAA. And the future is looking bright, especially for some few Sens players. Here are some reports on prospects playing the NCAA. The scripts are written by Hockey's future.

Louie Caporusso
Acquired: 2007 entry draft, 90th overall

" With the University of Michigan losing three of its four top scorers over the summer of 2008, there was going to be a massive offensive void to fill on the Wolverines for the 2008-09 season. Caporusso has stepped up to fill that void better than anyone could have anticipated. With 20 goals in 28 games, he is among the top goal scorers in the NCAA, blowing past his 12 goals in 33 games last season. His 11 assists and 31 points are also new career highs, surpassing his nine assists and 21 points the year before. The diminutive but speedy forward has been a bright spot on Michigan all season.

How his numbers will translate to the pros remains to be seen. There have been many NCAA starts who then struggle in the NHL, as Senators fans should be well aware having seen Brandon Bochenski not too long ago. Still, Caporusso’s progress is very encouraging, showing why former Senators scout Frank Jay was so high on taking him. Another year at Michigan would probably be best for him, so he can further hone his game, and add much-needed mass to his 5’10, 185 lbs frame. After next season, if his development continues as it has, expect to see him finish the 2009-10 season in the AHL"

Erik Condra
Acquired: 2006 entry draft, 211th overall

" Condra is coming to the conclusion of his NCAA career, finishing his senior year as captain of the Fighting Irish. While his statistics have not been as high as expected, being third on the team in scoring with 22 points in 27 games, he has been an essential part of Notre Dame’s success this season. The speedy playmaker has also been a model of consistency throughout his time in the NCAA, registering 142 points in 146 games. He also led Notre Dame in scoring in each of the last three seasons.

Condra also has great character and a solid head on his shoulders. He would have to, being a pre-med major, while maintaining such a high level of play. He has earned nothing but praise from his coach for his attitude, dedication, and leadership qualities. Also worth noting: he was offered the captaincy of the team last year, but turned it down because he did not want to upset the seniors ahead of him on the team.

Condra is currently projected as a solid, third-line energy forward with some scoring touch. While his point per game ratio is not as impressive as the past three seasons, he has nothing left to prove in the NCAA. Expect Condra to join Binghamton after the Fighting Irish’s season comes to an end and be signed to an NHL deal by Ottawa."

Colin Greening
Acquired: 2005 entry draft, 204th overall

"Now into his junior year at Cornell, Greening is one of the Big Red’s go-to offensive players, after posting 14 goals and 33 points in his breakout campaign last season. At 6’2 and 210 lbs, he has great size and strength, which should help him adjust to the more physical aspect of the pro game. He also possesses a decent amount of speed to go with his size.

While Greening has shown progress the through the last two years, he is still producing below the point-per-game mark with seven goals and 18 points in 21 games. At the age of 22 (23 in March) he would seem to have reached his ceiling in the NCAA, as he is unlikely to grow more as a player while competing against opponents who are up to four years his junior. He should sign with the Senators in the off-season and get the opportunity to further develop by playing against tougher competition in the AHL."

Eric Gryba
Acquired: 2006 entry draft, 68th overall

"Gryba is a big, stay-at-home defenseman currently in his junior year at Boston University. The Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native has been a physical presence for the Terriers, while producing only eight points in 94 games. Gryba will never produce even average offensive numbers, but that is not his role. He often lays out bone-crunching checks, and keeps opposing forwards honest in his end. However, he is still quite flat-footed. If he wants to take the next step and turn pro, he must improve his skating.

After this season finishes, whether or not Gryba will turn pro remains to be seen. With Binghamton’s depth on the blueline, another year at Boston might be best to ensure he gets ample ice time. How he performs at the Senators prospect camp in the summer could go a long way to determining whether or not he returns to Boston for the fall of 2009."

Mark Borowiecki
Acquired: 2008 entry draft, 139th overall

"Ottawa native Borowiecki is in the midst of his freshman season at Clarkson University, which produced fellow Senators prospect Shawn Weller. A standout for Smiths Falls in the Canadian Junior Hockey League, as one of the youngest players at Clarkson, Borowiecki’s ice time and opportunities have been limited, although he recently registered his first goal and assist of the season. He also does not mind engaging physically in games, as he has 20 PIM through 23 games this season, after having 80 and 85 in each of his last two seasons in the CJHL. He has some offensive talent, though it is too early to tell how well his offense from the CJHL (54 points in 99 games for Smiths Falls) will translate to the NCAA.

Borowiecki is a long-term project to be sure, and will probably play at least two more seasons before the Senators sign him, if at all. By then, hopefully he will have worked his way up the Golden Knights depth chart and be receiving more ice time, thus giving the Senators a better idea of what he is capable of."

Ben Blood
Acquired: 2007 entry draft, 120th overall

"Blood is currently a freshman at the University of North Dakota, the old stomping grounds of fellow Senator prospect Brian Lee. After playing the 2007-08 season in the USHL with Des Moines and then Indiana, and putting up decent offensive totals (10 goals and 13 assists in 57 games between the two clubs), he has run in to the same situation as Borowiecki has at Clarkson, fighting for ice time as a freshman.

Blood has good skating ability, but his offense hasn't translated, with zero points through 18 games with North Dakota. More discouraging is the fact that Blood is not a defensive specialist by any means, and not very physical either. Since he does not seem to excel either offensively nor defensively, and is not well rounded, Blood’s future is fuzzy at best. Granted, there is time on his side, but he will have to show improvement and some sense of direction in terms of his role on his team to keep the Senators interested."

Patrick Wiercioch
Acquired: 2008 entry draft, 42nd overall

"For a player who wasn’t even supposed to play in the NCAA this year, the 18-year-old Wiercioch has turned many heads while playing at the University of Denver. The 2008 second-round pick has become an integral part of the Pioneers’ blueline, especially on the offensive side of the puck. Wiercioch is currently the team’s top-scoring defenseman with 9 goals and 12 assists in 23 games.

Wiercioch’s size is impressive, standing 6’4. He still needs to fill out his 180 lb frame, but when he does, it will make the transition to the pro ranks smoother. While Wiercioch has ample size, he lacks the mean streak that is present in large defensemen such as Chris Pronger, and Zdeno Chara, but that is not Wiercioch’s game. He is a smooth, offensive-minded rearguard who can hold his own in the defensive zone.

Aided by his solid skating ability, Wiercioch already looks to be a steal for the Senators. His impressive play resulted in an invite to Team Canada’s World Junior selection camp in December. While he did not make the cut for the actual tournament, the selection alone was impressive for a player who was not on the radar for many until this season.

Wiercioch has missed four of Denver’s games this season with various injuries. When in the lineup, he maintained a point-per-game pace. While he has fallen slightly behind that, his consistency suggests that his play is not a mere hot streak. Still, Wiercioch is some time away from turning pro. Expect to see him play at least another season for Denver. He will also have a strong chance of making the Team Canada roster for the 2010 World Juniors."

Just too add my 2 cents in it, I think Louie Caporusso has a strong chance of making the big club in the next 2-3 years. I think he'll need one more year of conditioning down in Bingo or even in Michigan but he looks like a promising prospect. Eric Gryba looks like a guy I want on my team. With recent rumors coming up that Phillips may be traded in the off-season, Gryba sounds like the guy that could replace him. Patrick Wiercioch looks very promising, and he should make the big club in 2-3 years. Karlsson-Wiercioch looks too be one great future pairing.

Thanks For Reading!!!

Kuba-Neil package to Boston in the works?

2009-02-21T19:57:00.002-05:00

I've been told more and more lately that Ottawa and Boston are close to completing a deal sending Filip Kuba and Chris Neil to the Bruins for a 1st round pick and a conditional 4th round pick. After the Campoli/Comrie deal, Bryan Murray wants to stock up some prospects and picks before the Trade Deadline.

A source says the Bruins have wanted Neil for a long time, and if they also take Kuba with him, it could be a done deal. We shall see Sens Army. We shall see.

Thanks For Reading!!!

The Winds of Change: Welcome Back Mats!

2009-02-19T18:09:00.002-05:00

Mats Sundin has been a Senator killer his entire life. He donned the ugly blue and white of Toronto proudly, and you've gotta respect him for that. He caused much of a kerfuffle during the off-season, but now that he's in Vancouver, he's firing it up again.

It should be a good game tonight, and after the Sens lost to the Avs on Tuesday, they should get back on track tonight. Daniel Alfredsson is out with a fractured jaw and Chris Kelly will take his spot on the Pizza line, while call-up Joshua Hennessey will take Kelly's spot on the lineup. Brendan Bell draws back in while alexandre Picard is out again.

The Canucks are on a roll and I think Clouston is sending his team a message before the game to forecheck harder. Kelly in his previous stints has been great with sniper Dany Heatley.

Magic crystal ball says 3-1 win tonight(Heatley, Hennessey, Spezza; Kesler).

Thanks For Reading and Enjoy The Game!!!

Road Cookin' Near Trade Deadline

2009-02-18T18:51:00.003-05:00

As we get closer and closer to March 4th, I think more people are getting the idea of how the Sens will do that day, and even with the recent streak, I think Bryan Murray will head into a selling mode during the next week.

Chris Neil and Filip Kuba are obviously gauging interest from teams around the National Hockey League. There are still negotiations between Neil and Sens' management, but it seems like with the cash in hand coupled with Ryan Shannon being a heck of a call-up, I'm afraid he's gone one way or the other. Kuba though, I think will be traded. He's a great power play back and intimidates opponents with his big size, but he's not part of the future of this club. I was told Montreal were closing to acquiring Kubes but instead went for the guy with more experience in Mathieu Schneider. Boston is interested in Kuba and right now I was told a package with Kuba and Neil going to Beantown for a first round pick isn't out of reach.

I've also got some shocking news for you guys. One person told me Jesse Winchester is on the block and many teams are asking about him. He fits the role of smooth-puck moving forward for teams.

I'm going predict 2 weeks before the deadline of what Ottawa will do and will see how much has changed a day before March 4th. Here they are:

Filip Kuba traded to Phoenix for a second round pick and Jared Staal

Chris Neil traded to Boston for a second round pick and a conditional 4th round pick

Martin Gerber traded to Calgary for a fifth round pick

Christoph Schubert placed on waivers

What do you guys think? Fair play or foul?

Thanks For Reading!!!

Nickel Number Five Tonight?

2009-02-16T11:38:00.002-05:00

Last year, the Ottawa Senators hosted the Nashville Predators in what proved to be a pretty exciting game. The Preds won 6-5 after Dean McAmmond and Martin Gerber cost us the game. Thank god tonight Alex Auld is starting.

At the other end the Sens will face Pekka Rinne who has snatched the starting job away from Dan Ellis this season. Yes, the same Dan Ellis who everyone thought would sign with the Sens this past offseason but it never materialized. However, with Rinne now the starter and Chet Pickard in the system, Ellis trade anyone?

All the lines will be the same according to the Ottawa Sun. This Nashville teams has a terrible penalty kill so if Ottawa can get on their nerves early in the game, they can easily win the game. I think we'll see a better effort from the Pizza Line tonight as they're facing not a stingy defense like Minnesota.

Now, on to some rumors. I've talked to some sources the past few days and some of them mentioned that Bryan Murray was talking to Nashville's GM David Poile. Right now it looks like the Preds are interested in Alexandre Picard and the Sens are listening because ever since Brendan Bell's re-surgence, Picard is a healthy scratch. There is also some lingerings that coach Clouston wants to call up Mattias Karlsson for a game or two.

Filip Kuba has a no-trade clause but he's not gonna give a list of teams he would prefer to go to like Leafs' Kaberle and Kubina are. One guy tells me Kuba will happily waive his no-trade clause to go to a Stanley Cup Contender. Montreal and Boston are supposedly upping their deals, and it looks like it may become into a three-way race between Montreal, Boston, and Columbus.

So the magic crystal ball says 3-1 win tonight(Spezza, McAmmond, Heatley; Dumont) in a pretty nitty, gritty matchup. Should be lots of fun to watch!

Thanks For Reading and Enjoy The Game!!!

Game Of The Year: Senators 5, Wild 3

2009-02-14T22:27:00.002-05:00

From a first period slump attack, to a furious ousting by the Senators, this easily was the best Sens' game so far this year, and maybe the best game in the NHL. It had it all. Goals, Hits, Blocked Shots, a Fight in which Nick Foligno had a new rag doll, and an inspiring comeback. Even though the game wasn't on Canadian TV(lucky me I have Centre Ice), it was an amazing game. Brian Lee, Antoine Vermette, Chris Phillips, Daniel Alfredsson, and Dany Heatley deposited a goal each to complete the comeback.

Overall, there were some mistakes made in the game by the Sens, and fortunately all of them were in the 1st. The team is mroe aggressive and more balanced under Cory Clouston. Jason Spezza had his chances, unfortunately, he was sideswiped by a few Wild defensemen. Jarkko Ruutu made sure he got under the Wild's skin, and did he ever. Clutterbuck looked real pissed off after Ruutu gave him one of his patented hug-bear moves. Mike Fisher played a great game, and even Nick Foligno played hard and even got into a fight, even though it would be more considered as one guy chewing at another.

As the Wild commentators said, the Sens' defense would give up without a fight. Anton Volchenkov played great on the defensive side. Brendan Bell got some nice shots on net, and Filip Kuba really played smoothly and Clouston is giving him more opportunities with the puck, and it's paying off.

Another statistical note tonight. This was the first game this season where all 4 goalies who dressed up for the game saw the sheet of ice during the game. I'm a little puzzled at Lemaire's decision though to put Harding in. Alex Auld finally got that elusive 10th win of his, and finally got that shutout he deserved. He made some important saves in the 3rd. Brian Elliott let a weak one by Pierre Marc-Bouchard, but you can't really blame him for the other 2. I think he'll get back to form, but you would think Clouston would go with Auld Monday against Nashville.

Well, the game worked out pretty well, and I think that Clouston has really turned this team around. Bryan Murray might have found another Mike Babcock. I'll be back tomorrow with some rumors.

Thanks For Reading!!!

Wild Boys of Ottawa face Wild Boys of Minnesota

2009-02-13T23:33:00.002-05:00

Tonight, two hot teams will play each other in one should prove to be an exciting defensive shift battle. Both teams have great defenses, in Minnesota's case it's excellent, and both have great penalty kills.

The Sens have an advantage on offense with the obvious Pizza Boys and resurgent secondary guys such as Nick Foligno and Mike Fisher. Brendan Bell has responded to his recent healthy scratch brilliantly, as he is leading that power-play like no one else has done this season(sorry Kubes). Brian Lee has been amazing since his call-up a month ago, and has cemented his sport on this lineup.

Both teams are in the crosshairs of trade deadline speculation, but heading into different directions. Ottawa look to be sellers on March 4th while the Wild should be buyers. I have had a quick rumor come by me that the Wild are looking for a defenseman, and Filip Kuba is on their radar. Right now I've heard we could see Miikko Koivu coming back in exchange. I personally don't see it happen but I've seen stranger things and it owuld be pretty cool for Miikko to be in a Sens jersey and face his big bro Saku more times.

So, the magic crystal ball predicts a close, 2-1 victory for the Sens(Lee, Winchester; Clutterbuck). By the way, I love that name. Cal Clutterbuck. Wish he was in a Sens jersey(heck, I wish everyone was in a Sens jersey, ok maybe except Carey Price and Mike Duffy).

Thanks For Reading and Enjoy The Game!!!

Mr. SENSational: Senators 5, Flyers 2

2009-02-12T21:19:00.003-05:00

Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza, Nick Foligno, Daniel Alfredsson, and Antoine Vermette deposited a goal each and Brian Elliott stymied the Flying Flyers for 35 saves as the Sens got their first 3-game winning streak of the season with the 5-2 victory.

The same things done last night were done this night, and surprise surprise it worked again. Both primary scoring and secondary scoring were on fire tonight and guys while Filip Kuba, Brendan Bell, Brian Lee, and Chris Phillips helped the rush and got an assist each also. Anton Volchenkov and Jason Smith stepped up defensively tonight, blocking shots and making sure Ells was comfortable all game.

Speaking of Brian Elliott, he was amazing tonight. He made some really nice saves, especially in the 2nd period which was highlighted by an enormous glove save on the slick goal scoring maching called Jeff Carter. I think he's reacted to criticism from media about his rebound control very well and was controlling all of those shots he faced. Maybe Martin Gerber should learn a trick or two from the youngster.

An added good aspect tonight was the guys didn't get too many penalities, and when they did, the penalty killers looked nothing but great. Chris Kelly, I don't know what we could do without you.

As the Sens played, I got a text saying Murray is trying to make a deal but teams are hesitant to pull the trigger, such as the Habitants of Montreal. Even though their bloated fans are crying "Trade", Bob Gainey is being cautious.

Thanks For Reading!!!

Antero, From Me to You: Play Soft Tonight

2009-02-12T17:42:00.004-05:00

Nittymaki scares me as much as those jerseys he's wearing scares me. He may not be your type of goalie, but he has one of the best reflexes in the game. I'm sorry Dany Heatley, but your're gonna have another tough night tonight.

There is no changes from last night's game, and really, why should there be? The only thing that should be concentrated tonight is that to take fewer penalties, because it's back-to-back tonight and the penalty killers are going to tired tonight. Let's also hope the referees tonight be just tonight(cough cough triple-minor, WTF?!?!). We should see an agressive game from our secondary scorers. With that, we can win the game.

Magic crystal ball says 3-2 OT win tonight(Foligno, Foligno, Lee; Upshall, Carter) and a good all around effort tonight for the first every 3-game win streak of the year.

Thanks For Reading and Enjoy The Game!!!

Is Phillips on the trade block?

2009-02-09T18:15:00.003-05:00

With Erik Karlsson possibly looming into next year's roster along with Mattias Karlsson, Patrick Wiercioch, and Brian Lee vastly improving, has Phillips' time as a Sen run out? It may have so.

Phillips has enjoyed many great years in the Nation's Capital. The former first overall pick has been the best defenseman on this team for the last decade. He has filled the role of defensive defenseman very well, and many fans would not like to see him part. However, this year hasn't been good for Chris. While his offensive numbers have slightly improved, his plus/minus is a dysmal -19. Not good at all for our shutdown defenseman. He has seen Brian Lee and Jason Smith take over his spots at various times during the season, and as explained before, with the many defensive prospects coming in, the budget isn't right for Phillips.

There have been some rumblings about Murray making a move on him, but I don't expect anything during the Trade Deadline. We will however, see talks heat up for Chris, especially for Edmonton who is lacing a shutdown defenseman. What would come in return? I would expect a 1st rounder and a minor league prospect.

What do you, Sens fans think? Trade CP4 or not?

Thanks For Reading!!!

You Know, We have Free Pressbox seats for all you Kings Scouts

2009-02-05T17:18:00.002-05:00

Talks have heated up between the Kings and Sens. Really, the only way this deal will happen is if Spezza is included in it. Just a tidbit I'd like throw out.

Tonight, the Sens face the Boston Bruins in a big challenge. Right now, the Sens are fightning for pride and win tonight could supplement that. Peter Regin draws out of the lineup and Ryan Shannon draws in an search for offense by coach Clouston. In a less surprising move, Brian Elliott starts again after his great performance on Tuesday against Los angeles. He's really getting the hang of it and controlling those rebounds he couldn't do earlier this season. I expect him to continue rolling.

Of course, defense should continue doing well and here's hoping our offense actually shows up. Last time against the Bruisn they did so it should be an interesting game tonight.

Magic crystal ball goes homerish and says 5-4 win tonight(Kelly, Kuba, Picard, Spezza, Heatley; Krejci, Chara, Wideman, Kobasew)

Thanks For Reading and Enjoy The Game!!!

It's Official: The Filip Kuba Sweepstakes+Kings interested in Spezza?

2009-02-04T18:28:00.005-05:00

With Jay Bouwmeester's asking price becoming too high coupled with the possibility that the Cats might keep him for their playoff run, Filip Kuba is gauging interest from many teams around the NHL. With the season pretty much over for Bryan Murray and his crew, the sale sign is on Filip Kuba.

Most teams asking for him are playoff contenders and in some cases, Stanley Cup contenders. The team that has called from the beginning are the Montreal Canadiens, even though Murray might be reluctant to deal him to a divisional rival. Boston and Phoenix are in the thick of things. Carolina, Calgary, and Buffalo are not far behind while Columbus could be a darkhorse. Here are the the possible trades, some I heard, some I theorized, from each team.

Kuba to Montreal for Pavel Valetenko + Guillame Latendresse
Kuba to Boston for Matt Hunwick + 3rd round pick
Kuba to Phoenix for Zbynek Michalek + 5th round pick
Kuba to Carolina for Zac Dalpe + 5th round pick
Kuba to Calgary for John Armstrong
Kuba to Buffalo for Clarke MacArthur

There have been rumblings that the Kings and Sens are tlaking blockbuster. There were rumors last summer and those died down but it looks like the Kings are asking for Jason Spezza. right now it's just preliminary and it probably won't happen, but I've heard in return the Sens would get Patrick O'Sullivan, a mid-level prospect, and a mid-draft pick.

Thanks For Reading!!!

Brother vs. Brother Act: Terry Must be Laughing Now

2009-02-03T18:22:00.005-05:00

For all these years the occasional hockey fan has seen Bryan Murray superior to his brother, Terry Murray, who is the Los Angeles Kings' coach. Terry must be laughing at that thought right about now. Murray has helped in tearing this franchise apart along with former GM John Muckler and Eugene Melnyk. Terry, however is leading the Kings to a great year and are 5 point away from a playoff spot. Tongiht, the two square off after Bryan made the biggest mistake of his life yesterday morning.

The Kings have regrouped as a franchise under young guys like Dustin Brown, Patrick O'Sullivan, Drew Doughty, and Erik Ersberg. Last year, the Sens lost to them 2-0 on two O'Sullivan goals and a shutout by Erik Ersberg. Tonight they face backup Jonathan Quick. It should be a good game.

The Sens pretty much need to contain the firepower offense and get some early good shots on Quick. The Big 3 will have to show up again as well as the Power Play.

Crystal Ball says meagre 2-1 win tonight in Clouston's debut(Spezza, Foligno; Ivanans) with Clouston working well with his players.

Thanks For Reading and Enjoy The Game!!!

Talks with Canadiens Heaten Up

2009-02-03T09:58:00.003-05:00

With the recent slide the Habs are in, they are seriously holding talks with the Senators about Filip Kuba. Right now the possible return would be a prospect and a roster player. With the Senators shooting themselves in the foot and giving up the season, they're holding a fire-sale. I've also heard that this deal could be a pre-deadline deal with the slide the Habs are in.

So, what would you Sens fans want in return for Kubes?

Thanks For Reading!!!

Fisher, Vermette, Spezza, Heatley, Gerber: You better be kissing Hartsburg's ass right about now

2009-02-02T18:23:00.002-05:00

I'm sorry, but I'm just pissed off at Sens management. WTF?! Hartsburg gets fired and it's the second coach in as many years to get fired mid-season by Murray. How can he be blamed for the Sens' troubles this year? The players, the guys that are payed the cha-ching are the people to fault. Spezza, Heatley, Fisher, Vermette, Gerber, Phillips, Kelly, and yes even El Capitano Alfredsson, those guys are at blame. I'm tired of this shit we're getting from our players. "oh, our coach is not good, we need a new coach". Oh go cry me a river. You guys are the sole reason Hartsburg right now is unemployed.

Melnyk, Murray, you just lsot your jobs irght there. Hiring 2 coaches in 2 years and firing them at mid-season, it shows you guys don't know your own team. Right now I've joined the "Fire Murray" side and inching closer for Melnyk and the whole upper guys to leave. We need a new, fresh face behind the bench and at the top. He got half of that with Hartsburg, and he brought defensive stability to this team, too bad all of a sudden his offense bailed out on him. We need a Mike Tomlin. for every position.

Damn, I think right now Murray should send down every player on this team to Bingo to teach them a freakin' lesson. I know we owuld suck with Bingo players, but at least those guys would try to score, try to defend, and try to listen to their coach.

Frick, I'm done now. This is all bull$hit.

Nothing Gold Can Stay: Capitals 7, Senators 4

2009-02-01T14:14:00.008-05:00

"Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
so dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay."

When I read this poem a long time ago, I didn't understand it. However, know I know that it applies to the now-a-days Ottawa Senators. They were a great team back in the day, and even though they got thier asses spanked by the Maple Leafs, you always knew they were growing up. They showed that in '07 when they were 3 wins away from winning the Stanley Cup. However, after their 16-4 start last year, they've stunk. We thought they were starting to turn it over, but this game officially ends their playoff hopes.

Don't just blame Brian Elliott. Don't just blame Jason Spezza. This time, I'm blaming Bryan Murray. I'm tired of his act and I'm gingerly moving toward the "Fire Murray" list. He signed Jason Smith and Jarkko Ruutu, and traded for Filip Kuba, all of which have worked out. Howver, he missed out a lot. Losing on Brian Campbell and Dan Boyle, and now gone away from the Bouwmeester sweepstakes, it's time he re-signs.

Daniel Alfredsson added 2 goals, along with Antoine Vermette and Dany Heatley depositing their own. It felt like the Sens wereo ut of it after this game was over. Too bad because some players played great tonight.

Since we're pretty much out of the playoff race, the goal here at Sens Buzz and maybe at every Sens blog is to finish over the Leafs in the final standings. Right now the Leafs are 5 points above the Senators. Yes we can do it!

A quick hit rumor to spread out. Bryan Murray is taking to teams about Filip Kuba and it seems like the Big Czech will be traded for a roster player and a prospect. Also, some teams have asked about Jarkko Ruutu but Murray isn't ready to let him go.

Thanks For Reading!!!

We Built This Kitty On Losses and More Losses: Blue Jackets 1, Senators 0

2009-01-30T21:29:00.002-05:00

Craig Hartsburg had the pleasure of coaching young Steve "Franchise" Mason in the 2008 World Juniors. Tonight, he had to face the young sensation. Jakub Voracek's goal was the only goal of the game and it was the game-winner, as the Senators were shutout 1-0.

Antoine Vermette and Dany Heatley a crapload of chances to score but they couldn't convert. Heatley had a chance to tie it up late in the 3rd but Mason made the gargantuan glove save. Chris Kelly also had a chance to tie it up, but it the the crossbar. Overall, the defense and steady goaltending of Alex Auld gave the offense a chance to win the game, but they couldn't reply. I'll give props to the whole defensive linepu, they were flying tonight, getting shots on net, making smart defensive plays(aka Brian Lee) and blocking some big-time shots. However, not only didn't any secondary scorer score, but the Pizza Line(although broken up in the 3rd) didn't score a goal either. It's getting annoying that our defense is working it's ass off but mega players like Dany Heatley can't make a simple pass to Alexandre Picard.

Alex Auld actually pretty good tonight. He was his steady, calm usual self during his tenure as starting goaltender. The goal by Voracek was one that no goalie could stop(it was deflected). He kept the Sens in but again he was left to dry by his offensive teammates.

The Sens head to Ovechkin Land to face the Caps on Sunday and after last game against them, it should be a good game. Kuba should be given once again the role of protecting Ovechkin as he excelled in the role the 2 games that he was in that role against Ovie while when it was Phillips' turn, well, a 5-1 loss should tell you.

Thanks For Reading!!!