The Ottawa Senators signed tough-guy defenseman Matt Carkner to a two-way, two year contract yesterday which some are suggesting signals the end of Brian McGrattan's career in a Senators uniform.
It's too bad for McGrattan who wasn't really used by either John Paddock or Bryan Murray last year. Gratts is a better player than people give him credit for and he has always been popular in the dressing room (as most enforcers are).
Strange McGrattan fact: He once scored 20 goals in 31 games for the Mississauga Ice Dogs in 2001. In 143 games with the Senators he managed only 2 goals.
As for Carkner, he's a big mean sonafabitch but there is no guarantee he'll even make the team next year. If McGrattan is jettisoned, Murray better make sure he finds someone other than Chris Neil who is capable of handling the Steve Downie's and the Donald Brashear's of the league. The Senators might have been the toughest team in the league right after the lockout but with Zdeno Chara and possibly McGrattan gone, the organization is looking soft once again.
No matter what the pundits say, fighting and intimidation is still part of the game. Just because Anaheim suffered their predictable Stanley Cup hangover doesn't mean that their style is ineffective.
Here's a few Matt Carkner videos to ponder. The guy can certainly throw them.
It's too bad for McGrattan who wasn't really used by either John Paddock or Bryan Murray last year. Gratts is a better player than people give him credit for and he has always been popular in the dressing room (as most enforcers are).
Strange McGrattan fact: He once scored 20 goals in 31 games for the Mississauga Ice Dogs in 2001. In 143 games with the Senators he managed only 2 goals.
As for Carkner, he's a big mean sonafabitch but there is no guarantee he'll even make the team next year. If McGrattan is jettisoned, Murray better make sure he finds someone other than Chris Neil who is capable of handling the Steve Downie's and the Donald Brashear's of the league. The Senators might have been the toughest team in the league right after the lockout but with Zdeno Chara and possibly McGrattan gone, the organization is looking soft once again.
No matter what the pundits say, fighting and intimidation is still part of the game. Just because Anaheim suffered their predictable Stanley Cup hangover doesn't mean that their style is ineffective.
Here's a few Matt Carkner videos to ponder. The guy can certainly throw them.
2 comments:
I'm not sure Carkner would make the team, he did play in Binghamton last year and didn't even get a sniff to play for Ottawa. Although I don't think McGrattan will be back--as disappointing as that is--it's not because of the Carkner signing.
I pointed out in the article that there's no guarantee of Carkner making the team.
Hence the need for an enforcer if McGrattan is not offered a qualifiying offer.
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