Senators Draft Legacy

Pavol Demitra

Occasionally I like to geek out on stats, in particular career stats for the Ottawa Senators. In a sense, we’re all somewhat lucky to watch a franchise in its early stages (although at 20 years old, the Senators have already moved out of Mom’s and are failing college right now), simply because we get to see players achieve all kinds of firsts for the organization, such as seeing Daniel Alfredsson being the first to play 1000 games in a Senators uniform with Chris Phillips gearing up to be the second.

Modern fans of the Habs, Leafs and other original six teams don’t get to do that. They learn about team legends through books or from an older uncle who gets blind drunk and blabs on endlessly about how much better the game was when he was a kid. Fans of the Senators get to see their team grow up before their eyes. We take players like Alfie and Phillips for granted right now but one day they’ll be the all-time standard to which other Senators will have to live up to, the same way that Red Wings players have to live up to Steve Yzerman, Alex Delvecchio and Gordie Howe.

And as another rookie camp rolls around, there’s going to be a whole new batch of freshmen who may one day become cornerstones of this team. But for now, they’ll be the ones collecting the pucks after practice while the established vets are untying their skates and coming up with stupid nicknames for the new guys.

The Senators seemingly drafted well this past summer with the plethora of first and second round picks they had after dealing away half the team at the deadline. A lot of those players will play important roles for the Senators in the future while some will play important roles for other teams after trades or free agency, and some will simply fade from the NHL scene quicker than Petr Schastlivy (if they’re lucky - many picks don’t see a single game).

In a roundabout way this got me wondering how good the Senators have really drafted since their first try in 1992, not just taking into account how many games they played in Ottawa, but in the NHL in general. Games played in the NHL seems to me the most important stat you can find when you’re trying to quantify someone’s career. It puts defenseman and forwards on an even playing field and really, longevity is what it’s all about (but Bobby Orr may disagree with that).


Best Senators Draft Choices Based on NHL Games Played (500 games minimum)

1. Daniel Alfredsson – 1056 GP (1994 6th round)

2. Radek Bonk – 969 GP (1994 1st round)

3. Chris Phillips – 945 GP (1996 1st round)

4. Marian Hossa – 897 GP (1997 1st round)

5. Alexei Yashin – 850 GP (1992 1st round)

6. Pavol Demitra – 847 GP (1993 9th round)

7. Mike Fisher – 702 GP (1998 2nd round)

8. Sami Salo – 692 GP (1996 9th round)

9. Chris Neil – 659 GP (1998 6th round)

10. Martin Havlat – 621 GP (1999 1st round)

11. Bryan Berard – 619 GP (1995 1st round)

12. Alexandre Daigle – 616 GP (1993 1st round)

13. Andreas Dackell – 613 GP (1996 6th round)

14. Antoine Vermette – 540 GP (2000 2nd round)

15. Jason Spezza – 526 GP (2001 1st round)

16. Stan Neckar – 510 GP (1994 2nd round)


Now obviously this is not a completely reliable way to assess draft picks – Jason Spezza will end up being a much better draft pick than Andreas Dackell when all is said and done – but it gives you a good idea of the kind of legacy old scouting departments have left behind in Ottawa (particularly under the leadership of Marshall Johnston and John Ferguson). As you know, scouts don’t necessarily think in terms of how many games a player will wear a Senators uniform. It’s always about whether or not a kid will one day play in the NHL. Players move according to whim on the general managers part. Scouts are hired to find NHL players period.

And it looks like the Senators have done fairly well in that department. They’ve drafted a few legitimate stars like Alfredsson, Hossa, Spezza and, yes, Yashin. They’ve found their share of late round steals such as 9th rounder Pavol Demitra (pictured above, who as you all know, passed away today in that tragic crash in Russia along with ex-Sen Karel Rachunek, who played 371 games in the NHL and was drafted by Ottawa in the 9th round in 1997, another great pick.) Sami Salo is another 9th rounder and he’s still playing a big role in Vancouver despite mind boggling injuries that have plagued him since his days frightening goalies in Kanata.

Even Alexandre Daigle has a good showing here because 616 games is nothing to balk at, even though he’s widely regarded as a first overall bust. But the kid had a decent career if you take the notoriety out of the equation and now he’s got an NHL pension. You could do worse.

Perhaps the biggest surprise on this list is Radek Bonk who quietly had a very good run in the NHL as a second-line centre in the first part and as a checking line centre towards the end with Nashville and Montreal. As of last season he was still playing professionally in the Czech Republic.

With Bonk seemingly out of the NHL for good now, it looks like only two more players (after Alfie) drafted by Ottawa are a lock to play at least 1000 NHL games and that’s Phillips and Hossa. Fisher might play another 300 games but he’s highly prone to injury. Neil and Havlat have a shot if they can both stay healthy and relevant while Spezza will almost certainly make the milestone later in his career.

Perhaps Neil and Spezza will be numbers 3 and 4 to do it all in a Sens uniform.

It could happen.

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Sens Roundtable Question 4

Below is the fourth segment of a round table discussion I was asked to take part in by Tony Mendes of Senshot blog, who wrote and put together this post.

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With the 2011-2012 NHL season quickly approaching, the minds behind a few of the best Ottawa Senators Blogs on the interweb have gotten together to answer the five major questions going into this season.

Having taken a look thus far at the future of Daniel Alfredsson and a few others, and what our expectations will be for the 2012 All-Star Game, today we are going to focus our attention behind the bench. With former Wings assistant coach Paul MacLean brought in to man the Sens bench, what are we to expect from him? With that in mind, here is question number four of our Sens blog round table.

With five coaches in the last five years, will Paul MacLean be given a chance to grow with the team, through the good times and the bad? Or will his tenure behind the bench be linked to the team’s record?

Here are the thoughts from the best Sens blogs on the net:

Here’s Peter from Silver Seven and you can follow him on Twitter here.

Every coach's tenure is linked to the record the team assembles in front of him, so MacLean will be no different. However, even if the expectations of MacLean are pretty high, those of the team are pretty low; few people seriously think the Senators are competing for a playoff spot this year, and it's generally seen as a rebuilding year. So MacLean will certainly get the benefit of the doubt.

Here’s Jeremy from Black Aces and you can follow him on Twitter here.

I can't see any circumstance where MacLean doesn't at least finish his first two seasons. Unlike Clouston, this was a hire that the Senators took their time with and Murray will have his back the whole way. The only fly in the ointment is the notion that Dave Cameron is Eugene Melnyk's guy and MacLean is Murray's guy. It's an odd situation when you have an assistant coach who the owner publicly backed for the head job. I wouldn't say it's a skeleton in the closet, but there's potential for problems down the road if the team goes into a really bad stretch under MacLean.

Here’s Stephen from SensTown and you can follow him on Twitter here.

The easy answer to that is any coaches tenure will be linked to his record. Your past accomplishments only buy you so much time as a bench boss, regardless of what they are. People have a very short attention span and want to always be winning now. I can understand that sentiment though, when you're paying hard earned money you don't really want to hear we'll be competitive in 4 years, just keep paying in the mean time.

Having said that, I have to say I am really enthused by the hiring of Paul MacLean, much more so than Hartsburgh or Clouston, who I never liked from day one. MacLean comes from the most consistently winning franchise in hockey and has learned under one of the best coaches in the game. He has an awesome attitude and I think will bring the right mix of disciplinarian and motivator to get the players to play to their potential. I see him being our coach for quite awhile and making an impact, plus you gotta love that big stache.

Here’s Nichols from The 6th Sens and you can follow him on Twitter here.

Yes.

Here’s Dave from SensChirp and you can follow him on Twitter here.

I really can't imagine a scenario where Paul MacLean isn't here for the full three years on his current contract. From Ownership on down, everyone in the organization finally seems to be on the same page. The powers that be, along with the fans in this city, realize that this is going to be a young and relatively inexperienced hockey team next season, and likely for the next few seasons. I honestly believe that if certain things go right (Healthy Spezza and Alfredsson, Bounce back year from Gonchar and Phillips, More of the Same from Anderson), the Sens can compete for a playoff spot as soon as this season but if they don't, MacLean definitely won't be the fall guy. The changed expectations around this team means that Paul MacLean, and his mustache, will be given the opportunity to grow with the team.

Here's Tony from SenShot and you can follow him on Twitter here.

I think MacLean's tenure in Ottawa will be linked to the results the team produces. However, nobody expects the Senators to be contenders this year so his judgement will not be record based. I think it will be more on the development of a number of young players, as well as the year a number of the veterans have.

It was evident last year that many players gave up playing for former head coach Cory Clouston, and there was a variety of reasons for that. MacLean will have to tailor his coaching style to be all things to every player on the team. He will have to be tough and fair, understanding and patient, and will have to reward players based on performance and not salary.

With so many players having poor seasons last year, they will all need to have improvements on the ice this year to be considered a success for MacLean. Many believe that this rebuild will not be a long-term plan, but rather a year-or-two rebuild. I think in year twoMacLean will be judged a little more harshly by fans and media in Ottawa. MacLean will get a free pass this season, but next year the Sens will need to show improvement in the standings or questions will begin to be raised.


Now that you know how we feel about the stache behind the bench, let us know what you think.

Next week, we will wrap up our Round table series as we take a look at what the goal of this season should be. Until next time Sens Army.

The Easy Guide To Hating The NHL - New Fan Edition

So you're a new fan of the NHL? There's lots of room on the bandwagon but there are a few ground rules you must know before you can fully comprehend the "League That Everyone Loves To Hate".

For if you take on this challenge, it's important to remember that, unlike other leagues, the NHL's biggest "fans" are those that scream the loudest that the product is crap, the people running it are crap, the players are crap, the owners are crap and most of all, that it's the most dangerous game in the world and it poses an immediate threat to all those in its immediate vicinity (ie. the taxpaying, hard-working, conservative, Tim Horton's guzzling, hockey elitists that comprise the nation of Canada.)

Here are the basics:

Rule 1: You shall never utter an opinion that shows even mild praise for NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. It is of utmost importance to disregard all relevant facts that seem to prove the NHL has grown into a legitimate top-four sports league and a profitable venture with an improved entertainment value and a brand new television contract once thought impossible. Mr. Bettman is to be referred to at all times as that "New York lawyer", which serves to cast him as the classic "outsider" (ie. not Canadian) which easily enables us elitists to sneer at his accomplishments and embellish his faults into a satisfactory bogeyman, convenient for our shallow and boring water-cooler conversations which are exercises in confirming each other's biases about the game we all pretend to be experts at simply because of our birth certificates.

Rule 2: You shall never admit that the game itself is good. There should always be a preference for new rules to either slow or speed up the game, to take away shootouts, to ban hitting and fighting, to make the rinks bigger, to change the size of the zones or to allow goalies to play the puck. This is important because to express satisfaction with the game or to simply enjoy it for what it is should be considered heresy for the modern hockey fan. To do this would immediately put you in violation of Rule 1, which is never to praise Gary Bettman. Also, it would jeopardize the vast majority of hockey blogs dedicated to hating the game and as we all know, bloggers are never wrong and accredited journalists are never right (unless they too despise the game, and in that case they are merely tolerated). It is of vital importance to express continual dissatisfaction with the new rules put in after the lockout, such as the shootout, the delay of game rule, the crackdown on obstruction and the trapezoid, even though all have contributed to a better product for the fans. These rules are to be seen as an insult to the hardcore hockey fan who love tie- games more than life itself and who frown upon such a naked display of skill that the shootout provides. We don't really trust those uppity skilled players and the shootout is a bit too exciting for our tastes. The only solution is to get rid of it. Get rid of it all.

Rule 3: You shall claim to have the best interests of the players at heart when you demand hitting and fighting be severely curtailed or even banished (after all, the poor dumb hockey player can't think for himself or be relied upon to act in his own best interests health-wise), but when any labour stoppage happens, you are to demonize those same players as greedy, claim they are ruining the game with their cushy guaranteed contracts and their sense of self-entitlement. You will pine for the days of the poor dumb hockey player who was willing to work for peanuts to line the pockets of their rich but benevolent owners. When the work stoppage ends, you are to revert back to your stance of protecting the players from themselves and to blame concussions for all of society's ills, including riots in cities that lose Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final. Hell, just blame the NHL itself for not having its own police force to personally go in and stop the rioting. There is nothing you cannot blame the NHL for. Got a flat tire? Blame fighting. Dog bit you? Blame Gary Bettman. Can't get laid? Blame the trapezoid.

Rule 4: You are to consider trade rumours the real "hockey news" and you are to ignore the more boring, researched to death articles by reporters with actual access to players and general managers. This is an obvious one and we don't need to expand any further.

Rule 5: See Rule 1.

Rule 6: Never talk about Fight Club. Only talk about what a garbage league the NHL is to everyone you know and then spend all winter ignoring your family so you can watch every second of it that you can, including the fights, the hits and the shootouts. Then pretend you are disgusted by the barbarity of it all.

In short, as a new fan, your main responsibility is to be the NHL's worst enemy. Or perhaps, to use the modern lingo, a "frenemy".  It doesn't take much knowledge of the league and its rich history to become an immediate expert on the game. Open a blogspot account and start throwing haymakers at every convenient target. This will make you a hero amongst your friends and give you a real sense of accomplishment as you are now able to dismiss a century of tradition and history with a well-timed sarcastic tweet in 140 characters or less (preferably less).

Congratulations. You are now a hockey expert (never mind what Andy Sutton says – after all he's just a poor dumb hockey player who knows much less about the sport than what you learned by sitting on your couch eating corn chips).

Rookie Camp Retro

With the Senators rookie camp about to get underway next week, it reminded me that I've attended a handful of these things back when it used to be hosted in Ottawa nearly every year. Going through the old boxes I was only able to find one shred of evidence of those games and it's this cheap little lineup sheet they handed out at the 2002 tournament which I believe was played at the Guertin Arena in Hull (though I may be off a year). I think I got this at the Panthers-Senators tilt and I remember walking by both Mike Keenan and Jacques Martin on the concourse as they chatted with each other quite seriously. Keenan was the coach of the Panthers then but watched the game from above as his assistants coached the rookies. Same for Martin as the lineup sheet indicates Perry Pearn and Roger Neilson ran the bench for Ottawa.

Of course there are some notable rookies for the Sens, including a handful who would help them to the Stanley Cup final only four seasons later. Ray Emery, Brian McGrattan, Jason Spezza, Black Aces fave Anton Volchenkov, Antoine Vermette (here spelled Anton) and Christoph Schubert. Notice the ones that got away like Tim Gleason and Brooks Laich.

Lots of interesting names for the Coyotes (Eager, Sjostrom), Panthers (Bouwmeester, Weiss) and Canadiens (Komisarek, Plekanek), the other three teams who took part that year, but there are just as many who never made it to the NHL, which is always a bit of a warning for fans who watch every move these rookies make and become convinced they're watching the next Jeff Skinner. Chances are, you're watching the next Jon Insana.

Click for bigger view:

Ambivalent Parenting

Far be it from me to try to influence my 20 month old son's taste in hockey teams. These Sens duds just totally happened to be available randomly. ..... totally.

The Hidden Problem That Nobody Wants To Talk About

With the tragic passing of three NHL "enforcers" this summer, a huge debate has been sparked about fighting and the consequences on players who fill that dangerous and high-pressured role.

And that's a good, if not vital debate to have.

Yet perhaps an important point is being missed here, simply because talking about it makes people more uneasy than simply discussing a rule change or a hockey play.

It's convenient to think that eliminating fighting from the game will make these tragic stories go away, but is that really the main cause in these tragedies? Or is it a red herring?

It's no surprise that the rise of mental illness in NHL players coincides with the rise of mental illness in society (such as chronic depression, anxiety disorders etc.). Like Daniel Alfredsson said in his high profile campaign to raise awareness about these issues, everyone is eventually affected by mental illness, whether it's you or someone in your family or a friend.

The rate of fighting in the NHL has decreased over the years from its peak in the 1970's. There was no rash of deaths or suicides during that time or immediately afterwards. Yet even though fighting is a relatively minor part of the game in today's NHL, people are quick to link the tragedies and are finding a sympathetic ear from people eager to point to a simple solution to the problem.

Logically, with mental illness and depression being described by some doctors as a "pandemic" in today's society, are we really surprised that we are now seeing a rise in the once insulated world of the NHL?

It can't be ignored that Derek Boogard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak were all "fighters" during their career and it would be wrong to suggest that these types of players don't feel a special pressure that some non-fighters have to face.

That pressure is certainly contributing to their problems. People prone to mental illness will respond to pressure differently (and I'm not suggesting Belak had a mental illness - too little is known at this time to jump to conclusions).

Yet how do we explain so many ex-enforcers living normal, successful lives while others see their lives shortened by tragedy?  This would suggest the problem is much more complex than the easy explanation that fighting in hockey is ruining lives.

Why does a high profile athlete like ex-Blue Jays pitcher Mike Flanagan take his life? He wasn't an NHL enforcer.  A lot of athletes face depression after their careers end because they are not prepared for the everyday challenges that regular people face.

People are very quick to point to fighting as the main culprit but are much more uncomfortable talking about mental illness, perhaps because mental illness is not a black and white issue. There's no firm ground to stand on or a strong position to take against someone else. It's a grey zone and people don't know how to face it or explain it.

It's out of the ordinary for a high profile athlete like Daniel Alfredsson to talk about the issue in public. Maybe more of us should take a listen before running to the safest, least challenging and obvious position to make these tragic stories go away.

You could take fighting out of the game, but mental illness is here to stay. These stories will keep happening long after fighting has been banned unless more awareness is raised about the issue and steps are taken to help athletes fight depression, addiction and any other problems that plague the entire population, not just "NHL enforcers".

 

Black Aces Hockey Pool - 6 Spots Open

Yo. I'm looking for 6 more people to be part of the Black Aces league this year. It's a Yahoo rotisserie-style pool with a 10 team max. Live draft is Tuesday September 27th at 8 PM. I really want folks who won't drop out halfway and not start their players which was a bit of a problem last year. So I figure I would open up a few spots to some of my readers.

The categories are Goals, Assists, PP Points, SH Points, PIMs, Wins, SP% and Shutouts. No money league.

I ran a league for the first time last year and it was a lot of fun but all I ask is that you commit to the whole season, even if you're "sucking dirty pond water" at the bottom of the standings. The SH points and the PIMs category are great ways to move up the ranks if you can't score goals.

Basically, the first six people who send me an email at jeremymilks@hotmail.com will get an invite to the live draft (it would help if you were familiar with the live draft process - if not it's easy to learn). If I get a ton of requests I may expand the league to 12 teams. I will try to send out the invites by Friday night. If I don't get back to you it's just because the slots filled up. Don't be sore.

Sens Roundtable Question 3

Below is the third segment of a round table discussion I was asked to take part in by Tony Mendes of Senshot blog, who wrote and put together this post.

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With the 2011-2012 NHL season quickly approaching, the minds behind a few of the best Ottawa Senators Blogs on the interweb have gotten together to answer the five major questions going into this season.

Having taken a look thus far at the future of Daniel Alfredsson and the future of a few others, today we turn our attention to what will be the highlight of the season for Sens fans, the 2012 All-Star Game. This year, Ottawa will be host to the All-Star festivities and will showcase Ottawa to the rest of the league. With that in mind, here is question number three of our Sens blog round table.

With the All-Star festivities being held in Ottawa this year, what are you excited for? What suggestions would you make? Do you have an All-Star weekend tradition?

Here are the thoughts from the best Sens blogs on the net:


Here’s Nichols from The 6th Sens and you can follow him on Twitter here.

I have to admit, I’m not really one for the All-Star Game festivities. (Ducks.) Like finding out that Santa Claus wasn’t real, the experience was tarnished for me at a young age when I realized that players don’t take the event very seriously. Case in point, Brad Marsh scoring in the 1993 game. Even in recent years, the skills competition just doesn’t do it for me anymore. I don’t care if Geno is puts a hat and sunglasses on Ovechkin and gives him a squirt of Gatorade. I miss the days that had Al Iafrate’s skullett blowing as he skated into the puck during the hardest shot competitions.

If I had to make a suggestion for the game? Hmmm. Maybe start an Ottawa-based campaign to get Dany Heatley voted into the AS Game? That could be interesting...

Here’s Dave from SensChirp and you can follow him on Twitter here.

I'm mostly excited about the chance for league's spotlight to shine on the city of Ottawa. Hockey is absolutely huge in the Nation's Capital and that All Star Weekend will be a great chance to put that passion on display for the rest of the league. Health permitting, I think Sens Captain Daniel Alfredsson will play a huge part in the festivities and could have a chance to be a Team Captain, assuming the league follows the same format. The game itself always takes a lot of heat but to have all the biggest stars in the league in our city for that weekend will be pretty special. Oh ya, and our new scoreboard that had better be in place in time for that weekend!

Here’s Peter from Silver Seven and you can follow him on Twitter here.

I'm excited to go, really, and I'll find a way to get there. I'm also excited to see a few of the Sens' top players going, because I'm sure that we'll get at least a couple selected to play in the game. That should be nice. My All-Star Weekend tradition has historically been to go to work, but hopefully that doesn't happen this year.

Here’s Stephen from SensTown and you can follow him on Twitter here.

I'm just excited for the energy the city will have and the buzz SBP will have atmosphere wise. Like many events that only come to your city every 15+ years like the Draft for example, they usually fall below your expectations and I imagine the NHL ASG is in the same boat. I will go and have fun because I've never been to an ASG and it's in my own backyard, but I doubt I will be blown away by the experience.

As far as suggestions go, I'd def bring back the rookie/sophomore game and pull the plug on the legends/old timer's game if it's in the works again. Nothing more boring than watching guys who were the best of the best be slow, grey haired and 50lbs overweight playing horrible hockey. I just don't get that appeal on that event. I do have an interest however in watching the young up and coming stars of the league put on a show for everyone and get a bit of shine.

As for ASG traditions, I don't really have any. It's not a must see event for me, although I usually end up catching some of it just because of the time it's on on a Sunday. It's hard to watch a game that is usually so physical be turned into a game on no contact pond hockey, but there's always a few great plays from each game, so I will hopefully have a good time since I plan on going to the game in person.

Here’s Jeremy from Black Aces and you can follow him on Twitter here.

I've been a fan of the All-Star game since I was kid, and that makes sense because the game seems to be solely for kids, sponsors and NHL business partners. The All-Star game gets criticised way, way too much. There are hundreds of other meaningful games during the year. What's wrong with a little exhibition shinny one weekend of the year? If I had to make any suggestions to make it better, I would quickly do away with the player draft that saw Phil Kessel singled out by being picked last. I don't agree with Brendan Shanahan that it's all in good fun. The kid was embarrassed, people were embarrassed for him and his critics had more ammunition. If you want to keep the draft, find a way to make sure no one gets picked last. It's completely unnecessary and it overshadowed the whole weekend in my opinion. The breakaway contest was brutal last year because nobody can do anything exciting with the puck that actually works. And lastly, the Senators need to get a new scoreboard in time for the game, if only because this story has grown so big that it's the elephant in the room. It's bizarre that this hasn't been planned well in advance. The Senators sound like they have no idea when they'll have one. That's a strange way to conduct business.

Here's Tony from SenShot and you can follow him on Twitter here.

I'm excited to see what the Sens organization can come up with to entertain us. I'm not putting too much stock in their abilities as they have disappointed me on a number of occasions these past few seasons, mainly to do with celebrating (of lack thereof) of major Alfie achievements. But I think last year's edition of the All-Star Game was great and hopefully Ottawa can take away from it the best features and improve on them. I really liked the draft last year and the story lines that can go into it, and the mish-mash of players that end up making up each team. I'm also definitely excited for the Fan Expo that will be going on at the new convention center in Ottawa and see what the hockey world has to offer.

As far as suggestions go, I think the NHL should adopt the style of the NBA All-Star festivities. They make a grand show of everything as they know its just a glorified skills competition. Adding in the glitz and the glamour just makes the show that much better. Here are my two suggestions to spice up the ASG in Ottawa. First, for the break-a-way challenge, make it based on the move they try to pull rather then if the puck goes in the net. This way, players will think of crazy s#%t to do instead of the same moves we have seen the last few years. And then have a panel that will award scores after each shot. The panel would have to be a charismatic bunch of ex-players and NHL personalities like Jeremy Roenick. And you could also give the fans signs that they can use to vote too.

And my second suggestion is to have a host for the event. To be a host, you need to be able to get the crowd excited and be able to joke around with players without going too far. The host would also have to be very knowledgeable about hockey and probably already have a relationship with some of the players. And I know the perfect man for the job - Cabral Richards - aka CABBIE!!! Known from his Score days and Cabbie on the Street pieces, Cabbie now works for TSN doing weekly pieces on a number of things. He also works as a correspondent for the Marilyn Denis Show. If you have every seen any of his pieces, you know his style is awesome and he would be the perfect host for the All-Star festivities.

As far as traditions go, I might start one this year by actually watching the game.

Join us next week as the round table question will discuss the stache behind the bench, Paul MacLean.

Sens Roundtable Question 2

Below is the second segment of a round table discussion I was asked to take part in by Tony Mendes of Senshot blog, who wrote and put together this post.

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With the 2011-2012 NHL season quickly approaching, the minds behind a few of the best Ottawa Senators Blogs on the interweb have gotten together to answer the five major questions going into this season.


Last week, we took a look at the future of Daniel Alfredsson and if it was time for him to be moved. This week, we take a look at the future of a few current Sens and if their time in a Sens jersey should come to an end for the betterment of the team going forward. So without further ado, here is question number two of our Sens blog round table.

With the rebuild still in process, it’s to be expected that more bodies will be shipped out of town. Who will (or should) be traded first: Milan Michalek, Peter Regin or Nick Foligno?

Here are the thoughts from the best Sens blogs on the net:

Here's Stephen from SensTown and you can follow him on Twitter here.

To me this one is a no brainer, it's Nick Foligno. You have to look at the potential each player has and where they will top out at. MilanMichalek has proved that when healthy, he's one of the fastest players in the league and can pot 20-30 goals and is very valuable on the PK as well. Plus you can't discount that he was the valuable piece we got from the Heatley deal and trading him so quickly would make it look like they're admitting it was a failure.

Peter Jensen, I mean Regin is a bit of a head scratcher. I'm still not quite sure what happened last year. How did a guy with such potential put out so little? It looked like he was going to be a breakthrough player for us and it just never happened for some reason. Still at his age and with his super cheap contract, I'm definitely not ready to give up on him yet. I still think he can be a top 6 guy, perhaps he just caved under the weight of expectations last year. I look for a much more productive season from the Dane.

And on to Nicky boy. I feel bad for wanting to ship him out of town, but it's the reality of the NHL. To me he doesn't have a role on the team or even in the league really. I'd much rather have his brother Marcus, who will be tearing us up for years to come as a member of the Sabres. Nick doesn't really do anything well and he's endearing because he clearly tries so hard, but he's clumsy, very slow and not particularly good at any role. He's not talented enough to play top 6, but he isn't a fast enough skater or rough enough to really make an impact in the bottom 6 either, which makes him expendable to me. Hopefully we're able to unload him before the rest of the league realizes he shouldn't even be a full time NHLer probably.

It's too bad because he seems like a great guy and he definitely works very hard, he just doesn't have it.

Here's Peter from Silversevensens and you can follow him on Twitter here.

I don't think any of these players "should" be traded at all. But if a deal comes along that contributes to the rebuild more than the player in question would, then we make that trade. It depends on which one is sought after, and what we're offered in return.

Here's Nichols from The 6th Sens and you can follow him on Twitter here.

Well, if one of the three have to go in the name of the rebuild, Milan Michalek would probably net the highest return out of those three names.  Mind you, like Nick Foligno, he’ll enter the season with a lot of job security. He’s a relatively productive top six forward who’s finally healthy and the organization will need his cap hit to stay above the NHL’s cap floor. Unlike the other two players, Regin’s role on this team hasn’t been set in stone and as such, he’s the likeliest of the three to be moved first. He’ll enter camp vying for the second line center role with Stephane Da Costa and possibly Mika Zibanejad. Regin has teased fans with some offensive promise but unfortunately,  he just hasn’t done anything consistently enough to warrant much of a return on his own. It’s for this reason that I’ve written about how prudent it would be for the organization to afford Regin every opportunity to be the second line center and succeed. If Regin can put together a moderately successful campaign, he’s the perfect candidate to be packaged in a deal (with perhaps a Nick Foligno type player) to fetch someone with a higher ceiling.

Here's Dave from SensChirp and you can follow him on Twitter here.

I think there is a market, albeit a small one, for each of the three guys you have listed. All three are young and still have their best years ahead of them but are coming off sub-par seasons. Of that group though, I would have to say Regin is the most likely to be shopped.Regin will have a shot to take that second line centre role in camp this year but if he can't fill that void on a consistent basis, you have to wonder exactly where he fits in moving forward. With Zibanejad poised to assume the roster spot on line two (perhaps as early as this season), Regin seems to be the most expendable. With that said, I expect Regin to be one of the guys that has a big bounce back year. He never really seemed to see eye to eye with Clouston and a fresh start under Paul MacLean could be exactly what he needs.

Here's Jeremy from Black Aces  and you can follow him on Twitter here.

I think Regin and Michalek are safe for now but Foligno is an interesting case because this will be his fourth full season (he split his first season between Ottawa and Bingo) and, according to the cliché, it should be his breakout year. If he doesn’t produce early on, he could be in trouble. You get the sense that the organization expected him to challenge for a top-six spot but he’s already been surpassed by a guy like Bobby Butler and they also brought in Nikita Filatov for that same reason. The first thing they should tell Foligno is to stop trying to stickhandle over the other team’s blueline every shift. He’s a giveaway machine when he does that. That stick should be on “auto-dump” so he can use that rangy physique to cruise the front of the net like a shark looking for garbage goals. Instead of trying to play like Spezza, he should look to a guy like Brad Marchand in Boston. Get meaner, go to the net and show up big in the playoffs if you get the chance. Foligno has great character but he needs to find a proper role under the new coach if he’s going to stick around for the long haul.

Here's Tony from SenShot and you can follow him on Twitter here.

I think this year will most certainly see one of these players shipped out for either a young prospect with potential or for draft picks to help with the rebuild. Out of the three players, Milan Michalek is a name that is recognizable around the league and would garner the biggest return. Now entering his seventh NHL season, Michalek has yet to break through and dominant on the ice. With all the tools to be a speedy, power forward in the league, Michalek just hasn't been able to put it all together, especially here in Ottawa..

What Ottawa needs in this rebuild is some more high draft selections to be able to stock the prospect cupboards. With Michalek's reputation around the league and the package that he has, Michalek could easily nab a first round draft pick from a team in need. Just like the Mike Fisher deal last season, Michalek is a good player, but just not on a rebuilding team.

Michalek has never fit in on a line with Jason Spezza. Expect for the first 20 games in a Sens uniform, Michalek has never been able to perform consistently. I think if the Sens get off to a good start, and if Michalek is rolling, I say sell as high as you can on him and get the biggest return possible.

As for Peter Regin and Nick Foligno, I think the organization has more options with these two. Regin could also be used as a winger if he can't cut it as a centerman this season. And Foligno could be used as a centerman and is still a good bottom six winger. These two are also easier to control as they won't command high salaries next off-season.

Tune in next Wednesday for Question Number Three where we discuss the Sens hoisting this year's All-Star festivities.

www.blackacesottawa.com

A quick housecleaning update: Black Aces has a new domain name at http://www.blackacesottawa.com/, but you will still be directed to the new address if you are using the old http://www.jeremymilks.blogspot.com/ route. (There may be some temporary issues with the new domain name in the first few days as everything switches over.)

Other than that, I look forward to another year of blogging about the Senators and the NHL, and getting called an "a-hole" by certain people for some of my views on the topic du jour (ie; fighting, hitting, Gary Bettman, and my love of the shootout).

And I don't care what the new Winnipeg jerseys will look like. They can't possibly be nicer than that ol' beaut above.

Just An Idea

Love the idea of changing the power-play rules which currently allows short-handed teams to ice the puck without a stoppage in play, but I totally understand concerns that blowing the whistle for a face-off every time this happens could really slow things down.

Just to throw something out of left field that I think no one has mentioned yet:

What about adding 20 seconds to the power-play every time the short-handed team ices the puck, but instead of blowing the whistle, the power-play team goes back to retrieve the puck, but that 20 seconds is automatically added to the power-play on the score clock as soon as the referee indicates it has crossed the line? Now, I have no idea if that is technically possible to do on the score clock, but what it would do is penalize the short-handed team while still keeping the play alive.

If a team insists on icing the puck while short-handed, a two minute minor could carry on for four minutes which would inevitably lead to a goal in a lot of cases. Presto. More goals, the flow of the game is maintained and short-handed teams are no longer allowed to ice the puck which has stuck in the craw of many observers for decades.

Call me Gary.

Sens Roundtable Question 1

Below is the first segment of a round table discussion I was asked to take part in by Tony Mendes of Senshot blog, who wrote and put together this post.

***

With the 2011-2012 NHL season quickly approaching, the minds behind a few of the best Ottawa Senators Blogs on the interweb have gotten together to answer the five major questions going into this season.


With the storied career of our captain coming to an end this season or the next, should Ottawa trade DanielAlfredsson this year to a Cup favourite and give him a chance to have his name on Lord Stanley?

Here's what the best Senators blogs got to say:

Jeremy from Black Aces,

"I don't think the player himself, the management or the fans have any appetite to say goodbye to Alfredsson. Too many people are already writing his hockey obituary but Alfie could play another three seasons if the team starts to win again and it remains fun for him to stick around. If Mark Recchi can do it, a guy like Alfie with a similar stocky physique and drive to compete can do it too. His value to this team far outweighs any kind of compensation they would get from another team that wouldn't be able to guarantee a Cup to Alfie anyways. Those types of moves never seem to feel right anyways. Ray Bourque may be the one example where it truly worked but that was more like a fairy tale than any kind of template for other stars in the waning years of their career. I bet Mike Modano wishes he retired a Dallas Star instead of being an odd fit in Detroit this past season."

You can follow Black Aces on Twitter here.

Stephen from SensTown,

"This is a tough one to answer. It really depends on what perspective you want to take. He only has a few years left and clearly we will not be winning the cup in the time remaining in his career and I think many of us would like to see him have another shot at winning the ultimate prize, because lord knows he deserves it. But on the other hand, it would be awfully tough to see the captain in any uniform but ours wouldn't it? And really he's one of the only reasons to come out to watch a game at the moment for many (not myself). He's one of the few "stars" along with Spezza and Karlsson that people instantly recognize and want to lay down their money to see.

I suppose it would also depend on what the return of an alleged trade would bring in. I imagine we would be quite shocked at what we'd get in return for someone his age. In my opinion it wouldn't be worth it and we keep him here to finish his career as a Senator. The only way you consider really moving him is if you're getting a top end young player in return (won't happen) or if Alfredsson goes to management and asks out for one final shot at Lord Stanley.

I'd REALLY like to see him remain a career Senator but I feel he's earned the right to finish his career how he wants and would wish him well if he wanted out, no matter how hard it would be to see him in another jersey."

You can follow SensTown on Twitter here.

Nichols from The 6th Sens,

"Speaking strictly from an asset management perspective, it would probably be the most logical course. Ottawa’s a rebuilding organization that probably won’t be in contention by the time that Alfie hangs ‘em up. With two seasons left on a relatively cap friendly contract and assuming he’s healthy and contributing, this would be the season when he’ll have the highest trade value. (As opposed to trading him next season.) Oh, if only it was this simple... but it’s not. Alfredsson is a selfless captain who is the face of the franchise and a staple within this community who seems destined to take on some organizational role once his playing days are over.

Will they trade Daniel Alfredsson?

Regardless of how often the TO media advocates the benefits of moving Alfie, probably not. Unless, barring some change of heart, the captain privately approaches management and requests to be dealt. Ownership has already gone to great lengths to indicate that he won’t be moved and it’d be a PR disaster if they were the ones to ask him if he’d be interested in moving on."

You can follow The 6th Sens on Twitter here.

Dave from SensChirp,

"This is a question that I plan to dodge until the moment I am given no other choice but to consider it. As I'm sure is the case for many Sens fans, the thought of Daniel Alfredsson in another team's uniform just doesn't register for me. He has been the face of this franchise for so long and his #11 will one day hang in the rafters at SBP. Alfie has a spot with this franchise as long as he wants it and that includes his career after hockey. With all that said, if the Sens were out of the playoff picture, Alfie was healthy, the return was there AND most importantly, Alfredsson asked to go elsewhere, then I guess Murray has to consider it. For all Alfie has done for this city and franchise, he has earned the right to call his shot. Gut feeling says he wouldn't ask for a trade though."

You can follow SensChirp on Twitter here.

Peter from Silversevensens,

"I'm not sure we can say for sure Alfie's career will end before two seasons are up, but I'd agree with the general consensus that if it's up to the captain if he wants to get dealt. I don't think he's got any desire to, though, so I don't think he's going anywhere."

You can follow Silversevensens on Twitter here.

Tony from SenShot,

"With only two more years left on Alfie's current contract, and with injuries beginning to pile up, Sens Army needs to come to the realization that we are witnessing the end of our beloved captain's career. Alfie is still an impact forward and can still produce at this level, and it's safe to say that he is not hanging on too long, a la Rob Brind'amour.

But with Ottawa in the midst of a rebuild, Ottawa is a few years away from even thinking about contending. If Ottawa were to consider trading their captain, I think it is done as a favor to Alfie. He will never ask for a trade, and I think it may be on the organization to approach Alfie about joining a new team. I don't think any Senators fan will think anything less of Alfie if he is shipped to a contender to have a greater chance to get his name on the Cup.

The other issue at hand here is the fact there could be a lockout at the end of this upcoming season. With the CBA set to expire next summer, this may be Alfie's last chance to play in the league, as well as for the Cup. If there is a lockout, I see Alfie and a number of other older players retiring instead of sitting on the sidelines training until the lockout is over.

With all this in mind, I don't believe Alfie will be traded this year. However, if he were to be traded, I would not feel any ill will toward him or the organization. It would be hard, but I would cheer for whatever team Alfie suits up for as he pursues his first Stanley Cup."

You can follow SenShot on Twitter here.


Tune in next Wednesday for Question Number two where we discuss the future of a number of players.

It's Still Okay To Be A Fight Fan

"We've reached a crisis of faith for some fans that have admittedly enjoyed fights for the entirety of their hockey lives, but who now are having second thoughts.  

But for other fans — and I count myself among them — the brain injury epidemic is a product of an inherently violent game.

I'll never apologize for being pro-fighting. It's the game I grew up with, and I've always felt that players enter the NHL accepting that it's part of the gig"
- Greg Wyshynski, Puck Daddy Blog

The above quote from Puck Daddy today was somewhat of a revelation to me, in light of the spirited but civil back and forth I had with Peter Raaymakers of Silver Seven yesterday after I wrote a piece defending fighting in the NHL as a sort of response to an earlier piece he posted on his Silver Seven blog about the human toll that fighting can take on the players who bravely fill that unenviable role.

Much like the rest of the hockey community, a debate about fighting never really seems to change people's minds on either side, and I remain convinced that fighting is not only a vital part of the entertainment package the game provides, but that it's an essential function in hockey, an often brutally physical sport where star players need protection and room to ply their skill in a league full of fourth liners looking hack and whack their way to the next paycheque.

Yet to take that view today is somewhat of a humbling experience, with the latest press crusades against violence in hockey creating an atmosphere where admitting that you enjoy that aspect of the game is perhaps something that you should either hide or be ashamed of.

As Wyshynski said above, you should never have to apologize to anyone or hide the fact that you enjoy fighting in the NHL. It's okay to hold the view that the NHL is about entertainment and not about reflecting the strict moral standards we have to live by in our regular everyday working life. It's okay to cheer for two grown men who are heavily compensated financially for what they do, to fight for their teammates, their team and their fans. Even if a player gets hurt in a fight, that's no reason to hang your head in shame for your supposedly "barbaric" tastes. Players know the risks. They don't have to do it. Many don't and get by just fine. Others thrive in the role. Some are affected negatively. They buy the ticket and take the ride.

On the other hand, there is no reason not to be civil on either side of the fighting debate. For as long as there's been fighting in hockey, there have been people opposed to it and they have a valid point to make as well. In the next few seasons, I predict this issue will be at a fever pitch and there will be plenty of pressure on the league to reduce injuries from fighting, even if that means banning it outright.

That's an issue for another day. But while it exists in the NHL, there is no reason not to enjoy it if that's a part of the game you like. Listen to the arguments from both sides, but never hang your head in shame over it.

I certainly won't.