Hibernation Mode

Summer's here, which means Black Aces goes into semi-hibernation, wakes up during the draft  and dozes off until mid to late August.  But I'll be back with any major move made by the Senators, which should include a coach in the coming few weeks, and hopefully an interesting UFA signing or two come July 1^st.

As for the draft, I'm looking for GM Bryan Murray to make an aggressive move to grab Gabriel Landeskog (possibly in a trade with the Panthers who pick 3rd). The Swedish winger would be a perfect fit for this team, but if they stay at number 6, I happen to agree with the Hockey News who see them grabbing skilled centre Ryan Strome. But really, who the hell knows besides management and the scouts at the draft table itself.

How tough is it going to be on Robin Lehner if he carries his team to the AHL championship in the next week or so and realizes he's not going to get a chance to win the number one spot in Ottawa next season?  For sure, Craig Anderson is the Senators guy next year, but Lehner has been so good at times that he's really pushing management to get him back on the fast track to the big time. Probably won't happen, as they want to be careful with this guy. If they strike out with him, like so many goalies in the past, all this rebuilding may not mean a hell of a lot in the next five years.

As for the NHL playoffs, it's been a great ride so far, maybe not as good as last year's edition, but pretty close. It's been great to see ex-Senators like Chris Kelly and Zdeno Chara make a solid run for the Cup and I'd be happy to see them grab their chance while they have it. Funny how Kelly has been a much better pickup at the deadline for the Bruins than Tomas Kaberle. Still don't like the Kelly deal, but it's great to see him getting another chance to win it all after losing out with the Senators in 2007. But I don't know how they are going to stop the Canucks, who have won me over after thinking they were vastly overrated going into the post-season. I was plain wrong. They're nearly unstoppable.

And finally, congratulations to the folks in Winnipeg for getting their Jets back (if they're not named the Jets, someone will have truly blown it). But remember the fans in Atlanta. Getting a franchise ripped from your town is nothing to celebrate and Ottawa fans came very close to seeing that happen not too long ago. They may not have had a large following, but no doubt there was a core of true fans in that city and it's too bad ownership let them down in such a big way. But if the Thrashers had to move somewhere, there could be no better place than Winnipeg, who know only too well the pain of losing a team.

Welcome back to the club.

See you folks at the draft.

***

Not much Sens-Jets related content on the Tube, but here's a handful, including a lengthy two-parter showing plenty of game action of the two facing off back in the Civic Centre in 1995. I don't care what anyone says, the Civic Centre was a beauty place to watch an NHL game.

Avery Deserves Credit

A big congratulations to Sean Avery for having the courage to defend same-sex marriage in a public series of ads in New York, being the first NHL athlete to do so in such a manner.

And a big thumbs down to Uptown Sports Management vice-president Todd Reynolds, whose clients include Mike Fisher and Chris Neil, for being a complete coward and attacking Avery and same-sex marriage through Twitter, of all platforms. When you think you can define an important moral issue and smear an athlete all in the space of 140 characters or less, there's likely nothing behind those words other than bluster and ignorance, or worse, hatred.

Any argument that proposes denying basic human rights to a certain segment of the population is a flawed argument, and will one day be considered only a historical curiosity, like the people who thought the world was flat or that women should not have the right to vote.

History will be kind to players like Sean Avery and others who stand up for basic human rights in an atmosphere that not only works in a social and political vacuum, but discourages individuality and controversy. It will not be so kind to Reynolds and others like him who see the world through a fear coloured lens.

Experience Wanted

First off, I think Montreal GM Pierre Gauthier would be plain crazy to pin any of the blame on Jacques Martin and his coaching staff for failing to get out of the first round of the playoffs against the superior Boston Bruins.

Despite being decimated by injuries, Martin had the Habs playing responsible, and almost (dare we say it) exciting hockey at times and were one goal away from being in the second round. And from there, who knows what could have happened.

But if you look at the Montreal situation from the Ottawa Senators point of view, wouldn't it be a great opportunity for the Senators if Martin somehow became available?

Sure, it's the longest of long shots, but could there be a more perfect coach for these Senators at this time in their development than the guy who made this organization respectable in the first place? Martin obviously has a lot of baggage with the Senators, but it's important to remember that he was removed as coach because he was no longer the right mentor to bring that particular group of players over the top. But the Senators are once again stocked with young talented kids just waiting for someone to come along and teach them the NHL game. That plays right into the strengths of a coach like Martin.

If not Martin, then the Senators need a bench boss with a similar pedigree. In short, they need an experienced coach, which in turn will bring the stability behind the bench this team so desperately needs.

In a way, the Senators need their own version of Craig Anderson behind the bench. Now I'm not comparing Cory Clouston to Brian Elliott, but look at what happened when a veteran goalie came in to town and simply provided stable, NHL calibre netminding. The entire team calmed down and started playing games to win instead of trying not to embarrass themselves. They grew confident knowing they were going to get the majority of saves and probably a few big ones at important times.

Look at the Tampa Bay Lightning and their acquisition of veteran Dwayne Roloson. Nobody would ever accuse Roloson of being elite, but he brings experience and that goes a long way.

The Senators don't need a coach with multiple Stanley Cup rings (though that would be nice). But they do need a "name" coach who has guided two or three teams and had some success with modern NHL players. They need someone who brings instant credibility, much like Craig Anderson brought to the crease.

I can throw out multiple names here but I would just be guessing. No one but Bryan Murray knows who is going to get hired eventually.

But if Martin somehow found himself on the sidelines this summer, Murray would be equally as crazy as Gauthier if he didn't hire him immediately.

Just saying.

Never Mind The Bollocks

I find it quite amusing that the Canadian media and fanbase is so overwrought with "headshot fever" and can find nothing but contempt for the league and the sport they claim to "love" and "own", and are often found saying that the league is turning itself into a joke for not throwing the book at every player who dares to actually hit another player.

Yet Gary Bettman just announced that NBC/Versus has just renewed their TV deal for $2 billion dollars over 10 years after a long fight for the rights with ESPN.

$2 billion dollars.

Two billion.

10 years on one of the biggest networks in American television.

While a self-important sponsor like Air Canada has a hissy fit and writes a "strongly worded" letter to the NHL because someone on their hometown team got injured on a perfectly legitimate yet unfortunate hockey play, the Commish is closing $2 billion dollar deals if you need him. I'm sure Air Canada is just dying to get out their NHL deal.

Maybe there's actually something appealing about a fast paced, skilled and often violent sport.

Who knew?

And maybe, just maybe, Gary Bettman knows what he's doing despite everyone sitting on their couch at home being convinced they could do his job better than he can.

I know, I know, these are radical ideas for Canadian sports fans but there just might be some merit to them.

Draft Chatter

Let's just pretend Senators GM Bryan Murray desperately wants Gabriel Landeskog in this year's draft. I don't know if that's the case - maybe he's dying to get Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Ryan Strome or any of the other top prospects. I won't even presume to make an argument as to who is better, simply because I'm not a scout and I don't see enough junior games to give you an educated opinion on a bunch of 18 year-olds.

But for argument's sake, let's say he wants Landeskog and he's targeted Florida who have the 3^rd overall pick, likely where Landeskog will go if Adam Larsson or Hopkins go 1-2 as expected. It's a possibility the Avalanche see Landeskog as their next Peter Forsberg and bypass Hopkins because they already have a number one centre in Matt Duchene. Maybe.

But what would Murray have to offer Panthers GM Dale Tallon in order to pry that third overall pick away?

Of course, it starts with Ottawa's 6^th pick. That's a no-brainer. The Panthers need to come out of this draft with an elite prospect and the cutoff seems to be in the top 10, if not lower. They could still get one of the guys they want with Ottawa's 6^th pick but they might also be able to get a roster player or two who can help them right away as they desperately try to get back into the playoffs after a 10 year absence.

To see who Ottawa might be willing to give the Panthers, we first have to figure out who they wouldn't trade.

In my humble opinion, the Senators won't move the following players:

Alfredsson, Spezza, Michalek, Neil, Butler, Greening, Z. Smith, Phillips, Karlsson, Carkner, Cowen, Rundblad, Anderson and Lehner.

That still leaves a short list of players or prospects they would move for the right deal but there are a few players who Florida wouldn't take as part of any package. That includes Filip Kuba (who could be bought out anyways) and Sergei Gonchar.

What we're left with, and what actually might make sense, is a package of Nick Foligno or Peter Regin and Patrick Wiercioch or another prospect already in Ottawa's system.

The 6^th overall pick, a possible 25 goal scorer in Foligno and a long-term prospect in Wiercioch would be a pretty good return for Tallon to simply move down three spots and still get a blue-chip player in the draft.

Is it enough? Maybe not.

Foligno could play for the Panthers right away and in an expanded role might score some goals for them. That's at the top level of his curve but he also might just prove to be a third liner on a team filled with similar players. Tallon could be looking for more of a home run than just getting a character winger like Foligno.

Regin might appeal to Tallon a little more (if he was paying attention to the 2010 playoffs) and the Senators must know they have a highly skilled player who simply fell victim to the dreaded sophomore jinx. Regin is going to be a top-six stalwart, and soon, but would he be worth sacrificing if it meant getting a future captain like Landeskog?

If Landeskog turns out like many think he will, of course it will be worth it. No question.

You don't get very many chances to get elite players like Landeskog or Hopkins (or Larsson for that matter, but it's unlikely the Senators would bypass an elite forward for another defenseman). You can set your organization up for the next ten or fifteen years with guys like that. Foligno is certainly not going to be that type of player. Regin will be good, but no one is saying he's going to be a franchise player.

Landeskog would also be a good fit with Ottawa simply because they already have a boatload of Swedish prospects and a current Swedish captain who also happens to be the most popular player in the history of the team. The Swedish contingent coming together in Ottawa certainly mirrors the success that the Detroit Red Wings have with Swedish players. And rumour has it that Landeskog's favourite team growing up was the Ottawa Senators.

It's a marketers dream.

In short, if Murray has Landeskog rated as their number one priority for the draft, expect him to throw the kitchen sink at the Panthers in order to get that 3^rd pick (or at the Av's for their second slot).

But Dale Tallon is not in the business of doing other teams favours. Ottawa would have to part with someone they likely don't want to see go.  The Senators may like players like Strome or Jonathan Huberdeau enough to stay exactly where they are in the draft.

Yet Murray's past suggests he's not afraid to make a big trade. He's also not afraid to move players once thought untradeable (see Mike Fisher, currently tearing it up for the Predators in the playoffs).

This should get interesting.

Season Closes On Clouston

Mercifully, the Senators disastrous 2010-2011 season has come to a close after another loss to the playoff bound Boston Bruins, and Cory Clouston's short but tumultuous tenure as coach is over.

The Senators finished out the season strong with a cast of young kids getting their first NHL experience, but the fact that this team missed the playoffs with the loaded roster they had to start the year is a massive letdown for everyone and a huge cash loss for Eugene Melnyk, who was no doubt looking forward to well over a million dollars in pure profit from each playoff home date.

It really should be no surprise to anyone that Clouston and his two main assistants, Greg Carvel and Brad Lauer, were released just hours after the game (Luke Richardson and Rick Wamsley were retained). I've already said my piece about Clouston in the past few days, here and here, so I won't cover the same ground tonight (and my view on the subject is not exactly making me very popular lately).

But what has struck me about Clouston going down the stretch here is his complete inability to publicly take some responsibility for what went wrong this season in Ottawa. He certainly has a point when he constantly refers to the unfortunate goaltending situation that plagued the team all year long, and not many coaches would have been able to overcome the brutal play of Brian Elliott this year. Yet goaltending was just one part of the puzzle and Clouston apparently sees no fault in his system or his manner in dealing with his players. At least not publicly.

Maybe Clouston is right. Maybe his system was perfect and it's everyone else's fault that this team couldn't win any games when it really mattered. Or maybe this is just a glimpse of why many of his players were so unhappy under his leadership.

I can guarantee one thing. Clouston will win the public relations battle the next few days and weeks as the backlash against newly retained GM Bryan Murray and the rest of the players runs its course. The anonymous voices on various social media platforms are already heaping their vicious slander on everyone but Clouston. The vocal segment of fans who are up in arms over Murray's new contract will probably go through the roof the next couple of days in response to the Clouston firing, but eventually, when the screaming stops, it will be clear that this was the only course of action Murray could have taken here.

Truth is, coaches are much more disposable than GM's are. They are much, much lower on the totem pole in experience, pay and responsibility. It's not even close. One is an executive. One is a working stiff. That's why fans tend to identify with coaches so much these days, but bench bosses are easy to change out and the effect is sometimes huge, often in a positive way.

That's life. Businesses don't make sentimental decisions very often. The Senators are no exception despite the emotional investment from fans who tend to view the whole thing as some kind of moral fable where everything is black and white - good guys and bad guys. To many, Clouston is a good guy who is getting unjustly blamed by the bad guy, Bryan Murray. The fans reaction is predictable but it doesn't make it accurate. A lot of players paid the price this season by being dealt away. It's only natural that the coaching staff get blamed as well.

In the long run, the decision not to offer Clouston a new contract will prove to be the right one. There is no doubt that his strong work ethic will get him another job soon and I would not be surprised to see him in the NHL again someday. But there is simply too much baggage for a guy who has only been in this organization for two and a half seasons and not enough wins to justify his unnecessary battles with certain important players who found their roles greatly diminished under Clouston.

Going forward, the Senators have an exciting team full of prospects and a few talented veterans to provide stability through the tough stretches ahead. Jason Spezza has finally arrived as a bona fide leader and is now reaching his full potential. Erik Karlsson is going to be one of the top five best defensemen in this league for the next 10 years. David Rundblad looks like he might not be far behind Karlsson if reports are accurate about his play this year in Sweden.

And, while too late to save Clouston's job, this team now has real goaltending in Craig Anderson. And a good one coming in Robin Lehner.

Today is a bad day for the organization, for Clouston and his departing staff, and for the players who are going home too early.

But tomorrow is a new day.

Bring on the draft.

Now here's a picture of clowns to cheer everyone up.

Murray Back For 3 .... Don't Cry For Clouston

The Senators finally made it official today by announcing that Bryan Murray has signed a contract extension to remain as the general manager for the next three seasons.

And it's a smart, prudent move by the organization.

There is going to be a nasty backlash from a certain reactionary segment of the fan base who have called for the firing of Murray all season long, but hey, you can't please everybody.

I'm sure it was a difficult decision for both Eugene Melnyk and team president Cyril Leeder, but they came to the right one in keeping Murray around to finish what he started this season.

Like I said in a previous article, this is really the first time Murray has had a chance to build this team from the core out. Since taking over from John Muckler in the summer of 2007, Murray went with the core players who had so much success in years past which reduced his role to that of a caretaker GM.

Once the bottom dropped out, Murray began making drastic, necessary moves this season and will get his first chance to really build the team the way he wants it, rather than keeping the old teams built by other general managers together.

So far, so good.

For whatever faults he has, Murray is highly respected by his players, by player agents, by the hockey community and by his GM peers.

He's also a survivor, as his 30 plus years in the NHL can attest. Bringing in a new general manager, particularly a young one, is no guarantee of brighter days ahead. Minnesota and Colorado fans can attest to that.

Some may wonder about the length of the deal, but anything less than three years wouldn't allow Murray to see through his plan. In a sense, you can be sure that 3 years is the number that both Murray and Melnyk agreed is the time it will take to get this team back to elite status and competing for the Stanley Cup.

That's not tomorrow, but it's sooner than it sounds. It's obvious that Melnyk is expecting results in a short time frame and Murray's plan is structured to do just that. There will likely be no playoffs next year either but that's just the nature of rebuilding. Murray has made a big commitment to the organization here to get things back on track and it's honourable that he doesn't want to leave the team in a state of disrepair.

In short, Murray has vowed to fix this thing and he's willing to put in the time to do it.

He deserved that chance and now he's going to get it.

***

Which brings us to Cory Clouston, the hard-working yet seemingly doomed coach of the Ottawa Senators. I laid out the reasons I believe Clouston will be let go in my last post (or as someone called it, a "hatchet job"), but that doesn't mean the young coach doesn't deserve respect from the fans.

He was hired during a time of crisis and did a relatively good job of bringing back some respectability to the team on the ice. Yet some of his decisions led to the estrangement of some very good hockey players on this team, most notably Dany Heatley, and the organization suffered mightily for it.

Like all rookie coaches, he did some great things, and some not so great things. For some, it will seem unfair when he gets replaced, and there is going to be an outpouring of sympathy for the young coach when the inevitable happens. And with that sympathy will come the backlash against the players which always happens like clockwork when a coach gets fired.

Fans always associate more with a coach than they do players and feel that somehow the coach was undone by spoiled athletes. A lot of coaches get treated like martyrs when they are fired, like somehow they don't bear any responsibility for their fate.

This kind of invented sympathy can be a very misleading thing.

When you start feeling sorry for a coach or a player, that should send off alarm bells on the logical side of your brain.

People felt very sorry for players like Martin Gerber and Jonathan Cheechoo and for coaches like John Paddock and Craig Hartsburg. It's a natural reaction and an honest one, but do you really want guys you feel sorry for coaching or playing for your team?

It may be a harsh reality, but when you start feeling sorry for athletes or coaches, that's not a good sign that their career is headed to the stratosphere.

I'll take the guys who tend to piss people off now and then any day.

How's Ray Emery doing lately?

Clouston's Last Stand

Some interesting comments by (soon to be departing) "Sens insider" Scott MacArthur on the Lee Versage-hosted Team 1200 show this morning about (soon to be departing) coach Cory Clouston.

MacArthur, who is off to Toronto shortly to co-host a show on the new TSN radio network, said that, in his opinion, Clouston doesn't have the capacity to handle different personalities on an NHL team. He has one way, and that way is "his way or the highway".

That kind of attitude sounds great to a lot of fans who already have a deep-seated resentment towards "millionaire athletes", and love nothing more than to see them humbled publicly, but it doesn't actually work in a locker room.

I don't pretend to know what Clouston is like behind closed doors but if a guy like MacArthur, who is as close to the team as anyone else not on the actual payroll, says that Clouston's approach rubbed many players the wrong way, including some guys who "are still on the team" (as opposed to the "bad guys" already gone that Eugene Melnyk bizarrely referred to the other day), then this assessment is probably pretty close to the truth.

Undoubtedly, MacArthur and other journalists close to the team have many off-the-record conversations with players over the course of a season who have had some problems with the way Clouston ran the squad, but those quotes will never see the light of day, as they shouldn't.

Clouston is not the first coach, and he won't be the last, who is unpopular with his players, but you can only get away with it when you get results. If your players don't like you and you don't win, then it's "Good Night, Irene".

Yet, there's been a minor upswell of opinion towards Clouston of late, mirroring his young team's late season rise in the standings.

It makes sense. Clouston has a group of young, hungry players who would go to the wall for any coach they were playing for, whether it was Clouston or Martha Stewart.

It's a tad ironic that Clouston may never have been more right for this team than he is now, just as he is about to get the can tied to him.

The point is, most coaches at a high level can get young players to buy into their system right from the get go. The real tough part is getting veterans, who have enjoyed success in this league without you, to follow your lead and believe in what you are saying.

All NHL teams are run by veterans, whether it's a team like Detroit with a roomful of them, or a team like Ottawa who are basically going with just four guys who have been around the league for a length of time. You think the Edmonton room is run by Taylor Hall or Jordan Eberle? Not a chance.

If Clouston can't make believers out of those few veterans, even if he has 18 or 19 kids on his side, then he has no chance. No coach would.

Unfortunately for him, that might be the situation in Ottawa and Clouston looks like he's coached his way out of an NHL job.

It already seems as if it's a foregone conclusion that Dave Cameron is going to be parachuted into the vacant job this summer once his Memorial Cup run with Mississauga is done, but Melnyk isn't saying just yet.

Whoever it is will be faced with the same task as Clouston – getting your leaders to believe in your message. Reactionary fans will be quick to call these  veterans "spoiled", and many have already done so in Ottawa, but it's no different on any NHL team.

Like MacArthur said, these players are the best in the world at what they do, and minor-league style regimentation simply doesn't work at this level.  Players have to be allowed to smile once in a while.

Some of the most serious minded coaches in NHL history knew that. Scotty Bowman knew that. Even Mike Keenan knew that.

Why doesn't Clouston?

Foligno A Prime Trade Candidate This Summer

With their disappointing, but ultimately cleansing season drawing down to its final five games in April, what do the Senators do now?

Well, other than go golfing a little earlier than usual, there are bound to be big changes in the organization but I'm guessing that many will be done off the ice rather than to the current roster itself.

Fans, non-fans, dogs, cats and even inanimate objects know that coach Cory Clouston has no chance to return behind the bench next season. What happens to his two main assistant coaches is unclear, but I would be surprised to see either Greg Carvel or Brad Lauer retained.  Everyone can speculate about GM Bryan Murray's future but until I see him on television telling reporters that he feels it's time to move on, I think he'll be back in the same role next season to finish the rebuild he started in March.

But what happens on the ice?

There's been a lot of talk about the Senators going out and getting that coveted "top six forward" in the summer, but looking at the pending UFA list, there aren't a lot of options on the table. More like scraps when you get past Ville Leino and Simon Gagne (who is himself bordering on the "scraps" label after a disappointing year).  Leino is going to be a top commodity for a lot of teams this summer, but would he, or any other similar free agent, be the right fit on the Senators if he is going to take ice time away from players they are currently trying to develop, such as Bobby Butler, Erik Condra and Colin Greening? And then there's highly touted college kid Stephane Da Costa who is going to get every opportunity and then some to make this team next season.

Marek Svatos is starting to show what he can do and may get a contract offer in the summer. Don't forget whoever the Senators select early in the upcoming draft. Whether it's Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Gabriel Landeskog or somebody else, that player is going to be expected to compete for a job in camp, and possibly for a spot in the top 6. Jeff Skinner turned a lot of heads this season and every team is going to be looking for that same type of guy early in the draft. And that's not even mentioning Nick Foligno and Peter Regin, two players who have slipped into the shadows because of ineffectiveness and injury.

Already, there's not a lot of room on that forward list.

Yet if the Senators stand pat and don't bring in another veteran, they run the risk of putting too much stake into what players like Butler, Condra and Greening have brought to the table late in the season.  One only needs to look at the case of Peter Regin, who shone late in the 09-10 season and into the playoffs against Pittsburgh, but barely showed up for the first half of this year. These sorts of things happen all the time to young players. The risk might even be increased for college players who are used to playing about half the games NHLer's do.

Murray has to decide if the play of those particular three college kids, Butler, Condra and Greening, is a mirage or just a sign of things to come. I'd bet on the latter, but then again no one in their right mind would hire me to manage a hockey team.  These are among the toughest decisions a GM has to make. I wish Murray good luck.

Bobby Butler has cooled significantly down the final stretch and has now been taken off the top line where he was once creating great chemistry with Jason Spezza. Maybe this kid scores 25 goals next year or maybe he plays in Bingo.

In a way, a guy like Butler has been given his chance precisely because a player like Nick Foligno couldn't get the job done whenever he was given an opportunity. You could tell the coaching staff has been trying to turn Foligno into a top-six guy but it's not working. There's nothing wrong with Foligno ending up as a solid third or fourth liner, but when a team pushes a player one way and it doesn't work out, that's when trades happen.

To me, Foligno is a prime candidate to be moved this summer in some sort of package to get a scoring winger.  If the Senators don't like what they see on the free-agent market this summer (Alex Tanguay anyone?), they could get the kind of player they want in a trade, possibly from a cap-strapped team looking to unload a salary.

Trading Foligno would be hard for the Senators simply because he's so well liked and has character galore. If he could ever get his game in shape, he could be a captain one day in the NHL. But if Mike Fisher and Chris Kelly can be traded, Murray won't hesitate to move anyone outside of a few mainstays if he thinks it will help improve the squad for next year.

Right now, Foligno doesn't fit into the top six, and that's disappointing for both the player and the organization.

I don't see the Senators giving up on Regin. He's already shown that he can be a point-getter when he's at his best. Unfortunately for Foligno, he hasn't yet shown that side of his game. It doesn't mean he won't in the future, but he's already missed a few prime chances.

Which means Foligno may be finding a new home this summer if Murray is serious about bringing in a legitimate top six forward.

Passing The Torch

When it's all said and done, it looks like Chris Phillips could be the Senators all-time leader in games played just a few seasons from now. Daniel Alfredsson currently sits at 1056 and Phillips is about a season and a half behind him at 938.

But that gap could close quickly. Alfredsson is 38 years old and has two years remaining on his contract after this season, but the last of those years, 2012-2013, coincides with a possible CBA confrontation between the players union and the league. I'd say it's 50/50 on whether or not a good chunk of games are cancelled, especially with the NHLPA having a new boss in Donald Fehr who was brought in to be a tough guy for the next round of negotiations.

It's entirely possible that next season could be Alfie's last in the NHL. A lot will depend on his health, which hasn't been great this season, and the looming CBA battle which could, in a worst-case scenario, wipe out an entire season.

Phillips on the other hand is still in the late stages of his prime years at 33 years old and has 3 more on his new deal and one that extends a season past the possible Armageddon. He'll still only be about 36 when the contract expires and could conceivably re-sign for another couple in the city he obviously loves to play in.

A lot of defenseman in their late 30's are still playing important minutes in the NHL today such as Sean O'Donnell (39), Chris Pronger (36), Adam Foote (39), Nicklas Lidstrom (40), Brian Rafalski (37), Adrian Aucoin (37), Sergei Gonchar (36), Sami Salo (36), Roman Hamrlik (36), Jaroslav Spacek (37) and Karlis Skrastins (36). There's both offensive and defensive specialists in that group.

Phillips has a chance to play another five or six years in this league if he can stay healthy and there's no reason to think he won't play a lot of those years in an Ottawa uniform. In a way, Phillips has a chance to be the next Glen Wesley who played 21 seasons in the NHL, mostly with the Carolina/Hartford organization. There are a lot of similarities between the two.

So if Phillips succeeds Alfredsson as the all-time games played leader, who's in the pipeline to surpass him?

The next guy on the list is Chris Neil at 652 games but at 31 years old and only 2 years left on his deal, he has a long road to the top. I'd say the odds are not good.

Jason Spezza is intriguing. He's a relative pup at 27 and is signed all the way through the 2014-2015 season with a no-trade clause in his pocket. He's already played in 519 games but would have been in more if it weren't for injuries. That's Spezza's only barrier to eventually becoming both the all-time games played and all-time points leader one day down the road. His new devotion to two-way play will cut down his offensive numbers a little over the coming years but he will be in the 75-100 point range nearly every season if he can keep healthy.

While Alfredsson and Phillips will share the elder statesman status for the time being, the torch has already been passed to Spezza. He's quickly become the team's most important player and his worth to the club is incalculable on the ice.

This is his team now and will be for a long time. He's the next captain, guaranteed.

But then again, there's Erik Karlsson, who is going to be one of the best defenseman in this league for the next 15 years. He's already the best defenseman on this team.

And then there's whoever they draft in the early first round this season. The Senators could have another franchise player on their hands in just three months time.

Things could be worse.

Murray Finally Stepping Out Of Past GM's Shadows

Strange and interesting times here in Senators Land.

Just take GM Bryan Murray. Only a few short months ago it was assumed he was toast.

His team was in a death spiral to the bottom of the standings, there were rumours he tried to fire his coach but was rebuffed by Eugene Melnyk (a story that has never been confirmed), and pundits were already picking out likely candidates to be his successor, such as Pierre McGuire and others.

Like I said, he was a goner.

Things have changed.

All signs point to Bryan Murray staying on another season.

Just look at the long-term contracts to Chris Phillips and Craig Anderson. The crucial decision to dump core players in their prime such as Mike Fisher and Chris Kelly for draft picks.  The fact that Eugene Melnyk has stated he is ecstatic about how the team is playing out the stretch after all the changes.

Then there's this thing they call "The Plan".

Both Murray and Melnyk have talked of this "plan" in mysterious, hushed tones like it was the Caramilk secret.

We don't know the details of the plan but we've seen the initial part play out like a dream so far. The goaltending has been stabilized with Anderson. The young kids are helping this team win games. Even the fans have decided to put out their torches for the time being and calls for Murray's head have recently been far and few between on the call-in shows and the blogs.

So what's Phase 2 of the great plan? Does Murray get shuffled aside?

That is starting to look unlikely because Murray is clearly shaping this team for next season already. Important decisions have already been made which a new GM would be expected to make.

And who says that's such a bad thing?

Murray has been around the game a long time and is a well-respected hockey executive. To be fair to him, when he took over the Senators from John Muckler, there were numerous ticking time bombs on this team ready to detonate.  There were big contracts to be worked out with core players, swelling egos in the dressing room due to prolonged periods of success, looming salary cap issues and a bone dry farm system due to poor drafting.

Because of the team's success under Muckler, Murray wasn't about to rip it apart to remake the roster in his own image. In fact, you could say that Murray's role for the first few seasons was as a caretaker.

Who tears apart a team after going to the Stanley Cup final the year before? Who tears apart a team who made it to the final two seasons ago? And on and on… into this season when it became clear that the core needed to be split up.

Basically, now is the first chance for Murray to really mould this team from the core out.

Perhaps Melnyk is willing to give Murray that chance, even though he failed to keep Muckler's team glued and stapled together.

If this was one of those newspaper editorials right before election day when the paper traditionally espouses a certain candidate, then I would be standing behind Bryan Murray for GM next year, if only to see what he can do when he's not trying to sustain a team built by somebody else.

The early signs are good. But who knows what's to come after these last 9 games are played.

Anderson Locked In By Murray For Four Years

Solid move by GM Bryan Murray today to get goalie Craig Anderson under contract for the next four years at an average of just over 3 million a season.

What this team needs now, perhaps more than ever in their franchise history, is stability in the net and this deal gives them that going forward.

As Murray said today at the press conference, the tumultous year for Robin Lehner has hurt his progress after bouncing around from league to league and not being able to win the starting job in either scenario. And that's not totally suprising given his age and the circumstances.

So far, the Senators "rebuild" with youth has shown results right away (though it's always a bad idea to equate late season surges with success the following season) but the one position you don't want to have inexperience at during these upheavals is in the net. That's why expansion teams always go with veteran goaltenders, because they know there are going to be tough nights and even longer stretches where losing is going to be inevitable.

Anderson has already proved that he's a good, if not great, goalie in this league. Some critics have pointed to his tough start in Colorado this year but it's obvious that their problems were far deeper than goaltending.

Already I'm hearing a negative reaction from fans on the call-in shows due to the length of the deal, but it's not like Murray was going into this negotiation from a position of strength. Anderson doesn't owe Ottawa a thing and he could have simply said that if he didn't get that fourth year, he'd just go to July 1^st and see what the market offered. Smartly, Murray didn't balk and got Anderson under contract for very little money when you look at what other starting goalies are getting in this league.

With the setbacks that the 19 year old Lehner went through this year, there are no guarantees he's going to be ready at anytime during the length of Anderson's contract. Most goalies don't crack the NHL until their mid-20's anyways.  Lehner has plenty of time to arrive in the normal, routine way that other starters do.

If he does somehow battle his way to the top spot in the next two or three years, it's not as if Anderson's contract is so huge that moving him would be impossible.

Overall, a necessary and positive move for this organization going forward.

And call me crazy, but doesn't it look like Murray is going to be around in his role for at least another season?

I'm not calling him Lazarus, but it's pretty close.

The Long Strange Season Continues....

The Rogers House Telethon that took place during the Senators - Penguins game tonight gives us an opportunity to dig out one of my favourite quotes from the late Roger Neilson. He once said, "There are two things I don't want to know - how they make hot dogs and what goes on in the NHL office." That little nugget seems more relevant today than when he actually said it. Truly one of the great characters the game has ever known. Ottawa was lucky to have him around for the last few years of his storied life…… Speaking of characters, and as a tribute of sorts upon his return tonight to Ottawa (where he was so dearly loved) here's some precious Alex Kovalev footage in the locker room after winning the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in his second season. He had an obsession with those weird little troll dolls that were popular back in the early nineties and still receives them as gifts from some of his fans. I wonder what Mark Messier thought of those trolls? Probably just stared them down until their hair wilted.…



...There was a strong chorus of boos for Kovalev when he touched the puck early in the game, but Kovie shouldn't get too upset about it. After all, Sens fans lustily booed franchise player Jason Spezza during last years playoffs, so it was inevitable Kovalev would get his share as well. Strangely, Kovalev was given a round of applause during a break in the first when they showed a tribute video. Then he was booed next time he carried the puck. Play-by-play man Dean Brown said at one point that he didn't understand the booing because it's not Kovalev's fault he was traded. Some fans would say it was Kovalev's fault Murray had to trade him, but let's not get into that.....Which makes me wonder - if Chara had railroaded Kovalev into a stanchion instead of Max Pacioretty, would Senators fans be as outraged as everyone else? Or what if it was Dany Heatley? It's a fair question....

.....Say it ain’t so, Winnipeg. According to NESN, if the NHL were to return to Winnipeg, they wouldn’t be called the Winnipeg Jets. They would be called the Manitoba Moose. Groan. That would have been like the Ottawa franchise calling themselves the Ottawa Beavers upon their return in 1992. Well, not quite. The Moose brand has been a smashing success in the AHL, but it just doesn’t seem right not to call a returning franchise the Jets. But I’m guessing the Winnipeg fans will get over it if they actually get NHL hockey back. It would also be weird if they decided to retire some jerseys from their first era. Do they retire Teemu Selanne in a Moose jersey? For the love of everything good and decent, just call yourselves the Jets if you get the chance…And if the Jets do come back, wouldn't it be nice to see them wearing something vintage like this? Or this? And especially this.  Hopefully not something like this. Or this. Now for something completely weird. A group of Jets drinking Moosehead beer. Coincidence or mind-blowing precognition? Actually, I think it's a case of Photoshop. And finally, Tie Domi....

.....I like what the NHL has done the past two days in response to the outcry about concussions in hockey. The “Five Steps” outlined by Gary Bettman make a lot of sense and they should help immediately and down the road without taking the needless step of penalizing all or “incidental contact” with the head, something that will never be eliminated from the NHL as long as you’re allowed to actually touch another player. The most promising aspects are the ones that look at equipment and the playing surface itself. Get those stanchions more heavily padded or out of the way completely. Make the dasher’s soft, get rid of the seamless glass and soften the “body armour” these guys wear. The NHL also came out today and said they will more strictly enforce charging and boarding infractions, which makes sense since they don’t have to create any new rules. Again, a sensible and responsible approach.

The perfect balance the NHL is trying to achieve is a fast, physical game with very few career jeopardizing injuries. It’s too bad you can never eliminate concussions from a contact sport, but you can’t change the integrity of the game in an effort to make it completely safe. The governors understand that fact and are faced with a difficult and thankless job, despite everyone sitting on their couch thinking it should be easy. At some point, those people who are so horrified by the game of hockey are going to have to start watching another sport. It’s not for everyone and it never has been. I don’t watch Mixed Martial Arts because it’s too violent and I can move on with my life just fine. The NHL shouldn’t have to continually apologize and try to appease a vocal group who want to make the league as clean and politically correct as lawn bowling. We can all agree that reducing concussions is important. How the league goes about that is another thing. So far, they’ve made a reasonable effort and they shouldn’t let an angry mob change the prudent course they’ve started…

...What the hell is Eugene Melnyk talking about? We all know the lovable owner of the Senators has a tendency for hyperbole (“Fasten your seatbelts! We’re going all the way!”), but his comments that players delivering headshots should be “banned for life” is a bit of a clanger due to the timing of his extreme views. The NHL has made some progress on the issue in the past two days but Melnyk felt he had to toss a grenade into the process for some reason. It just doesn't make any sense to toss out an extreme view when the NHL has actually created some goodwill by their recent actions. A week ago would have made more sense, but today? Is he trying to upstage Bettman here? Melnyk admits he’s as “far to the right wing on this issue as you can ever get”, but he’s certainly got a lot of little right-wingers supporting his cause if any of the comments under the article indicate. Melnyk's heart is in the right place, as is his commitment to the community in Ottawa. It's also refreshing to hear an owner speak his mind, but he does tend to get carried away in front of a microphone like he's Gilbert Godfrey or something. What’s clear from his eye rolling comments is that “head-shot mania” has gotten completely out of control in the fanbase and the media to the point that “oversaturation” doesn’t do it justice. Now we hear that fans in Montreal are protesting outside of the arena? Over a hockey game? I wonder if any of them could muster the courage to get out and protest for a cause that actually matters. You have to wonder if these are the same people who loot stores and try to burn down the city after Montreal wins or loses a playoff series. Good on Bruce Boudreau for also speaking his mind and adding a little more spice to the game against the Canadiens. Boudreau may be the only guy making sense nowadays. I wonder if any Montreal fans called 911 on him?...

...The game itself was a barn-burner between the Caps and the Habs. While it's been fun to watch the Senators start competing again, nothing can compare to two playoff level teams throwing everything they have at each other in a loud and hostile atmosphere. The speed is faster, the hits are harder and the fans are louder.The Caps look incredible right now and the Habs have played with heart and guts all year. It looks like the Habs will draw the Bruins in the first round, and that will be a must watch series. But a Montreal-Washington series would be almost as good, except for store owners on Saint Catherine Street.....

The Other Side...

We've heard a lot from the Montreal media, from the Montreal owner, from the Montreal fans and Montreal-based corporations. For some much needed balance, here's some good points by Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe:

Of all the remarkable circumstances concerning Zdeno Chara’s hit on Montreal forward Max Pacioretty, the least remarkable was the hit itself.

Vicious? Not in the least. Beyond the pale? See paragraph No. 1. Malicious? Only if you are applying the rules of ringette.

Too many Habs fans, including even team owner Geoff Molson, forgot some of their own recent history. Why, it was only Dec. 26 that Pacioretty himself was tossed from a game on Long Island when he smacked Islanders defenseman Mark Eaton into the rear boards with a running hit across the back.

It was precisely the kind of hit that Chara’s was not, and the type of hit that the league was far too slow in trying to legislate out of the game.

The Habs and their fans also must have erased from the memory bank the hit Guillaume Latendresse delivered to Rob DiMaio in a 2006-07 preseason game, leaving DiMaio addle-brained and never to play again. Where was all the outrage then about playing the game the right way?

Weekend Notes

Hockey violence is apparently “hurting the game” and the NHL’s image, according to everyone with access to a microphone and a word processor, yet the NHL has never been so popular in both Canada and America. Ever. 

The ratings are breaking new records on both sides of the border. The salary cap has gone up every year since it was instituted because revenues keep going up. Everyone involved is getting rich, with the exception of a few southern-based organizations having ownership problems. Both the owners and the players have a CBA that dictates exactly how much money each side makes and the playoff races are the most exciting among all 4 major leagues, not to mention the playoffs themselves. Yet, there is no league in the world which goes through so much needless and boring self-analysis than the NHL. The game is better than it's been for the last 25 years but people can't help focusing on what's wrong with it, rather than what makes it such a great sport.

The fact that the NHL is fast, physical and somewhat dangerous is what makes it great in the first place. The masses clamoring for a "culture change" seem to forget that they already won the biggest battle, and that was to get the league to install Rule 48 banning blindside hits to the head. It's only been in place for less than a full season and already people pretend like it's always been there, and that the NHL has done nothing to curb concussions. Nothing could be further from the truth. That was a landmark rule change and it's impact can not yet be properly assessed.

Any further legislation made in a panic is not the right way to conduct business. But if the pressure becomes unrelenting, change will become inevitable and everyone will have to live with the consequences, even if it means the game itself becomes worse. It's too bad. Suddenly, hockey has turned into an intellectual and moral debate and nothing could be more boring. Have you listened to the Team 1200 lately in Ottawa? The Senators don't even exist anymore. It's 24/7 headshots and how the NHL is a "bush league". We hear interviews with lawyers and doctors. Journalists who have never written a hockey article in their life are suddenly experts on the NHL and have no qualms telling Gary Bettman how to run the league. NHL hockey used to be an escape from politics and other serious issues, a way to unwind and enjoy a Saturday night. Nothing wrong with that. Now it's just a huge drag like everything else. What a shame …..

.....Bettman easily delivered the most cutthroat line of the year when he subtly threatened Air Canada that NHL clubs could, at any time, stop using their charter services in response to the Montreal-based company sending out a ridiculous letter to the commissioner threatening to pull their sponsorship dollars. I’m guessing the executives will now crawl back to their desks with their tail between their legs as most opponents end up doing when going against Bettman. Love him or hate him, he never loses. He crushed the NHLPA so badly that its very existence was in doubt only a few years ago. You think he’s going to blink when a sponsor, who is apparently getting a sweetheart deal on the naming rights for the Maple Leafs rink, sends a reactionary letter trying to tell the league how to conduct their business? I’m sure they had a good laugh about that one in New York. That’s why it’s no surprise Bettman received a five year extension back in November. He's not going anywhere folks.....

..... Oh no. Poor Brian Elliott. The Avalanche got destroyed by the Ducks last night and Elliott let in six goals. His save percentage on the night was .818. Since joining the Avs, Elliott is sporting a bloated 4.40 GAA, an .875 save percentage and an 0-4 record in 5 games (he was yanked in one game which gave him a no-decision). What happened to this kid anyways? Both Cory Clouston and Bryan Murray mentioned that Elliott was under a lot of "pressure" when he was forced to carry the load in Ottawa, but it looks like that pressure has only increased in Denver. If you think about it, how tough would it be to get traded to a team where the only thing anybody knows about you is that you couldn't get the job done for your last team and now you have to go in and save the day for your new team. To make things worse, the goalie you got traded for has turned into the China wall and people are saying the Senators stole Craig Anderson from the Avs. There is a very real possibility the Avs don't offer Elliott a qualifying offer this summer to retain his rights. Where Elliott could go from there would be anybody's guess.....

..... Incredible debut for new Senators goalie Curtis McElhinney (say that 5 times fast) against the Lightning last night to give the Sens four straight road wins. I've wasted a bit of virtual ink saying the Senators need to go after an experienced back-up to Anderson next season, like Johan Hedberg or Mathieu Garon, but maybe McElhinney could make a good case for himself down the stretch. If the Senators could get goaltending like this next season, the playoffs are definitely possible..... Don't look now but Marek Svatos had 5 shots on net last night. He's starting to look better but needs to start getting on the scoresheet. If he could ever get comfortable, this guy could be a steal for Murray..... I know, I know, Brian Lee is playing well. Now let's see him do it from the start of training camp to the end of a season. I'm still skeptical..... Chris Campoli is +5 since joining the Blackhawks and has 2 assists in 5 games..... Jarkko Ruutu has 27 hits in 9 games for the Ducks since the trade but only 8 PIMs. I'm thinking he's enjoying life under Randy Carlyle a lot more than Cory Clouston....

....Speaking of Clouston, interesting piece from the Sun's Don Brennan today where he criticises Clouston for not giving Erik Condra and Erik Karlsson a chance to complete hat-tricks against the Devils and the Panthers this week by keeping them nailed to the bench with the opposition net empty. He even got a league executive saying, “(Clouston) just has blinders on,” said a league executive...“He just doesn’t notice.” It's a good point, but Clouston insulates himself from criticism by winning lately, and he deserves credit for that. You can get away with being "unliked" by your players if you win, but the act gets very old when the losses pile up. The odds caught up to coaches like Mike Keenan and Ken Hitchcock eventually. At the same time, nice coaches don't last long if they don't win either. Craig Ramsay in Atlanta is having a tough go at the moment and may not be back if the Thrashers miss the playoffs. Maybe you need to be somewhere in the middle to have lasting power, like Barry Trotz in Nashville and Lindy Ruff in Buffalo. Then again, neither of those guys have Cup rings. I guess it helps to have good players, no?....Not that he would have been available anyways, but Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma's new contract extension snuffed out the 0.01 percent chance he could have ended up behind the bench in Ottawa next season. Everybody I know who watched HBO's 24/7 series immediately recognized how good of a coach he really is. The Pens have hardly missed a beat after losing both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Probably doesn't hurt that they absolutely stole James Neal and Matt Niskanen from Dallas for Alex Goligoski.....

....I have a guest article up at Local Tourist Ottawa, a great site you should check out if interested in all things Ottawa. The piece is a general history of the Senators and geared towards maybe a more casual fan than may normally check out Black Aces (meaning I don't expect any emails telling me what an a-hole I am from their readers, like I get from time to time with mine!). Thanks for the invite, Jessey.....

....And lastly, how fun is it to watch this group of young Senators night in and night out? And don't tell me these guys are only playing good because there's no pressure. Guys like Bobby Butler and Erik Condra are trying to make this team for next season. There's no bigger pressure than trying to establish yourself in the NHL. The way they are performing is exceptional and should be giving guys like Nick Foligno and Peter Regin a few incentives to come into camp next year ready to fight for their jobs.

NHL Made Right Call On Chara

The NHL absolutely made the right call by not suspending or fining Zdeno Chara for his hit on Max Pacioretty. It's unfortunate that Pacioretty was seriously injured, but there was nothing wrong with the hit itself. As long as you have hitting in hockey, actual physical contact, there are going to be injuries, some of them serious. Especially when someone the size of Chara is involved.

But, as expected, the media reaction (which dictates public reaction more than people would like to admit) has gotten so out of control that politicians are weighing in with their manufactured, convenient displeasure and a major NHL sponsor, Air Canada, is threatening to take its dollars away. Don't for a second think the suits at Air Canada are concerned about the health of millionaire athletes. They are concerned about public perception. Right now, people from all walks of life are positively outraged over a sport that has always been violent and are like a bunch of braying sheep being led over a cliff of hysterical public opinion. Ah, but there's nothing like a self-righteous moral crusade once in a while.

As people continually tune out real life issues and politics, a trend that has been increasing decade after decade, they occupy all their free time with entertainment, of which the NHL undboubtedly is, nothing more. That's where people make the mistake of pretending like the injustice or violence that takes place on the ice is the same as if it took place on their streets or in their neighbourhood. When you take the game that seriously, you could realistically forget that an athlete has already consented to a reasonable level of violence when he agrees to take part in the sport and accept compensation for it. People who get punched in the head on the street are not expected to accept a "reasonable level of violence", but NHL players are. That's why there are virtually no legal prosecutions taken against players except in extreme cases where the act is so violent that it surpasses reasonable limits, such as the Todd Bertuzzi case.

The Chara hit is nowhere near this level, despite the severity of the injury. People have the convenience of watching the video in slow motion and making judgments about intent (which is ridiculous when you stop to think about it for a moment), but hockey is a fast game and Chara made a split second decision to make a hit. Yes, it was obstruction, but the Pacioretty injury could have happened just the same as if he had the puck or not. Should Chara be punished just because he's bigger and stronger than Pacioretty? If you want to spread blame, why not do something about the stanchions that pose a hazard to players. Either remove it and replace the glass there with netting, inset it a foot so it's out of the way or pad it more so the impact is less.

The fact that the police are investigating this is undoubtedly due to the public outcry. I'm quite confident that they will quickly find there is no basis to prosecute. In fact, it's a waste of their time and public resources.

The only way to eliminate head injuries is to eliminate hitting. Or you ban players the size of Chara. Or you simply throw in the towel  and realize that hockey is too dangerous and ban the whole sport.  In its stead, we could have a playoffs that consist entirely of the video game NHL11, played by fat slobs who's only worry of injury would come from sore thumbs and tired eyes. Of course, they would have to be well compensated (natch) but think of the trauma and horror we will have saved the public from.