BonkTastic
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As usual, I like to put Murray's interviews in print, because it helps out when we discuss the team later in the year, and makes for easier sourcing. Having a separate thread for them also makes for easier searching when looking for that quote that everyone is asking to verify.
Link to the interview can be found here.
Here's the transcript from Murray's interview with Bob McKenzie yesterday. WARNING: it's a 25 minute interview, so this is going to be a long transcript. I have done my best to quote Murray accurately, for the most parts these are his words exactly. I left out a few minutes about him talking about Shawville, as it's not really relevant to what we would want to get out of this thread.
re: How you (Murray) are feeling
- For the most part, pretty decent. There are days that I have good days, but for the most part ok.
re: are you ready to reconsider whether or not this will be your last year
- I haven't made a final decision. It's the last year of my GM contract, I do have something going forward if I want to be an advisor with the team. I'd like to wait a little longer into the season before I have a final answer
re: Alfredsson as an advisor
- He brings credibility right off the bat, because of his reputation as a player, his commitment as a player and where he came from from the time he was drafted in Ottawa to where he ended up being. At this time, it's a learning process for Daniel. Being a player is one thing, but knowing about drafting and contracts, being involved in scouting and evaluating the team and coaching, they're all part of the learning curve. At the end of the day, I think Daniel has the chance to be President of Hockey Operations, or that type of role in the overall organization. He's come in, and wanted to have a dabble in each area, to find out what really fits him the best. I think he'll be able to figure that out, he's a very credible person to start with and he'll definitely have an impact on the organization.
re: have you ever gone through a summer where you didn't add anybody?
- I don't think so. I think in all my career... you know, there were a couple of discussions where we thought we might have a chance to add a player, but we did more subtracting to provide opportunity for other young players, and it fits our budget at this point in time. But we'll see where we start. We think we're going to grow. We think that the players going through the last 20 games in particular, and the playoffs, the great spurt that we had, we think there's a growth there that we hope to see in the early part of this year.
re: "the budget"
- We had a number of contracts to do: Stone, Zibanejad, Hoffman, Chiasson, and in particular Pageau... that was part of what happened. We got more money, but it got eaten up by internal players. It was the right thing to do, there's no question, we're not a cap team by any means, but we have a budget that's comparable to some teams, and certainly gives us a fighting chance.
re: what do you want to add to the team
- All along, I thought we really needed a top-6, and I think the early 20 games this year will tell us that. Some people feel we need one more defenceman, so, it's one or the other... I'm more inclined to think if we got a top-6 guy, that was a regular performer, more of a veteran guy, that would make a big difference on our hockey team. But again, if Mike Hoffman steps up the way he did last year, Bobby Ryan gets back to what we think he is, I think we'll be in pretty good shape.
re: if you can add guys if you need to, or is it "dollar in - dollar out"?
- Well... We can add. I think it has to be a reasonable add. I always consult my owner, Eugene is a part of what we do, but he's never said "no" to me in all the time I've been here. I suggest that is we find the right fit, and it means a little difference in dollars, it would happen.
re: Andrew Hammond saving your season
- Oh, without a doubt. Without a doubt. I think other people "got on board" after he came in, and I remember going to California to start his run, and he had two shutouts in his first two games, and I think to that point we were all questioning where we were going to be... when he played at that level, I think a lot of players jumped on board and a lot of players started to believe, but he was a big part of it without a doubt.
re: have you ever seen a run like that?
- Not to that extent. It was incredible. I kept waiting for something to happen, an injury or something bad would happen, but it kept going and going, obviously it was something exciting to be a part of and rewarding to a lot of people.
re: is Hammond the real deal (aka: an NHL goalie who can get the job done if Andy gets hurt)?
- I think he can. I think he proves that, I watch him practice every day now, he's a competitive guy who takes a lot of the net away, he understands positioning very well, and I've got to believe that run built his confidence to such a point where if he gets put in that position again, he'll do a real credible job for us.
re: Matt O'Connors timetable to get to the NHL
- He has to play games in the AHL, and Matt knows that, and he agreed to come to Ottawa based on our promise to him that we wouldn't force him, that he would get a chance to go play, learn, and get better. I've watched him in training camp, in rookie tournament... (dramatic pause)... he can play games pretty soon in the year, I think, but very definitely he'll go down and play, and hopefully be our #1 guy down there and do a good job.
re: Karlsson, and avoiding the the slow start from last year
- I don't think we skated enough early last year, and Erik's a skater. I really felt that if we'd paid more attention to fitness on the ice, we probably would have been better. As soon as Dave Cameron came in, and this isn't a knock on anyone, but as soon as Dave came in, we skated more in practice, we worked harder in practice, and we got better. We didn't win right away, but our team started to play better, and Erik started to play better. Erik is one of those guys, he's a unique individual, but he has to be mobile. When he's in shape and really going, he's the catalyst of our team.
re: where does Karlsson rank among the great defenceman you've had on your teams in your career
- He's right up there. Nick Lidstrom was an incredible player for me. He was just a young guy when I first brought him over to Detroit, but he had a tremendous impact on our team in his 2nd year in particular. First year he was ok, second year he was really good. Erik has won two Norrisses already, he's quicker, he shoots the puck a little bit better, joins the rush more... but it's hard to compare because the game is different today. Rod Langway was such a stable guy and such a good defensive guy, not a lot of offence, but the game today is quicker and a guy like Erik joining the play because of his skating ability... I have to say today he's the impact guy that maybe we didn't have in a couple of other occasions.
He sees the ice and makes plays... I saw today in practice that his defensive game has gotten so much better. He's gotten a little bigger this year, he looks like he's ready to defend more. I think the big thing that happened to Erik was becoming the captain.. he's taken ownership. And I think it's helped his game tremendously.
re: Wiercioch improving later in the year, he was available... was not moving him at the trade deadline qualify as one of those "best deals you never made"?
- Exactly. Sometimes... I've had a couple of deals like that, where you're ready to make a move to get something "for the moment". Patrick had said to me earlier "If I can just play 10-15 games without sitting out a game, you'd find out what I am". And we put him in, and he did that, and we found out what he is... and you're right; sometimes you're lucky that the phone call didn't come back to make the trade. We were close at the deadline. We kind of ran out of time, and I talked to Patrick about it... I mean, if they're not going to play on my team, I want them to have a chance to have careers, and I talked to him about it, but thank goodness the call didn't come.
re: expectations of Cowen
- I expect a good defensive defenceman. I expect that Jared will come in - he's 6'5", he's pretty mobile, he's healthy now... he's had a couple years of not very good health, the hip, his knee, other things... I think he's behind the curve for his age group. I expect him to be able to play solid, be a match-up guy , and move the puck... he doesn't have to do anything offensively. He thinks he's more of an offensive guy than I think he is, and I think that when he buys the fact that he is what he is - and that's big & strong & defensive - I think hell be a top4/#5 defenceman.
re: rebuilding Cowen's confidence/ communicating how you want him to play
- we had a great exit meeting last year, he came back in great shape, he looks happy, he's had a decent camp so far, we've just started to play, but I'm interested to see now how he plays, because I think all he has to do is build his confidence to the level that he's secured knowing that he'll play every night.
re: Gryba trade effect on the bottom pair
- Part of the reason I traded Gryba was to give Cowen a chance to play. I felt that for the last 19 or so games last season he didn't play, partly due to injuries, but also because he couldn't find a spot. I want him to have a chance to play... but Chris Wideman brings a different dimension to our team, he's smaller & quicker, he's an offensive guy, he certainly is a lesser fill but could fill in Erik Karlsson's role once and a while if he had to.
re: top-4 Defence being Methot/Karlsson & Wiercioch/Ceci
- It appears that would be the case at the moment. We'll have to let it play out, but certainly the way they played at the end of the year, I would suggest so.
re: last D pairing being Cowen-Boro, with Wideman as the 7th
- At the moment... he (Wideman) is a waiver guy, you have to give him the inside track because of that. We do have a couple of younger guys who look like they may need some games, but they could play, but I think Wideman is the next guy, yes.
re: Thomas Chabot
- He's played very well. He played with Karlsson the other night against Toronto and I thought he was really solid for a young player. He's mobile, he's an offensive type of guy... needs to improve his shot a little, but he brings a lot to the table. I think we let him play a little more in pre-season before a decision has to be made, but I think the odds are he goes back to junior.
re: Stone avoiding the sophomore jinx.
- He's been around enough now. Mark played a big price to get into the lineup last year - he spent a lot of time working out the previous summer... he had a great run. I said if anyone was going to carry us down the stretch, he'd be the guy, and he did, even in the last game in Philadelphia he scored a take-away goal that was incredible. I don't think there's any problem with Mark having a slump, I think his head and hands are so good in this league that I think that alone will get him by and have him a good year.
re: Ryan (slump) and Hoffman (can he repeat) being under the most pressure
- Bobby Ryan obviously is a high-end player who we made a big trade to get him. He has a good contract, I think players of that stature get that kind of contract... he made a commitment to Ottawa, and we made a commitment to him. Bobby's one of those kids though, that if the confidence isn't there... he's a goal score, so he gets into a slump of sorts, and when he gets going, he scores every night there for a while. We think he'll have a real bounce-back year, I don't think there's any question that Bobby Ryan is a star in this league, and he'll play awfully well. Mike Hoffman, we didn't want to go to arbitration with him either. He had a great year, looks like a real promising young player, he'd done it once in the minors. He took a while to get here... we just want to see him do it again. Is he a flash-in-the-pan? We don't think he is, but is he? And he didn't score down the stretch either, and those were two big players for us that didn't score down the stretch, and that was our argument: show it to us again, and we know we'll have to pay you. We love paying players that perform.
re: the Sens lineup looking set in stone already. Does there need to be some change, is three too much familiarity?
- I hope that's not the case. I agree, sometimes we discuss that, sometimes you hope that it's going to continue to grow, and we think it will. We have a lot of young players in that mixture. We know that Zibanejad is going to get better, that Lazar is going to get better, that obviously we hope Hoffman is going to continue to grow in his role, Mark Stone is going to be a better player, so that's our ambition that that happens. If it doesn't happen, then you have to tweak somewhere. We do have about five young guys, like Prince and Puempel, that are going to push like heck before this camp is over. The one thing is that if we go stale in one spot, injecting one of those young people won't hurt us.
re: Prince & Puempel: only room for one?
- At this moment, that would be the case, unless I did something. Shane Prince really played well down the stretch. He was a guy that when we first drafted him, I thought he was going to be an offensive player, he's going to pass the puck pretty well and score a little bit, but he's going to have to really work hard to be an NHL player. Today, he looks like a real NHL player, he's really done a lot of work off the ice on his body, he's skating hard, he's become a real decent defensive guy, he works in the offensive zone and cycles real well, and he scored a great goal the other night. Matt Puempel is a goal scorer. Matt Puempel is smart, competitive kid, but he's more of a pure goal scorer, he's one of those guys where the puck goes in for him for some reason, and we need that in our lineup at some point in time. It'll be an interesting competition - they both work hard, they're both great young kids, both good people, they fit what we are trying to work towards in Ottawa... it's a competition that I wouldn't want to even make an attempt at judging right now.
re: Prince needing waivers to get sent down, Puempel not.
- It's always a factor. You don't want to lose a good young prospect if you can help it. There's no question that there's a prejudice that way, there should be. Matt will have to overcome that.
re: expectations for Chris Neil
- He looks great in camp, he's skating really well. He's about 10-12 pounds lighter, at least. He's a competitive guy, a tough guy, plays a fairly solid game for us, he's good in the room. I like Chris Neil a lot, when I coached, he was one of the guys you favored all the time because he would do anything for the coach. I do (have a soft spot for old-school guys), I like toughness, I like competitive people, and Chris fills that mold very, very clearly.
re: the way the modern game is played now, decrease in fighting, etc...
- I like the guys who handle the puck a little bit more. You know, the red line allows a lot of long passes and chips in, a lot of forechecking.. but the game is fast, it's exciting, it's fun. The players have to be in exceptionally good shape now, they have to be competitive now, defenceman in particular have to pay a big price to go back and retrieve the puck. It's a good game. Sometimes I wish the center icemen - the Yzermans, the Gretzkys, the way they carried the puck back in their day, I'd like to see that more often, but beyond that we have a great game, and I'm very much into the forward thinking that made that happen.
re: Dave Cameron
- What I liked about Dave is he came in, he was really honest with the players, he was able to communicate on a regular basis with them, and most importantly he put them on the ice and made them work. He made them skate a lot, he made them handle the puck a lot, and our team got better as a result. I think that's coaching today - if you don't have meaningful activity on the ice, a lot of skating and good conditioning, it's hard to play this game. The players want that, they need it, they need discipline. I see Dave bringing all that to our team, he's a former teacher, minor league coach, junior coach, so he's gone through a lot of young players and our team right now fits that for Dave.
re: Murray being a coach at heart
- I would have coached forever. I don't know why I ever got into management, honestly (laughs). I was in Detroit, and Mr. Illich said "I want to hire you as a manager", and of course at that time I wanted to work, so I took that job. I coached for 3 years there, but I really like coaching. I like being around players, I like people, I like to talk to the kids, it keeps you young and involved, and I am a little crazy in the box some nights, I know that.
re: What you'd like Dave Cameron to work on, what you want to see from the team
- We talked about communication with the players, treatment of players, we talked about the activity that Dave didn't need me to tell him, he just did it.. we talked about individual players that we'd like to see make a step and get a chance to make that step... but mainly he's the coach. If agents called me saying "my guy isn't playing enough", I would never tell a coach who to play. I can suggest certain things, we keep certain players around, but it's the coaches job to make the lineup, to play the players and to coach the way he coaches. Obviously I want the powerplay to be eventful every night, and some nights it's not, and you always make a comment or two about that, but beyond that Dave is a good coach with a god staff, and he does a good job, and he doesn't need me interfering.
re: what you like best about this Ottawa Senators team? Is this a playoff team?
- I think it's a playoff team, it's going to be competitive as heck in the East, I heard some people say the East isn't as good as the West, maybe that's true, but I don't know if that's true... but very definitely it's a good conference. It will be difficult. I think we've a good team, I think we have a competitive team. I like the fact that we skate pretty well, I like the fact that we have some skill, and we have lots of depth. The depth is fairly young, but I think we have lots of depth, and when we have a problem, we can fill it internally.
Link to the interview can be found here.
Here's the transcript from Murray's interview with Bob McKenzie yesterday. WARNING: it's a 25 minute interview, so this is going to be a long transcript. I have done my best to quote Murray accurately, for the most parts these are his words exactly. I left out a few minutes about him talking about Shawville, as it's not really relevant to what we would want to get out of this thread.
re: How you (Murray) are feeling
- For the most part, pretty decent. There are days that I have good days, but for the most part ok.
re: are you ready to reconsider whether or not this will be your last year
- I haven't made a final decision. It's the last year of my GM contract, I do have something going forward if I want to be an advisor with the team. I'd like to wait a little longer into the season before I have a final answer
re: Alfredsson as an advisor
- He brings credibility right off the bat, because of his reputation as a player, his commitment as a player and where he came from from the time he was drafted in Ottawa to where he ended up being. At this time, it's a learning process for Daniel. Being a player is one thing, but knowing about drafting and contracts, being involved in scouting and evaluating the team and coaching, they're all part of the learning curve. At the end of the day, I think Daniel has the chance to be President of Hockey Operations, or that type of role in the overall organization. He's come in, and wanted to have a dabble in each area, to find out what really fits him the best. I think he'll be able to figure that out, he's a very credible person to start with and he'll definitely have an impact on the organization.
re: have you ever gone through a summer where you didn't add anybody?
- I don't think so. I think in all my career... you know, there were a couple of discussions where we thought we might have a chance to add a player, but we did more subtracting to provide opportunity for other young players, and it fits our budget at this point in time. But we'll see where we start. We think we're going to grow. We think that the players going through the last 20 games in particular, and the playoffs, the great spurt that we had, we think there's a growth there that we hope to see in the early part of this year.
re: "the budget"
- We had a number of contracts to do: Stone, Zibanejad, Hoffman, Chiasson, and in particular Pageau... that was part of what happened. We got more money, but it got eaten up by internal players. It was the right thing to do, there's no question, we're not a cap team by any means, but we have a budget that's comparable to some teams, and certainly gives us a fighting chance.
re: what do you want to add to the team
- All along, I thought we really needed a top-6, and I think the early 20 games this year will tell us that. Some people feel we need one more defenceman, so, it's one or the other... I'm more inclined to think if we got a top-6 guy, that was a regular performer, more of a veteran guy, that would make a big difference on our hockey team. But again, if Mike Hoffman steps up the way he did last year, Bobby Ryan gets back to what we think he is, I think we'll be in pretty good shape.
re: if you can add guys if you need to, or is it "dollar in - dollar out"?
- Well... We can add. I think it has to be a reasonable add. I always consult my owner, Eugene is a part of what we do, but he's never said "no" to me in all the time I've been here. I suggest that is we find the right fit, and it means a little difference in dollars, it would happen.
re: Andrew Hammond saving your season
- Oh, without a doubt. Without a doubt. I think other people "got on board" after he came in, and I remember going to California to start his run, and he had two shutouts in his first two games, and I think to that point we were all questioning where we were going to be... when he played at that level, I think a lot of players jumped on board and a lot of players started to believe, but he was a big part of it without a doubt.
re: have you ever seen a run like that?
- Not to that extent. It was incredible. I kept waiting for something to happen, an injury or something bad would happen, but it kept going and going, obviously it was something exciting to be a part of and rewarding to a lot of people.
re: is Hammond the real deal (aka: an NHL goalie who can get the job done if Andy gets hurt)?
- I think he can. I think he proves that, I watch him practice every day now, he's a competitive guy who takes a lot of the net away, he understands positioning very well, and I've got to believe that run built his confidence to such a point where if he gets put in that position again, he'll do a real credible job for us.
re: Matt O'Connors timetable to get to the NHL
- He has to play games in the AHL, and Matt knows that, and he agreed to come to Ottawa based on our promise to him that we wouldn't force him, that he would get a chance to go play, learn, and get better. I've watched him in training camp, in rookie tournament... (dramatic pause)... he can play games pretty soon in the year, I think, but very definitely he'll go down and play, and hopefully be our #1 guy down there and do a good job.
re: Karlsson, and avoiding the the slow start from last year
- I don't think we skated enough early last year, and Erik's a skater. I really felt that if we'd paid more attention to fitness on the ice, we probably would have been better. As soon as Dave Cameron came in, and this isn't a knock on anyone, but as soon as Dave came in, we skated more in practice, we worked harder in practice, and we got better. We didn't win right away, but our team started to play better, and Erik started to play better. Erik is one of those guys, he's a unique individual, but he has to be mobile. When he's in shape and really going, he's the catalyst of our team.
re: where does Karlsson rank among the great defenceman you've had on your teams in your career
- He's right up there. Nick Lidstrom was an incredible player for me. He was just a young guy when I first brought him over to Detroit, but he had a tremendous impact on our team in his 2nd year in particular. First year he was ok, second year he was really good. Erik has won two Norrisses already, he's quicker, he shoots the puck a little bit better, joins the rush more... but it's hard to compare because the game is different today. Rod Langway was such a stable guy and such a good defensive guy, not a lot of offence, but the game today is quicker and a guy like Erik joining the play because of his skating ability... I have to say today he's the impact guy that maybe we didn't have in a couple of other occasions.
He sees the ice and makes plays... I saw today in practice that his defensive game has gotten so much better. He's gotten a little bigger this year, he looks like he's ready to defend more. I think the big thing that happened to Erik was becoming the captain.. he's taken ownership. And I think it's helped his game tremendously.
re: Wiercioch improving later in the year, he was available... was not moving him at the trade deadline qualify as one of those "best deals you never made"?
- Exactly. Sometimes... I've had a couple of deals like that, where you're ready to make a move to get something "for the moment". Patrick had said to me earlier "If I can just play 10-15 games without sitting out a game, you'd find out what I am". And we put him in, and he did that, and we found out what he is... and you're right; sometimes you're lucky that the phone call didn't come back to make the trade. We were close at the deadline. We kind of ran out of time, and I talked to Patrick about it... I mean, if they're not going to play on my team, I want them to have a chance to have careers, and I talked to him about it, but thank goodness the call didn't come.
re: expectations of Cowen
- I expect a good defensive defenceman. I expect that Jared will come in - he's 6'5", he's pretty mobile, he's healthy now... he's had a couple years of not very good health, the hip, his knee, other things... I think he's behind the curve for his age group. I expect him to be able to play solid, be a match-up guy , and move the puck... he doesn't have to do anything offensively. He thinks he's more of an offensive guy than I think he is, and I think that when he buys the fact that he is what he is - and that's big & strong & defensive - I think hell be a top4/#5 defenceman.
re: rebuilding Cowen's confidence/ communicating how you want him to play
- we had a great exit meeting last year, he came back in great shape, he looks happy, he's had a decent camp so far, we've just started to play, but I'm interested to see now how he plays, because I think all he has to do is build his confidence to the level that he's secured knowing that he'll play every night.
re: Gryba trade effect on the bottom pair
- Part of the reason I traded Gryba was to give Cowen a chance to play. I felt that for the last 19 or so games last season he didn't play, partly due to injuries, but also because he couldn't find a spot. I want him to have a chance to play... but Chris Wideman brings a different dimension to our team, he's smaller & quicker, he's an offensive guy, he certainly is a lesser fill but could fill in Erik Karlsson's role once and a while if he had to.
re: top-4 Defence being Methot/Karlsson & Wiercioch/Ceci
- It appears that would be the case at the moment. We'll have to let it play out, but certainly the way they played at the end of the year, I would suggest so.
re: last D pairing being Cowen-Boro, with Wideman as the 7th
- At the moment... he (Wideman) is a waiver guy, you have to give him the inside track because of that. We do have a couple of younger guys who look like they may need some games, but they could play, but I think Wideman is the next guy, yes.
re: Thomas Chabot
- He's played very well. He played with Karlsson the other night against Toronto and I thought he was really solid for a young player. He's mobile, he's an offensive type of guy... needs to improve his shot a little, but he brings a lot to the table. I think we let him play a little more in pre-season before a decision has to be made, but I think the odds are he goes back to junior.
re: Stone avoiding the sophomore jinx.
- He's been around enough now. Mark played a big price to get into the lineup last year - he spent a lot of time working out the previous summer... he had a great run. I said if anyone was going to carry us down the stretch, he'd be the guy, and he did, even in the last game in Philadelphia he scored a take-away goal that was incredible. I don't think there's any problem with Mark having a slump, I think his head and hands are so good in this league that I think that alone will get him by and have him a good year.
re: Ryan (slump) and Hoffman (can he repeat) being under the most pressure
- Bobby Ryan obviously is a high-end player who we made a big trade to get him. He has a good contract, I think players of that stature get that kind of contract... he made a commitment to Ottawa, and we made a commitment to him. Bobby's one of those kids though, that if the confidence isn't there... he's a goal score, so he gets into a slump of sorts, and when he gets going, he scores every night there for a while. We think he'll have a real bounce-back year, I don't think there's any question that Bobby Ryan is a star in this league, and he'll play awfully well. Mike Hoffman, we didn't want to go to arbitration with him either. He had a great year, looks like a real promising young player, he'd done it once in the minors. He took a while to get here... we just want to see him do it again. Is he a flash-in-the-pan? We don't think he is, but is he? And he didn't score down the stretch either, and those were two big players for us that didn't score down the stretch, and that was our argument: show it to us again, and we know we'll have to pay you. We love paying players that perform.
re: the Sens lineup looking set in stone already. Does there need to be some change, is three too much familiarity?
- I hope that's not the case. I agree, sometimes we discuss that, sometimes you hope that it's going to continue to grow, and we think it will. We have a lot of young players in that mixture. We know that Zibanejad is going to get better, that Lazar is going to get better, that obviously we hope Hoffman is going to continue to grow in his role, Mark Stone is going to be a better player, so that's our ambition that that happens. If it doesn't happen, then you have to tweak somewhere. We do have about five young guys, like Prince and Puempel, that are going to push like heck before this camp is over. The one thing is that if we go stale in one spot, injecting one of those young people won't hurt us.
re: Prince & Puempel: only room for one?
- At this moment, that would be the case, unless I did something. Shane Prince really played well down the stretch. He was a guy that when we first drafted him, I thought he was going to be an offensive player, he's going to pass the puck pretty well and score a little bit, but he's going to have to really work hard to be an NHL player. Today, he looks like a real NHL player, he's really done a lot of work off the ice on his body, he's skating hard, he's become a real decent defensive guy, he works in the offensive zone and cycles real well, and he scored a great goal the other night. Matt Puempel is a goal scorer. Matt Puempel is smart, competitive kid, but he's more of a pure goal scorer, he's one of those guys where the puck goes in for him for some reason, and we need that in our lineup at some point in time. It'll be an interesting competition - they both work hard, they're both great young kids, both good people, they fit what we are trying to work towards in Ottawa... it's a competition that I wouldn't want to even make an attempt at judging right now.
re: Prince needing waivers to get sent down, Puempel not.
- It's always a factor. You don't want to lose a good young prospect if you can help it. There's no question that there's a prejudice that way, there should be. Matt will have to overcome that.
re: expectations for Chris Neil
- He looks great in camp, he's skating really well. He's about 10-12 pounds lighter, at least. He's a competitive guy, a tough guy, plays a fairly solid game for us, he's good in the room. I like Chris Neil a lot, when I coached, he was one of the guys you favored all the time because he would do anything for the coach. I do (have a soft spot for old-school guys), I like toughness, I like competitive people, and Chris fills that mold very, very clearly.
re: the way the modern game is played now, decrease in fighting, etc...
- I like the guys who handle the puck a little bit more. You know, the red line allows a lot of long passes and chips in, a lot of forechecking.. but the game is fast, it's exciting, it's fun. The players have to be in exceptionally good shape now, they have to be competitive now, defenceman in particular have to pay a big price to go back and retrieve the puck. It's a good game. Sometimes I wish the center icemen - the Yzermans, the Gretzkys, the way they carried the puck back in their day, I'd like to see that more often, but beyond that we have a great game, and I'm very much into the forward thinking that made that happen.
re: Dave Cameron
- What I liked about Dave is he came in, he was really honest with the players, he was able to communicate on a regular basis with them, and most importantly he put them on the ice and made them work. He made them skate a lot, he made them handle the puck a lot, and our team got better as a result. I think that's coaching today - if you don't have meaningful activity on the ice, a lot of skating and good conditioning, it's hard to play this game. The players want that, they need it, they need discipline. I see Dave bringing all that to our team, he's a former teacher, minor league coach, junior coach, so he's gone through a lot of young players and our team right now fits that for Dave.
re: Murray being a coach at heart
- I would have coached forever. I don't know why I ever got into management, honestly (laughs). I was in Detroit, and Mr. Illich said "I want to hire you as a manager", and of course at that time I wanted to work, so I took that job. I coached for 3 years there, but I really like coaching. I like being around players, I like people, I like to talk to the kids, it keeps you young and involved, and I am a little crazy in the box some nights, I know that.
re: What you'd like Dave Cameron to work on, what you want to see from the team
- We talked about communication with the players, treatment of players, we talked about the activity that Dave didn't need me to tell him, he just did it.. we talked about individual players that we'd like to see make a step and get a chance to make that step... but mainly he's the coach. If agents called me saying "my guy isn't playing enough", I would never tell a coach who to play. I can suggest certain things, we keep certain players around, but it's the coaches job to make the lineup, to play the players and to coach the way he coaches. Obviously I want the powerplay to be eventful every night, and some nights it's not, and you always make a comment or two about that, but beyond that Dave is a good coach with a god staff, and he does a good job, and he doesn't need me interfering.
re: what you like best about this Ottawa Senators team? Is this a playoff team?
- I think it's a playoff team, it's going to be competitive as heck in the East, I heard some people say the East isn't as good as the West, maybe that's true, but I don't know if that's true... but very definitely it's a good conference. It will be difficult. I think we've a good team, I think we have a competitive team. I like the fact that we skate pretty well, I like the fact that we have some skill, and we have lots of depth. The depth is fairly young, but I think we have lots of depth, and when we have a problem, we can fill it internally.
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