Confirmed with Link: Craig Anderson signs 2-year extension with Senators

[Micklebot]

Nac,if we had a owner that would spend money to help the team...Then we could have other options than just going with the status quo....Is more of where is was going my friend...

Nobody would care about a two year deal to Andy,or a paltry one year left on Burrows deal...For us though even the 1 million 1 year deal will have our owner throwing away picks so as not to pay it...The full cap and some is required to be a player in this league,otherwise you are exactly what we are...A bubble team at times ,or drafting in the lottery in others

The argument to be made is that the budget constraints created pressures that lead to bad decisions;

- Hoping Cowen or Wiercioch would cut it as top 4 Dmen instead of looking for a suitable top 4 Dman in free agency
- Trading for Phaneuf as a way to rid themselves of bad contracts (I still contend that this was actually a pretty savvy move but we lacked the long term commitment to eat the contract with the money saved upfront)
- Dealing away picks to get teams to retain, eat bad contracts, or pay bonuses
- Taking lesser returns on star players to fit everything under the budget (Spezza is a prime example, we probably could have gotten more back if we weren't looking for cost controlled Chiasson and instead were willing to take back a more proven but more expensive guy)

On the flip side, it could be argued that our budget prevented us from making poor decisions too; perhaps if we were a cap team, we'd have signed Clarkson, who we were interested in. Some argue that signing Turris would have been a mistake (remains to be seen).

In the end, good managers make good decisions despite their constraints. I'm not sure what constraints lead to us signing both Anderson and Condon when we did, but to me it really seemed like an unforced error; not that it couldn't have worked out, but we backed ourselves into a corner in the event that it didn't work out (which it didn't). We're basically in a budget version of where the Stars were back when they had Niemi and Lehtonen

 

[coladin]

Nac,if we had a owner that would spend money to help the team...Then we could have other options than just going with the status quo....Is more of where is was going my friend...

Nobody would care about a two year deal to Andy,or a paltry one year left on Burrows deal...For us though even the 1 million 1 year deal will have our owner throwing away picks so as not to pay it...The full cap and some is required to be a player in this league,otherwise you are exactly what we are...A bubble team at times ,or drafting in the lottery in others

Hopefully fans will show up this year and help the team out. Sucks that this team requires ticket revenue more than other markets, but that is the reality, regardless of what you and I, Alfie and the mayor want. Tough to do the things we want when the place is 3 quarters full.

 

[Zorf]

That would certainly have mitigated the risk. I was a bit confused when they signed Anderson, not because he wasn't worth re-signing, but because we had a full year before it was needed and had already signed Condon to what appeared to be a prove you can be a future starter contract.

Seems Dorion thought he was going to solidify our goaltending for the next 3 (at the time) seasons, and instead locked us into a real tough spot. Rookie mistake imo, potentially the kind of thing an experienced AGM or senior advisor would have been able to steer him away from.

This is my take too. Dorion needs an experienced voice to tell him to calm his jets at times and look at the bigger picture. Dorion seems like the type of guy who decides on what he wants to do, and then does it, without taking into consideration other options. The Burrows trade + contract is a glaring example of this as well.

Plus, signing Anderson after his strong season and especially after what his wife and family went through, was a good PR move, but not a necessary move at the time. Did Anderson play well enough in 2016/17 to earn a new contract? Yes. Was it essential to do it when he did? Not at all.

 

[Langdon Alger]

This is my take too. Dorion needs an experienced voice to tell him to calm his jets at times and look at the bigger picture. Dorion seems like the type of guy who decides on what he wants to do, and then does it, without taking into consideration other options. The Burrows trade + contract is a glaring example of this as well.

Plus, signing Anderson after his strong season and especially after what his wife and family went through, was a good PR move, but not a necessary move at the time. Did Anderson play well enough in 2016/17 to earn a new contract? Yes. Was it essential to do it when he did? Not at all.

Yeah, Dorion is still learning to be a GM. He’s going to make some mistakes.

I wonder how we will look back at the Duchene trade years from now.

 

[Zorf]

Yeah, Dorion is still learning to be a GM. He’s going to make some mistakes.

I wonder how we will look back at the Duchene trade years from now.

It entirely depends on the prospects because there's no doubt that Duchene is better than Turris.

If Bowers or the 2019 pick become a hero player, then it'll look bad. For now it's fine because I like what Duchene brings more than Turris, and I was never really sold on Bowers being more than a 3rd liner.

Granted, if Duchene leaves as a UFA, then it's kind of a disaster regardless.

 

[topshelf15]

The argument to be made is that the budget constraints created pressures that lead to bad decisions;

- Hoping Cowen or Wiercioch would cut it as top 4 Dmen instead of looking for a suitable top 4 Dman in free agency
- Trading for Phaneuf as a way to rid themselves of bad contracts (I still contend that this was actually a pretty savvy move but we lacked the long term commitment to eat the contract with the money saved upfront)
- Dealing away picks to get teams to retain, eat bad contracts, or pay bonuses
- Taking lesser returns on star players to fit everything under the budget (Spezza is a prime example, we probably could have gotten more back if we weren't looking for cost controlled Chiasson and instead were willing to take back a more proven but more expensive guy)

On the flip side, it could be argued that our budget prevented us from making poor decisions too; perhaps if we were a cap team, we'd have signed Clarkson, who we were interested in. Some argue that signing Turris would have been a mistake (remains to be seen).

In the end, good managers make good decisions despite their constraints. I'm not sure what constraints lead to us signing both Anderson and Condon when we did, but to me it really seemed like an unforced error; not that it couldn't have worked out, but we backed ourselves into a corner in the event that it didn't work out (which it didn't). We're basically in a budget version of where the Stars were back when they had Niemi and Lehtonen

Having the money to have a good manager...LOL or at least some experience in the front office...But again experience costs money...In the end you said it best with one of your posts ...Its really a pay to win league

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

It entirely depends on the prospects because there's no doubt that Duchene is better than Turris.

If Bowers or the 2019 pick become a hero player, then it'll look bad. For now it's fine because I like what Duchene brings more than Turris, and I was never really sold on Bowers being more than a 3rd liner.

Granted, if Duchene leaves as a UFA, then it's kind of a disaster regardless.

Or if Dorion trades him for substantially less than he gave to get him. Dorion will move him...can't let him walk if he can't cut a deal

 

[Mark Stones Spleen]

Yeah, Dorion is still learning to be a GM. He’s going to make some mistakes.

I wonder how we will look back at the Duchene trade years from now.

Hard to blame him for the Duchene trade. We just came out of game 7 of the conference finals. Even if he didn't think we would reach it again so fast, there's no way we could have expected such a drastic drop. Hell, we even started the season fairly strong. He also gave us lottery protection by giving us two years to give up the pick. Even if the next pick is equally bad, we can't really blame this trade.

 

[JD1]

Or if Dorion trades him for substantially less than he gave to get him. Dorion will move him...can't let him walk if he can't cut a deal

if PD ends up trading Duchene this season because there isn't a play to sign him here then of course he gets less than what he paid. Duchene was acquired while under contract for another 1.75 seasons and the possibility of a long term signing.

That is far more valuable than flipping out a pending UFA for a 1/2 season rental.

 

[Sensung]

Hopefully fans will show up this year and help the team out. Sucks that this team requires ticket revenue more than other markets, but that is the reality, regardless of what you and I, Alfie and the mayor want. Tough to do the things we want when the place is 3 quarters full.

If they trade EK and Melnyk owns the team the best things fans can do is empty the arena to encourage Eugene to sell.

If the rumours are true and the team is being sold, then expect the place to be packed.