Honest question: we're about $6million dollars from cap, does anyone honestly think $6million in players would seriously fix this team and make it more than what it's been at the best of times for basically Murray's entire tenure as GM: a bubble team?
Frankly, the blame is with a management group that values perceived character and intangibles to an absurd degree.
It's why we have so much money wrapped up in players like Cowen, Michalek (with the knees of a 40 year old), Greening, Chiasson, Borowiecki, and Neil. Most of these guys spend a lot of time in their own end because they aren't suited to the modern NHL: they suck at puck retrieval and actually limiting opponents' chances. But hey, they have "heart" or size, so that must mean they're "real good." The ones that aren't as often hemmed in their own end? They don't produce actual goals or assists much. Sure, most of them don't make much individually, but it all adds up, they all take up roster spots, which they get the inside track due to veteran status and/or one-way contracts. And despite their glaring inefficiencies, something a budget team really can't afford many of, management is reluctant to admit their poor play. Hell, they often seem to actually think these guys play well consistently. It took 2 and a half seasons of often garbage play for Murray and co. to finally seriously consider trading Cowen. That is just baffling. Though I must admit Neil has been better this year...compared to last. And hey, putting him with Prince, one of those risky guys Cameron doesn't like, has yielded some really positive numbers. So I guess coaching overvaluing certain players is a big part of all this too.
Management is also why we get guys who have their abilities and/or potential completely overrated, like Ceci and Lazar (the latter's offence translating to the NHL has always been a question mark for scouts). One's a local boy, and the other supposedly has "leadership" in spades. As a result, they get long leashes. Lazar is still pretty young, as is Ceci, but with Ceci his development has completely plateaued, and he tends to give up a ton of scoring chances against. And yet to hear Murray tell it, Ceci has been great. Gee, if only the Sens didn't often scoff at analytics so often.
Lazar...he's not showing much to indicate he'll ever be more than a solid third liner. Even with young skilled guys, you can say you see flashes through the inconsistency. With Lazar...not as much I'd argue. But I get it: this is about marketing and selling hope to the fans as much of anything. I just wish there was something actually there with them to be really hopeful about.
Melnyk bares some of the blame for this though: he's done nothing to really change management despite these failings. His restrictive budget doesn't help, but that's not what's really knee-capping this team from ever being a legitimate contender. Keeping a GM around for 9 years when he has just 1 playoff series win in that time, and is looking likely to miss the playoffs for the 4th time in those 9 years, all the while his coaches' average shelf-life is not even 2 seasons...a record like that would get a GM elsewhere fired, regardless of how they flaunt their drafting record.
Karlsson's right, there isn't enough talent here. But the internal budget isn't the biggest reason for that.
