Erik Karlsson Discussion Thread: He mad

[StefanW]

Honest question: we're about $6million dollars from cap (snip because nothing good follows an incoherent starting point)

You don't spend cap money, you spend salary. Our real spending on players is at 62,445,000 this season. We are hovering around the bottom 5 in real spending again, and which has been the case since 2011-12. Spending near the bottom dramatically decreases your chances of making the playoffs. Spending that low for several seasons in a row means you have very serious issues staying competitive unless you are spending low because you are on the tail end of a rebuild and you have several elite RFAs that you are saving money for. That is not the case here, because the only high end RFA waiting for a big payday this summer is Hoffman.

The thing about Karlsson's quote that is a concern is that he is absolutely right.

 

[FlyingJ]

You don't spend cap money, you spend salary. Our real spending on players is at 62,445,000 this season. We are hovering around the bottom 5 in real spending again, and which has been the case since 2011-12. Spending near the bottom dramatically decreases your chances of making the playoffs. Spending that low for several seasons in a row means you have very serious issues staying competitive unless you are spending low because you are on the tail end of a rebuild and you have several elite RFAs that you are saving money for. That is not the case here, because the only high end RFA waiting for a big payday this summer is Hoffman.

The thing about Karlsson's quote that is a concern is that he is absolutely right.

And again, do you think about $6million in extra spending, whether it be on real salary or average cap hit, would actually fix this team? The defence beyond Karlsson and Methot is a mess. The bottom 6 is comprised mostly of plugs who aren't suited for what the NHL has become and continues to evolve into. Yes, not spending isn't helping, but it goes way beyond that. When your management group mis-spends a good chunk of that budget, resulting in no real depth, that's what really kills this team.

And that fact is, we'd have to make that extra money fit within the cap, so it's not like we can spend a full extra $8-10million.

 

[Mercurial]

And again, do you think about $6million in extra spending, whether it be on real salary or average cap hit, would actually fix this team? The defence beyond Karlsson and Methot is a mess. The bottom 6 is comprised mostly of plugs who aren't suited for what the NHL has become and continues to evolve into. Yes, not spending isn't helping, but it goes way beyond that. When your management group mis-spends a good chunk of that budget, resulting in no real depth, that's what really kills this team.

And that fact is, we'd have to make that extra money fit within the cap, so it's not like we can spend a full extra $8-10million.

Spent $2 million on an upgrade on Cowen, gets you a legit $5m def.

$4m on another second pairing D.

Never sign Boro to that stupid contract, leave him in the AHL.

Retain Condra, move Lazar to AHL.

Probaby could have bought out Greening to save more.

 

[TheNewEra]

And again, do you think about $6million in extra spending, whether it be on real salary or average cap hit, would actually fix this team? The defence beyond Karlsson and Methot is a mess. The bottom 6 is comprised mostly of plugs who aren't suited for what the NHL has become and continues to evolve into. Yes, not spending isn't helping, but it goes way beyond that. When your management group mis-spends a good chunk of that budget, resulting in no real depth, that's what really kills this team.

And that fact is, we'd have to make that extra money fit within the cap, so it's not like we can spend a full extra $8-10million.

Spending an extra 6 million gets us a legit defenceman that alone would be an amazing improvement in terms of contending

Another legit defender and less ice time for cowen/wier/Boro do you realize how amazing that would be

 

[KAPOW]

i dont' think what's daid addresses melnyk but more murray to get in some damn trades to fix the defense.

 

[Boud]

Man, this coming from the backbone of the franchise has to be a slap in the face to the guys in the management team. To say that we don't have talent to compete with others is something you never want to hear from a guy like Karlsson if you're Murray or Melnyk. This screams get us some help down here because I'm getting real tired of this.

Karlsson must be really mad to say something like this. Yes,we have big injuries right now and that has affected us, but we've not been much better with Methot and Turris this season anyways,very inconsistent.

I also think that even if this is true, it's probably something Karlsson will regret saying. That's a shot directly at guys like Turris,Hoff, Stone, Ryan, Zibby. With all respect to Karlsson, we do have some talent up front and when everybody healthy we have a very good offensive team,defense however is a different story.

 

[middleyard]

Hometown discount

Wasn't EK saying that the Sens must rely on physicality and grinding to be able to win games, rather than talent, of which they have less than top teams like the Blackhawks or the Capitals?

 

[BonkTastic]

And again, do you think about $6million in extra spending, whether it be on real salary or average cap hit, would actually fix this team?

You aren't looking at it in the right context. We don't need an extra $6mil now, we've needed an extra $6mil every year for the past 4-5 years.
You make decisions based on your budget. Everything snowballs.


- 2012: "I have $6mil less than I should to play with, I can't afford Player X's $5mil salary demand, I only have $2.5mil to spend and I need to fill this hole... ok, I need to take a chance on Player Y at $2.5mil then"

- 2013: "Damnit, my budget Player Y isn't working out, and I signed him for $2.5mil, so this year I need to replace him, but now I effectively have $2.5 mil less than I did last year. Crap. Ok... I've begged the owner into getting an extra mil to play with to try and fix this, maybe I can sign this kid for $1mil/year for like 4 years, and if he works out, then it's almost like I never signed Player Y! It works out in the aggregate!"

- 2014: "God damnit, I'm spending almost $4mil on guys who did not exceed their paycheques. Crap."

- Etc, etc...


Not to mention rushing ELC players too soon because you can't afford their UFA equivalents and have holes to fill, needing to sign young unproven guys to speculative contracts after their ELCs have expired because you know you won't be able to afford them if they reach their ceiling, etc...

An extra $6mil now maybe buys us a 2nd pairing defenceman in the offseason, plus it gives us the financial freedom to move a $2 mil defenceman like Wiercioch, knowing that we have the wherewithal to replace him with a $3 or $4 mil defenceman on the turnaround.

An extra $6mil per year over the last 4-5 years though... that changes the game entirely. It allows you more freedom. It means maybe you don't have to demand that players on cheap ELCs (Chiasson) are part of the main return for Spezza because we can't afford to take salary back, and instead can target roster players who can help the team immediately. It probably means we don't lowball Alfie, and he never leaves. Alfie never leaving means we probably never sign Phillips to that last contract. It means Colin Greening probably never plays top line minutes with the Sens, and never gets that contract.

 

[krapsik]

Well, someone needs to say things like this. Management dont listen fans or media. Maybe this wakes them up.

 

[BonkTastic]

Well, someone needs to say things like this. Management dont listen fans or media. Maybe this wakes them up.

I find it interesting that not a single other member of the Ottawa Sports Journalism club isn't picking up and reporting on this Karlsson quote.


Everyone is afraid of biting the hand that feeds, I suppose. We can have articles where the editor of a newspaper can write an article about his own balls, but not this. Ottawa Sports Journalism at it's finest.

 

[Sensfanatic]

Man, this coming from the backbone of the franchise has to be a slap in the face to the guys in the management team. To say that we don't have talent to compete with others is something you never want to hear from a guy like Karlsson if you're Murray or Melnyk. This screams get us some help down here because I'm getting real tired of this.

Karlsson must be really mad to say something like this. Yes,we have big injuries right now and that has affected us, but we've not been much better with Methot and Turris this season anyways,very inconsistent.

I also think that even if this is true, it's probably something Karlsson will regret saying. That's a shot directly at guys like Turris,Hoff, Stone, Ryan, Zibby. With all respect to Karlsson, we do have some talent up front and when everybody healthy we have a very good offensive team,defense however is a different story.

Not sure he's referring to "up front" talent. He's likely referring to our AHL level defence and the fact he has to log close to 30 minutes a game to give them any chance. The guy is physically and mentally burning out.

 

[Sens Rule]

Wasn't EK saying that the Sens must rely on physicality and grinding to be able to win games, rather than talent, of which they have less than top teams like the Blackhawks or the Capitals?

Yes. Makes me think the couple of huge massive hits Karlsson made recently were intentional statements done to show the team WTF they should be doing. Be really hard to play against. Like the huge hit in the Montreal series last year.

 

[BatherSeason]

Well, someone needs to say things like this. Management dont listen fans or media. Maybe this wakes them up.

Local media doesn't criticize this team for anything. The media only asks "fluff" questions to the coach/players, the team wants the media to try to fool the fans into thinking that nothing is wrong with this franchise.

 

[The Lewler]

So is it a confirmed quote?

 

[Sens]

Yes it is

 

[The Lewler]

Well, man your pitchforks and spears then.

 

[BondraTime]

It needed to be said. Just look at HF Sens, we certainly don't know as much as our management, or shouldn't.

The vast majority here have been able to determine that our defence has been a tire fire, and we have inexcusably rolling 3-4 AHL quality D men for the better part of a year and a half. We all know this to be true, as much as we like Ceci's young age, or Boro's home town and effort level, or Wier and Cowen's potential, at most, 1 should be in our NHL lineup. Right now, all are, and that's not even counting Wideman.

Obviously a guy forced to play 30+ minutes a game, and in the 30 minutes he isn't that on the ice we are an AHL caliber defence, is going to get fed up. Why would you want to stay in a place where it seems managememt/ownership are in incompetent to the point where we not only can't ice an NHL defence, but we don't seem to realize it is an AHL defence. Murray was shopping for a top 6 forward when we have a top 3 top 6 depth wise in the league. That is moronic.

Anyone with a brain, which you'd expect the guys in charge to have, knows that we need a HUGE upgrade in D, and it's been that way since the 1 month mark of the 2014 season.

The fact that nothing has been done, other than try out Claesson, scares me.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Our bottom six is atrocious and so is our bottom 4 on defence.

Chiasson and Neil should be playing 5th line minutes.

 

[Sens]

Our bottom six is atrocious and so is our bottom 4 on defence.

Chiasson and Neil should be playing 5th line minutes.

It blows my mind that it's still so bad... BM has been in charge for eight years now

He picked all these players to be on his club... Every contract here he signed

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

It blows my mind that it's still so bad... BM has been in charge for eight years now

He picked all these players to be on his club... Every contract here he signed

obvious agenda is obvious.

Did you seriously create an account just to cry about Murray? Dude, that's pathetic.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

obvious agenda is obvious.

Did you seriously create an account just to cry about Murray? Dude, that's pathetic.

I have been a Murray supporter for the longest time but his decisions with whom to keep on the roster has definitively been questionable.

I will always love my team regardless but man its tough watching the rotation of players we have on this roster.

 

[HavlatMach9]

it is a valid criticism that our D has not been improved. we banked on Wier and Cowen being top 4 D several years ago, and it hasn't been addressed. It's as if it was hoped the situation would resolve itself, but it continues to drag us down.

 

[topshelf15]

obvious agenda is obvious.

Did you seriously create an account just to cry about Murray? Dude, that's pathetic.

Nobody was crying when we reigned any of Cowen,Wiercioch,Greening and somewhat Phillips (one year too long) . Anyone saying they could have predicted all three of these players would go so far sidewides after showing some very solid potential and play as younger players.Is completely full of crap

 

[topshelf15]

it is a valid criticism that our D has not been improved. we banked on Wier and Cowen being top 4 D several years ago, and it hasn't been addressed

Yep and we are still paying them ,as a budget team this is one of the issues you face .Any contract you sign a player too, you likely have to hope the play up to standard .Or try to move them out ,or in our case with both Wier and Cowen being virtually worthless.You end up stuck with two players you cant buy out and cant afford to replace

 

[Sens]

obvious agenda is obvious.

Did you seriously create an account just to cry about Murray? Dude, that's pathetic.

I'd like to talk about our sick blueline... Our incredible pipe line of prospects, our amazing coach, are deeply talented forward cast

But sadly we don't have any of that