If Melnyk gives the ok for buyouts/retain salary, do you forgive him?

[Stylizer1]

We all know this is what is keeping us from being able to move on. Our terrible contracts for the years to come is going to cripple us. I would absolutely give him a pass and start new.

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[DJB]

Nope damage has been done. Cheaping out on Alfie, awful bashing remarks of Sens fans and of course ridiculous rants on just about everything Senators.

Only way i forgive him is of he decides to sell the team and admits he was a terrible owner.

He needs to go

 

[Stylizer1]

Nope damage has been done. Cheaping out on Alfie, awful bashing remarks of Sens fans and of course ridiculous rants on just about everything Senators.

Only way i forgive him is of he decides to sell the team and admits he was a terrible owner.

He needs to go

You're gonna be a ball of hate for a long time. If he makes the tough financial moves to help us get better faster isn't that better than nothing?

 

[saskriders]

You're gonna be a ball of hate for a long time. If he makes the tough financial moves to help us get better faster isn't that better than nothing?

How many teams have owners that would buy out bad contracts and don't say stupid stuff.

 

[Stylizer1]

How many teams have owners that would buy out bad contracts and don't say stupid stuff.

Most?

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Yes.

While I would still hate the guy, at least signing the check for a buyout or two (Ryan and Phaneuf), it would at least show he is willing to put more than the bare minimum of cash into the team.

It wouldn't be total forgiveness, mind you, but definitely a strong step in the right direction. You have to be willing to work with people and give people that opportunity to change.

 

[BatherSeason]

There is a whole lot that he needs to do to financially besides buyouts/retain salary. Instead of doing a media tour, here are a few things Melnyk can do to potentially turn his public perception around:

1) Hiring a competent management team
2) Invest in hockey Ops
3) Improve the game day experience
4) Re-signing Karl
5) Buyout Ryan or Phaneuf

OR

Just simply sell the team, take his cash and run.

 

[Upgrayedd]

There is a whole lot that he needs to do to financially besides buyouts/retain salary. Instead of doing a media tour, here are a few things Melnyk can do to potentially turn his public perception around:

1) Hiring a competent management team
2) Invest in hockey Ops
3) Improve the game day experience
4) Re-signing Karl
5) Buyout Ryan or Phaneuf

OR

Just simply sell the team, take his cash and run.

Euge has a way to go and the PR stuff imo is way too little too late, I agree with this list and or the plan B.

 

[Joeyjoejoe]

Or he could save himself a lot of money by just selling the team. Just f***ing sell dude, you hate the team, you hate the city, you hate the fans. Just pick up your $600M+ cheque and let someone take the 'problem' out of your hands.

 

[Zorf]

It'll take more than a buyout or two.

this team needs serious investment. The pro scouting staff is a joke, as evidenced by the Sens having their asses handed to them on a silver platter on more than one occasion when they make trades and sign UFAs

The amateur scouts are good. Hard to complain about them, except for the misses with 1st round picks. What's up with that? They save face with strong late round drafting though.

Coaching. I'd like to not hire the cheapest coach available. And I'd like them to invest in assistant coaches who know what a PP and a PK are and can coach them properly.

Marketing is an absolute tire fire. How on earth does it make sense to announce the Chris Neil appreciation on the morning of the game? Who dropped the ball there? There's hardly any advertising anymore. The ticket sale agents have no training at all.

His PR gaffes. Almost too many to count. And his newly sculpted image by this PR firm is so outrageously fake that I can't even begin to take him seriously.


But yeah, a buyout of one contract will fix everything....

He's a joke of an owner.

 

[Zorf]

And it's not like a buyout would fix things. Don't kid yourself. Say the team has $68M to spend on players, and they buy out Bobby's contract. I don't know the math, but let's just say that the buyout costs $4M per year.

That doesn't mean that Melnyk is going to spend $72M on players. That means he's still going to spend $68M and Dorion will only have $64m to work with now.

So no, a buyout fixes nothing.

 

[NyQuil]

We all know this is what is keeping us from being able to move on. Our terrible contracts for the years to come is going to cripple us. I would absolutely give him a pass and start new.

Especially if he gives Dorion the go-ahead to trade for Jason Spezza.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

And it's not like a buyout would fix things. Don't kid yourself. Say the team has $68M to spend on players, and they buy out Bobby's contract. I don't know the math, but let's just say that the buyout costs $4M per year.

That doesn't mean that Melnyk is going to spend $72M on players. That means he's still going to spend $68M and Dorion will only have $64m to work with now.

So no, a buyout fixes nothing.

Well, that's the thing...if Melynk agrees to boost the internal cap (otherwise, a buyout is useless), you have to take it as a positive. Let's face it, by the time the arena in Lebreton is open, the NHL salary floor will likely be above $68 mil, so if he wants to be a playa, he has to pony up. Might as well show some good faith to the fans and open those purse strings now.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

I'd rather just keep Phaneuf and Ryan than buy them out, the numbers just dont make enough sense.

I would prefer he just be willing to spend to the cap.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

It would help, yeah.
If we bought out Phaneuf and Ryan and then he added some eyeballs and brains to the management staff, I'd certainly back off a bit. There would still be mending to do, but it's a good start.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

Where do you think the money required to buyout the players (suggested) would come from?

As far as I know there is no money tree growing anywhere around the CTC.

Perhaps you should have suggested, if he raised ticket prices by X% for the remainder of the season, for next season and if a 95% or higher average attendance target is achieved for a specified time period.......... the extra money would be used to buyout players.


Or, do you just expect him to cash in his RSPs, sell his house(s), sell his car(s) and uses that money to buyout your suggested Players?

 

[BonkTastic]

What is this, the hockey version of Buying Indulgences?

If so, you can call me Martin Luther.

 

[tony d]

I would, this team got to get rid of Phaneuf and/or Ryan's contract if we hope to compete anytime soon.

 

[Stylizer1]

Retaining salary is an option too. People are way too focused on Ryan and Phaneuf. What about buying out other players?

Edit: Oh crap. we are screwed.

Burrows, Anderson, add no help to the cap.

 

[Zorf]

Where do you think the money required to buyout the players (suggested) would come from?

As far as I know there is no money tree growing anywhere around the CTC.

Perhaps you should have suggested, if he raised ticket prices by X% for the remainder of the season, for next season and if a 95% or higher average attendance target is achieved for a specified time period.......... the extra money would be used to buyout players.


Or, do you just expect him to cash in his RSPs, sell his house(s), sell his car(s) and uses that money to buyout your suggested Players?

There's this concept about needing to spend money if you want to make money. Yes, he spends money on the team, but he spends the bare minimum and many many hockey fans in Ottawa aren't idiots, so we can tell that he's not putting in the capital required for the team to really succeed. He's quite obviously switched his focus away form winning a cup and towards maximizing his profits.

You want fans to get excited? Give us something to get excited about. Refusing to fire Boucher, even though he's pretty lost at sea right now is an obvious one. HAving one of the smallest front office staffs. Fewest number of scouts, etc. All of these things are due to Melnyk pinching pennies in a game where penny pinching almst guarantees that you won't have success.

 

[coladin]

I don't need forgiveness.

When I buy my tickets, I understand that it does not guarantee that the team wins, plays well, signs the players I want to sign, dumps the players I don't like. We have star players that I like and would rather win instead of lose, but I can live with that.

I am not offended by Melnyk's comments, but understand many are. That is for them to deal with, if ever.

 

[coladin]

There's this concept about needing to spend money if you want to make money. Yes, he spends money on the team, but he spends the bare minimum and many many hockey fans in Ottawa aren't idiots, so we can tell that he's not putting in the capital required for the team to really succeed. He's quite obviously switched his focus away form winning a cup and towards maximizing his profits.

You want fans to get excited? Give us something to get excited about. Refusing to fire Boucher, even though he's pretty lost at sea right now is an obvious one. HAving one of the smallest front office staffs. Fewest number of scouts, etc. All of these things are due to Melnyk pinching pennies in a game where penny pinching almst guarantees that you won't have success.

I think the team is not at the floor, and are probably mid-pack in spending, pretty commensurate with the revenues, if not overspending as it is.

Firing Boucher makes less than zero sense at this stage. Why. And you say Ottawa fans aren't idiots. Or in risk of offending, let's just say idiotic statements.

Fewest number of scouts...cupboards are pretty full right now aren't they? We have more prospects than spaces available at the moment. Who do you want them to scout exactly?

Pinching pennies is tied to revenue, unfortunately. He has a great TV contract, not great attendance. That has to change moving forward, somehow, someway. It already costs the beloved Leeder his job, hopefully they have a plan in place to get more people out to watch scrubs like Karlsson and Stone.

 

[Zorf]

I think the team is not at the floor, and are probably mid-pack in spending, pretty commensurate with the revenues, if not overspending as it is.

Firing Boucher makes less than zero sense at this stage. Why. And you say Ottawa fans aren't idiots. Or in risk of offending, let's just say idiotic statements.

Fewest number of scouts...cupboards are pretty full right now aren't they? We have more prospects than spaces available at the moment. Who do you want them to scout exactly?

Pinching pennies is tied to revenue, unfortunately. He has a great TV contract, not great attendance. That has to change moving forward, somehow, someway. It already costs the beloved Leeder his job, hopefully they have a plan in place to get more people out to watch scrubs like Karlsson and Stone.

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE MONEY YOU NEED TO SPEND MONEY. You quoted my post saying that.

If Melnyk ponied up some cash, and the absolute numbskulls in the Sens marketing department actually got the word out about it, that would generate a lot of buzz. There's no buzz for the Sens right now except for the draft this summer, and that's a LONG ways off.

Melnyk himself admitted that they are running a bare bones operation. That's such a downer for fans to hear. Spend a bit of money and let the whole damn hockey world know that you're hiring some scouts, or adding someone to the front office. Hire Chris Neil to a player development role. Boom. Money being spent. Excitement generated, and those are relatively small hires in the grand scheme of things but it will show the fans that he's actually committed to a Cup and not just committed to minimizing his losses.


One thing that is for sure in Ottawa is that people soak up every ounce of news about the team. Start getting some positive news out there, damnit. It's not hard. Say that Melnyk is giving Dorion the green light to make sure that the core players get signed this summer. Boom. Excitement generated and speculation on Mrlnyk being too cheap to sign Karl and Stone is put to rest...and amazingly, that doesn't even cost anything! Well, that's not true. The cost is however much the social media intern gets paid to write a tweet in French and English, and the however much it costs to tell Bruce Garrioch about it too. Boom. The whole damn city knows that the team is committed to the core players and to moving forward as a competitive team.

But nope. None of that will happen.

 

[Hale The Villain]

It's not the budget that makes Melnyk a terrible owner, that's just a sad reality of a small-market team with little private industry support, high taxes, terrible arena location, etc... Anaheim and Nashville have had internal budgets since they came into the league and they still managed to compete.

It's Melnyk's unwavering support of management that is the issue. Murray and Dorion have hurt this franchise far more than they've helped it. Their mismanagement of the team's limited resources is the biggest reason why the team is in the state that it is in.

 

[Spartachat]

I don't mind if Melnyk does not spend the cap during a rebuild. Even Montreal is not spending the cap right now. It is when the team is competitive and they lose the chance to sign good players to push the team to the next level.

As for as buyouts right now. What is the point? We might as well just tank this season and get a good draft pick and try for next year. Tampa, Winnipeg, New Jersey missed the playoffs last year and are doing fine this year.