Ottawa Senators : Darkest Hour

[JD1]

A complete lack of organizational support for a franchise player following the single most dominant individual performance this franchise has seen last year. Not to mention being undermined publicly multiple times by his boss in the media. For example:

-Melnyk singling him out by saying based on his nationality alone, he wouldn't allow him to go to the Olympics. It's insulting and disrespectful to the franchise heart and soul player.
-Being singled out by Melnyk as just another facet of the team's accounting structure prior to the outdoor game, alongside things like concessions. Again, a very belittling and completely avoidable thing to say about a captain and franchise player.
-My sources indicate that the NHL has had to step in to cover the payroll of the team on multiple occasions. Imagine working for a boss and not knowing if your paycheque is going to bounce. I sense that much of the city can empathize.
-The behind closed doors circumstances that are coming to light of simultaneously working for a confrontational owner who treats his staff extremely poorly.

Has Erik buckled under these pressures, many of them substantiated, some of them speculated? Yes. He has shown immaturity.

But last years Erik also showed he was a true leader, and a warrior. If by chance ownership changes hands and Erik stays on, I guarantee you that he will emerge as twice the leader with full support of his teammates.

first I heard of payroll difficulties in the Melnyk era. The Toronto media would be on to that if it were accurate

 

[Xspyrit]

True. My break is over when I see an owner that is building the team with hockey assets. Right now he is selling hockey assets for cash.

I know it’s sad. Money is the most important thing right now. I had hoped that we would be spending to the cap at this point in time and doing roster moves without having saving money as a priority. I was too hopeful

I know everybody hates Melnyk these days but it’s in his rights to lower costs as he owns the team. The fanbase could decide to not put any money in the team but the problem is that it won’t fix anything, it could only make things worse

Personally, I am just apathetic. Wait and see approach as usual.

I am hoping we are going to build around Stone, Duchene, Hoffman (3 high quality top-6 forwards), Pageau (quality bottom-6 forward), Chabot (quality #2 or 3 D-man), Ceci (quality #4 if put in the right chair) and hopefully Karlsson (#1 D-man). Add a very high pick this year and some of the promising prospects we have and things could turn around pretty fast.

Nothing is sure about will happen but that’s what I would like to happen

 

[Gil Gunderson]

first I heard of payroll difficulties in the Melnyk era. The Toronto media would be on to that if it were accurate

No payroll difficulties when everyone will be making 4 million max.

 

[JD1]

No payroll difficulties when everyone will be making 4 million max.

that doesn't touch on what I posted. I quoted a guy who said the NHL has stepped in to meet payroll several times in the Melnyk era. I've never heard that before.

If you have some insight into that feel free to add. if not, comments like your 4M comment are just kind of stupid.

 

[LuckyPierre]

first I heard of payroll difficulties in the Melnyk era. The Toronto media would be on to that if it were accurate

For what it's worth. I heard it happened in November 2017 when all was quiet. A couple weeks later, all the ownership rumours began to fly. Was then when I brought it up to others who had not only heard the same, but added it was not the first time in the Melnyk era that the NHL stepped in to bridge organizational payroll issues.

 

[swiftwin]

Honestly, there's no reason we can't compete for a playoff spot as early as next year. It's not like we can tank anyways without our pick.

Really depends on our return for Karlsson. Plus our 1st rounder this year. Plus young guys stepping up. We still have some quality in the lineup.

NHL parity is pretty extreme. Teams rise and fall incredibly fast. 4/8 teams that made it out of the 1st round last year are OUT of the playoffs right now (Ottawa, NYR, St. Louis, Edmonton). Chicago, the west #1 seed last year is also OUT. Tampa and Vegas, who were not in the playoffs last year are 1st in their respective conferences.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

I would love to see the forum 19 stats. Is most of this drivel from 10 or 15 posters? All speculation and hate.

Scary stuff this internet fad...

 

[harrisb]

The only sens reporter I won’t read anymore is Garrioch...at least the others are finally having the stones to report things that have been well known for some time. Hoping some of them will do some real investigating and see if there really are some good nuggets out there.

 

[KAPOW]

i guess we will become the last decade oilers...

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

It's extremely obvious that this team is going nowhere with Melnyk in charge. I don't really care what the return on EK is, because it won't matter anyways. Not until we have a new owner and management in place.

 

[bert]

we do have our 1st this year, it was top 10 protected

Duh... They don't next year though when they are gonna be even worse.

 

[bert]

A lot of people forget that Toronto was stacked then, too. In three of the four playoff losses, the Leafs were the higher seed. It's myth-building from the Tormnto end that paints those losses as upsets.

Only 2 and one of them the leafs were devastated by injury.

 

[Jorge Garcia]

Only 2 and one of them the leafs were devastated by injury.

I remember the "devastated by injury" series. They truly did dress a ragamuffin crew. It seemed like every time Gary Roberts or Allyn McCauley hacked at the puck it magically leaped into Ottawa's net.

 

[Sensung]

I remember the "devastated by injury" series. They truly did dress a ragamuffin crew. It seemed like every time Gary Roberts or Allyn McCauley hacked at the puck it magically leaped into Ottawa's net.

That series loss was 100% on Martin.

If he instructs Chara to give Roberts the beatdown he deserved for all the liberties he took, the Sens crush the Leafs. Instead, we played typical Martin chicken shit risk averse turn the other cheek hockey.

 

[topshelf15]

That series loss was 100% on Martin.

If he instructs Chara to give Roberts the beatdown he deserved for all the liberties he took, the Sens crush the Leafs. Instead, we played typical Martin chicken **** risk averse turn the other cheek hockey.

Him not playing Neil ,then he finally lets him on the ice and he assits on a big goal....You need emotion and grit in this game ,not just skill