I was going to start a new thread before I saw this one, but I guess it really belongs here:
At least this weekend has made a lot of things clearer. By moving out Lehner, Legwand, and Gryba, and sharing a lot in their media availability, Murray, Dorion, and company have managed to shed 3 NHL bodies and give us considerably more insight into their thinking about next year’s team.
Even with those 3 gone, we are still looking at a full NHL roster going into free agency.
NHL Forwards
MacArthur Turris Stone
Hoffman Zibanejad Ryan
Michalek Pageau Lazar*
Neil Smith Chiasson
Greening
Forwards named as having a realistic chance to be ready to play NHL games next year:
Puempel, Prince, Paul, Schneider
Other forward prospects:
White, Gagne, Chlapik, Lindberg, Robinson, daCosta, Dzingel, McCormick, Eiserman, Shore, Dunn, Ahl, Perron, Baillargeon, Grant, Robinson, Kramer, Leblanc, Ewanyk, Dziurzynski, Guptill,
NHL D
Methot Karlsson
Wiercioch Ceci*
Cowen Boro
Philips
D named as having a realistic chance to play NHL games next year:
Wideman, Wikstrand
Other D prospects:
Chabot, Englund, Harpur, Claesson, Sdao, Wolanin, Jaros, Gendron, Summers
NHL Goalies
Anderson
Hammond
Goalies named as having a realistic chance to play NHL games next year
O’Connor
Other goalie prospects:
Hogberg, Dreidger, Daccord
Looking Forward:
A lot of problems will be solved next year when Philips and Neil retire (likely as Senators). I can’t honestly see Bryan Murray moving them or buying them out against their will, even if they are obvious targets. Not his style. Like it or not, I think they are viewed as legacy players and we’re stuck with them on the NHL roster, at least until the deadline.
I also think the team plans to stand pat on D unless somebody knocks their socks off with an offer. Karlsson is untouchable. They love their local boys in Methot, Ceci, and Boro, so they pretty much are too, and they still believe that Cowen and/or Wiercioch can break out as a true top 4 and aren’t ready to cut ties with them yet. I think by this time next year, Philips will be gone and they’ll have a clearer idea of what we have in Cowen and Weircioch, and I think that is their plan, but I really wouldn't hold your breath for a move there. I think they've as much as said so.
Don't disagree that adding a top 4 D is the fastest way to make the team better, but I kind of think they wait to see what they've got and try to make the final tweaks to elevate it to contender status next summer. Time will tell.
Finally, I don’t realistically see any of the following forwards moving at this point based on what has been said about them/contract status, etc.: MacArthur, Turris, Stone, Zibanejad, Ryan, Pageau, and Lazar, although I suppose Lazar could spend some time in the AHL if they want to develop him there.
Thus, in my view, really the only remaining questions left to be answered for next year’s NHL team are:
1) How many of Condra, Puempel, Prince, Paul, and Schneider do they see as having a realistic chance of being NHL regulars on this team next year?
2) Are they still planning to bring in another top six forward through free agency or trade?
3)If they won’t buy out and can’t trade Greening, are they willing to trade one or more of Chiasson, Michalek, Hoffman, or Smith to make room for the new top 6 forward and/or for Condra and/or for one of the kids to step up and grab?
I don’t have stage 4 cancer, so I am content to sit back and let Murray run his team his way in his final year as GM. He’s earned that I think. Nobody can be more eager to win than him and even though it frustrates me as an impatient fan, I do respect his loyalty to players who have bled a lot for this team.
My prediction is that they trade nobody, let Condra walk, and let Puempel, Prince, and Paul battle for the final left wing spot in camp, but maybe they’ll surprise me.
They may also kick tires on a UFA forward, like a Glencross or even a Vermette, who they see as an upgrade, but I’d be pretty surprised if they do more than kick tires in light of the budget situation.
The only other move I could see is a trade involving Hoffman as the centrepiece if the contract situation gets really sticky, say Hoffman, Prince or another prospect, and a 2nd for what they think is a better top 6 left wing option than Hoffman, but I’d be pretty surprised at that too at this point. Not advocating it either, but they may decide to sell high on him for the right deal.
