You do know the SHL is a pro league, right? Englund has several years pro experience.
Not only that, but if we're being realistic, we should know that the Sens operate on a tight budget so even if Dorion wanted to sign more D-men, he couldn't.
Also, Kostka is probably the best D-man in Bingo but Ottawa probably wants to develop and get NHL time for Claesson and Englund.
We lack top-6 forwards WITH Ryan in the lineup.
There's also a forward with a 4.625 cap hit that was slotted to be a top-6 forward before the start of the season. Without Ryan, that's 2 holes in the top-6. Dzingel is great but he should be a 3rd liner, and he could be Elite at that position.
I really dont get the McCormick dislike. He tries his hardest every game and he works hard and spends a lot of his team in the offensive zone with strong forechecking and tenacious game. He also probably has the highest offensive potential of our true bottom 6 prospects.
Me neither. McCormick is nothing special but he is decent in a limited 4th line role. Not sure about "highest offensive potential of our true bottom 6 prospects" though. I think it's Paul that should have that title. But we don't currently have a lot of bottom-6 forward prospects anyway. Most forwards prospects with NHL potential have top-6 upside (White, Brown, Chlapik, Perron, Dahlen, Ahl, Gagne). Who are those bottom-6 forward prospects? Paul, McCormick, Robinson and? Nurmi? Eiserman?