Erik Condra's role

[Burrowsaurus]

Condra earned more time last night. He was courageous all over the ice.

RW depth should be Ryan, Stone, Chiasson, Condra; and if we ever did the Methot/Zibanejad package for Eberle/Schultz, would become a strength again for this team. Eberle, Ryan (could swap to LW), Stone, Chiasson would be amazing. Condra as 13 then and Neil out.

Centre would be Turris, Pageau, Smith, Legwand for the balance of the year with Grant as callup, assuming Lazar plays for Canada and is then returned. We could live with that

I support this fully... so that pageau smith and legwand can be replaced with mcdavid lazar and zib next year

 

[Minister of Offence]

Getting pretty stupid how we've cornered ourselves into needing to sit this guy

 

[SaltyPete]

Every game Condra's been up for this team has looked much better, not just yesterday.

In one of his first call ups when Chiasson was injured he made the Michalek - Zibanejad line look very impressive.

In our first game against Detroit he matched up against Datsyuk and Zetterberg for most of the game while also getting horrible zone starts and still managed to out possess them.

Point is we really should find a way to get Condra into the lineup.

 

[Engineer]

Condra stays in the lineup.

 

[Cosmix]

Guy brought it big time last night, huge effort from Mr. Pesky! I certainly wouldn't just be giving this guy away that's for sure. I have felt him and Greening have played well, only guy concerning me these days is ol Neiler....boy has he slowed.

In some alternate world where Condra has more natural goal scoring ability and a touch more play making, the guy is a star....just does all the little things right all the time...outside of offense of course.

Condra definitely came to play last night against St. Louis. Good for him. He almost lost his job by not playing with passion before this and I hope he has learned to play with passion like he did in that game. I think it is useful to have one or two extra forwards and Dmen available on the roster to cover for injuries and to have healthy competition for splaying roster spots.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

He didn't almost lose his job for lacking passion

He almost lost his job because we have too many contracts and because the coach feels that having Neil in the lineup on a regular basis is better than having Condra

I completely disagree based on on-ice performance but there's more to the lineup than just on-ice performance, that's the reality of the business

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

He didn't almost lose his job for lacking passion

He almost lost his job because we have too many contracts and because the coach feels that having Neil in the lineup on a regular basis is better than having Condra

I completely disagree based on on-ice performance but there's more to the lineup than just on-ice performance, that's the reality of the business

Probably doesnt help that hes suppose to be a great defensive forward yet our pk wasnt great last year and if i remember correctly hes not a great shot blocker, Add that to the fact hes not that big and our organization seems to love players with size.

 

[Sensinitis]

Condra taking Neil's spot makes us such a better team.

 

[WaitingInVain]

Condra taking Neil's spot makes us such a better team.

Been saying this for a long time.

I have been Condra's biggest supporter over the last five years, and DrunkUncleDenis can back me up here. A bit of an unhealthy mancrush if I am being objective.

Perpetually under appreciated for what he brings to the table - his attention to detail and awareness on the ice are exceptional. Glad he's finally getting time on the ice once more and the appreciation that he deserves. The Sens have to trade a couple of their forwards to free up some space. Condra was a good sport while they put in the game tape to increase some value in others and tinkered with combinations.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

He definitely has an element (defensive forward) that we need on this team. He definitely showed he wants to play with the team and wants a long NHL career last night.

The team definitely has some work to do clearing out a few bodies among the forward ranks.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

I hate how people call him a ok specialist. The guy is a 5 v 5 specialist. He's like a little tinkerman the way he makes his plays. If the guy could score my goodness.

 

[Rumcajs]

Always been a fan of his game. He is an enabler who does the small things every game.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

I hate how people call him a ok specialist. The guy is a 5 v 5 specialist. He's like a little tinkerman the way he makes his plays. If the guy could score my goodness.

How far can a good hockey player who doesnt score, doesnt put up point, isnt physical and doesnt fight go in the NHL? Serious question.... does anyone know of any forwards with similar careers?

 

[BonkTastic]

How far can a good hockey player who doesnt score, doesnt put up point, isnt physical and doesnt fight go in the NHL? Serious question.... does anyone know of any forwards with similar careers?

Well, this isn't exactly the most unbiased question I've ever seen... I'll read this as "How far can a career 25-30 point-per-season(Condra's career PPS is ~27) defensive specialist (who doesn't fight) go in the NHL?".

Similar careers since the first lockout/1995 (all players with over 500 Games Played in that "1995-present" time span):
Marty Reasoner
Taylor Pyatt
PJ Axelsson
Richard Park
Chad Kilger
Jim Dowd
Mike Keane
Shawn Van Allen
Dominic Moore
Trevor Letowski
Marcel Goc
Jeff Schantz
Dan Paille
Marcus Nilsson

There are more, but I just did a quick search. More extensive research would probably uncover more names.
Condra's no all-star, but he's good at what he does, and guys who did what he's doing have earned themselves a fairly decent living in the NHL before him.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

Well, this isn't exactly the most unbiased question I've ever seen... I'll read this as "How far can a career 25-30 point-per-season(Condra's career PPS is ~27) defensive specialist (who doesn't fight) go in the NHL?".

Similar careers since the first lockout/1995 (all players with over 500 Games Played in that "1995-present" time span):
Marty Reasoner
Taylor Pyatt
PJ Axelsson
Richard Park
Chad Kilger
Jim Dowd
Mike Keane
Shawn Van Allen
Dominic Moore
Trevor Letowski
Marcel Goc
Jeff Schantz
Dan Paille
Marcus Nilsson

There are more, but I just did a quick search. More extensive research would probably uncover more names.
Condra's no all-star, but he's good at what he does, and guys who did what he's doing have earned themselves a fairly decent living in the NHL before him.

Not hating on condra. I think hes a decent player although i think he could be upgraded. I see a lot going against him though.

-not a center/not a faceoff specialist
-not physical
-to my knowledge doesnt block shots well
-doesnt fight
-does not score goals
-does not put up points
-blows scoring opportunities
-not exactly young/likely wont develop further
-not a high pick
-coming off a season were the pk was terrible as one of the main defensive players
-ufa
-not big
-not super great skater
-doesnt agitate

It might seem like a case of the grass being greener on the otherside but i want a player like lance Bouma i filling condra's role. It also wouldnt surprise me if we could rotate young players from bingo in his spot and only have a marginal negative effect if any on the team.
Might seem like i'm beating up on him but i dont mean any offense to him. He is what he is. I wouldnt be happy giving him anymore then a 2 year contract at maybe a slight raise. I really wish he was a more effective pker

 

[Laphroaig]

Not hating on condra. I think hes a decent player although i think he could be upgraded. I see a lot going against him though.

-not a center/not a faceoff specialist
-not physical
-to my knowledge doesnt block shots well
-doesnt fight
-does not score goals
-does not put up points
-blows scoring opportunities
-not exactly young/likely wont develop further
-not a high pick
-coming off a season were the pk was terrible as one of the main defensive players
-ufa
-not big
-not super great skater

Might seem like i'm beating up on him but i dont mean any offense to him. He is what he is.

He's a pretty decent skater compared to most of the rest of the team. I agree with all your other points though. That being said I prefer him to Zack Smith. Condra can play the left side. I don't understand all the Chris Neil hate. Still love that guy.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

If you watch hockey, you'll be able to tell that Condra is they type of guy your team just plays better with. It's a kind of confidence and support to know your bottom 6 guy will likely spark energy for your team and make smart plays.

It's like Helm to Detroit or Paille to Boston. When they're out there is something big missing even if they're not impact or even top 6 players.

Btw, Condra scored 16 last year and already 25 points once. That's excellent 4th line production.

He also put up 7 points in 10 playoff games 2 years ago.

He is excellent pker
He has great IQ
He reads the flow of the game
He is great skater for his role
He is excellent puck possession player
He can score the odd goal
He can actually play in top 6 when needed and not hinder the line offensively as you'd expect, kinda like Chris Kelly
He is very reliable defensively
He is SUPERB on forecheck
He is great pick pocketer
Great cycler.

 

[h2]

Condra is a decent 4th liner (Something we're not short on), not sure why he's getting more praise than that. He's played well lately but he's still an average 4th liner. We have more promising forwards in Binghamton to replace him with. (Prince, Pageau)

 

[BonkTastic]

It might seem like a case of the grass being greener on the otherside but i want a player like lance Bouma i filling condra's role. It also wouldnt surprise me if we could rotate young players from bingo in his spot and only have a marginal negative effect if any on the team.
Might seem like i'm beating up on him but i dont mean any offense to him. He is what he is. I wouldnt be happy giving him anymore then a 2 year contract at maybe a slight raise. I really wish he was a more effective pker

Yeah, he's the kind of guy who, when he's done with the Sens, will bounce around the league on teams looking to upgrade their 3rd/4th lines but don't have the budget to get someone with a little more spice. As for the Bouma comparison... I really don't see how Condra is any less/more valuable than Bouma. Bouma has a little more grit, Condra has a little more hockey IQ/ awareness. I guess if you want your 4th line to be a crash & bang dump & chase kind of line, you go with a guy like Bouma over Condra, but if you want to play a more puck-possession game, you have a Condra instead. Really, it's just about the kind of system you have in place. The benefit of having a Condra over a Bouma though is that he's fair bit more versatile in who he can play with. In that sense, he's plug-and-play anywhere you want, assuming you're not expecting him to score a bunch of goals for you. He's like the winger version of Chris Kelly, only with less grit and a better stick.

I mean, at the end of the day, Condra is a high floor/low ceiling guy. Lots of room in the league for players like Condra, assuming he keeps his pay cheque in line with expectations.

If this were baseball, he's be that great "utility" guy who is a defensive upgrade on your starting players, can come off of your bench late in the game who can play multiple positions, but isn't good enough to start at any of them.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

Yeah, he's the kind of guy who, when he's done with the Sens, will bounce around the league on teams looking to upgrade their 3rd/4th lines but don't have the budget to get someone with a little more spice. As for the Bouma comparison... I really don't see how Condra is any less/more valuable than Bouma. Bouma has a little more grit, Condra has a little more hockey IQ/ awareness. I guess if you want your 4th line to be a crash & bang dump & chase kind of line, you go with a guy like Bouma over Condra, but if you want to play a more puck-possession game, you have a Condra instead. Really, it's just about the kind of system you have in place. The benefit of having a Condra over a Bouma though is that he's fair bit more versatile in who he can play with. In that sense, he's plug-and-play anywhere you want, assuming you're not expecting him to score a bunch of goals for you. He's like the winger version of Chris Kelly, only with less grit and a better stick.

I mean, at the end of the day, Condra is a high floor/low ceiling guy. Lots of room in the league for players like Condra, assuming he keeps his pay cheque in line with expectations.

If this were baseball, he's be that great "utility" guy who is a defensive upgrade on your starting players, can come off of your bench late in the game who can play multiple positions, but isn't good enough to start at any of them.

Maybe you are right. He may fit our system better because of puck possession ability. I'd like to see some stats if possible showing hes a great pker. Worth noting he has regressed since entering the league i believe

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Not hating on condra. I think hes a decent player although i think he could be upgraded. I see a lot going against him though.

-not a center/not a faceoff specialist
-not physical
-to my knowledge doesnt block shots well
-doesnt fight
-does not score goals
-does not put up points
-blows scoring opportunities
-not exactly young/likely wont develop further
-not a high pick
-coming off a season were the pk was terrible as one of the main defensive players
-ufa
-not big
-not super great skater
-doesnt agitate

It might seem like a case of the grass being greener on the otherside but i want a player like lance Bouma i filling condra's role. It also wouldnt surprise me if we could rotate young players from bingo in his spot and only have a marginal negative effect if any on the team.
Might seem like i'm beating up on him but i dont mean any offense to him. He is what he is. I wouldnt be happy giving him anymore then a 2 year contract at maybe a slight raise. I really wish he was a more effective pker

Also makes the players around him better. that's the best attribute of all

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Also makes the players around him better. that's the best attribute of all

I think a big part of it is that he allows our skill guys to play their game. Why have a guy like Bobby or Hoffman digging pucks out of the corners when a guy like Condra can do it? Means our skill guys can be in position to make that first-assist pass or snipe for a goal.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Maybe you are right. He may fit our system better because of puck possession ability. I'd like to see some stats if possible showing hes a great pker. Worth noting he has regressed since entering the league i believe

Not only that but he's dirt cheap which is a boon for us

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

Been saying this for a long time.

I have been Condra's biggest supporter over the last five years, and DrunkUncleDenis can back me up here. A bit of an unhealthy mancrush if I am being objective.

Perpetually under appreciated for what he brings to the table - his attention to detail and awareness on the ice are exceptional. Glad he's finally getting time on the ice once more and the appreciation that he deserves. The Sens have to trade a couple of their forwards to free up some space. Condra was a good sport while they put in the game tape to increase some value in others and tinkered with combinations.

This is quite true. Literally Condra's biggest fanboy.

Condra is a decent 4th liner (Something we're not short on), not sure why he's getting more praise than that. He's played well lately but he's still an average 4th liner. We have more promising forwards in Binghamton to replace him with. (Prince, Pageau)

He's so much more than a decent 4th liner, though. The guy has a hockey IQ that blows most 4th line scrubs out of the water. He is an extremely useful player.. not a jack of all trades, but close. He's able to play up and down the lineup with ease (safe for first line duty).

He has brick hands at times, but the fact that he is getting himself into those scoring positions in the first place says a lot about how well he can read plays on the ice.

Combine that with an impressive tenacious forecheck and there's no reason why he shouldn't have spot on the team if he continues playing with the fire we saw from him in St. Louis.

 

[Proust*]

Neil should only be played when we expect a physical game, or in the playoffs. His skating is not NHL level anymore.