Confirmed with Link: Gilles Senn to sign contract with NJ

Triumph

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Yeah, but he also has the most experience so far, so he'll probably be in the AHL. I expect us to sign a veteran to pair with him, sending Senn down to the ECHL. If he does well they may end up swapping spots - presuming our NHL goalies stay healthy and Mac doesn't flounder.

Cormier's 18 months younger and has already spent time in the ECHL this season. I'd be quite surprised if Senn ever played more than a rehab game in the ECHL.
 
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Hinterland

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Yeah, but he also has the most experience so far, so he'll probably be in the AHL. I expect us to sign a veteran to pair with him, sending Senn down to the ECHL. If he does well they may end up swapping spots - presuming our NHL goalies stay healthy and Mac doesn't flounder.

No way any established NLA player is EVER gonna leave Switzerland to play ECHL. That's never ever gonna happen. 90% wouldn't even leave to play AHL. Only those who really believe in their NHL chances do...and not even all of them. NLA is much more attractive. Higher level, less physicality, less traveling, lighter schedule, higher salary. I can promise you that Senn isn't looking forward to playing AHL...he's doing it because it's the only road to the NHL...at least for goalies. European goalies usually don't get handed NHL gigs.
 

Triumph

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Is it higher-paying? I know the Swiss league is one of the highest paying leagues in the world, but Senn's going to make a minimum of $162,000 next season, and as a minor league player I believe his salary is not subject to escrow - I'd be surprised if he made more in the Swiss League as a backup to a veteran.
 

Hinterland

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Is it higher-paying? I know the Swiss league is one of the highest paying leagues in the world, but Senn's going to make a minimum of $162,000 next season, and as a minor league player I believe his salary is not subject to escrow - I'd be surprised if he made more in the Swiss League as a backup to a veteran.

...except that Senn wasn't a backup. He shared the net with Detroit prospect Joren van Pottelberghe, in my view the most promising Swiss netminder...until Del Curto, both Coach and GM in Davos, thought it would be smart to bring in Anders Lindbäck. As a result, Van Pottelberghe left to play. Senn had to watch a few games from the bench but outplayed Lindbäck pretty quickly.

What happened from then on was that Del Curto left Davos (probably didn't have much of a choice) and Senn became the starter under the new Coach Vitolins. Del Curto got hired by ZSC but fired after just a few games. Van Pottelberghe solved Kloten single handedly, carried them into the playoffs, won game 1 but got injured in the 1st period of game 2. Kloten didn't win a single game without him and lost 4-1.

Del Curto once was the best Swiss Coach and he's the one who made Davos to the top club they were for years despite limited financial options. However, he either went senile or is just simply in need of a break after investing his heart and soul for years. Davos was absymal lately and it was just naive to think that the goalies were the problem...when in fact they were amongst the best goalies leaguewide. In the interview I posted here, Senn says that they were both playing well and he's not wrong. Even the best goalie can't solve a complete mess. Both Senn and Van Pottelberghe are much better than Lindbäck.

Senn probably didn't earn much in Davos because he signed his contract in 2016 when he had very little NLA experience and was coming out of their own junior academy. Davos isn't one of the richest clubs but top players in the NLA make up to 1 million Swiss Francs per year. A little less for goalies but Genoni's new contract in Zug is worth 800'000. Van Pottelberghe is the new starter in Davos and I think he'll make at least Senn's 162'000. Senn could have made them as well in the NLA. Easily. And again. NLA is much more convenient than AHL. Btw, Davos didn't offer Lindbäck a new contract and brought in Sandro Aeschlimann (from Zug) to backup Van Pottelberghe next season. Tells you everything you need to know.
 
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Dafp

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...except that Senn wasn't backup. He shared the net with Detroit prospect Joren van Pottelberghe, in my view the most promising Swiss netminder...until Del Curto, both Coach and GM in Davos, thought it would be smart to bring in Anders Lindbäck. As a result, Van Pottelberghe left to play. Senn had to watch a few games from the bench but outplayed Lindbäck pretty quickly.

What happened from then on was that Del Curto left Davos (probably didn't have much of a choice) Davos and Senn was the starter from then on. Del Curto got hired by ZSC but fired after just a few games. Van Pottelberghe solved Kloten single handedly, carried them into the playoffs, won game 1 but got injured in the 1st period of game 2. Kloten didn't win a single game without him and lost 4-1.

Del Curto once was the best Swiss Coach and he's the one who made Davos to the top club they were for years despite limited financial options. However, he either went senile or is just in need of a break after investing his heart and soul for years. Davos was absymal lately and it just naive to think that the goalies were the problem...when in fact they were amongst the best goalies leaguewide. In the interview I posted here, Senn says that they were both playing well and he's not wrong. Even the best goalie can't solve a complete mess. Both Senn and Van Pottelberghe are much better than Lindbäck.

Senn probably didn't earn much in Davos because he signed his contract in 2016 when he had very little NLA experience and was coming out of their own junior academy. Davos isn't one of the richest clubs but top players in the NLA make up to 1 million Swiss Francs per year. A little less for goalies but Genoni's new contract in Zug is worth 800'000. Van Pottelberghe is the new starter in Davos and I think he'll make at least Senn's 162'000. Senn could have made them as well in the NLA. Easily. And again. NLA is much more convenient than AHL. Btw, Davos didn't offer Lindbäck a new contract and brought in Sandro Aeschlimann (from Zug) to backup Van Pottelberghe next season. Tells you everything you need to know.
That’s some really intersting and useful context, thanks!

I must admit I wasn’t sold on Senn, having seen very little video of him and due to his underwhelming stats at first glance. I’m still not sure he ever becomes a regular NHL player but he likely improves Binghamton’s goaltending next year by the sound of it.
 
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Hinterland

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That’s some really intersting and useful context, thanks!

I must admit I wasn’t sold on Senn, having seen very little video of him and due to his underwhelming stats at first glance. I’m still not sure he ever becomes a regular NHL player but he likely improves Binghamton’s goaltending next year by the sound of it.

I totally agree.

I don't see an NHL goalie in Senn but he got underestimated his whole career so you never know. Van Pottelberghe was always higher regarded and played over Senn in the national teams, too. Everybody expected Van Pottelberghe to be at least 1a in Davos but it was the other way around. I don't think Senn has been better than Van Pottelberghe and it had more to do with Senn coming to Davos as a kid and therefore having an advantage, also due to his relashionship with their goalie Coach Marcel Kull (Senn mentioned it/him in the interview). He certainly held his own though.

Also, if Kull likes a goalie, this generally means something. He's probably one of the best goalie Coaches at least in Europe if not worldwide. Over the last 20 years he brought out Weibel, Hiller, Genoni, Berra and now Senn and Van Pottelberghe. He's the reason why many young goalies wanted to play in Davos even if they could have earned more elsewhere. That could change though. Kull is gonna leave Davos but I'm not sure what he's gonna do next.
 
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greasysnapper

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This kids the real deal. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get into a few NHL games this year. I expect him to take control of the starters role in Binghampton by November. His positioning and calmness in net is exceptional, especially for someone so new to NA rinks.
 

BenedictGomez

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This kids the real deal. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get into a few NHL games this year. I expect him to take control of the starters role in Binghampton by November. His positioning and calmness in net is exceptional, especially for someone so new to NA rinks.

What do you base this on?

I hope you're correct, but when I look at his statistics, they're pretty uninspiring to date; probably something like a .905 svp in > 100 games in the Swiss league from eye-balling it.
 

PizzaAndPucks

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He looked great yesterday in the games I saw him. Athletic and read the shots he faced well. Let's see what he does jb the minors this year as a rookie.
 

greasysnapper

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This kids the real deal. I wouldn't be surprised to see him get into a few NHL games this year. I expect him to take control of the starters role in Binghampton by November. His positioning and calmness in net is exceptional, especially for someone so new to NA rinks.

Maybe not the start I would have hoped for, but Senn's actually played decent. I'll be watching this game closely. I know this is more of an "other issues" as to why Senn is starting, rather than Senn forcing it, but I think people who haven't seen him this year are going to see the potential. Really excited for him.
 

Satans Hockey

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Maybe not the start I would have hoped for, but Senn's actually played decent. I'll be watching this game closely. I know this is more of an "other issues" as to why Senn is starting, rather than Senn forcing it, but I think people who haven't seen him this year are going to see the potential. Really excited for him.

Hope you're right. I'm expecting him to get lit up since Columbus has our number lately. We have lost 7 straight to them going back to Dec 2017
 

Bleedred

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Looked really green, but I'd like to see him again.

Keep him up for now and let Louis and Cory torpedo Binghamton.
 
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NjDevsRR

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Looked really green, but I'd like to see him again.

Keep him up for now and let Louis and Cory torpedo Binghamton.
I liked his compete yesterday. There were a few desperation saves he had no business of making.
 

HellOnIce

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Domingue has one more game to play and then he costs the 7th rounder. I'm almost ready to put him on waivers to see if anyone claims him and just go with Senn and Schneider at this point, until another G falls into our lap.
 

Bleedred

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Domingue has one more game to play and then he costs the 7th rounder. I'm almost ready to put him on waivers to see if anyone claims him and just go with Senn and Schneider at this point, until another G falls into our lap.
f*** Schneider too. He’s beyond toast. He was toast even before this year. I’d rather have 2014 Marty in net. Our reliance on him is a huge reason this season started our the way it did. Shero thinking he was gonna be of use this year. And with our luck he’ll have a .920% streak over 20 games and raise his save percentage up to .903% on the season and it will fool Shero once again into thinking he’s good to go for another year.


Go with Blackwood and Senn.

Cory might even be injured. He didn’t dress in Binghamton this weekend. Never saw clarification on that.
 
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