Speculation: How much damage has the Alfredsson fiasco done to the Sens reputation?

[Slow Hands]

Coming out of that presser, I have a few concerns with regards to the team's reputation:

Internally
You have to imagine ownership & management will try to respond to what Alfie said today, however, I can't help but worry about how this is going to reflect on our management and ownership. It's especially worrying with numerous skilled players set to become UFA within the next few years.

Assuming Alfie's told the truth here about what went down, everything that has happened reflects very poorly on the team. At this point I imagine Murray will be hard pressed to convince anyone else on the team to take hometown discounts.

Around the league
I also worry about how this will reflect on our organization reputation around the league. We've never been a UFA destination, but Bryan Murray's recent assertion that "players want to come to Ottawa" was pretty great to hear as a Sens fan. However, I can't imagine this isn't the sort of thing that may make players think twice about Ottawa.


What do you guys think? Overreaction on my part or legitimate concern? Is this going to make it harder for us to re-sign our own UFAs? Does this negatively impact the franchise's reputation around the league?

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[Powdered Toast Man]

Somewhere between not at all and slightly.

Players go where

A) The money is
B) The opportunity is
C) they have a chance to contend
D) All of the above

 

[HavlatMach9]

Makes them look like a team that's serious about winning.

 

[Lyndon Slewidge]

I'd be surprised if Murray resigned after this.

 

[Alfie#11]

Probably not that much. It could influence some players, more so the guys on the team now than UFAs.

Does it hurt fan support, maybe a little.

It's all budget. Players go where the money is. No money means no hope. Note that "hometown discounts" are usually not that big. I wouldnt worry about losing that bit of extra good willl from players.

 

[M4TR1X]

I'd be surprised if Murray resigned after this.

Re-signed, or resigned?

Big difference.

 

[Indrew]

Irreparable damage the likes of which the hockey world has never seen.

 

[Fandlauer]

The Sens organisation will be a shell of their former self from here on out.

 

[DylanSensFan]

Bobby Ryan is going to make the entire league and the majority of Ottawa Senators fans forget all about Alfredsson.

 

[Super Cake]

A lot of damage if the sens are found guilty of cap circumvention. I honestly wish alfredsson would have just left for detroit without speaking to reporters.

 

[OmniSens]

I think the team will have to start spending to prove to Alfie this wasn't the case. But I do think it's a blow to the team, big time.

 

[DylanSensFan]

you will have to explain to me how in the heck it could be cap circumvention. They asked Alfie to take a little less at what was supposed to be the end of his contract. There is nothing in there that is cap circumvention. We were nowhere near the cap to begin with.

 

[WORLDSTARHIPHOP]

I think these actions have defaced our organization as a whole. I see no way of regaining our pomp short of selling this franchise to Seattle imo

Murray and Paul Maclean should be fired

 

[Super Cake]

I think these actions have defaced our organization as a whole. I see no way of regaining our pomp short of selling this franchise to Seattle imo

Murray and Paul Maclean should be fired

Seriously? What the heck does paul maclean have to do with anything? He is not the one that hands out contracts

 

[DylanSensFan]

I think these actions have defaced our organization as a whole. I see no way of regaining our pomp short of selling this franchise to Seattle imo

Murray and Paul Maclean should be fired

fixed

 

[HavlatMach9]

Seriously? What the heck does paul maclean have to do with anything? He is not the one that hands out contracts

Agree to disagree.

 

[Super Cake]

Agreed

Fixed

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Makes them look like a team that's serious about winning.

Makes them look like a team that's not very serious about loyalty.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

you will have to explain to me how in the heck it could be cap circumvention. They asked Alfie to take a little less at what was supposed to be the end of his contract. There is nothing in there that is cap circumvention. We were nowhere near the cap to begin with.

Both parties agreed he wouldn't play the last year and would retire. That's cap circumvention. Daniel played that year though so the actual circumvention did not occur.

Worse comes to worse we lose the 2015 first-round pick, which should be mediocre anyway if the team is doing well, so nothing happens...

 

[Super Cake]

Makes them look like a team that's not very serious about loyalty.

There is no loyalty in sports. Haven't you figured that out by now?

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

There is no loyalty in sports. Haven't you figured that out by now?

There's no undying loyalty in sports.

The NHL makes a bigger deal out of it than other sports, and some NHL teams value it a lot more than others. In any case, having a reputation for loyalty is a great way to attract free agents.

 

[Super Cake]

All in all, i think it is time for us to move on.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

A lot of damage if the sens are found guilty of cap circumvention. I honestly wish alfredsson would have just left for detroit without speaking to reporters.

Its not cap circumvention if the player actually plays in that final back tailing year of his contract.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Its not cap circumvention if the player actually plays in that final back tailing year of his contract.

NJ said it wasn't cap circumvention if Kovalchuk didn't end up signing the contract. The league disagreed.

 

[Lundmark17]

The age of "hometown" discounts is dead or at least dying out considerably. Part of it is no more back diving contracts, this is done for the team to bring down the cap hit. The player benefits nothing from it I believe, correct me if I am wrong. Was/has there been another player other than Alfie who has played out their final year of a back diving contract?

Back to discounts who is taking discounts now? Getzlaf is getting 8.25, Eric Staal 8.25, Perry 8.625, Shea Weber signed an offer sheet knowing full well the Predators couldn't comfortably match it. The new breed of stars in the league have all gone through a lockout, and grown up watching a few of them. They know the game is a business and treat it as such. If a team is lucky maybe a player gives them a discount of 500K or 1 million.