Is this the lowest point in Senators history?

[Stylizer1]

5th coach in 7 seasons, losing our stars badly, lowest payroll in the league, hiring a coach apparently no one wants, an owner who is sketchy?

I have lost interest in this team to this point. Any optimism i may of had leading up to this season is finally dashed. I didn't believe the roster we had was going to work and with yet another rookie coach how does this make us better?

Not saying this won't spark the team to play better but it could help us move our way out of a better draft pick.

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[Nac Mac Feegle]

No, but it's getting close.

 

[BigCanadian]

Lowest point in our history? You must be new, or newer... The early day were tough after the team was no longer a new expansion. We went through Danny Heatley gong show and Yashin shenanigans. The future looks bright still.

Memory is short around here...

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

Last year we were worse at this point. I'm willing to give Cameron a chance. As for payroll idc until we see us actually lose players or hear about losing out on trades because we couldn't pay additional salary. Were u basically the same spot as the flames and i dont hear their fans *****ing about payroll. If Clouston and the other coaches get Anderson quality goaltending they arent fired.

Also what about when the team went through bankruptcy.

 

[shootingrubber]

Last year we were worse at this point. I'm willing to give Cameron a chance. As for payroll idc until we see us actually lose players or hear about losing out on trades because we couldn't pay additional salary. Were u basically the same spot as the flames and i dont hear their fans *****ing about payroll. If Clouston and the other coaches get Anderson quality goaltending they arent fired.

Also what about when the team went through bankruptcy.

Don't we have no choice but to give Cameron a chance?

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

Don't we have no choice but to give Cameron a chance?

A chance before crapping on him like most of the fan base

 

[Rumcajs]

5th coach in 7 seasons, losing our stars badly, lowest payroll in the league, hiring a coach apparently no one wants, an owner who is sketchy?

I have lost interest in this team to this point. Any optimism i may of had leading up to this season is finally dashed. I didn't believe the roster we had was going to work and with yet another rookie coach how does this make us better?

Not saying this won't spark the team to play better but it could help us move our way out of a better draft pick.

If you have lost interest you are not a true fan. Perhaps follow the Sens and another team to help your "i have to win every year motto".

Losing stars? Who did we lose, Spezza and Hemsky? Both were expendable and aren't making Dallas a wow team either.

Not spending to the cap? Yeah so we can afford to pay our kids if they pan out and not have to trade away our FUTURE.

I remember when Boston was total garbage with a 30-30 record goalie named Tim Thomas. How did that all pan out in the end? Stop giving our fanbase such a bad rap.

 

[RadimBicanek]

The early-mid 90s were worse, and the bankruptcy in 2003, but Melnyk is worrisome.

 

[BonkTastic]

Umm, no.

There was this:

"Senators owner Roderick M. Bryden threatened the Ontario government with moving his team south if a deal can't be reached to create a special property tax that would put private and municipal stadiums in the same class."

And then there was this:

"Senators owner Rod Bryden extended a season ticket drive to Feb. 22, after the team sold 1,117 tickets by the Friday deadline. Bryden was shooting for 1,500 tickets and a 90 percent season ticket renewal. So far, 74 percent of the 11,000 season ticket holders have renewed. Players also held a meeting and planned to meet with Bryden, who has threatened to move the franchise to the United States. Bryden is cautious because the Canadian government will not offer help and the long-range health of the franchise is dubious"

And then this:

"The announcement last week that Ottawa Senators owner Rod Bryden couldn't make his player payroll came on top of the news that the sale of the Buffalo Sabres has hit a snag. The NHL is already paying the bills for the Sabres and may be on the hook for the Senators if Bryden doesn't get an influx of cash soon.

Under terms of the CBA, all the Senators' players could be declared free agents next week if Bryden can't meet payroll."

And then this:

"There was little official reaction to the Ottawa Senators' failure to meet their player payroll on Wednesday, although a statement released by the National Hockey League yesterday implied the players will be paid soon.

"We continue to monitor the developments in Ottawa and remain committed to a course of action that ultimately will resolve the Senators' financial issues," the statement said.

However, there was no information whether that means the Senators will receive another loan from the league to cover the $3.7-million needed to meet the missed payroll. The club already owes the NHL about $14.7-million.

Instead of their paycheques on Wednesday, the Senators received a letter from
majority owner Rod Bryden that assured them they will be paid."

... and then this:

"With financial losses piling up off the ice, the National Hockey League's Ottawa Senators won temporary bankruptcy protection on Thursday.

Owner Rod Bryden said he hopes the team will be able to stay in the city. But he warned that one of the deciding factors will be whether fans buy tickets."

... so no. Firing a coach is not the lowest point in this franchise's history. Not by a long shot.

 

[Stylizer1]

Lowest point in our history? You must be new, or newer... The early day were tough after the team was no longer a new expansion. We went through Danny Heatley gong show and Yashin shenanigans. The future looks bright still.

Memory is short around here...

Been a fan since day one. Expansion years are what they are for every team (except Florida), really bad. Everyone expected that. The Heatley gong show was with one player not the team. Management has never been this bad in how they operate this team and it sucks. Whether you like the coach or not no one has any clue of what the master plan is. Murray said himself he overvalued the players he brought in. That's a red flag.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

4 points out of a playoff spot at about 20 games in is the lowest point ever when we failed to pay our players, continuously lost to Toronto in the playoffs, greatest start ever in 2007-2008 only to limp into the playoffs (making it only thanks to Carolina winning their game) and get obliterated by the team we obliterated the year before?

Holy hell man, get a ****ing grip. Also did you see that Bobby Ryan signed despite all your bs?

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

I'm surprised people can remember the early years so well. A lot of the Martin-to-Hartsburg and Yashin years are a bit of a blur nowadays. I do remember being massively excited to get Turgeon in the expansion draft, though.

 

[Stylizer1]

Umm, no.

There was this:

And then there was this:

And then this:

And then this:

... and then this:


... so no. Firing a coach is not the lowest point in this franchise's history. Not by a long shot.

It's the accumulation of events over the last 3 seasons. This is not just about the coach. You don't give our top center anyone to play with until it's too late and he becomes the scapegoat? You screw with your most valuable player in franchise history so much that he leaves? there so much more that can be said but it if fair to say that this team has **** the bed once again.

 

[Quo]

I think this premise is overly dramatic and deficient in perspective.

 

[BonkTastic]

It's the accumulation of events over the last 3 seasons. This is not just about the coach. You don't give our top center anyone to play with until it's too late and he becomes the scapegoat? You screw with your most valuable player in franchise history so much that he leaves? there so much more that can be said but it if fair to say that this team has **** the bed once again.

I'm sorry, but the team not being able to pay the players, and bankruptcy, and almost relocating trumps any on-ice or hockey ops shenanigans.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

And how about we wait to see how Cameron performs? Sure how he got the job isn't encouraging but I've seen people get into positions through nothing but nepotism and still perform very well

 

[Stylizer1]

I think this premise is overly dramatic and deficient in perspective.

Have we every had this level of mismanagement?

 

[BonkTastic]

Have we every had this level of mismanagement?

Yep.

Muckler was worse.

 

[Stylizer1]

I'm sorry, but the team not being able to pay the players, and bankruptcy, and almost relocating trumps any on-ice or hockey ops shenanigans.

A man trying to keep a team in the city even though he wasn't rich enough has nothing to do with the actual team. It has to do with economics. Throughout that time the TEAM was the best run in the league and the model of how to do it.

 

[The Lewler]

No.

Is it the lowest point of this decade? Absolutely.

 

[Quo]

Have we every had this level of mismanagement?

Dear me yes, yes we have. Mel Bridgeman to Randy Sexton was absolutely epic mismanagement even for expansion standards. And I know that you feel that the team is supremely mismanaged now but I don't believe that's entirely true. Some things I really like, some things I'm curious about, some things I'd wish we could do better but 'lowest point in Sens history'? I just can't say that given the history of this team.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Mel Bridgeman.....now there was an epic 'stache.

 

[YouGotAStuGoing]

Yep, I'll echo others. Lowest point in recent memory, yes. Very hard to get excited about the rest of this season, and unfortunately I think things will get darker before they get brighter. But in the franchise's history? Not even close.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

Well, since Bonk covered the financials, I'll talk personnel. The time period after our cup run was pretty brutal. A heck of a fall from grace, prospect cupboard was bare, and we were purging our assets.

That made for some good talk radio.

There have been way worse times than that though. Like about-to-lose-the-team worse.

Yep, I'll echo others. Lowest point in recent memory, yes. Very hard to get excited about the rest of this season, and unfortunately I think things will get darker before they get brighter. But in the franchise's history? Not even close.

Nice avy.

 

[Micklebot]

The team has been on the verge of relocation, and you think being a bubble playoff team (or slightly worse) is the lowpoint for the org?

The team is one of the youngest and least exerienced in the league. We have a franchise Dman, and solid young prospects. We have a good outlook in nets for now and the future. If we do poorly this year, we get a great pick, if Cameron rights the ship, we'll then we're back on track.

We were one of the best run orgs because we drafted and developed players so well, and the pre-cap UFA rules allowed us to keep our talent, then Muckler came and crippled the farm system in an attempt to push us over the top and the new cap/UFA rules forced us to shed talent. Now we are getting back to drafting and developing but without the high picks of the early years or the high payroll of the Muckler years.

Economics are to blame for the Bryden days, but not for Melnyk? Double standard much?