News Article: [SB Nation] Was it worth it?

[AchtzehnBaby]

Good article.

With the 2010s now entirely in the rearview mirror and an exciting new era of Senators hockey on the horizon, I can understand that some of you by now must feel fed up with bloggers ripping off the bandages from wounds you believed may finally heal. Before I can close the book on my Karlsson years, however, I have to ask myself one question: after everything we endured as fans of this team (and we endured A LOT), for those three magical springs in 2013, ‘15, and ‘17, was it worth it?


Was it Worth it?

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[TheDebater]

Playoffs are always worth it to me.

 

[coladin]

Oh yes.

 

[Karl Prime]

I mean, there's no way of knowing what would have happened, good or bad, if they never traded for Ryan, or traded Zibanejad, or traded for Phaneuf .... but those three peaks among the valleys were definitely incredibly fun to watch.

 

[Stylizer1]

It was a waste of time. The team was not run properly Starting with bad ownership. Management should have been fired by the time Paul Maclean was let go.

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

Playoffs are always worth it to me.

Same here.

 

[Ice-Tray]

It was worth it.

Realistically those runs are the best a team can reasonably hope for, and the Hamburger and ECF runs were even beyond that for us. In a 10 year period it’s unlikely for most teams to even get a sniff at a championship, so making the playoffs and having some success has to be worth it.

Otherwise being a sports fan is simply trying to entertain yourself by witnessing failure after failure after failure.

There are teams that didn’t even make the playoffs, or win a single round in that 10 year period. As fans we didn’t really have it that bad at all, and even got to enjoy a few of the franchises very best moments of all time.

 

[Stylizer1]

It was worth it.

Realistically those runs are the best a team can reasonably hope for, and the Hamburger and ECF runs were even beyond that for us. In a 10 year period it’s unlikely for most teams to even get a sniff at a championship, so making the playoffs and having some success has to be worth it.

Otherwise being a sports fan is simply trying to entertain yourself by witnessing failure after failure after failure.

There are teams that didn’t even make the playoffs, or win a single round in that 10 year period. As fans we didn’t really have it that bad at all, and even got to enjoy a few of the franchises very best moments of all time.

In the last 10 years did we ever make the playoffs comfortably? It was a flip of the coin if we were going to make it or not each season. Hamburgler run was fun. The trip to the eastern finals was because we have favorable matchups and not because we were that good. The next season all but proved that.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Was it worth it... how can you ask? I mean just look where we are today? Our top line C is JGP and our top line RW is Connor Brown.. Sub in the left wing that's having the best game ., and play them as much as their bodies will allow... Gotta love it. I guess we can look at like all those trips to the conference and cup finals make 3 bottom 2-3 finishes in 3 years worth it.

 

[playasRus]

In the last 10 years did we ever make the playoffs comfortably? It was a flip of the coin if we were going to make it or not each season. Hamburgler run was fun. The trip to the eastern finals was because we have favorable matchups and not because we were that good. The next season all but proved that.

That also makes games 70-82 extra interesting though

 

[Stylizer1]

Was it worth it... how can you ask? I mean just look where we are today? Our top line C is JGP and our top line RW is Connor Brown.. Sub in the left wing that's having the best game ., and play them as much as their bodies will allow... Gotta love it. I guess we can look at like all those trips to the conference and cup finals make 3 bottom 2-3 finishes in 3 years worth it.

Starting out as the worst team who eventually made the finals was definitely worth it. Since then no vision, inconsistency, and poor management led to some lucky runs we eventually flushed down the toilette. Now, we will be lucky to make the playoffs within 5 years. Next season might be worse.

 

[Icelevel]

It’s a good question. We don’t know what we missed out on though because the path was abandoned. Bad management + luck is not what I signed up for as a fan.
Those were great moments but only a handful in a sea of terrible moments. I’d rather have the stable and steady competence with frequent bursts of excitement.

Could never totally get behind this organization because of the incompetence during that decade.

If I could turn back the clock and prevent those trades, signings, draft picks, hirings from happening I’d do it and hope for the best.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

It was worth it.

With better ownership, management and coaching, we definitely do better, but it was a decent decade considering they operate under such a tight budget with no margin for error.

 

[Ice-Tray]

In the last 10 years did we ever make the playoffs comfortably? It was a flip of the coin if we were going to make it or not each season. Hamburgler run was fun. The trip to the eastern finals was because we have favorable matchups and not because we were that good. The next season all but proved that.

Whatever man, it’s a personal question that garners a personal answer.

You and SOA have both argued that your recency bias negates you from enjoying the last decade to a certain degree, and that’s fair, I see no reason to argue with that perspective. You also have a slew of excuses at the ready as to why you can’t seem to enjoy the ECF run for what it was, which again is a personal choice.

However, I personally don’t see championships as the only measure of success as a fan watching sports, and I personally don’t value making the playoffs every year and going out in the first round any better than a solid deeper run every few years. But hey, that’s just me and I’m very comfortable with my perspective, living in a space with yours next door.

In the end the question is nebulous as we don’t have a solid definition of ‘worth’ nor do we know exactly what ‘it’ is. You define the terms and choose your own response. No wrong answers here as it’s all about personal perspectives.

 

[Ice-Tray]

It’s a good question. We don’t know what we missed out on though because the path was abandoned. Bad management + luck is not what I signed up for as a fan.
Those were great moments but only a handful in a sea of terrible moments. I’d rather have the stable and steady competence with frequent bursts of excitement.

Could never totally get behind this organization because of the incompetence during that decade.

If I could turn back the clock and prevent those trades, signings, draft picks, hirings from happening I’d do it and hope for the best.

It is interesting, only there wasn’t just one path abandoned, there were an infinite number of paths not followed, and only one that was travelled.

 

[Stylizer1]

Whatever man, it’s a personal question that garners a personal answer.

You and SOA have both argued that your recency bias negates you from enjoying the last decade to a certain degree, and that’s fair, I see no reason to argue with that perspective. You also have a slew of excuses at the ready as to why you can’t seem to enjoy the ECF run for what it was, which again is a personal choice.

However, I personally don’t see championships as the only measure of success as a fan watching sports, and I personally don’t value making the playoffs every year and going out in the first round any better than a solid deeper run every few years. But hey, that’s just me and I’m very comfortable with my perspective, living in a space with yours next door.

In the end the question is nebulous as we don’t have a solid definition of ‘worth’ nor do we know exactly what ‘it’ is. You define the terms and choose your own response. No wrong answers here as it’s all about personal perspectives.

Never said I didn't enjoy the run to the ECF, but holding that up as the pinacle of years off success rather than one lucky playoffs is the issue.
I am just trying to keep things in percpective.

For 10 season we never had any indication on how this team was getting better. Every step forward was met with a step back. Nowhere did I say that anything relating to championships being a factor in determining the Sens success.

This team went through a bad, half assed "retool" because it was managed by ineptitude. The master minds pupil was promoted leading us into the most disfunctional time only to finally tear it down a move on to a different path. It was the culmination of events leading up to today that makes me conclude that this decade was a waste.

 

[GCK]

The last decade was horrible. The 2017 run was done with a fraudulent team getting lucky and riding an all time performance from EK. Beating the Habs was fun but there was never a day during the last decade that I thought we were capable of winning a cup.

 

[robsenz]

I mean, there's no way of knowing what would have happened, good or bad, if they never traded for Ryan, or traded Zibanejad, or traded for Phaneuf .... but those three peaks among the valleys were definitely incredibly fun to watch.

Trading for Phaneuf got rid of Cowen, probably the best day of my life over my crappy wedding and underwhelming births of my children. But yeah, Phaneuf sucked.

 

[Karl Prime]

Trading for Phaneuf got rid of Cowen, probably the best day of my life over my crappy wedding and underwhelming births of my children. But yeah, Phaneuf sucked.

My favourite Cowen memory is him beating up Ryan White 7 years ago. The rest is pretty much awful.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

Old story...

Ottawa Senators Are the Feel-Good Story of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

Always felt like we were missing a piece or two no matter what year it was.

 

[Laphroaig]

It's been a horrible 12 years starting with Bryan Murray being named General Manager. The team should have been dismantled early in his tenure but one tepid re-tool after another was a recipe for failure. I'm glad we're finally bottoming out but it never should have taken this long.

My personal low point was the Campoli trade coupled with the Hartsburg firing. Instead of bottoming out in a great draft year we surged under a new coach and wound up drafting Cowen. I still laugh at those who thought Bryan Murray conned Toronto into drafting Nazem Kadri so we could take Cowen.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

If we could freeze time just before the Duchene trade, and nix that.....

We knew it would take awhile for Erik to recover from his ankle injury. We knew a big chunk of that ECF run was massive luck (Boston without most of their D and the Rangers on a big funk)....it wouldn't have hurt to sit tight for a year and see hoe Erik recovered (or hell, give him a few more months off and call the season a write-off) and just keep the team together and evaluate in the summer. Yes, chances are we still would've had to move one of our big ticket guys, but we would've had a better chance at a proper team evaluation, and trade more at a position of strength than desperation.

 

[JungleBeat]

Bryan Murray was a bad GM that set this franchise back. Still enjoyed making the ECF though, good times.

 

[Icelevel]

Bryan Murray was a bad GM that set this franchise back. Still enjoyed making the ECF though, good times.

Won’t argue that. But First trade Dorion made as gm was zibanejad and a 2nd round pick for brassard and round 7 pick