Confirmed with Link: Senators sign Christian Wolanin to Entry Level Contract

[Peptic Balcers]

Realistically Wolanin should be up with big club as a regular but if PD wants to play around he may get him with a 2 year contract with 2nd year 1 way...would be a bad look to me though and create potential friction for no reason.

Does he still need to improve? Absolutely. Is he a legit NHL D now? I believe so.

He was an NHL defenseman all year. And a good one too. Everyone that's watched him with Belleville knows he had no business being down there. And I'd comfortably say that he was amongst the top 4 D when he was in Ottawa. He's going to have a break out year next year and everyone is going to ask "where did this guy come from"? I'd be asking him what his price is on a long term deal, like 3-4 years (to see if he'd willing to sign cheap to have some stability) because he is a player that I would gladly bet on.

 

[BonkTastic]

I think everyone would like Brannstrom to make the team but he is not a lock. If he is brutal at training camp he will start in Belleville.

Even if he looks great, we might send him to Belleville until January.

He might get the Vlad Guerrero Jr treatment, especially if we are trying to lose games next year to go after a high draft pick.

 

[JD1]

I think everyone would like Brannstrom to make the team but he is not a lock. If he is brutal at training camp he will start in Belleville. If Ceci is brutal in camp he makes it anyway (a lock). Chabot, Ceci, Boro, and DeMelo are locks and Jaros and is virtually a lock.

I forgot DeMelo. Youre right, he is a lock. My gut instinct is Brannstrom has to play himself off the team, not on.

 

[Six Assets]

Even if he looks great, we might send him to Belleville until January.

He might get the Vlad Guerrero Jr treatment, especially if we are trying to lose games next year to go after a high draft pick.

apparently Dorion wants to compete for a playoff spot next season, and then be a contender the year after...

 

[BUCKLE UP]

apparently Dorion wants to compete for a playoff spot next season, and then be a contender the year after...

Lol.

 

[Six Assets]

Lol.

FYOUS!

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

He was an NHL defenseman all year. And a good one too. Everyone that's watched him with Belleville knows he had no business being down there. And I'd comfortably say that he was amongst the top 4 D when he was in Ottawa. He's going to have a break out year next year and everyone is going to ask "where did this guy come from"? I'd be asking him what his price is on a long term deal, like 3-4 years (to see if he'd willing to sign cheap to have some stability) because he is a player that I would gladly bet on.

I saw this as well. IMO he already broke out on his last call up. He was very calm and composed with the puck in his own end. Also very stong offensively. The defensive part of the game could use some work but he isn't a liability defensively. He is also a player I would bet on for a long term deal. It might be better to bridge him first though.

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

Even if he looks great, we might send him to Belleville until January.

He might get the Vlad Guerrero Jr treatment, especially if we are trying to lose games next year to go after a high draft pick.

I could be wrong, but I believe Dorion said that he see's Brannstrom making the team to start the season next year.

 

[OD99]

I could be wrong, but I believe Dorion said that he see's Brannstrom making the team to start the season next year.

His proudest day ever was trading Stone for him so I expect him to get a picture outside the arena and #1 PP time along with 20 mins a game.

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

His proudest day ever was trading Stone for him so I expect him to get a picture outside the arena and #1 PP time along with 20 mins a game.

Ya I mentioned last week how bad Dorion is for the new shiny toy effect. Reminds me of this great quote after Stone was traded and he talked about the Karlsson trade:
“Did you know that Tierney has more assists then Mark Stone?”

 

[BonkTastic]

apparently Dorion wants to compete for a playoff spot next season, and then be a contender the year after...

Remember: Dorion is a hype man.

There is just as much chance that quote was made as a tall tale to sell seasons tickets as it was a declararion of intent.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

apparently Dorion wants to compete for a playoff spot next season, and then be a contender the year after...

Will Dorion rush the prospects in an attempt to get cheap labor and put his over optimism he sells Melnyk into action.
Gotta figure we have to have an improvement of 12-14 places in the standings. Who is going to give us this boost in performance. We were in last place with Stone, Duchene and Dzingel. How have we improved to that degree? Dorion said the GM said it must be so... so rather than tell the GM, which I suspect he meant Melnyk, that they just started the rebuild and he screwed up in his assessment of who would stay .. he says "yessa" ... If they really "must" do that .. they will need to make very astute trades for quality vets. Now I wonder how much this rebuild will be rushed and which of our picks and prospects will be moved in order to make that kind of improvement.

 

[Six Assets]

Remember: Dorion is a hype man.

There is just as much chance that quote was made as a tall tale to sell seasons tickets as it was a declararion of intent.

There is no doubt in my mind that management actually believes that they can fight for a playoff spot. Initially, we all thought that Dorion was a hype man, turns out he's just another moron.

 

[Peptic Balcers]

I saw this as well. IMO he already broke out on his last call up. He was very calm and composed with the puck in his own end. Also very stong offensively. The defensive part of the game could use some work but he isn't a liability defensively. He is also a player I would bet on for a long term deal. It might be better to bridge him first though.

My rational is that a few guys will be coming off their ELC's and RFA's in the next couple years and will want paydays (Chabot, White, Tkachuk, Brannstrom? Batherson? Brown? Formenton? Goalies? The whole roster but Bobby Ryan?). Wolanin is a guy I'd feel comfortable locking up cheap for long term, so we wouldn't have to worry about re-upping him (can you blame me for worrying about whether or not this team can re-sign their players?)

If he doesn't improve in his own end I still see him as a useful player, especially with what replacement level is on the Sens. My gut feeling is that he's going to be a surefire top 4D next year, so if we bridge him to a 2 year contract then he's gonna want to get paid after that. Which would be around the same time as everyone else. So by giving him a 4 year cheap contract, He'll be filling a top role for cheap (like when Ellis signed his 5 year 2.5 million dollar contract). But if management sees him as the next offensive defensemen that took the college route, that starts with a "W" like Wiercoich or Wideman, then it'd make more sense to give him a 1 or 2 year.

Ottawa needs to be creative with their contracts to ice a good roster within their budget constraints. It will look terrible if they sign him to a 4 year contract and he bottoms out, but I think that there is enough evidence to suggest that he would be a good gamble.

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

My rational is that a few guys will be coming off their ELC's and RFA's in the next couple years and will want paydays (Chabot, White, Tkachuk, Brannstrom? Batherson? Brown? Formenton? Goalies? The whole roster but Bobby Ryan?). Wolanin is a guy I'd feel comfortable locking up cheap for long term, so we wouldn't have to worry about re-upping him (can you blame me for worrying about whether or not this team can re-sign their players?)

If he doesn't improve in his own end I still see him as a useful player, especially with what replacement level is on the Sens. My gut feeling is that he's going to be a surefire top 4D next year, so if we bridge him to a 2 year contract then he's gonna want to get paid after that. Which would be around the same time as everyone else. So by giving him a 4 year cheap contract, He'll be filling a top role for cheap (like when Ellis signed his 5 year 2.5 million dollar contract). But if management sees him as the next offensive defensemen that took the college route, that starts with a "W" like Wiercoich or Wideman, then it'd make more sense to give him a 1 or 2 year.

Ottawa needs to be creative with their contracts to ice a good roster within their budget constraints. It will look terrible if they sign him to a 4 year contract and he bottoms out, but I think that there is enough evidence to suggest that he would be a good gamble.

Ya that's pretty much my rational as well. I'd be ok with a 4 year contract. I do get nervous though with young Dman. Cowen, Wierchioch, Claessen, Ceci, all guys that have shown promise but have busted. I have way more faith in Wolanin then those guys though.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Wolanin can be a UFA in 3 years. He will be arbitration eligible after 1 more year. A 2 year deal puts him in the same boat Stone was in .. a year away from UFA but the Sens have the chance to extend him beyond that. Extending him for 3 or 4 years now will mean hes a UFA at the end of the contract.

 

[Peptic Balcers]

Ya that's pretty much my rational as well. I'd be ok with a 4 year contract. I do get nervous though with young Dman. Cowen, Wierchioch, Claessen, Ceci, all guys that have shown promise but have busted. I have way more faith in Wolanin then those guys though.

You can even throw Rundblad on your list there too. It's interesting how our recent experiences can influence our thoughts/decision-making going forward. It would be interesting what Wolanin's value would be if he was in a system that pumps out good defenseman like Nashville or St. Louis

 

[JD1]

Wow, shiny new toy syndrome for Wolanin. He's quite good with the puck but he has some learning to do without it and with his decision making.

The risk for Wolanin is us having two LD PMDs that the team may decide are ahead of him.

If neither he nor Brannstrom can play the right side, there may not be room for him

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

Wow, shiny new toy syndrome for Wolanin. He's quite good with the puck but he has some learning to do without it and with his decision making.

The risk for Wolanin is us having two LD PMDs that the team may decide are ahead of him.

If neither he nor Brannstrom can play the right side, there may not be room for him

Not for me personally. I am just on the record of being very high on him. Even if we have two PMDs, there is still room for a third.

 

[Micklebot]

Not for me personally. I am just on the record of being very high on him. Even if we have two PMDs, there is still room for a third.

Agreed. Ideal world is that we have better options ahead of him and have Wolanin and Jaros as a bottom pair. Having guys on the Bottom pair that look like the could be in the top 4 would be a refreshing change from Boro Harpur ect.

 

[Sensmileletsgo]

Agreed. Ideal world is that we have better options ahead of him and have Wolanin and Jaros as a bottom pair. Having guys on the Bottom pair that look like the could be in the top 4 would be a refreshing change from Boro Harpur ect.

I would also like it if all 6 of our defensemen were good at moving the puck. It's been so tough to watch the majority of our defensemen not be able to make a decent outlet pass or be able to skate with the puck.

 

[topshelf15]

I would also like it if all 6 of our defensemen were good at moving the puck. It's been so tough to watch the majority of our defensemen not be able to make a decent outlet pass or be able to skate with the puck.

I want this too ,but I also want at least one or two of them to be an actual physical presence along the boards....Watching our defenders lose puck battle after puck battle is getting tiresome

 

[topshelf15]

Will Dorion rush the prospects in an attempt to get cheap labor and put his over optimism he sells Melnyk into action.
Gotta figure we have to have an improvement of 12-14 places in the standings. Who is going to give us this boost in performance. We were in last place with Stone, Duchene and Dzingel. How have we improved to that degree? Dorion said the GM said it must be so... so rather than tell the GM, which I suspect he meant Melnyk, that they just started the rebuild and he screwed up in his assessment of who would stay .. he says "yessa" ... If they really "must" do that .. they will need to make very astute trades for quality vets. Now I wonder how much this rebuild will be rushed and which of our picks and prospects will be moved in order to make that kind of improvement.

This rebuild is such a sham,we pretended to the rest of the league we were actually trying to sign our top end guys...Nobody bought it and we were forced to move them for pennies on the dollar...

And they try now to overhype middling prospects and late draft picks as us stacking the prospect pool,I mean who trades the players we traded and only have one bluechip prospect to show for it.... Yet they wonder why nobody is showing up to buy this garbage...

 

[Boud]

This rebuild is such a sham,we pretended to the rest of the league we were actually trying to sign our top end guys...Nobody bought it and we were forced to move them for pennies on the dollar...

And they try now to overhype middling prospects and late draft picks as us stacking the prospect pool,I mean who trades the players we traded and only have one bluechip prospect to show for it.... Yet they wonder why nobody is showing up to buy this garbage...

Pretty good summary of the situation.

 

[topshelf15]

Pretty good summary of the situation.

I thought the hate would go away but it hasnt ....