Well holy crap its a month in and everyone is jumping the gun on San Jose's poor start. Based on Ottawa winning this. Let us as people before have said acknowledge they aren't owned by Melynk.
Team with a brighter future? SJS v OTT
- Thread starter snipes
- Start date
Thenameless
Registered User
- Apr 29, 2014
- 3,855
- 1,788
I agree that Ottawa has a short term advantage. I still think that all things considered, San Jose has a better chance to eventually win a Stanley Cup. I'm looking at macro factors like geography, financials, and ownership.
klozge
Avs
M88K
irreverent
- May 24, 2014
- 9,205
- 7,137
People are overplaying the Melnyk angle here, and i get why but seriously come on.
Couture is 30, in year 1 of an 8yr contract @8mil
Kane is 28 and has 6yrs left @7mil
Karlsson is 29 in year 1 of an 8yr 11..5mil
Burns, 34 has 5yrs after this left @8mil
Vlasic, 32 has 7yrs left after this @ 7mil
41.5mil into 5 players that are going to be some massive dead weight in the nearish future.
And it's not like those are contracts they'll be able to drop without taking money back if they did find a taker for some of those bad contracts.
3 of those contracts are for defensemen. 1 of whom is already a fraction of what he was.
The only high end blue line prospect they have coming is Merkley.
When Burns and Karlsson fall off a cliff/injuries completely catch up to them.
That is a lot of high end talent to replace as well as a lot of dead cap.
And while LTIR will likely factor into to some degree, i doubt all 41mil.
They're already struggling and those guys are still (for the most part) high end players with the pacific being more accommodating of a bad start than the other divisions would be generally, i'm sure they'll get back into things this year, but there's not a lot of reason to have high expectations with each passing year
Couture is 30, in year 1 of an 8yr contract @8mil
Kane is 28 and has 6yrs left @7mil
Karlsson is 29 in year 1 of an 8yr 11..5mil
Burns, 34 has 5yrs after this left @8mil
Vlasic, 32 has 7yrs left after this @ 7mil
41.5mil into 5 players that are going to be some massive dead weight in the nearish future.
And it's not like those are contracts they'll be able to drop without taking money back if they did find a taker for some of those bad contracts.
3 of those contracts are for defensemen. 1 of whom is already a fraction of what he was.
The only high end blue line prospect they have coming is Merkley.
When Burns and Karlsson fall off a cliff/injuries completely catch up to them.
That is a lot of high end talent to replace as well as a lot of dead cap.
And while LTIR will likely factor into to some degree, i doubt all 41mil.
They're already struggling and those guys are still (for the most part) high end players with the pacific being more accommodating of a bad start than the other divisions would be generally, i'm sure they'll get back into things this year, but there's not a lot of reason to have high expectations with each passing year
NotLeddy
Trust the Yzerscam
- Oct 23, 2018
- 733
- 672
It ultimately depends on who Ottawa draft this June, which could change everything. But right now Ottawa needs their prospects like Brannstrom, Batherson, Brown etc. to become impact players in the NHL (and they aren't yet) for me to be convinced they're legitimately on the rise.
What's tough for me is that Hertl and Meier are better players right now than any Sens' forwards but Ottawa has the better assets for the future (especially having two firsts) and lots of cap flexibility. The Kane/Vlasic/Jones/EK contracts don't help San Jose's argument either.
I expect San Jose to start retooling for the future sooner rather than later given the writing on the wall, so either way both teams should look different from their current states two-three years from now, but really I can see it going either way. But if Ottawa gets Lafreniere (and he becomes the superstar people expect him to be) and it's easily them moving forward. If they don't get either Byfield or Laf, a lot has to go right for either team to be clearly ahead of each other within the next few seasons.
What's tough for me is that Hertl and Meier are better players right now than any Sens' forwards but Ottawa has the better assets for the future (especially having two firsts) and lots of cap flexibility. The Kane/Vlasic/Jones/EK contracts don't help San Jose's argument either.
I expect San Jose to start retooling for the future sooner rather than later given the writing on the wall, so either way both teams should look different from their current states two-three years from now, but really I can see it going either way. But if Ottawa gets Lafreniere (and he becomes the superstar people expect him to be) and it's easily them moving forward. If they don't get either Byfield or Laf, a lot has to go right for either team to be clearly ahead of each other within the next few seasons.
Falco Lombardi
Registered User
Ottawa could* be looking at potentially the top two picks in the draft plus not have the albatrosses of Karlsson and Martin Jones.
Even with Melnyk, I’ll take that.
Even with Melnyk, I’ll take that.
bert
Registered User
Sensinitis
Registered User
- Aug 5, 2012
- 15,934
- 5,526
This might be a bit closer if the Sharks didn't hand the Sens two of their best prospects in Norris and Balcers.
