We definitely are a sinking ship. My defending Dorion's very spotty track record isn't meant to mean I think things aren't that bad. I just feel the need to try to counter balance the, at times, crushing negativity.
The Senators are in for a good decade or more of treading water. It started with us not being able to retain Hossa and the trend has kept up: Heatley, Spezza, Alfredsson, Turris, Karlsson and now Stone/Duchene.
This is going from 2005 to now. This franchise has absolutely no credibility whatsoever. Even Edmonton has more. It's going to take a long, long time to stop sucking and even longer time to get back into the hunt for a Cup.
Most of us know this. I have come to terms with it. I still love hockey and I still love the Sens so I don't want this place to turn into an endless circle jerk of sadness.
So speaking of crushing negativity
I don't think the franchise was unable to retain Hossa. A little too much revisionism in that statement for me. He was signed and then traded. A dick move i agree with, but i didn't think it was a retention issue. Heatley came in and had, by far, this franchise's best 3 season run in terms of goal scoring and we made a cup final.
I also do not think that the Alfie and Spezza situations were retention related. The Alfie situation was a mess for sure but i don't think it was a retention issue. Spezza was older with chronic back issues and wanted out.
Turris was not a retention issue either. I look at that as a hockey decision. That player on that contract. No thank you. I get he was a great community guy but not signing him to a 6 by 6 deal was an astute move imo. Isn't Nashville in on the Duchene sweepstakes? Doesn't that say to you that they don't see Turris as a 2c on a cup contender ? And if there interedt in Duchene doesn't say that for you, look at his numbera in the 80 games at Nadhville since his hot start.
Stone, Duchene and Dzingle are 100% retention issues. Unfortunately, the shit show over the past two years has us at the point where guys won't sign. And it's not even entirely our shit show either...,that team down the 401 is using its financial might in a way that is causing problems for the league, not just us. The most credible stuff on Stone has the hold up based on bonus money. Toronto created that problem, not Melnyk. Wind it back two years and sure guys were getting some bonus money but what's happened in the past 18 months with signing bonuses is too much and will need to be addressed.
Inability to retain in the last 2 years. Sure i agree with that.
Since 2005. No. That's not true at all.
