News Article: The Senators are the worst-run Canadian NHL team.

[Novak Djokovic]

What exactly is our strategy? Trade all the good, established players for future prospects who may or may not make it? Then trade them too once they become good NHL players?

Yes, rebuilding requires some selling, but if you have no base to begin with, what's the point?

 

[Engineer]

What exactly is our strategy? Trade all the good, established players for future prospects who may or may not make it? Then trade them too once they become good NHL players?

Yes, rebuilding requires some selling, but if you have no base to begin with, what's the point?

To be a team?

 

[starling]

This is our CEO. Are they ever out of touch with reality. Incredible.

 

[RichManitoba]

As a hockey fan (but always an Avalanche fan going back to the Nordiques) I feel bad for the Ottawa fan base. From what I read, is it fair to say Melnyk handcuffs the organization with tight pockets?

No offense to the team, but Duchene has to be the happiest guy in Ohio right now.

 

[Countdown0]

Nice of them to suggest we're only the worst run Canadian team.

Bit overly generous though...

 

[DuckedUpOnQuack]

This is our CEO. Are they ever out of touch with reality. Incredible.

I’d be very interested to know what the “direction” is considering it changes month to month. Melnyk’s ongoing behaviour makes it impossible to trust anything he or his organization says.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

This is our CEO. Are they ever out of touch with reality. Incredible.

Who surveyed people who already bought season tickets and they said they’re happy, so it must be working!

 

[HF Reader]

This is our CEO. Are they ever out of touch with reality. Incredible.

Is he referring to the Senators?

 

[billpo]

I started watching hockey at the 2002 Olympics, so I became a Sens fan around 02-03. That means I missed the rough years before we had a run of several 100+ point seasons.

For those who were fans in the late 90s: when it was bad, was it as bad as it is now? I mean I know the team was in danger of moving. But from a management and on-ice product perspective, was it as devoid of hope as things are now? Or were there at least some moments of optimism?

as bad as it was...I don't recall ever feeling as defeated as I do today...seriously.

 

[billpo]

This is our CEO. Are they ever out of touch with reality. Incredible.

wow...another Melnyk puppet...just like Dorion...these guys are so out of touch...incredible

 

[foggyvisor]

This is our CEO. Are they ever out of touch with reality. Incredible.

They tried to sign Duchene and had to trade him after he rejected them. The same is happening with Stone.

How is there direction when other people are controlling what you do?

 

[billpo]

I hope you're right, but if the Lebreton deal follows through, I can see him dragging out this poorly run team for quite a while.

if the deal follows through, that means someone with a lot of cash has stepped in...Melnyk definitely does NOT have the money.

 

[HF Reader]

as bad as it was...I don't recall ever feeling as defeated as I do today...seriously.

In the 90s there was hope. We expected an expansion team to struggle. Although the Daigle contract mistake and Yashin's image hurt. I recall reading a quote from Daigle's agent that they were stunned at the generous offer made by the Senators.

And then there was the comic relief of hiring "Sparky" Allison. If I recall Gauthier and Martin came in not long after and the team became respectable. Marshall Johnston was likely our best GM.

Others who followed the team more closely might correct what I have just said.

 

[Knave]

They tried to sign Duchene and had to trade him after he rejected them. The same is happening with Stone.

How is their direction when other people are controlling what you do?

Explain to me how other businesses don't work under similar constraints and lose employees, have to bring in new ones and compete.

Nobody had a gun to that guy's head. He offered it up. "Everything is fine and people agree with us".

 

[foggyvisor]

Explain to me how other businesses don't work under similar constraints and lose employees, have to bring in new ones and compete.

Nobody had a gun to that guy's head. He offered it up. "Everything is fine and people agree with us".

My point is that either we are selling and rebuilding, or we aren't. Dorion has said we are rebuilding, yet made contract offers to Karlsson, Duchene and Stone.

They are involuntarily rebuilding because no one wants to play here. That's what we are calling "direction"?

 

[coladin]

Rebuilds are not fun. No matter how all the Influencers want to re-phrase, reiterate, regurgitate or bitch and moan, this is part of what is going to happen. This team is going to suck, draft high and get back to basics.

Money motivated? I insist most rebuilds are about money, and wasting money when you are no closer to winning. Rangers are doing it because they are blowing money without the possibility of competing to win. Leafs figured it out and had some good fortune. Doesn't matter what organization , rich or poor.

If they are serious about the rebuild, they have to all the way. Keeping Stone slows it down. He is going to waste two years waiting for the team to turn the corner? He would have to be stupid or overpaid to do so.

They can hire a reputable GM and coach. It still won't change anything. The fans have checked out. Apathy is alive and well.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Rebuilds can be fun when you trust in ownership and can look forward to a top draft pick.

Also when you don’t call up top prospects from the AHL only to have them play 9 minutes.

 

[thinkwild]

Bettman really needs to get on with that course:
NHL Ownership for Dummies.
Humility for Billionaires.

 

[aragorn]

Ottawa Senators = Montreal Expos

Get young cheap assets, hope they do well but when they get expensive trade them for good young assets. Repeat.

 

[Acidrain66]

Ottawa Senators = Montreal Expos

Get young cheap assets, hope they do well but when they get expensive trade them for good young assets. Repeat.

Rinse and repeat..

 

[NorthCoast]

Rebuilds are not fun. No matter how all the Influencers want to re-phrase, reiterate, regurgitate or ***** and moan, this is part of what is going to happen. This team is going to suck, draft high and get back to basics.

Money motivated? I insist most rebuilds are about money, and wasting money when you are no closer to winning. Rangers are doing it because they are blowing money without the possibility of competing to win. Leafs figured it out and had some good fortune. Doesn't matter what organization , rich or poor.

If they are serious about the rebuild, they have to all the way. Keeping Stone slows it down. He is going to waste two years waiting for the team to turn the corner? He would have to be stupid or overpaid to do so.

They can hire a reputable GM and coach. It still won't change anything. The fans have checked out. Apathy is alive and well.

Rebuilds are not fun. No matter how all the Influencers want to re-phrase, reiterate, regurgitate or ***** and moan, this is part of what is going to happen. This team is going to suck, draft high and get back to basics.

Money motivated? I insist most rebuilds are about money, and wasting money when you are no closer to winning. Rangers are doing it because they are blowing money without the possibility of competing to win. Leafs figured it out and had some good fortune. Doesn't matter what organization , rich or poor.

If they are serious about the rebuild, they have to all the way. Keeping Stone slows it down. He is going to waste two years waiting for the team to turn the corner? He would have to be stupid or overpaid to do so.

They can hire a reputable GM and coach. It still won't change anything. The fans have checked out. Apathy is alive and well.

Weird Melnyk Hypothetical.

Say they were able sign Stone or Duch or EK to a contract without any NMC/NTC protection, and at a reasonable rate.

Is the player more valuable as a trade asset now?

And now the key question...would they trade them?

Or maybe more important to the context of recent events...would they sign them knowing they were just going to trade them?











What was your answer? Now look at the questions again, but imagine they’re horses.

I had an epiphany the other night. Yes, money is a factor, maybe the factor.

But what if this process is also about EM getting fed up with players, gms, coaches, etc and imposing his breeding philosophy onto an nhl team. Ie, play the numbers and you eventually will breed a prize stallion.

Explains going for quantity over quality in every trade.

I only mention it because it’s clear from reading his interviews that horse racing is his true love by far.

 

[Cosmix]

To be a team?

Dorion says “We are a team” and then trades the best players away. I guess those players were holding us back.

 

[Grizwald]

Rebuilds are not fun. No matter how all the Influencers want to re-phrase, reiterate, regurgitate or ***** and moan, this is part of what is going to happen. This team is going to suck, draft high and get back to basics.

Money motivated? I insist most rebuilds are about money, and wasting money when you are no closer to winning. Rangers are doing it because they are blowing money without the possibility of competing to win. Leafs figured it out and had some good fortune. Doesn't matter what organization , rich or poor.

If they are serious about the rebuild, they have to all the way. Keeping Stone slows it down. He is going to waste two years waiting for the team to turn the corner? He would have to be stupid or overpaid to do so.

They can hire a reputable GM and coach. It still won't change anything. The fans have checked out. Apathy is alive and well.

I don't think so. This is not a rebuild! Melnyk is in liquidation mode and has been for several years. The Sens is the only business he has left, he's sold off or has been booted out of the other businesses. He's even closed Bert's Bar in Bardados.

Melnyk is doing to the Sens exactly what he has done with all his other companies: Melnyk buys company - Melnyk sues company (partners) - Melnyk destroys company - Repeat Cycle.

There is no credible hockey player that will ever want to play for the Sens as long as Melnyk owns the team. Who would? It's a dysfunctional disaster!

And please enough with your fan apathy crap, at least we're not sheep and we stand strong with our principles.

 

[BonkTastic]

This is our CEO. Are they ever out of touch with reality. Incredible.

Do you know what is even more incredible about this?

Even at it's ABSOLUTE BEST INTERPRETATION, even if you one hundred percent believed this massive lie and poor attempt at PR damage control, do you know what this still says?

"We have lost 25% of our fanbase".

I mean... that is HUGE. Publicly acknowledging that you have mismanaged your way into losing an entire quarter of a fanbase for a pro sports team? And talking about it like it's ok?!?

I'm legitimately shocked at the arrogance of those in charge of this hockey team.

 

[NyQuil]

I have to admire management's capacity for doubling down on their bullshit no matter how crazy it sounds.

It's remarkable.