Speculation: To be fair, Ottawa is not a good team.

[Yokai]

It was never a rebuild. The management might have sold it that was to justify getting rid of a fan favorite like Fisher, but our team already had the pieces in place to effectively avoid having to rebuild (we were "lucky" enough to have a tank season and stockpile while already having some great prospects in the pipeline). I said it last year before the season started and you all argued with me. We were in a playoff position before Spezza went down and Elliott was playing some of the worst hockey in history -- if our team is healthy it's easily a playoff team. Spezza being injured takes out our top player for a long period of time and that would hurt ANY team in the league. Some can absorb it better than others but a team like ours that is already battling for a playoff spot is going to see a much more significant impact.

Shame that Anderson was played in every game to finish out that "tank" year. Horrible decision that hurt the immediate success and long-term success of the team. How good would Ottawa look with Landeskog in the line-up right now.

 

[Dysentery]

Shame that Anderson was played in every game to finish out that "tank" year. Horrible decision that hurt the immediate success and long-term success of the team. How good would Ottawa look with Landeskog in the line-up right now.

Not good, since his brains have been scrambled.

 

[misha1976]

I'm going to make a radical drama-free suggestion. Neither is the sky falling nor is this team awesome. My prediction: no Stanley Cup this year. May or may not make the playoffs. A bit like last year, only more solid overall. It'll be a fun truncated season.

 

[Here I Pageau Again]

Obviously this team isn't a Stanley Cup contender.

But really, its not as bad as you think. I do think on paper -- without Spezza, Cowen it looks a little weak. But its all how you play together. Offensively we will improve, and our players who are young -- will get better. Its just a matter of time.

I do think we still need 1-2 more top line guys, and maybe one more solid D man to be a contending team. But really, we've done alright -- and we are rebuilding.

This year everything has gone wrong, last year everything went right.

We could make the playoffs, we may not. Either way, its fine.

We are not as awful as some make us out to be, but there hasn't been quite as much geling between players just yet as I've liked. But really, we are only 1.5 weeks into the season -- give the team some slack!

 

[sens2k9]

Cowen is also a huge factor. Alfie said his back flaired up durring the lock out probably playing through some back trouble too.

Add me to the list of people who think Cowen's injury has been overlooked/minimized by many. This is a potential franchise D that we're missing.

Also missing Lundin .. rolling 2 or 3 rookie D every night is a recipe for disaster.

Our forwards look gassed because they're spending a lot of energy helping those D out. In a long season it would absolutely benefit everybody involved but in a shortened season... it will likely be the reason we miss the playoffs.

 

[Lenny the Lynx]

People are missing the fact that the best offensive player in our organization is playing in the KHL. Filatov should be over here wearing the C

 

[Icelevel]

we are first or second in goals against out of 30 teams.

you can't say we are over achieving only because of anderson or the coach. anderson and the coach are part of the team.

without anderson we may need more defense.

with anderson (reality) we need more offense. we have always needed top 6 wingers and until that changes, it won't change.

Bryan Murray needs to do one thing - upgrade the top 6 wingers.

 

[Back in Black]

Michalek is nothing without Spezza. Latendresse looks completely lost. Alfie looks old.

We have an average team with a Norris Dman, A top Centre, and a goalie having a career year so far.

I think we have over-achieved the last two seasons. On paper our team should be a lottery team. But because of how good our coach/goalie are, we can compete every night and win. I thought from the start of the year we were going to get a top 5 pick, but I'm still really happy that we win games.

I think McStache has been good with young players. Played Cowen and Greening plenty last year and gave them chances to succeed. This year he has done the same with Silfverberg and Zibanejad. Both have been given great opportunities to play special teams and contribute at key times. You get played when you play well under this coaching staff, that seems to be the only rule.

Team Sweden!

Methot was a good pickup, but we need Cowen & Spezza back, and few more Canadian boys on the Team!

 

[Sens Rule]

Shame that Anderson was played in every game to finish out that "tank" year. Horrible decision that hurt the immediate success and long-term success of the team. How good would Ottawa look with Landeskog in the line-up right now.

I completely disagree. Winning at the end of that season is still paying benefits to the franchise. The immediate success helped to set the table for a winning attitude that was brightened by the great new coach the next season. Condra and Greening emerging at the end of that season was the first big addition to the young deep new core we are developing.

So let's say we kept Eliott that season and never trade for Anderson. We go through the motions and end up being able to draft Landeskog 2nd overall. I think Anderson + Zibanejad >>> Landeskog. Without Anderson it is unlikely we would have had a hope in hell of making the playoffs last year.

I don't understand why so many people on these boards are in love with the idea of "tanking". It is the worst possible idea.

So before the last 25 games of the season in 2010/2011 when we get Anderson and start this turnaround this is our core that is still with the team:

Early 2010/11
Spezza
Karlsson
Alfredsson
Michalek
Gonchar
Neil
Phillips

By end of 2010/11 added to the actual NHL "core" of today (and it is IMPORTANT to recognize that Murray signed these three to 4,3, and 2 year contracts after the season at VERY cheap $$$$)
Anderson
Greening
Condra

In 2011/12.....
Smith - breaks out to a regular and is resigned long term
Turris
Cowen
O'Brien

This year...
Silfverberg
Zibanejad
Methot

So at the time of the Anderson trade we had a core of only 7 players we still have on the team... since then in the last 1/4 of a season and a full year and so far this year we added 10 more players to our actual core on the ice in the NHL (and importantly Maclean). Not that we traded for most of them... but we had space on the roster for them to get really good ice time and prove themselves... that is what rebuilding is all about... freeing up ice time to see if others can perform. Without Greening and Condra with Spezza for 20 games they might have never got the big break they did. How smart was Murray to sign Anderson to a 4 year deal economically? Greening 3 years at like $800K a season is absurdly wise. Neil resigned at a bit less then he was making.

Right now Anderson is THE BEST GOALIE IN THE NHL. He was the best goalie in 2010/11 post trade to Ottawa even topping Thomas's sick numbers from the time of the trade. Last year Anderson was solid and the team had confidence behind him. Anderson was astounding in the playoffs and was going save for save vs Lundqvist. Anderson has been AMAZING since he came here. Lamenting his move here because we lost out on the 2nd overall pick and got the 6th overall pick is absurd. More absurd because the still 19 year old is on our roster right now and performing decently right now.

 

[Caje]

I think McStache has been good with young players. Played Cowen and Greening plenty last year and gave them chances to succeed. This year he has done the same with Silfverberg and Zibanejad. Both have been given great opportunities to play special teams and contribute at key times. You get played when you play well under this coaching staff, that seems to be the only rule.

I just wish he gave them more of a chance to succeed. Playing DaCosta on the 4th line for 5 minutes a game isn't going to help anything, least of all his confidence. I think that's partially why Filatov failed here. I think in a rebuilding year with a bunch of key injuries, you let the rookies play and allow them to grow.

 

[tony d]

We're a good team that is missing one of our best players at the moment. Any team would be the same thing.

 

[Sens Rule]

I just wish he gave them more of a chance to succeed. Playing DaCosta on the 4th line for 5 minutes a game isn't going to help anything, least of all his confidence. I think that's partially why Filatov failed here. I think in a rebuilding year with a bunch of key injuries, you let the rookies play and allow them to grow.

Filatov failed because he didn't do enough to earn his ice time. Maclean, to me, could not be better with rookies. The only player with less then 11:25 TOI per game on the team is Daugavins with 9:25. There has been line juggling to find chemistry. Once Chemistry established a line like O'Brien-Zibanejad-Condra end up getting plenty of ice time when they are clicking in a game.

To be frank... we don't have a bad forward. Da Costa would be fine with any two wingers we have... all of our forwards and skate and shoot and pass.

I don't really see how the Senators could possibly giving rookies and call-ups more opportunity then they have.

Filatov would likely be a healthy scratch on this team, alternating with Regin. What can he bring that the 11 other forwards (or 12 with Spezza out) don't?

 

[Nordic*]

Ottawa ratings


+++++
Karlsson


++++
Spezza (injured)



+++,5
Turris
Michalek
Anderson (right now he's 4,5)

+++
Alfredsson
Methot
Wiercioch
Gonchar
Silfverberg
Latendresse


++,5
Greening
O'Brien
Neil
Condra
Smith


++
Zibanejad
Phillips
Regin
Borowiecki

+
Benoit
Daugavins



And Cowen who's out for the whole season.

Compare that to contenders who have a throng of 4:s and 5:s.

 

[darglor]

If Anderson's not a 5 at the moment, no goalie in the league is a 5.

Let's just say I disagree with several of your ratings.

 

[guyzeur]

Ottawa ratings


+++++
Karlsson


++++
Spezza (injured)



+++,5
Turris
Michalek
Anderson (right now he's 4,5)

+++
Alfredsson
Methot
Wiercioch
Gonchar
Silfverberg
Latendresse


++,5
Greening
O'Brien
Neil
Condra
Smith


++
Zibanejad
Phillips
Regin
Borowiecki

+
Benoit
Daugavins



And Cowen who's out for the whole season.

Compare that to contenders who have a throng of 4:s and 5:s.

Is it based on their potential or actual performance. I totally disagree with the rating you're giving to Alfie, silverberg, Latendresse, and Michalek right now, at least a full point lower. The offense is stagnating and you're giving to these guys a 3.5/5?

 

[Scrub*]

It was just pointed out to me in another thread that our record right now(5-3) is better than last season at this point(4-5) and we made the playoffs.

So we weren't a good team last year and this year?

 

[65isthenew11]