What do the Senators Need More?

[MtRundle]

Based on last game; to run with the big boys, what do the Sens need more?

A: A top 4 D
B: A top 6 winger
C: Both
D: Neither

Click to read more...

 

[DrakeAndJosh]

Level headed fans.

 

[BonkTastic]

Knee-jerk reaction if you're basing this off of one game, but I'll play along under the guise of this being a hypothetical scenario...

Teams can always use more depth at D, so I'll go with the top-4 D.

 

[John Holmes*]

The players they have to play smarter, or acquire smarter players.

 

[The Expert]

Brains.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

Imo 18-20 year old defensemen that will develop into 2-3-4 guys. not based off last game though i just think thats what we'll need in the long run.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

A mobile, defensively sound top-4 defenceman. At this point we have Karlsson and Wier that fit that bill, and the rest just are a step behind not only them, but the play as well.

Hell, just insert Corvo instead of Gryba on a more or less permanent basis and that might help.

 

[Karlssonlee]

Another puck possession type defenseman in the mold of Players like: Nick Leddy, Vlasic, Rundblad and OEL.

I think we miss Gonchar out there. He really controlled the tempo back there and knew when to add pressure and when to peel back and take his time with it.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

time

 

[Mark Effin Stone]

Less time in the box

 

[Icelevel]

Veteran, vocal, capable, leadership.

I think we all underestimated the loss of gonchar and alfie

 

[Do Make Say Think]

They NEED neither

They just need to take less penalties

 

[Magix]

Neither. Stop taking bad penalties and limit phillips and gryba's ice times.

 

[source]

Both > D > F > Neither

 

[Patvolcom65]

We need to be more disciplined. That's what we need.

 

[aragorn]

Time & experience & need to take less penalties.

With Ceci coming they will have three PMD & with Cowen, Methot, Gryba & Boroweicki they will have 4 capable shut down defencemen.

What they could use is more size & strength down the middle & centres who can win faceoffs. They seem to lose a lot of faceoffs & puck battles & have trouble scoring goals mostly because they are playing much bigger & tougher teams. IMO they have what they need in the organization in Zibanejad, Stone, Grant & Puempel but they are all still very young & will need time & experience to get used to the NHL. They also need to stop taking stupid penalties like the one Spezza took last night that cost them the game. I liked the Greening, Da Costa, Smith line but would like to see Zibanejad in the middle instead of Da Costa.

 

[John Holmes*]

I see 1capable shut down D man in your list of 4.

 

[sensfandan]

There's a few players struggling to find their game right now, and he's obviously not the only problem with the team, but to me Wiercioch looks absolutely lost 5 on 5 right now. The first goal last night, Wiercioch was just standing off to the side of the net while Hertl got two rebounds right in front. He's got great poise on the point on the powerplay, and I think he could put up huge points this year, but I'm not so sure he'll ever be more than a PP specialist.

If we could find a better partner for Cowen, who I think has quietly gotten off to a great start, and move Wiercioch down to the bottom pair, I think that would help stabilize the defense.

My ultimate hope for Wiercioch is that he puts up inflated numbers the next 1-2 years, and we can flip him to a team that's desperate for a puck-moving defenseman. Similar to how Pittsburgh inflated Whitney's and Goligoski's numbers, then turned them into Kunitz and Neal, two vastly better players.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

I've been saying this for a couple of months now.

Ottawa has a brilliant lineup potential to be top 4 in the east. However, we are 1 top 3 defender away from becoming serious Stanley Cup contenders.

Reason I say that is cause the team we have now is capable of making playoffs and whoever makes playoffs it's crapshoot from there but with another top 2/3 defender we would be able to have the defensive depth and throw 2 pairings out there against Crosby/Malkin with no real worries(you know what I mean)

I think management thinks that we are another year away and Cowen/Wiercioch can be that solid top 2/3 guy(Both are more complementary number 4's right now)

They could develop over the season though like McDonough did 2 years ago for NYR.

For now give it time. We will have a better understanding at late Novemeber/Decemeber when Murray has been known to make some early upgrades before the driving prices go crazy during deadline.

 

[Korpse]

Home games.

They always suck on the east coast road trip, ALWAYS!

 

[DrakeAndJosh]

And we have a top 6 forward, too bad he's in the AHL.

 

[BUCKLE UP]

Home games.

They always suck on the east coast road trip, ALWAYS!

That damn east coast.

 

[Lehner]

If we could get a #2 elite LD to play with EK, I think we would be a much better team.

Staal/ Karlsson
Methot Wiercoich
Cowen Phillips/Corvo/Gryba

**Im not sure Staal would be the right player but hes the only guy I could think of right away that might be avail for the right price**

Its not a knock on Methot, I like him a lot. Just think this is what we really need to be better.

I would try and get Staal or someone with Ceci/Anderson/Smith. Those are players i feel we can now look at moving.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

I had a dream last night we traded:

Zibanejad
I unno
I unno

For

Yakupov
Voynov(LOL i know)
2nd rounder

Pretty sure I argued with myself in that dream.

 

[WhiteLight*]

Yes. Staal would be excellent.

Staal - Karlsson
Cowen - Methot
Phillips - Wiercioch