Thanks to those of you that took the time to enter the latest SensChirp contest. Predicting Erik Karlsson’s contract is certainly not an easy task and I can tell you that the people I have talked to seem to be split on how the Sens are going to approach these negotiations.
Contacts seem to be convinced it’s going to either be a lengthy deal, that locks Karlsson down long term or something much shorter, especially when you consider the uncertainty around the CBA.
In the Nation’s Capital, it figures to be one of the most intriguing story lines of the off season.
Erik Karlsson, coming off an incredible 78 point season and at just 21 years of age, is looking for a new contract. Everybody agrees that this has to be Bryan Murray’s number one priority this off season so let’s have a little bit of fun with it. As a way to kill some time this off season, we’re going to do a predict Erik Karlsson’s Contract Contest.
The Binghamton Senators have found their man.
A couple weeks ago, the news broke that Kurt Kleinendorst would not be returning as head coach of the Ottawa Senators AHL-affiliate in Binghamton. The search for his replacement was a short one as this afternoon the Sens announced that Luke Richardson is the new bench boss in Bingo.
(UPDATE 7:50 PM)- As speculated earlier today and confirmed by BSens reporter Joy Lindsay this evening, the Binghamton Senators will announce their new Head Coach at a press conference tomorrow in Bingo. Luke Richardson is considered the leading candidate for the job.
When the NHL holds its annual Entry Draft on June 22, 2012 in Pittsburgh, the Ottawa Senators will hold the 15th overall selection.
As we’ve seen from the Senators and their staff the last few seasons, anything is possible on draft day. We’ve seen them move up to grab a guy they liked (Karlsson), trade the pick for a proven prospect (Rundblad) and make a deal to add an additional first round pick (Puempel).
At his season ending press conference, Bryan Murray made it clear there are two areas where he’ll be looking to add this off season.
The Senators GM indicated he will be looking to add another shutdown type defenceman and a 20 goal scorer to the forward ranks. And while trades are always an option, he may have to fill those holes through free agency. Easier said than done when you consider this is fairly thin UFA market.
With the NHL playoffs down to the final four and a little over a month to go until the NHL Draft, there is plenty to talk about when it comes to our Ottawa Senators.
With that in mind, we welcome back Tom for his take on some of the important decisions Bryan Murray and his staff will be faced with this off season. Today, Tom takes a look at both the unrestricted and restricted free agents.
Interesting interview with Sens Captain Daniel Alfredsson where he talks about his experience in Sweden, his future with the Ottawa Senators and his plans for the future.
With Alfie currently representing Sweden at the World Championships, fans back in Ottawa eagerly await word on his plans for next season.
Restricted free agent forward Nikita Filatov has signed a contract with Salavat Yulaev of the KHL.
With his status for next season unknown and his future with the Ottawa Senators up in the air, it appears as though Nikita Filatov is making other plans for next season.
In the weeks leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline, it was impossible to avoid the speculation surrounding Columbus Blue Jackets forward, Rick Nash.
He made it known that he was unhappy in Columbus and that his preference was to be traded. In the end, the Jackets ended up hanging on to Nash but you can guarantee they will once again be exploring potential trade options this off season.