(UPDATE 11:56 AM)- Bryan Murray addressed the media in Pittsburgh this morning and indicated that the Sens are still involved in talks on Rick Nash and that the 15th pick has not been part of the discussions.
(UPDATE 11:50 AM)- Renaud Lavoie, who previously indicated the Sens were out of the Nash Sweepstakes, now suggests that conversations are continuing and that budget may the issue for Ottawa. He also tweeted that the Senators have had no discussions on Jordan Staal. No surprise there.
(UPDATE 11:34 AM)- The biggest issue on the Rick Nash front is whether or not he has any interest in playing in Ottawa. Teams like San Jose and New York are on his list but have yet to meet the Jackets asking price. Ottawa remains in the mix though.
After a couple weeks of rumours and speculation, the big day is finally here.
The NHL Entry Draft goes tonight from Pittsburgh and Bryan Murray and the Ottawa Senators find themselves right at the centre of all the excitement. Rick Nash is the name you'll hear the most about today but there are plenty of other names floating around.
If the buzz around the team yesterday is any indication, I think Sens fans could be in for another wild one.
GM Bryan Murray has found himself right at the centre of a lot of the trade talk as he looks to address a couple of his team's most important needs. The Sens GM made it clear at his season ending press conference that a top 6 forward and another defenceman were priorities and he is actively trying to fill those gaps.
Rick Nash remains Plan A for the Ottawa Senators.
After the talk yesterday, I really get the sense this deal may be closer than some realize. The biggest unknown is where the Rick Nash and those around him stand on Ottawa. Is he willing to expand his list to include Canada's Capital?
Nobody seems to know that for sure.
And while Nash remains the focal point, the Senators are also very interested in adding another defenceman as well.
There are some options on the UFA market but the organization is also very high on Hawks blueliner Niklas Hjalmarsson. Despite what some have suggested, there is no deal complete just yet but the two sides are expected to continue talks today.
Plenty for Sens fans to look forward to.
I'll be posting updates at the top of this post, in the comment section, and on Twitter, so stay tuned. If you want to know when things will really pick up, I would guess sometime around 10:30 AM when I'm stuck in a damn Dentist appointment.
- With all the trade possibilities surrounding draft day, some seem to have forgotten about the actual draft. The fun gets started at 7:00 PM tonight and the Ottawa Senators are slated to pick at 15. Consensus seems to be that if they do hang on to the pick, one of the defenceman they have targeted should be there for the taking.
- Round 1 of the Draft goes tonight while the remaining rounds are set for the weekend. Ottawa has a couple of third round picks and is expected to use one of them on a goalie.
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=398972
As for Rick Nash trade? Howson said no offers are close. "They have a ways to go yet."
MOVE ON THEN
As for Rick Nash trade? Howson said no offers are close. "They have a ways to go yet."
Well I guess this is motivation enough to get some work done for at least an hour ;)
Zombie Jesus classic.
I wonder if because SJ is out, we'll be the only major player.If that's the case that's HUGE news for Bryan Murray. That is masssive for negotiations. Chances are Howsen went to SJ and said listen man, Ottawa is offering Zibanejad in their package, you absolutely have to include Logan Couture in yours or else we just can't make a deal. Now I'm sure as long as they can make the financials work they'll have a deal. Because in the end Columbus needs at the very least one big name asset coming the other way. From us, they like Zib, from SJ it's Couture, from NY it's DelZotto and from Philly apparently it was Schenn. So looks like were the only ones that are willing to give up that one piece that Howsen wants(as he should). The reason Bryan Murray is the only one? Well because were the only one out of all these teams that has more elite prospects waiting for roster spots.
One more point...if we don't have to give up our 1st in this Nash trade that would just be so huge for us. We could add either a really solid defenceman or what I believe to be an elite goalie about 5 or 6 years from now (Subban). That's so valuable for us right now
Silfverberg - Spezza - Nash
Milo - Turris - Alfie
Greening - Smith - Stone
Condra - Konopka - Neil
(Extra: Regin)
That and add the fact that teams are slowly dropping out of the sweepstakes, we're the only ones left standing. But seriously, how sick will it be to have LW - Spezza - Nash?