In the meantime, I wanted to take a moment to wish all the loyal SensChirp readers a Happy New Year. Your ongoing support of this website throughout the past year has been greatly appreciated. Here's hoping we have a hockey-filled 2013.
I'll do my best to update the site again over the next couple of days but it's awfully hard to sit in an internet cafe when it's 30 degrees outside and the drinks are free.
Happy New Year!
Hope you caught the Can/Russia game. It was a dandy, Russia is still the penultimate Canada rival for me and it was sweet beating them in their own country.
Rumor has it that the NHLPA will introduce a clause to include relocation and expansion fees into hockey-related revenue.
It is purely a tactic designed to throw off the owners -- a clause no one thinks would ever fly. It's too late in the game to tinker with the HRR definition. The time to do that passed months ago. Fehr does this sort of stuff to try and get the NHL to fold on other issues.
Happy New Year Chirp and all 'Chirpers'.
I can't believe Fehr would do that at this point in negotiations. He keeps adding items that the NHLPA says are important to them... just to further delay the process.
I hope the Owners walk away if that is the case.. and tell the NHLPA that they have until Jan 5th to do a proper response to the NHL's offer.. and if not.. season is cancelled on Jan 10th.
I can't believe the players fall for this bullshit. That they are behind Fehr 100% when he is playing these games.
It's time the players have respect for the league they play in. I'm all for them getting a fair share in this deal.. but this is getting ridiculous. They get close.. then Fehr distances it further...
Happy New Year SC fans.
Go fuckin Sens
~Peluso
Best win % to Dec 31 in the entire AHL for a rookie head coach on one of, if not the, youngest team in the AHL. Way to go guys.
B-Sens win % is .707.
Happy New Year to my neighbors in the north!
2013 is the year of the Senator! : D !!!
Lost the stream for most of the game. What obscure rule did they catch a break on?
HNY to you as well TIMWRX. Keep the B-Sens info coming.. much appreciated.
Thanks for that..
Apparently, there were no shaninigans.., if that's the case I think we're golden!
Osulep is Peluso spelled backwards.
Yes I heard that later. That is good news. But Dreger is saying this morning that there is still a lot of issues to deal with.. so no deal will be completed today. I guess all we can hope for is progress.
If he is healthy -- Claude Giroux.. If not Steven Stamkos or Malkin. Take your pick...
Hey Tcharger, speaking of pools, I'm expecting one million in cash for winning your fantasy football league :)
Congrats! I am still ticked off that my team crapped the bed in the semis!
Haha yeah ya gotta love fantasy football eh... You can have the best team all season but one bad week in the playoffs and its game over. Thanks for having me join the league though buddy it was a good season!
Makes sense...
Crosby is going to be a gamble until he strings together a couple season head problem free but Malkin really looks like the no brainier this year...
I'm not sure how durable Giroux is going to be as well.
I usually avoid reading into these things too much but the fact that his team mates ( I.e. Defending champs) speak highly of him, makes me think that he really must be quite underrated.
Stamkos should go #2, then I'd go with any one of Giroux, Crosby or Tavares for the next three picks. Two players that I think should warrant consideration for early first round picks are Seguin and Eberle. It may be a bit of a stretch to put Seguin in the same company as some of those other guys but I just have a feeling he's ready to reach an elite level.
The talk is that next years salary cap would be set at somewhere around 60 million. If that's the case, it would mean that all the rich teams that have been spending to the cap will have that one free contract buyout to use and the rest of the cap space would have to come through trades.
The problem from a players standpoint is that next years UFA's will have very little teams who have cap space available. On top of that, the teams that will have it, wont want to spend it because they will most likely be budget teams.
Now ths is where the Sens come in. Ottawa is sort of in the middle in terms of being a budget team and waiting for the right time to spend that money. I believe that time will be next offseason because there will be very little teams bidding on big name free agents.
Currently the Sens are spending about a 50 million dollars (according to nhlnumbers). Which means we'll have roughly 10 million in cap space. Plus Gonchar will be gone so make that over 15 million.
This is at a time where all our big time prospects are coming into NHL form as well as a few big name free agents coming on the market such as Perry and Getzlaf without the usual big market teams being able to bid on them. PLUS they are putting a max term length.
If the free agent market somehow doesn't work out, we could always go the Blue Jays route and trade the prospects we have for legit superstars
Just a quick note for now. It is believed that one of the big CBA hurdles has been cleared. The PA has reportedly agreed (with some catches) to a 10 year CBA.
More to come throughout the day.
@ZachPraiseTheSwedes - Don't forget Alfie could also be coming off the books for next year. Sens could have up to 20mil to use on UFAs next summer. For a crop that would currently include Iginla, Semin, Getlaf, Perry, Horton, Zajac and Edler among others, I have to agree it could be a great situation for the sens!
To join the team or to buy out after they throw in a pick or prospect? I mentioned Paul Martin because Pittsburgh will be strapped for cash, and they have some amazing defence prospects they may part with to dump him. He could fill a roster spot this year and then be bought out before the 2013-14 season if his game doesn't turn around. Ballard could hardly get on the ice in Vancouver, Martin still logged 20 mins a game even though he's not the same player he was in Jersey. Either way, the Sens are in a much better position for next season than most teams, and I'm sure the Euge will open the vault for the right trade or free agents.
-that's the insane game Karlsson had
I can't wait to watch him play again. He creates some of the most beautiful hockey I've ever seen!
Expect the Leafs to go hard after both Getzlaf & Perry. They also have the cap room next season. Burke is also a former GM of both players. Carlysle is the former coach.
Now would Perry want to play in Toronto on a defensive-minde d Carlysle team.. or play in Ottawa in an offensive hard skating team with a great coach in McLean.. and certainly a great centreman in Spezza.
Will Perry & Getzlaf want to go as a package somewhere? That's something else to consider.
One thing I noticed throughout the World Jrs, how overrated is Griffen Reinheart?!?
I'm sorry, but that guy is slow/was always out of position/takes dumb penalties.
Enjoy NYI.
Lets wrap up this CBA bunk and drop the puck already!!
GO SENS GO!!!
ok so lets say that all this insanity is about to stop and we get back to some NHL hockey!
The fact that the players were opposed the going to the courts for this Disclaimer process, should be a huge relief, as that would have certainly spelled the end of this year and perhaps more.
But, with this threat now out, it only signifires that the players have finally taken back some control from Fehr.
lets face it, and lets look at the Sens for now, if they come back this year, I can assure you that the Daugavins, Condra, Greening, all come back in there previous roles and lines. But if it drags out to next year, Daugs, Gonchar, will mostly likely be gone, and many will be sliding down in their current roles, and with some of the Bingo boys doing well they will certainly knock out some of our existing players going into next year.
So as you can understand there are some very nervous players out there that must get back this year, to continue their NHL careers.
We now have a 4 year gold medal drought and for a Country who supposedly develops the best players in the world this is just unacceptable.
I never really had much faith in the squad that was put together this year. A lot of the blame has to be put on the guys who selected the team. On the international ice you have to build your team on speed and this was one slow Team Canada.
USA skated all over us today, they were just flying and Canada looked like they were skating in quick sand.
with the exception of Silfverberg, I'm not sure there are really any other current players in bingo that would be an improvement over the current forward group but to your point another year of development could see a paradigm shift.
D there is an obvious opening but that also depends on what the Murrays do on the trade market, I think there are alot of indicators that the Sens will be active if not over the course of this season than certainly over the summer...
All very true, but there are some players that are going to be past their due date, so they either get the chance or we sen them along,
ie Peterson, Da Costa, Hoffman, Grant, etc.
if they get back this year, then this Bingo Group will finish there, but if it goes to next year they will want their chance, and many may prove better options, leaving some current Sens out
I agree on Silfverberg earning an NHL role when the season starts, but I think Daugavins will be in tough to keep a regular spot and is more likely to end up the 13th forward. Hoffman, Da Costa and possibly 1 or 2 others should get a shot at some point.
On D I think Wiercioch, Benoit, Borowiecki and Gryba all have a chance to grab one of the final 2 spots along with Lundin, and if the Sens carry 7 D, could see 2 of them up here this season.
I imagine a solid veteran D might be the first order of business from BM once the trading starts, but like others I'm still hoping for that top 3 sniper forward.
Remember the good ol' days when this board had debates about which of Ryan or Nash we'd be trading for? I can't wait for hockey to come back.
I'm desperately awaiting the return of those days! Hopefully only 1 more week to go :)
There is still the possibility that these talks could stop if these guys lose their cool...
I certainly hope that does not happen. They have to realize if they don't play... the damage they could do to the league as a whole could be irreputable...
So let's get this done.. so we can debate what the Sens do for help on D.. if they trade Gonchar that is.. and no Cowen this season.
Apparently, they are looking at allowing two buyouts instead of just the one now in order to meet the CAP. The smart move might be to hold off on any major moves until teams begin unloading players unless we are getting the player we absolutely want.
Realistically, the price for expensive veterans with multi year contracts is only going to come down.
If the Sens stand pat on D or make a minimal addition, they'd likely miss the playoffs in which case they could then also deal Gonchar on an expiring contract closer to the deadline.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to make it back to the playoffs this year but I wouldn't be disappointed in another season of development where we have a shot at a top 5 pick either.
Either way, I can't wait to crack a pint at the first game.
Here's a table that lists them all and their teams. Not sure how much for each team, and doesn't include players in the AHL or OHL obviously, but hope this helps. (You can sort by the Team column to make it easier)
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?id=75388
Thanks that was pretty much exactly what I was looking for!
I don't know all the teams inside out but looks like Sens were one of a handful of teams that had the most roster players overseas...and then with guys like Silf, Zibby, Lehner and others in the AHL we have a lot of guys who have been competing and in a groove! If and when the season starts at least a lot of guys should be in some form of game shape!
Thanks!
He only did that between periods (god, I hate that show)..
BSENS win though! :)
Hsppy birthdy man! Always love the Bingo insight!
Agreed.. TIMWRX does a great job with his updates.
TIMWRX -- is Claesson a healthy scratch or is he injured?
With all the disappointing hockey news around these days, it's nice to have something to cheer about.
Looking like Silf is being guarded heavily these last few games. But can't say enough about Grant who seems to be solidifying himself as a true leader at the C position. This guy keeps it up and he'll be in a Sens jersey sooner, than later.
Next year we might have Spezza-TUrris-G rant-and Smith down the middle , pretty solid.
I believe he has been out with a lower body injury
Thanks for that.
As for the lockout. They are meeting face to face with the mediator now. Dreger & LeBrun are pretty optimistic... Wish I had their faith.
E.Staal - Crosby - Stamkos
Getzlaf - Spezza (or Tavares) - Perry
Nash - Giroux - Toews
Seguin - J.Staal - M.Richards
E.Kane/Bergeron
Webber - Doughty
Keith - Pietrangelo
M.Staal - Letang
Myers
Price - Luongo - Ward
Plenty of speed, size and skill