(UPDATE 1:23 PM)- On to the second thread of the day as we surpass the 300 comment mark. Scott Howson spoke with the media at the draft and suggested that there is still a ways to go on any deal involving Rick Nash. Stress again the importance of not always taking the words of a GM on Draft Day at face value. So much posturing going on right now.
(UPDATE 1:11 PM)- Greg Thomson from Sportsnet has suggested on Twitter that the San Jose Sharks are now out of the Nash sweepstakes. Long believed to be one of the favourites, word is they weren't willing to meet the asking price set by Howson. Interesting.
(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.
FROM EARLIER
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.
