Ottawa Senators

[Hoopo]

Does this forum really need to be everyone vs Iron Sheik all the time?

[Eskimo Brother]

Does this forum really need to be everyone vs Iron Sheik all the time?

Some people just love to argue. As long as there is someone with a differing opinion, nothing that can really be done against it.
I mean that's what this forum is for, is sharing opinions.

[The Iron Sheik]

[QUOTE=2014olympicgold;1673459]I use the eye test I guess, and your eye test is through fan-goggles.

If you have such a good top 4 D this yr then Anderson should have Bishop like numbers?

I think Anderson will have a 920+ save percentage and 2.30 something GAA this season. If the team lowers chances against,t hen yes he's going to have a very good year.

Our top 4 is good IMO, but Ceci still needs to grow into his role.

My eye test is not through fan goggles. I would actually rather start Hammond soon since Anderson is getting old. My eye test shows bishop has always been just ok. He's kind of like quick who went on some hot runs but became average at best

[The Iron Sheik]

As for actual Ottawa Senators discussion, puempel looks meh again so far and Dzingel, who I have been touting for years, has been really good. He could start with Turris or brassard this year

[Hoopo]

Some people just love to argue. As long as there is someone with a differing opinion, nothing that can really be done against it.
I mean that's what this forum is for, is sharing opinions.

Yeah it can be a bit much though. I mean it's just non-stop homer with this guy to begin with, and people are basically baiting him at this point. Senators fans don't have a huge web presence so it's frustrating to see the one forum here dominated like it is.

Anyways, I don't expect a huge bump for Brassard. Is playing with Ryan really going to be better than playing with Nash and Zuccarello? I don't think so. I also expect Karlsson to take a step back offensively from last year in a Boucher system. A LOT is going to have to go right this year for us to be in the playoff race. I'm not very optimistic about this year right now.

[The Iron Sheik]

Yeah it can be a bit much though. I mean it's just non-stop homer with this guy to begin with, and people are basically baiting him at this point. Senators fans don't have a huge web presence so it's frustrating to see the one forum here dominated like it is.

Anyways, I don't expect a huge bump for Brassard. Is playing with Ryan really going to be better than playing with Nash and Zuccarello? I don't think so. I also expect Karlsson to take a step back offensively from last year in a Boucher system. A LOT is going to have to go right this year for us to be in the playoff race. I'm not very optimistic about this year right now.

Non stop homer? Please.

Brassard is going to a much better pp system because of karlsson manning the point, and he gets to play with him five on five. As for karlsson being in a Boucher system, his system is about offense and speed.

I really don't understand it when people say a lot has to go right. You literally just have to shore up Pp and PK and they're in the playoffs. That's not a lot to ask for, and that's what coaching will hopefully solve.

I think, as usual, Ottawa is criminally underrated. The east is wide open with two or three lock teams.

[The Comish]

Yeah it can be a bit much though. I mean it's just non-stop homer with this guy to begin with, and people are basically baiting him at this point. Senators fans don't have a huge web presence so it's frustrating to see the one forum here dominated like it is.

Anyways, I don't expect a huge bump for Brassard. Is playing with Ryan really going to be better than playing with Nash and Zuccarello? I don't think so. I also expect Karlsson to take a step back offensively from last year in a Boucher system. A LOT is going to have to go right this year for us to be in the playoff race. I'm not very optimistic about this year right now.

I agree it's a bit much, but The Big Ironev Sheik needs to adhere to the golden rule of forums...don't feed the trolls. Trolls are no different than bullies, you are better off to ignore them or throat punch them, but thanks to that court order, I cannot advocate violence, so ignore is the best option on the somewhat anonymous chat placey thing we got going on here. Let the Sens actions speak for themselves. If a troll says they suck, by all means disagree if you believe that to be false. Provide proof, stats, opinion, whatever and then when they do well, feel free to bring it up again so all the trolls can eat some humble pie. If not, own it.

Hoopo, what's got you down on the Sens this year as opposed to last year? New coach? Teams usually fare well with a new bench boss, don't they? Phaneuf gets to break camp with the team. Erik frigging Karlsson and some decent forwards (no #1 Centers though! lol). I think they'll be fine this year, barring injury (thanks Captain Obvious, I know, I know).

[The Comish]

Non stop homer? Please.

Just stop with the I'm not a homer shtick. Please.

You can make some good points and are obviously passionate about the Sens, but you most definitely come across as Sens management.

[The Iron Sheik]

Just stop with the I'm not a homer shtick. Please.

You can make some good points and are obviously passionate about the Sens, but you most definitely come across as Sens management.

Nope. I call it like I see it. I'm high on players and not high on others. Like Hoffman last year. I give people good advice because this team is overlooked every year. We produce fantasy players every year.

[Hoopo]

Hoopo, what's got you down on the Sens this year as opposed to last year? New coach? Teams usually fare well with a new bench boss, don't they? Phaneuf gets to break camp with the team. Erik frigging Karlsson and some decent forwards (no #1 Centers though! lol). I think they'll be fine this year, barring injury (thanks Captain Obvious, I know, I know).

I'm not expecting much until some of our recent draft picks turn into good NHLers. I feel like we're a team in transition that's not really succeeding in making the transition, but I feel like some of the moves we've made in the last couple drafts were pretty good. At the end of the day though we're still not a Cup contender right now and I don't think we got much closer to it this year. If Brassard unlocks something in Ryan, that's great but I still don't think we're top-to-bottom solid and I don't like the idea of rookies or Zack Smith being forced into the top-6 again. I'm worried Karlsson is going to get frustrated with the lack of progress in Ottawa and bolt when he gets the chance if something big doesn't happen soon.

Hopefully Boucher and Crawford can limit the shots on Andy and Hamburglar. They can't really do worse than the last guy in that regard, we were at the bottom of the league in that department. Iron Sheik is right that Boucher preaches speed (at least in his recent pressers anyway), but he's also the guy that ran the 1-3-1 for large portions of his time in Tampa so I think we'll see better results defensively. Historically our guys have reacted well to a new coach in recent years and even made some surprising playoff runs. i just hope these guys can stick around more than a couple years and stop the damned carousel already. So, I think you could see some improvements but we're still more or less a bubble team. Meanwhile the basement dwellers are gaining on us--Buffalo and Toronto are making some very good moves in recent years (yes, through tanking, granted) and it seems like our best hopes are for Boston and Detroit to get properly bad rather than to expect huge strides from our own team.

[larrylintz]

I was somewhat optimistic to start the year but the two concussions and especially the career-destroying one deflated me a bit. (I would like to know what role Boucher's opening-day rant about players not being aggressive and intense enough might have played in the kid from Calgary crushing McArthur.) I figured the team would struggle unless the top six could stay reasonably healthy. When a third of the top six gets hurt to start the year that seems like a very bad omen.

I also think owner's declaration that this team HAS to make the playoffs is discouraging, playing for the present means they'll never be able to do the kind of draft-based rebuild that Leafs, Sabres, Coyotes, Jets and -- i think they finally emerge this year as a competitive if not playoff team -- Oilers have engineered. Brown, White and Chabot are nice players but I don't see any of them as being game-changers. By the time they come of age EK could be gone, and then where are we?

[Hoopo]

(I would like to know what role Boucher's opening-day rant about players not being aggressive and intense enough might have played in the kid from Calgary crushing McArthur.)

I won't point the finger at Boucher for that hit. Sieloff is trying to earn a place and would have been going full tilt in camp no matter what. It was not a great hit but it is a kind of hit you can expect to happen from time to time and I do agree with what a lot of other people are saying in that if MacArthur was this much of a risk, perhaps he should not have been playing at all. This was something that was going to happen one way or another.

I hadn't heard about Melnyk's comments about the playoffs but it sounds dumb enough to have been something he said. I have to think the players just tune him out. He's said so many dumb things at this point you'd be crazy not to. I have read some good news on the top-6 front, in that Stone is expected to have recovered enough by the time the season starts. But at this point even he is starting to worry me on that front. pretty sure he's had a few in recent years himself.

[blackaces]

Dzingel is having a good camp definitely outshining Puempel but my concern is that they are not putting him on a scoring line in these preseason games but rather playing him with Kelly & Neil. So Iron Sheik do you think if makes the opening night roster they will move him up the lineup?

Varone is making a case for himself and his versatility makes him desirable to the team.

Which of the two would you want for fantasy purposes for this year and the future to be a 40-45 pt player?

[The Iron Sheik]

Dzingel is having a good camp definitely outshining Puempel but my concern is that they are not putting him on a scoring line in these preseason games but rather playing him with Kelly & Neil. So Iron Sheik do you think if makes the opening night roster they will move him up the lineup?

Varone is making a case for himself and his versatility makes him desirable to the team.

Which of the two would you want for fantasy purposes for this year and the future to be a 40-45 pt player?

Dzingel has a higher upside. He's better for the future but for now I took Varone with my last pick to see if he can continue his hot streak in the regular season.

I can't decide who they would start on 2nd line LW right now, but I think Varone has the slight edge.

In other news, Brassard looks very, very good and has a legit chance to get 70 points this season.

[The Iron Sheik]

I was somewhat optimistic to start the year but the two concussions and especially the career-destroying one deflated me a bit. (I would like to know what role Boucher's opening-day rant about players not being aggressive and intense enough might have played in the kid from Calgary crushing McArthur.) I figured the team would struggle unless the top six could stay reasonably healthy. When a third of the top six gets hurt to start the year that seems like a very bad omen.

I also think owner's declaration that this team HAS to make the playoffs is discouraging, playing for the present means they'll never be able to do the kind of draft-based rebuild that Leafs, Sabres, Coyotes, Jets and -- i think they finally emerge this year as a competitive if not playoff team -- Oilers have engineered. Brown, White and Chabot are nice players but I don't see any of them as being game-changers. By the time they come of age EK could be gone, and then where are we?

The Jets have never done this aside from last year (having a terrible pick I mean). Oilers have proven that strategy doesn't always work. Leafs and Sabres are just getting started, yet to prove anything. Just like the Coyotes. With the Sens team they have now, they definitely have to make the playoffs. Anything else is inexcusable with the talent they have.

I disagree that we don't have potential game changers from that group. Logan Brown has high offensive upside, White is a Bergeron type centre and Chabot is a premier puck mover. I don't see Karlsson ever leaving so I wouldn't worry about that. We have a very good core for the next 3-5 years which is all that matters. We're playing for the present but also well built for the future.

The Sens draft very well and are able to find players at any pick. They aren't a team who has to tank for low picks, they don't need the talent like some other teams do. Leafs and Sabres etc. had nothing in their system so they had to tear it down.

Also Stone is fine. We only lost MacArthur. Who may return very soon.