Comments for Battle of Ontario....
I guess Molloy & Heatley truly believe that one line can win all games.
It's pretty strange to here kind of complains from top proffi like Heatly. I am surprized...
http://hockey-observer.blogspot.com/
Agree. Strange point. I was confident he feels good in OTT. Hm...
...and has superb linemates too!
http://sport-nutrition4u.blogspot.com/
Lets face it, the guy just doesn't want to play in Ottawa. He sees writing on the wall of some kind that he doesn't like. Whether it's justified or not is another story, but he wants out. Plain and simple.
He also took a runner from Atlanta although at the time nobody questioned it when his requested change of scenery was blamed on a car crash - nor did they ponder if he in fact was simply giving up on a going-nowhere franchise. In the Ottawa case, replace car crash with playing time and people aren't so easily convinced.
To me, Murray has to trade this guy. Ottawa finally seemed to be getting over a bad locker-room, and having him in the fold will do more damage than not making a decent trade or even one the team and fans can simply live with. Imagine sportsnet and TSN feasting on this drama every second day for the entire season? Who has the stomach for it and more importantly for Sens fans, who could perform for 82 games with that bullshit being brought up constantly?
Also, $10 says Colton Orr is a Leaf by 1:30pm tomorrow.
Lets get it on!
When Murray brought in Clouston,he told the team there would be a new system.Heatley didn't buy in and Murray stood his ground.
To say Heatley didn't get along with the coach is a smokescreen.
Murray is purging this team of the malcontents and coke heads.Everyone at that party the night before the SCFs will be gone tomorrow.
I don't think the rumour that Heatley was stroking Spezza's rhubarb could be a red herring.
Murray has been getting even with the Heatley camp by spreading the rumour that the Sens will trade Heatley,Campoli,and Lee for Taveres.
Despite tomorrow's holiday, it's still too early to have had that much to drink, Duff.
Duff's a true patriot THM - never too early.
The media knows less than you think.
I doubted PPP's "coke" theory/rumour until it was verified to me.
Did you know Redden was in rehab?
Was he really?
Did Sather know that before he signed him to what's typically known as the worst contract of the post-lockout era?
Also for anybody following, Gustavsson is waiting to see what teams do what before making a decision. How about that, a Swedish hockey player keeping teams in limbo while sitting at home. Maybe he's been BBQing with the Sedins at Sundin's cottage?
This is telling isn't it?
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2...eagent_spector/
I'm talking about the picture: Heatley the only Sen without a black eye. True Senator!
Swedish hockey player keeping teams in limbo while sitting at home. Maybe he's been BBQing with the Sedins at Sundin's cottage
Must've been Sundin's influence on the Sedins.
I can't believe I'm looking at Brennan's twitter page:
"Senators management is still hopeful of trading Dany Heatley before midnight Tuesday."
Hmmm... a deal with the Oilers that includes both Penner and Gilbert. Throw in a young forward and I could actually go for that.
Penner is overweight and overpaid, but with the proper conditioning and coaching, two things he'll get in Ottawa under Clouston, I think he could resurrect his career here.
Gilbert adds a 4-5 D-man to the mix who can play 2nd unit PP, with some potential upside. So it really comes down to what else would be part of the deal from the Oilers.
Sens fans, all I know is that the Heatley situation could potentially throw a year-long wrench into our roster this year, if it's not settled before noon tomorrow. If Heatley's on the books at 12:01pm on July 1st, then we miss out on making any significant FA moves and will be really uncertain as an organization about what we need and where we stand in relation to the cap. Teams know this, and so does BM. That doesn't put us in a great spot.
Still, by the same token, teams also must know that if we pay half of Heatley's salary for the year AND miss out on the FA period and so the chance to fill in our roster, then we're going to expect a return that will satisfy our team needs *for the year* and beyond. That means a trade for Heatley will be more heavily weighted towards getting a return that includes significant roster players (as opposed to youth and cap savings, which is what I imagine BM's been looking for so far).
All that said, it's definitely not time to start think about "settling for less". I'll buy season tickets to cheer on Dany Heatley in a Sens uniform before I settle for anything less than the kind of haul Pronger just brought in for ANA. I trust BM feels precisely the same way.
Sens fans, with one of our two 2nd Round picks, 46th overall we chose huge Swedish goalie Robin Lehner.
Anyway, I am sure we have all heard that Lehner's father taught King Henrik Lundqvist everything he knows. Lehner naturally tries to model his game after the Rangers goalie. Lehner's rebound control is not of NHL calibre yet and is said to be his greatest weakness.
Another European goalie coach also known for training some of the best called him better than Swedish goalie Jacob Markstrom. Remember him from the 2008 WJC's??? Markstrom is property of the Florida Panthers by way of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, 31st overall pick. He is said to be the future of the Florida Panthers
Lehner has been very public in his desire play in the CHL right away. He wants to earn his spot with the Sens as quickly as possible. After playing so well for Sweden so far in his young career, it seems like he may get that chance to adapt to "our" game sooner rather than later. The Soo Greyhounds just drafted Lehner with the 9th overall (ironic) pick in the CHL Import Draft.
Tim Murray seemed to be happy with the prospect of Lehner playing in NA.
From a talent perspective he won't face better players than in Sweden where he currently plays, but the style of game is totally different.
Bigger ice and not as much crease crashing/bumping in Sweden. If he wants to play in the NHL it's logical that he learn a North American game. I'm of the opinion that the sooner they are playing the NA style on the smaller ice surface the better.
Here is a great article on Lehner from an outside source.
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/art...s_robin_lehner/
Sens fans, I was at the Sens development camp today. Got there a little late and had to leave a little early, but still got to see a few drills and even the start of a scrimmage they had toward the end of the practice. Below are just some quick, random observations (in a rush right now)(I hate typing rushed):
1. Luke Richardson! I thought he had turned down the coaching job, but he was there, on the ice, helping to run practice. Maybe it's just for the development camp, but maybe not.
2. These guys are all pretty big. When I saw Karlsson, I started wondering why everyone says he's small. He was a lot bigger than I expected.
3. Cowen wasn't practicing, unless it was in the first 15 minutes that I missed. Finally saw him walking to the dressing room at the end of the first half, in full uniform. Later on, he was being interviewed by TSN (ugh) -- I guess that's the problem with being a first round, top-ten pick. I wish he would have been on the ice because he seriously reminded me of Chara with his size. Tough to compare him to a wimpy reporter holding a microphone -size wise.
4. Wiercioch has some scoring touch, he kept putting the puck in on almost every rush. Nice size, doesn't look at all skinny. Looks a lot like Brisebois did when he first came up with Montreal, and he's still got one year in college, where I'm sure he'll put on a few pounds.
5. Lehner is huge and stops the puck well. No obvious rebound problems which is said to be his one weakness. Some drills had pucks coming from 4 different angles in 2 seconds, so I will let those rebounds slide. Although Lehner is a big guy, we have a goalie who looks just as big by the name of Andrew Volkening. Volkening is an undrafted player who player for the Air Force of the Atlantic Hockey League. He looked good as well.
6. Some of those guys were seriously huge: Blood, Gryba, Grant, Greening, Cohen, Sdao. Sdao is not very quick on his feet, though.
7. O’Brien. Welcome to the Ottawa Senators. Just wait fellas.
I will probably remember a lot more later, but that's it for now. It was a lot of fun, the parking lot was (relatively) empty, lots of room to stand/sit. If you've got kids into hockey, I highly recommend it. The 3-3 tournament is probably going to be better attended (possibly packed), so if you want to see some game action they will probably scrimmage the last 20 minutes (around 2:40).
Hope you enjoyed this Sens fan, I will try to do it again.
Penner is overweight and overpaid, but with the proper conditioning and coaching, two things he'll get in Ottawa under Clouston, I think he could resurrect his career here.
Hmm. You're right about Penner but if his fitness level was the only issue it would have been fixed in Edmonton. Maybe you're forgetting that Penner is also selfish, unmotivated and seemingly unresponsive to coaching tactics like benchings. I don't know if Clouston with his (what?) 18 weeks of coaching in the NHL, has proven that he can take on a reclaimation project of Penner's magnitude. I'm not saying he would fail, but trading Heatley away for Penner and then hoping Clouston can pull off what nobody else has... well that seems like a risk not worth it if Murray wants assurance of a hockey career past 2010.
In saying all that, it might still be less risky than keeping Heatley.
Tough spot to be in for Ottawa.
Cowen reportedly practiced on a separate sheet as he's still on no-contact orders.
Trade Heater! If he doesnt want to play in OTT then kick him out! If a finger gets infected and the only way to stop the infection is to cut it off, you do it. I don't understand why this is such a big deal?!
Because you have to make sure you can stop the bleeding first, dude. The Sens will be in no rush to trade him unless they get something significant in return. The Sens have an identity crisis going on, and unless they can guarantee a return of character, they won't move Heatley.
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