Getting Norris back next yr pushes Pinto down a line & if Formenton returns he is better than everyone else in the bottom six. We should be able to put together a pretty good top nine when everyone is healthy but keeping them healthy is another thing. Injuries have really become a problem with this team especially in net this yr.
Yes sir. When Brady crushes guys, they take it because they know Brady will drag them to center ice and destroy them. A couple more guys in that mold would be a better alocation of cap space. If the idea is to play heavy forechecking hockey. I'm not saying the guys aren't finishing checks or shying away, it just seems that when teams say "Ok. Alright, we can play like that." the team has trouble with it. I think this is less about The Cat and more about the Senators roster construction and use of cap space. Trading him would be a hockey trade. It might be different if the bottom 6 had been built differently over the last couple years. We are where we are now though and it seems like tough choices are going to have to be made for the next couple. Choices that are going to be easily debatable on both sides...and there will be yelling and noise. Meaningful games? We are at meaningful desicions.
Saying when Formenton returns is like saying when Boucher becomes Chris Neal. It could happen, but not in this Marvel Universe.
I'm very confident Formenton plays in the league again. I am not as confident it's here. It's not impossible just unlikely. Only way I see it happening is if there is new management to go along with new ownership.
This team, without their best PP shooter still ranked at the very top of the league. Norris will only make PP1 better.
So actually have normal hockey takes. Who knew
Yeah I don't see a guy who "doesn't want to be here." His emotion on the tying goal before it was called back plus that gigantic hug for Brady after he bailed him out, plus all the behind the scenes interactions with his teammates and stuff like Steve Warne quoting a source close to the DeBrincat family saying Alex loves Ottawa says otherwise. I see an introvert who's in his own head and trying too hard to live up to the high expectations of being the centrepiece in a blockbuster trade, gripping the stick too tight in what's basically a contract year with a life changing amount money on the line. I get the parallels but I really don't think this is another Bobby Ryan situation. When the contract stuff is resolved one way or another, I believe he'll return to the level of play he established prior to this season.
I'd argue Pinto is a shooter. He can wire it
hes very uncluth, blatantly obvious to anybody who has watched him this season.
I'd love to see a 3 way deal with Arizona to add Crouse and recoup some picks. He fits this teams identity. Use the extra cap space on a goalie/another forward that can score 20. Add Norris to the lineup and potentially have Formenton come back (i know long shot) and the team is all of a sudden really deep. Really big and really fast. Even without Formenton the added cap room would give the team more flexibility.
I think it is, yeah. It's a heck of a snap shot, he just doesn't use it enough.
