Player Discussion Artem Zub (D) Part 2 [Extended 4 years @ $4.6M]

[SENATOR]

This board was ecstatic with 2 years Zub's contract LOL. When you just can not develop above average D-man. Because DJ has no defensive system in play, no structure, players depend only on their skills. Coach is not helping. With a better coach, Zub will be more than a gem. But he will be gone and will make comfortably 6 million a year in US next year.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Anyone who was ecstatic with Zub's 2 year contract was foolish. Such a person must have looked strictly at the average salary and not at the length of the contract, which is far more important for a team that is just now looking to contend for the playoffs.

Zub is incredibly underpaid at 2.5M but losing him after 2 years would be a massive blow. Should have offered him a longer deal at around 5M per to get him signed long-term.

People can make the argument that he wanted to go with a short contract to maximize his value as a UFA, but Zub and his agent aren't stupid. They know that the most he can probably make as a UFA is something like 6M x 5YRs, meaning he'd make 35M over 7YRs after the bridge deal. Had we just offered him 5M x 5-6YRs out of the gate he'd be better off financially, even if he gets a big UFA deal.

From the sounds of it Dorion was pushing for a short bridge deal for Zub, given his comments about Lassi and JBD being able to step in and replace him after Zub's contract is up. It's rare a GM comes out and is so forthright about his plans regarding a player's future. It was silly when it was said a couple years ago when JBD and Lassi looked better than they do now, and it looks even stupider now that both look like bottom pairing guys in the making.

I've said this before, but RD is the hardest position to find in hockey. If you have the chance to lock up a top 4 RD long-term you do it, especially when it comes to someone like Zub who's game is based primarily on his excellent hockey IQ, not athletic ability that will dull with time. Chances of a long-term deal blowing up in our faces with Zub was low and it was a big mistake to not lock him up for many years.

If he doesn't re-sign I don't know what we'll do. Our D is getting exposed massively with him out, and there's zero reason to think we have prospects in the pipeline that can replace him internally. If anything we need to add another top 4 RD on top of him. If it comes down to it we need to overpay to keep Zub, even if sacrifices have to be made at forward to accomodate him.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

This board was ecstatic with 2 years Zub's contract LOL. When you just can not develop above average D-man. Because DJ has no defensive system in play, no structure, players depend only on their skills. Coach is not helping. With a better coach, Zub will be more than a gem. But he will be gone and will make comfortably 6 million a year in US next year.

I recall why only 2 years and what was the rush in signing him and the comments that Thomson or JBD would replace him. I do not recall ecstatic

 

[OD99]

I recall why only 2 years and what was the rush in signing him and the comments that Thomson or JBD would replace him. I do not recall ecstatic

Exactly.

I remember everyone saying how odd it was for GMPD to openly state Zub was only needed for 2 seasons as a stop gap.

I also remember a vast majority wishing we had signed him for 5+ years.

 

[Nova Stutzlia]

Bruce Garrioch

@SunGarrioch
·
19m

Zub will go on the road this weekend but may not play

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Bruce Garrioch
@SunGarrioch
·
19m

Zub will go on the road this weekend but may not play

The season is slipping away…

 

[mianjo]

DJ said in his press conference today that Zub will not be travelling with the team on this road trip his recovery was taking longer than they previously thought

 

[Sun God Nika]

Can someone pull the sens record with and with out Zub since he joined the team ?

 

[Crosside]

Zub out 2-3 weeks per Dreger

 

[Micklebot]

Zub out 2-3 weeks per Dreger

Ugh... I guess he broke something taking the puck to the face,

 

[StoicSensFan]

Ugh... I guess he broke something taking the puck to the face,

Our hearts

 

[bert]

This board was ecstatic with 2 years Zub's contract LOL. When you just can not develop above average D-man. Because DJ has no defensive system in play, no structure, players depend only on their skills. Coach is not helping. With a better coach, Zub will be more than a gem. But he will be gone and will make comfortably 6 million a year in US next year.

100 percent false. Some were happy most weren't.

Zub out 2-3 weeks per Dreger

Ffs that's essentially the season. Try and sign him now while he is vulnerable.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

Looks like he could be out a full month.

Dorion, better pull off whatever trade you have in the works to bring in a top-4 D otherwise you can say goodbye to being a bubble team going forward this season.

 

[bert]

Looks like he could be out a full month.

Dorion, better pull off whatever trade you have in the works to bring in a top-4 D otherwise you can say goodbye to being a bubble team going forward this season.

He lost what little leverage he had. I really hope they dont do something stupid here. They are 13th in the conference.

I do think now is the time to try and extend Zub. An injury can give a player some perspective how fragile their career can be. You never know... Securing 30 million over 6 years would set him for life right now.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

That's not good. Just as the team was starting to show some life.

Definitely wonder if Dorian is going to make a move now. The next month is absolutely critical if this team hopes to be competitive in march.

 

[Pierre from Orleans]

Who called him soft for not playing last game lol

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

Who called him soft for not playing last game lol

he's a warrior and im pretty sure he came back to play the game he actually got injured in.

 

[Larionov]

He has a broken jaw, apparently, and that can't be messed with. And no, one of the fish bowl visors isn't going to do much if and when an NHL player puts his shoulder into it. That jaw needs time to heal, which will be a minimum of three weeks.

THEN he might be able to come back with the fish bowl but I can tell you that once you get used to playing without one, adjusting to life with a full cage is brutal. I tried the full cage in men's league once, figuring that I did it in minor hockey and could do it again. I lasted one game and went back to the visor. Full props to any player who does the full cage thing, because I guarantee they can't wait to ditch it...

 

[UglyPuckling]

Looks like he could be out a full month.

Dorion, better pull off whatever trade you have in the works to bring in a top-4 D otherwise you can say goodbye to being a bubble team going forward this season.

He lost what little leverage he had. I really hope they dont do something stupid here. They are 13th in the conference.

I do think now is the time to try and extend Zub. An injury can give a player some perspective how fragile their career can be. You never know... Securing 30 million over 6 years would set him for life right now.

Ya, a knee-jerk reaction type trade could easily end up being the worst move that could be made. In-season trades are rare to begin with (have been for years) and the other GMs will see Dorion coming from thousands of miles away.

The Senators have a young core. Their contention window will be open for a few years. There isn't a pressing need to do something right away.

Having patience and a real plan will pay huge dividends. It's quite possible the new owner's GM will be the one addressing our challenges this summer anyhow, so nothing for Dorion to do - got to hope at least anyways.

 

[Larionov]

Ya, a knee-jerk reaction type trade could easily end up being the worst move that could be made. In-season trades are rare to begin with (have been for years) and the other GMs will see Dorion coming from thousands of miles away.

The Senators have a young core. Their contention window will be open for a few years. There isn't a pressing need to do something right away.

Having patience and a real plan will pay huge dividends. It's quite possible the new owner's GM will be the one addressing our challenges this summer anyhow, so nothing for Dorion to do - got to hope at least anyways.

Agree with this 100 percent. When you're drowning every team in the league is happy to throw you an anchor, and that's us right now. We just have to suck it up and hope that Zaitsev can continue his mini-renaissance he has had for the last two games. Making a panic stricken move right now would be dumb. I hope that Dorion would have to seek approval for major trades like that, and that the bank conducting the sale would veto it. (You have to know that the investment bankers running the sale and Bill Daly are speaking regularly, and I would bet Daly has told them "no major moves until the sale is done.")

 

[L'Aveuglette]

Ya, a knee-jerk reaction type trade could easily end up being the worst move that could be made. In-season trades are rare to begin with (have been for years) and the other GMs will see Dorion coming from thousands of miles away.

The Senators have a young core. Their contention window will be open for a few years. There isn't a pressing need to do something right away.

Having patience and a real plan will pay huge dividends. It's quite possible the new owner's GM will be the one addressing our challenges this summer anyhow, so nothing for Dorion to do - got to hope at least anyways.

What's with this patience stuff? We've needed a top-4 D forever and PD was supposed to get one this summer or early fall. I'm saying if he had any irons in the fire now would be a good time to pull something off. I don't think letting this shallow af defense corps get shelled in their end for the foreseeable future is the way to go at this point.

 

[UglyPuckling]

What's with this patience stuff? We've needed a top-4 D forever and PD was supposed to get one this summer or early fall. I'm saying if he had any irons in the fire now would be a good time to pull something off. I don't think letting this shallow af defense corps get shelled in their end for the foreseeable future is the way to go at this point.

It is what it is right now anyways. I am well aware of the current situation and how long we've waited. Talking about being patient to those that don't see the wisdom in it is probably not going to go far.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

It is what it is right now anyways. I am well aware of the current situation and how long we've waited. Talking about being patient to those that don't see the wisdom in it is probably not going to go far.

We're long past patience when it comes to filling out our top-4 D. No one's saying PD should get fleeced here, but even a slight overpayment would be worth it if it means staying afloat while Zub is out and then actually competing down the stretch. We simply don't have an NHL level d corps with Artem out long term.

 

[Micklebot]

We're long past patience when it comes to filling out our top-4 D. No one's saying PD should get fleeced here, but even a slight overpayment would be worth it if it means staying afloat while Zub is out and then actually competing down the stretch. We simply don't have an NHL level d corps with Artem out long term.

You don't typically acquire top4 RHD at this time of year with slight overpayment, maybe closer to the deadline that can happen.

 

[UglyPuckling]

We're long past patience when it comes to filling out our top-4 D. No one's saying PD should get fleeced here, but even a slight overpayment would be worth it if it means staying afloat while Zub is out and then actually competing down the stretch. We simply don't have an NHL level d corps with Artem out long term.

You are speaking for yourself & possibly for a few others.

It's going to be up to the new owners & their management team to assess what we have, and to develop a strategy. I would have to wonder if Dorion could do anything at this time with the team undergoing a bid & sale process.

We are 3rd last in the conference and would need to displace 6 teams to get to the last wildcard slot. We are in 26th place overall. It is what it is.

I'm well aware of how thin our D is, and especially when Zub is out. But given the current situation, where we are in the standings, and the probability of actually making it in to the playoffs, I would hope that a reactionary (knee jerk) trade is not in the works. Unfortunately, having patience given circumstances would be the really smart play. But, its not going to be popular with a segment of the fan base of course.