Player Discussion Matt Murray (G) - 4 years, $6.25M AAV
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God Says No
Registered User
- Mar 16, 2012
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I don't know if I'd use solid. He's been not disastrous like he was at the beginning of the year, but I still would not say he is "fine". Getting severely outshot with almost zero offensive output would not be "fine" in my book, but I guess I have higher standards.
Sanderson and Brannstrom are not a sure thing. There is a reason we picked up Mete. To fill holes until those guys are ready, which for sure there is a need. Tells me everything I need to know about you if you think Brown has been fine and you think we could have gotten a 3rd for Stepan if he didn't get injured. Right.
In any case, you can't argue that the personnel that Dorion brought were a mitigated disaster. He couldn't wait fast enough to get rid of Paquette and Galch. Couburn was scratched more than played. While Gud was traded for a 7th. That kinda tells you he's barely an NHLer.
Sure. That was a bad take and you're still wrong about it today.
cudi
Mojo So Dope
- Feb 2, 2020
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Hasek was really good when he was on the ice at least! lol.
Murray was lookin good, so this really is disappointing. Wanted to see how he closed out the season, now we just got more questions.
Ok one last time because for some reason this concept refuses to set in.....they were paid a draft pick to take Coburn and Paquette they did not want them need them or target them that is not a valid complaint it’s a false talking point and a dishonest complaint.
BonHoonLayneCornell
Registered User
That seals it for me that he should be exposed in expansion. Have to leverage his contract and injuries here and Dorion can take his pick from Gus and Daccord on who he wants to protect.
So, the Hamonic post kinda hurts your credibility so we'll start with that
But go ahead, lay it out there...explain how were worse off with D this year
It was your claim and i believe at the time i said I'd like to see you try
Please no bs....just explain how were worse off
God Says No
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- Mar 16, 2012
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Very simple. Our D last year:
Chabot - Zaitsev
Brann/Reilly - Hainsey
Boro - Demelo
Our start of the year pairs (and at the time of the post who were likely to be playing):
Chabot - Gubranson
Reilly - Zaitsev
Cobourn - JBrown
extra: Zub (who was a huge wild card at the time without much knowledge)
You go down the line, every pairing was better last year especially the Boro/Demelo one which was surprisingly good. I mean we were planning on playing Gud on the first pairing. Doesn't take a genius to figure that was a recipe for disaster. And it was, our D was putrid at the beginning of the season. Hence Coburn and JBrown got scratched, and Gud was knocked down to bottom pairing and eventually scratched.
I understand that we got paid to get those guys, it doesn't take away the fact that:
a) they were bad
b) they didn't have to be played
c) Dorion could have made a better deal. For example not taking the second.
Also, you focus on that lot, and omitting all the other bad players acquired. How convenient.
All the others? The backup plan if Zub Norris and Jimmy were not ready?
How convenient you ignore the fact they were never part of the long term plan, Dorion hoped to hell we didn’t need those guys and thank god we didn’t.
They were not brought in to be anything other than flushable worst case scenario players
AchtzehnBaby
Global Matador
Xspyrit
DJ Dorion
Like I was saying before the season, Paquette and Coburn could have started on the taxi squad (so we don't waive Balcers and Jaros). Or if you're "scared" they get picked up, it could have been just Anisimov (wouldn't have been claimed) so we don't lose Balcers for nothing.
I could bump a lot of my posts that were "called out" but wouldn't look so silly today as none of the early personnel decisions that I found questionnable are still in the lineup today lol. I mean, our 2-12-1 start is THE reason why we aren't in the playffs race right now. I mean, even if we didn't make it, that'd be invaluable experience for our young players.
Again, who could have seen this coming?
I think the moves that have been made are pretty telling about the team's plan. They don't want to graduate too many prospects this year (outside of a high prized prospect like Stuetzle and maybe another overripe guy or two), they have acquired a lot of veterans just to not get embarassed in the Canadian division. So another high pick here we come
What about this post on January 12th?
A patching job is not necessarily an ideal environment for the young talent. It's not patching 1 or 2 holes, it's patching 50% of the line-up.
Starting from Galchenyuk signing, I have started wondering what the hell we were doing. Then Stepan, Paquette, Coburn... I have no problem with any of these moves in particular, but the assembly, the whole thing that is overkill
You will tell me "we need to surround the kids, need more bodies than a normal season, etc" which is ALL TRUE but I would have signed more fringe guys like Peca or Logan Shaw instead... and give a better chance to make the line-up to some prospects that have been riding the pine for years.
Tkachuk-Norris-Batherson
Stuetzle-White-Dadonov
Balcers-Tierney-Brown
Paul-Chlapik-Watson
Anisimov/Peca/Shaw/Etc
Chabot-Gudbranson
Wolanin-Brown
Brannstrom-Zaitsev
Zub-Jaros
At least that version would have much more room for improvement over stagnated veterans leftovers. And it's not even that big of a difference with what looks to be happening anyway
We are in a rebuild after all.
It didn't go as I wanted for the defense but the forward group is kinda similar. There's a few other posts where I wanted Zub in the lineup from game 1, because I didn't want the team to acquire both Gudbranson and Josh Brown
Some other interesting posts that I would like to continue the discussion about. Maybe in the management thread? I'd like to see what the posters I debated with would say today...
Speculation: - Line Combinations
Post-Game Talk: - Sens fizzle in 3rd
We certainly WERE worse off. We were playing worse players than we were playing last year. Simple.
AchtzehnBaby
Global Matador
It was a preseason comment
1 thru 9 we were then and are now in better shape on the back end
Do Make Say Think
& Yet & Yet
- Jun 26, 2007
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Glad to hear he might get some games to close out the season.
We really need him going into the off-season feeling good about himself and his game.
We really need him going into the off-season feeling good about himself and his game.
I like Murray, and he was lights out coming back. I see the potential for him to be our guy, and his age and typical prime matches.
And he has the pedigree and the hardware to help lead this young team. No chance we give up on him at this point.
And he has the pedigree and the hardware to help lead this young team. No chance we give up on him at this point.
Xspyrit
DJ Dorion
Murray with two consecutive seasons with an .899 and .893 save percentage.
can’t see Seattle touching that - despite the Cups
They shouldn't be touching "that" because of the 6.25 AAV, not (edit) necessarily because of the SV%
81.5% of his games were before mid march, before the team finally figured out how to defend on the road (and have been even better at home). He has a 0.954 SV% in April behind a competent NHL defense. I believe NHL teams look at things beyond the surface (well they are paying peple for that) so don't think the overall SV% matters.
And it's not really a problem for the Sens. If Dorion doesn't make "personnel mistakes" like he did this offseason, if DJ doesn't make as many wrong roster choices as he did early in the season and if the team continues to grow and solidify their 2-way game, they could have a very very solid goalie tandem with Murray/Gustavsson next year. That would be my choice but would also be fine with Gustavsson/Daccord
Murray's AAV was too much too soon (like many other Dorion's extensions) but "only" 3 years left. So it will expire by the time several other young players will become more expensive.
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Tuna99
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- Sep 26, 2009
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But Murray hasn’t played well for 2 years. Maybe he’s turned his game around but that’s a big gamble to take with that contract.
Viletho
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- Jan 20, 2015
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I don't know how it will played out. But, IMO, next year should be a battle between Murray, Gust and Daccord. Whoever plays better is the starter and the second is the back-up. We can have Soogard and Mandolese in the AHL.
Now, i'm sure Murray will get the veteran treatment which is fine. But I hope they don't bury Daccord or Gust if they play better then him.
I'm pretty sure they are playing Gust right now to make a decision on who to protect between the 3. Right now, he is doing well for himself.
Xspyrit
DJ Dorion
I believe teams look more at "ability" (personally I do), rather than contextual play. It's like Cody Ceci after Guy Boucher came in and made him a top shutdown D-man in the NHL, really not a chair where he could succeed (but Boucher had limited options, Dorion tried to fix Methot's loss, then Phaneuf's decline with 36 y/o Oduya and Fredrik Claesson). Leafs didn't handle Ceci much better but it looks like the Pens know what they are doing because he's having his best season in years. He plays 4-5 minutes less than he was in Ottawa, probably against lesser competition overall and his zone starts are back to being more balanced; as a result he has much better corsi/defensive numbers.
In 2019-20, Murray was still battling a lot of injuries including concussions, and well unfortunately for him (and us), it's continuing this year as well. All goalies get injuries, it's normal but if the injuries continue to pile up, it will remain a problem and prevent him from re-gaining his "form". In 2020-21, the team defense was NOT NHL level until recently so you shouldn't juge any goalie purely from their stats. Like I said earlier in the season, Murray is a goalie that needs some kind of structure in front of him. Our "team defense" has improved A LOT recently so his 5 games in April demonstrates that. He had the highest SV% in the whole NHL during that month :
NHL Stats
Sens goalie stats this year are very contextual in regards to when (before mid march vs after), where (road vs home) and vs who these goalies played. Just look at road goalie stats, it's pretty telling
NHL Stats
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