Proposal: Ottawa needs stability in the bottom four D

[Boud]

Sens need a RD who can anchor a pair. A guy who can handle himself in the Dzone, good transition game, decent size and good skating.

 

[TkachukNorris79]

Sens need a RD who can anchor a pair. A guy who can handle himself in the Dzone, good transition game, decent size and good skating.

So... Dylan Demelo? Still can't believe they let him go and also that they didn't try to sign him after that season.

He played a huge part in allowing Chabot to breakout in 18/19, and could play a similar role with Brannstrom this year (if he's not traded) and then Sanderson next.

Doubt WPG wants to deal him though, and I don't blame them.

 

[Stuzchuk]

Last night's game was more evidence of what isn't impossible to see - the Senators are going to struggle...

For now, that leaves:

Chabot - Zub
_____ - _____
Holden - _____

Let's make it simple for the next year and a half...

Chabot - Zub
Brannsttom - _____
Holden/DelZotto - Zaitsev

that leads us looking for a top 4 RHD... I'm not entirely sure who would be available for the criteria that fits the sens rebuild but I'm sure there's a sellers out there that would be willing to give one up for some picks or prospects

 

[Perennial]

Hronek could be the guy to target at the moment...

 

[PAZ]

EJ for Tierney/Brown.

He's overpaid and doesn't fit the Avs system as well anymore, but he's still a passable 2nd pairing defenseman. Although Ottawa would probably be on his NTC.

 

[Groo]

Geirg to the NYR for Schneider

 

[majormajor]

I'm not entirely sure who would be available for the criteria that fits the sens rebuild but I'm sure there's a sellers out there that would be willing to give one up for some picks or prospects

Eventually, yes. But rarely this time of year. You'll have to pay a lot more if you're buying in the first half of the year.

Maybe Chicago and Montreal will give up in the first half and decide to make room for younger players. So in that example it is guys like Calvin De Haan or Ben Chiarot that would be moved out. You'd still have to at least match the deadline prices they'd expect to get for hanging on to them (I'm guessing around 2 2nds for Chiarot, maybe a bit less for De Haan).

 

[Stuzchuk]

EJ for Tierney/Brown.

He's overpaid and doesn't fit the Avs system as well anymore, but he's still a passable 2nd pairing defenseman. Although Ottawa would probably be on his NTC.

COL adds quite a bit... no interests what so ever in E. Johnson.
EJ for 5th/6th makes more sense to me

 

[Clamshells]

EJ for Tierney/Brown.

He's overpaid and doesn't fit the Avs system as well anymore, but he's still a passable 2nd pairing defenseman. Although Ottawa would probably be on his NTC.

I really hope you mean Josh Brown, not Connor Brown

 

[BoldNewLettuce]

Kris Russell for Artyom Zub

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

Hronek could be the guy to target at the moment...

Probably pricey.

 

[bashbros32]

Let's make it simple for the next year and a half...

Chabot - Zub
Brannsttom - _____
Holden/DelZotto - Zaitsev

that leads us looking for a top 4 RHD... I'm not entirely sure who would be available for the criteria that fits the sens rebuild but I'm sure there's a sellers out there that would be willing to give one up for some picks or prospects

2 issues with this...

1. team is super down on Brannstrom, and according to our coaches his offenive capabilities do not outweigh his defensive liabilities.
2. Jake Sanderson is presumably coming from college at the end of this year, and based on his play at college he will be our 2LD as early as like April.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

2 issues with this...

1. team is super down on Brannstrom, and according to our coaches his offenive capabilities do not outweigh his defensive liabilities.
2. Jake Sanderson is presumably coming from college at the end of this year, and based on his play at college he will be our 2LD as early as like April.

According to our coach, Brannstrom is an NHL D.

EJ for Tierney/Brown.

He's overpaid and doesn't fit the Avs system as well anymore, but he's still a passable 2nd pairing defenseman. Although Ottawa would probably be on his NTC.

Brown is not close. Tierney would work if we had any Cs but, sadly, he's our #2 right now.

 

[bashbros32]

According to our coach, Brannstrom is an NHL D.

did you mean to say "is NOT an NHL D?"

cause if our coach believed in Erik Brannstrom as an NHL D he would be on the team instead of the atrocious pieces there currently.

I believe he is an NHL D as well... I just don't understand how he could believe that while also icing our current corps without him.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

did you mean to say "is NOT an NHL D?"

cause if our coach believed in Erik Brannstrom as an NHL D he would be on the team instead of the atrocious pieces there currently.

I believe he is an NHL D as well... I just don't understand how he could believe that while also icing our current corps without him.

No.... I mean what I said.

Its pretty obvious what is happening, and that is that DJ isnt going to play Brannstrom every single night and Dorion isnt going to keep him up there unless he's in every night. They will have to waive someone in order for him to draw in and they arent ready to do that. It will come soon enough, although he may be playing his way out of 1st call-up.

 

[bashbros32]

No.... I mean what I said.

Its pretty obvious what is happening, and that is that DJ isnt going to play Brannstrom every single night and Dorion isnt going to keep him up there unless he's in every night. They will have to waive someone in order for him to draw in and they arent ready to do that. It will come soon enough, although he may be playing his way out of 1st call-up.

Someone on the sens board earlier was saying Mann's comments almost seemed like Thomson has or is about to jump him on that front... combined with B-Sens scoring 7 and Branny posting a goose egg tonight as well as being -4 and having 0 points across 5 AHL games seems concerning.

edit: wanted to add in I know Thomson and Brannstrom are different shot defensemen, and we don't "typically" play d on their off hand, so they aren't competing for the same spots presumably.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

Someone on the sens board earlier was saying Mann's comments almost seemed like Thomson has or is about to jump him on that front... combined with B-Sens scoring 7 and Branny posting a goose egg tonight as well as being -4 and having 0 points across 5 AHL games seems concerning.

edit: wanted to add in I know Thomson and Brannstrom are different shot defensemen, and we don't "typically" play d on their off hand, so they aren't competing for the same spots presumably.

If Brann doesnt prove he can be the teams best player in Belleville, I could even see Aspirot coming up before him. But DJ was very complimentary to him throughout the preseason and called him an NHL D many times. To be fair, he said he was one of 8. I personally think Brannstrom is worth having in the lineup for his PP ability alone, but other than that he doesn't really bring much more than our other LHD. Mete is awful offensively but he can transition quite well and defend decently. Cant say I have much of a read on MDZ.

 

[bashbros32]

If Brann doesnt prove he can be the teams best player in Belleville, I could even see Aspirot coming up before him. But DJ was very complimentary to him throughout the preseason and called him an NHL D many times. To be fair, he said he was one of 8. I personally think Brannstrom is worth having in the lineup for his PP ability alone, but other than that he doesn't really bring much more than our other LHD. Mete is awful offensively but he can transition quite well and defend decently. Cant say I have much of a read on MDZ.

on Brannstroms pp ability... I legit just want another D to be somewhat capable at moving the puck, play the left side to take some of the load off Chabot... We have Holden, but he has no offense, which is fine! he suits the stabilizing 3rd pair LD to a t. I just think the team is Sanderson plus 1 CORE top 3 talent right shot D away from truly ever competing for anything. Hopefully one of JBD or Thomson grow into that role, cause our track record at acquire key free agents and making pro hockey trades so far is uh... not so great.

so in this case we are 1.5 years PLUS away from having 3 top 4 defencemen in Chabot - Zub - Sanderson... if Brannstrom sticks as a 3rd pair PP2QB do we have that Artem Zub or Marc Methot-lite stabilizing 3rd pair right shot D to play with him?

 

[Boud]

So... Dylan Demelo? Still can't believe they let him go and also that they didn't try to sign him after that season.

He played a huge part in allowing Chabot to breakout in 18/19, and could play a similar role with Brannstrom this year (if he's not traded) and then Sanderson next.

Doubt WPG wants to deal him though, and I don't blame them.

Yep. Demelo was a guy we should've kept and it makes no sense they didn't want to sign him. He would really help us right now

 

[Three On Zero]

Poolman?

 

[trentmccleary]

For now, that leaves:

Chabot - Zub
_____ - _____
Holden - _____

Without breaking the bank, are there any decent options out there to fill in any of these gaps? Guys who can play reliable minutes in their role are what's needed more than anything so the goalies aren't getting caved in and the top pair can breathe. I think it goes without saying at this point, the team likes bigger defencemen.

This is all extremely premature. Team defense was atrocious to start last season (as well as every other system), before the coaching staff settled it down. Later last season, the team's defense corps looked a lot better when the system was finally in place and the forwards were actually doing their jobs. That defense corps was Chabot, Zaitsev, Reilly, Brannstrom, Zub, Mete and Brown. Reilly is the only one gone and he certainly wasn't the lynchpin of the defense corps. The coaching staff needs to hammer out the details of the defensive system and the new d-pairings need to develop chemistry.

Yep. Demelo was a guy we should've kept and it makes no sense they didn't want to sign him. He would really help us right now

Jacques Martin was a defensive coach who ran a tight defensive system that made a lot of defensemen look great. Some of the early d-men who played in that system were traded for more than they were worth or cashed out in free agency, before washing out of the league within a few seasons. DeMelo played the majority of his games for us behind Boucher's defensive system. Now he's a bottom pairing d-man in Winnipeg. I suspect that he won't look as good as you remember if he came back.

 

[BlueBaron]

Too bad Mete isn't working out.

How much more can Sens fans see them spending?

It looks to me they have to move Zaitsev to pay for any significant add. If the Sens offered some real assets to him, like their first, they could probably land a 4 mil top 4 with a bit of term.

Would the Sens trade futures to improve now?

 

[Stuzchuk]

Too bad Mete isn't working out.

How much more can Sens fans see them spending?

It looks to me they have to move Zaitsev to pay for any significant add. If the Sens offered some real assets to him, like their first, they could probably land a 4 mil top 4 with a bit of term.

Would the Sens trade futures to improve now?

Like I said...
"Let's make it simple for the next year and a half...

Chabot - Zub
Brannsttom - _____
Holden/DelZotto - Zaitsev"

next year Holden is a goner so it may look like this
Chabot - Zub
Sanderson - _____
Brannsttom - Zaitsev
DelZotto

so in other words we still need a #2RHD...
UFA 2022 Ilya Lyubushkin from ARI would be a guy I'd be willing to go for at the TDL and extend. He's not the perfect top 4 RHD that I'd be looking for but a stop gap until J. Bernard-Docker develop to play top 4 minutes in the NHL

 

[Sting]

Too bad Mete isn't working out.

How much more can Sens fans see them spending?

It looks to me they have to move Zaitsev to pay for any significant add. If the Sens offered some real assets to him, like their first, they could probably land a 4 mil top 4 with a bit of term.

Would the Sens trade futures to improve now?

I don't think Ottawa is in any position to trade a 1st right now to get rid of a contract. It's not as if Zaitsev is making 8 mill a year for the next 5 years. He's getting 4.5 for two more years after this.

Most likely scenario is Sanderson steps in next year, Zaitsev gets pushed down to the #3 RD and we pick up a solid top 4 option to complement Sanderson.

 

[KevinRedkey]

Is Stralman still serviceable?