Confirmed with Link: Sens sign free agent Jiri Smejkal 1 year ELC

[Ghost of Jody Hull]

Is macewen going toe to toe with those guys?

MacEwen will fight and lose, but that's not really the point. You don't have to win, you just have to be willing once in a while.

He's here to play simple, hit, and jump into the scrum. I think he's useful, so long as he can skate well enough to hit. Watson 2.0 would be great.

Personally, I think the value of a heavyweight like Reaves is wildly overstated. It's 2023, these guys are all buddies. Reaves is very well-liked around the league, he's not jumping anyone. He'll agree to a pre-arranged fight with another heavy, but if you decline, he'll go on his way. Maybe he chirps you but he's not going to hurt anyone. He's too good a guy to do that.

MacEwen at 775k is fine. Reaves at 1.35M is nuts.

 

[Tragedy]

In the same thread that has posters dismissing MacEwens importance in a division that has Reaves, Xhekaj and Lucic.

We are aware you can just skate around those lugs, right? Like if Reaves is on the ice, I'm grinning ear to ear while the train horn is blasting not trying to fight his old slow ass

 

[Ghost of Jody Hull]

We are aware you can just skate around those lugs, right? Like if Reaves is on the ice, I'm grinning ear to ear while the train horn is blasting not trying to fight his old slow ass

Reaves is one thing, because he can't keep up anymore. And for as tough as he is, he's a good guy. He's not out to hurt anyone.

But Xhekaj or Jeannot? They can play. Having MacEwen around to absorb some shots once in a while is useful, if for nothing else but team morale. You don't want Tkachuk feeling like he has to do it.

And you can't change the DNA of players. There'll be games in February where things get spicy, and you need someone who can handle that role. There are games within games. It sucks being on the team that's getting facewashed all night.

Tkachuk, for example, certainly wouldn't be one to say, "well it's fine because we skated faster than them..." He'd jump in, break his hand, and we'd be screwed.

I'd rather MacEwen break his hand.

 

[JackieDaytona]

But he's a Watson-level fighter.

Would get caved in by any of those guys.

Watson may have very few wins but never backed down from a fight. Gotta love that. Kinda respect it more knowing full well he’s going to get caved in and still is willing to dance. Teammates must love that. Almost as much as having a fighter who can actually win a fight on the team, but still.

 

[Golden_Jet]

We are aware you can just skate around those lugs, right? Like if Reaves is on the ice, I'm grinning ear to ear while the train horn is blasting not trying to fight his old slow ass

Not if if he starts running guys through the boards every shift.

 

[bert]

But he's a Watson-level fighter.

Would get caved in by any of those guys.

That's simply not true. If they start running around he will answer the bell. He's a top 10 heavy.

We are aware you can just skate around those lugs, right? Like if Reaves is on the ice, I'm grinning ear to ear while the train horn is blasting not trying to fight his old slow ass

He still finishes his checks and gets in on the forcheck well. Its part of the game whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

 

[OttawaSenators11]

MacEwen sucks, Watson was at least useful on the PK.

 

[Tragedy]

That's simply not true. If they start running around he will answer the bell. He's a top 10 heavy.


He still finishes his checks and gets in on the forcheck well. Its part of the game whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

Pop quiz - Would you rather have Brady Tkachuk or Ryan Reaves on your team?
Because personally, I'd rather have a useful player on my team who can bring a physical element.

You guys are free to want to employ useless plugs who spend 8 minutes a game chasing the puck in their own end and who will sometimes get in a fight a couple times a season. I'll simply continue to advocate for useful players who can forecheck and fight instead of the Sabourins and Reaves of the world.

 

[SensFactor]

MacEwen sucks, Watson was at least useful on the PK.

Yah I haven't seen much of anything I like from McEwen.

 

[Bileur]

That's simply not true. If they start running around he will answer the bell. He's a top 10 heavy.


He still finishes his checks and gets in on the forcheck well. Its part of the game whether you want to acknowledge it or not.

I don’t think that’s accurate. Or at least if it is being “top 10” doesn’t mean anything anymore.

He lost decisively to guys like Josh Brown and Nic Hague last year. That’s not a feared heavyweight.

In fact his card is very similar to Watson with many fights and no decisive wins.

The year before he got tuned up by Wayne Simmonds. Good scrapper but a legit top heavy doesn’t get tuned up by someone under 180 pounds.

He looks a lot like a younger Watson without the PK ability.

Edit - if I’m going to say he’s not top 10 I should provide a top 10 :

1. R. Reaves
2. N. Deslauriers
3. A. Xhekaj
4. M. Lucic
5. L. Macdiarmid
6. R. Johnson
7. M. Olivier
8. M. Foligno
9. L. Stanley
10. T. Wilson

 

[GCK]

Another example of HFSens ignoring roles on a team. There is a reason Giroux pushed for MacEwan, he will fight and not as poorly as people here think and he will skate and hit on the forecheck. I liked Watson but he could no longer keep up to the pace.

 

[JD1]

Pop quiz - Would you rather have Brady Tkachuk or Ryan Reaves on your team?
Because personally, I'd rather have a useful player on my team who can bring a physical element.

You guys are free to want to employ useless plugs who spend 8 minutes a game chasing the puck in their own end and who will sometimes get in a fight a couple times a season. I'll simply continue to advocate for useful players who can forecheck and fight instead of the Sabourins and Reaves of the world.

Speaking of Sabourin, where'd he end up?

Another example of HFSens ignoring roles on a team. There is a reason Giroux pushed for MacEwan, he will fight and not as poorly as people here think and he will skate and hit on the forecheck. I liked Watson but he could no longer keep up to the pace.

Couldn't?

 

[GCK]

Speaking of Sabourin, where'd he end up?

I think he was just waived by SJ.

 

[Bileur]

Speaking of Sabourin, where'd he end up?


Couldn't?

San Jose.

Sabourin is a great AHL option.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Not if if he starts running guys through the boards every shift.

Is that what he does tho? Is he a ferocious player? I don’t know. There is absolutely a place for a vicious hitter on the fourth line even if not the most talented.

I don’t think there’s a place for a big guy who can’t play and also can’t fight just to have some staged fights against people who will beat the shit out of him.
Again I don’t know if he’s either of these.

I thought his first pre season game was quite bad. While the last one he played he was at least skating fast north south

 

[Sens Vader]

I actually dont think Mack has been that bad, you just cant have both him and Kelly on the same line.

Smejkal should 100% make the team

 

[Golden_Jet]

Is that what he does tho? Is he a ferocious player? I don’t know. There is absolutely a place for a vicious hitter on the fourth line even if not the most talented.

I don’t think there’s a place for a big guy who can’t play and also can’t fight just to have some staged fights against people who will beat the shit out of him.
Again I don’t know if he’s either of these.

I thought his first pre season game was quite bad. While the last one he played he was at least skating fast north south

You realize the response was about Reaves running people through the boards right.

 

[sennysensen]

Reaves is one thing, because he can't keep up anymore. And for as tough as he is, he's a good guy. He's not out to hurt anyone.

But Xhekaj or Jeannot? They can play. Having MacEwen around to absorb some shots once in a while is useful, if for nothing else but team morale. You don't want Tkachuk feeling like he has to do it.

And you can't change the DNA of players. There'll be games in February where things get spicy, and you need someone who can handle that role. There are games within games. It sucks being on the team that's getting facewashed all night.

Tkachuk, for example, certainly wouldn't be one to say, "well it's fine because we skated faster than them..." He'd jump in, break his hand, and we'd be screwed.

I'd rather MacEwen break his hand.

Xhekaj cannot play at all. By advanced stats, he was the NHL's worst defenseman last season. Other teams, including the Sens, skated circles around him, he is terrible defensively. The opponent salivates when he's on the ice. Montreal is hoping he can develop into a Matt Carkner that is a competent bottom pairing defenseman, but he isn't there now.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Xhekaj cannot play at all. By advanced stats, he was the NHL's worst defenseman last season. Other teams, including the Sens, skated circles around him, he is terrible defensively. The opponent salivates when he's on the ice. Montreal is hoping he can develop into a Matt Carkner that is a competent bottom pairing defenseman, but he isn't there now.

Which advanced stats is he bad at.

 

[Ghost of Jody Hull]

Xhekaj cannot play at all. By advanced stats, he was the NHL's worst defenseman last season. Other teams, including the Sens, skated circles around him, he is terrible defensively. The opponent salivates when he's on the ice. Montreal is hoping he can develop into a Matt Carkner that is a competent bottom pairing defenseman, but he isn't there now.

Hmmm... going by advanced stats amongst D, Xhekaj was:

3rd on his team in CF% (47.16).
3rd on his team in SF% (46.57).
4th on his team in SCF% (42.17).

Montreal was a bad team last year, so if you look at overall defensemen around the league, Xhekaj was in the lower half, but certainly not the NHL's worst defenseman.

His advanced stats were better than, for example, Braden Schneider, who I don't think anyone would call terrible. Most call him a future top 4.

Xhekaj was a rookie, he'll never be a top-pairing guy, but he can easily settle into being a good #5, or even #4.

 

[sennysensen]

Which advanced stats is he bad at.

I can't recall, something I read late last season. One of those charts showing advanced stats, he was as low as you can get, was the Habs worst defenseman by far (that played a certain # of games to qualify).

He certainly was awful against the Sens, who went 5-0 vs the Habs last season, and our skill players certainly took advantage of X. He was a huge minus including -4 in 1 game. It is cute that Habs fans have a fantasy that their tough guy can play, and everyone is afraid of him, when in reality, they love it when he is on the ice as he's a terrible player that can't defend.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

You realize the response was about Reaves running people through the boards right.

Clearly not.

I hope macewen is running guys through the boards. But then he has to deal with reavers lol.

 

[OD99]

I'd rather MacEwen break his hand

Then we can LTIR him and sign Pinto!!

 

[JackieDaytona]

Smejkal should be in our bottom 6 to start the season. He more than proved himself this preseason.

Versatile player with some grit and effective on the boards and forecheck. Enough skill to make decent plays on the cycle. I like his game.

If he’s not in the lineup, he’s a casualty of Dorion’s mismanagement of the cap, because he is easily better than several other bottom 6 options the team has. Hopefully he’ll be on the team soon.

 

[Ana Crusis]

Every pre season games i watched he looked good. Didnt expect him to be sent down.