Management UPDATE: Steve Staios GM and POHO, Dave Poulin Senior VP of Hockey Operations

[Tuna99]

Probably not

This team isn’t defeated like that team was. We still only need to throw 4 haymakers and we’re in Florida with the meth-heads.

 

[Micklebot]

Well now he’s definitely getting chased tonight.

Well that was prophetic

 

[Icelevel]

Well that was prophetic

Ouch. What a terrible outcome for the guy.
The backups battle it out now making things interesting. Probably give Dobes the advantage there.

(Haven’t read about either starter and whether their expected back)

 

[Tuna99]

Dave Poulin is 66 years old and he celebrated last night like he was playing in the WJC. We’re coming back.

 

[Tuna99]

Our G.M. gave a Season ending press conference and Sens nation isn’t freaked out or confused by what was said by the G.M.

We've come a long way Ottawa. This is what it is like being in a stable relationship

 

[PlayOn]

Our G.M. gave a Season ending press conference and Sens nation isn’t freaked out or confused by what was said by the G.M.

We've come a long way Ottawa. This is what it is like being in a stable relationship

The press conference hasn’t even happened yet lol. It’s at 11am.

Although I am sure your post will age fine. It will be something about “internal growth for the group”, “accelerating patience” and “sticking with the process”!

 

[Golden_Jet]

Our G.M. gave a Season ending press conference and Sens nation isn’t freaked out or confused by what was said by the G.M.

We've come a long way Ottawa. This is what it is like being in a stable relationship

That’s good insight, I thought it was in a couple of hours from now. What will he say?

 

[Tuna99]

That’s good insight, I thought it was in a couple of hours from now. What will he say?

Nothing you need to worry about - you can skip it

 

[MiscBrah]

I just caught the last 5 minutes of it. Does anyone have a recap of what was said at the start? Last part was about Kleven and Green wanting him to have a better off-season and show up to camp ready to go this year. Also talked about wanting to make improvements across the board for the PK and PP. Staois said they aren't concerned about any offer sheets.

 

[PlayOn]

I just caught the last 5 minutes of it. Does anyone have a recap of what was said at the start? Last part was about Kleven and Green wanting him to have a better off-season and show up to camp ready to go this year. Also talked about wanting to make improvements across the board for the PK and PP. Staois said they aren't concerned about any offer sheets.

The pieces that caught my attention:

- Jensen’s injury feels like it could be pretty serious. He said they don’t know if he needs surgery but Claire asked if he wasn’t ready to play if they’d look to address RD and he basically said yes they would in that scenario. It seems possible we start the year without him, or you’d figure they would’ve set that scenario aside.

- Cozens will need to have a big off-season. Green thinks his potential is high.

- Likely will be keeping this years pick. Thinks the scouts have proven they are good and that they will find players - doesn’t seem to take too much stock into weak draft.

- Staios said everyone was playing through injury basically. He doesn’t want to list them, doesn’t believe in that, if players want to discuss they can. He doesn’t see the purpose of disclosing other than using it to justify a loss.

- They will look at hockey operations and try to keep improving, we could see changes

- Claire said at the deadline Staios said 5v5 scoring was the number one priority and what was it now. He didn’t really answer but did say they’re gonna continue to look at 5v5 and other areas.

- He thinks a RW for Tkachuk and Stützle is available internally.

- He sees Zetterlund as a long-term piece

- Yakemchuk knows he needs to have a big summer and he will have to earn a spot

Edit: Oh and Pinto and Matinpalo are going to the Worlds.

 

[Dan Patrick]

- Likely will be keeping this years pick. Thinks the scouts have proven they are good and that they will find players - doesn’t seem to take too much stock into weak draft.

This is a little concerning. I’m not sure our scouts have made a pick in the first two rounds of the last 4 years (only 6? picks, so small sample size) that have been better than if the team had just gone with any number of consensus rankings. Third round and later having way too much variance to really judge but I guess we’ve gotten better value there.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

starts ~14 minutes in

 

[flyingfingers]

This is a little concerning. I’m not sure our scouts have made a pick in the first two rounds of the last 4 years (only 6? picks, so small sample size) that have been better than if the team had just gone with any number of consensus rankings. Third round and later having way too much variance to really judge but I guess we’ve gotten better value there.

It's hard to know how involved Pierre Dorion was in our drafting, especially in the 1st and 2nd rounds. He had "smartest guy in the room syndrome" so perhaps he was the one that went off the board to select Tyler Boucher (for example), against the consensus opinion of our scouting staff.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

It's hard to know how involved Pierre Dorion was in our drafting, especially in the 1st and 2nd rounds. He had "smartest guy in the room syndrome" so perhaps he was the one that went off the board to select Tyler Boucher (for example), against the consensus opinion of our scouting staff.

I'm cool wth trading every 1st and 2nd rounder for immediate help until we get competent amateur scouting back. We'd be getting much better value.

 

[flyingfingers]

I'm cool wth trading every 1st and 2nd rounder for immediate help until we get competent amateur scouting back.

I remember many of our picks in the 1st and 2nd rounds, like Tkachuk, Sanderson, Pinto and Kleven being met with outrage by Sens army on social media.

"We drafted a 3rd line grinder at 4th overall!!? Zadina was on the board!"
"We drafted a guy who started playing hockey in high school in the 2nd round!!? Kaliyev was on the board!"

By and large, this team has done quite well in the 1st and 2nd rounds.

Our problem under Dorion was trading those picks for NHLers who didn't want to play here.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

I remember many of our picks in the 1st and 2nd rounds, like Tkachuk, Sanderson, Pinto and Kleven being met with outrage by Sens army on social media.

"We drafted a 3rd line grinder at 4th overall!!? Zadina was on the board!"
"We drafted a guy who started playing hockey in high school in the 2nd round!!? Kaliyev was on the board"

Most of that scouting staff is gone. The guy running the show now prioritizes PIM.

 

[flyingfingers]

Most of that scouting staff is gone. The guy running the show now prioritizes PIM.

Based on what? Our 1st rounder last year was an offensively talented defenseman who's probably our PPQB of the future.

The year before we didn't have a pick in the first 3 rounds so hard to judge a scouting staff on that.

And before that Dorion was still running the show so who knows who was making the decisions.

 

[Hale The Villain]

I remember many of our picks in the 1st and 2nd rounds, like Tkachuk, Sanderson, Pinto and Kleven being met with outrage by Sens army on social media.

"We drafted a 3rd line grinder at 4th overall!!? Zadina was on the board!"
"We drafted a guy who started playing hockey in high school in the 2nd round!!? Kaliyev was on the board"

The Bowers, JBD, Thomson, Jarventie, Boucher, Ostapchuk, Roger, Nordberg and Eliasson picks also got a lot of criticism, and it turns out "Sens army" were right.

Let's not play this dumb game where we pretend the Sens scouts know best and shouldn't be questioned because they've been right before.

They've been wrong A LOT the past decade and it appears especially so the past several drafts.

 

[flyingfingers]

The Bowers, JBD, Thomson, Jarventie, Boucher, Ostapchuk, Roger, Nordberg and Eliasson picks also got a lot of criticism, and it turns "Sens army" were right.

Let's not play this dumb game where we pretend the Sens scouts know best and shouldn't be questioned because they've been right before.

They've been wrong A LOT the past decade and it appears especially so the past several drafts.

Every single NHL scouting staff is wrong A LOT in the draft. It's the nature of the draft.

Name a team. Any team. I'll bring up a list of very bad draft picks, in hindsight. The majority of picks amount to nothing.

You can question scouts all you want, everyone has their preferences in players.

But a blanket statement of "our scouting sucks" is asinine considering the core of our team is made up of players we recently drafted and developed: Tkachuk, Stutzle, Sanderson, Greig, Pinto, Kleven...

 

[bicboi64]

Every single NHL scouting staff is wrong A LOT in the draft. It's the nature of the draft.

Name a team. Any team. I'll bring up a list of very bad draft picks, in hindsight. The majority of picks amount to nothing.

You can question scouts all you want, everyone has their preferences in players.

But a blanket statement of "our scouting sucks" is asinine considering the core of our team is made up of players we recently drafted and developed: Tkachuk, Stutzle, Sanderson, Greig, Pinto, Kleven...

Problem with preference in players, we have a tendency to use high picks on guys that aren't high skill guys and conveniently happen to be big lunks that take loads of PIM. It's one thing if you pick someone with a lot of skill and that is a consensus 1st or 2nd round pick and they don't work out, that's the norm. Its another to pick players that aren't projected to be selected as high as Ottawa is picking because they don't have enough skill to warrant being picked that high, and lo and behold, they don't pan out.

 

[flyingfingers]

Problem with preference in players, we have a tendency to use high picks on guys that aren't high skill guys and conveniently happen to be big lunks that take loads of PIM. It's one thing if you pick someone with a lot of skill and that is a consensus 1st or 2nd round pick and they don't work out, that's the norm. Its another to pick players that aren't projected to be selected as high as Ottawa is picking because they don't have enough skill to warrant being picked that high, and lo and behold, they don't pan out.

Who, aside from Tyler Boucher?

I mean last year we drafted a high skill defenseman at 7th overall.

Yakemchuk's shot, passing, puck skills and offensive IQ are his best qualities. All of these are known as... skills. The stuff he needs to work are his defensive awareness and effort.

You can be skilled and also tall...

It's funny because if Yakemchuk was 5'11, born in Sweden and was named Derik Grannstrom... a lot of the fans criticizing his pick would be raving about him.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Based on what? Our 1st rounder last year was an offensively talented defenseman who's probably our PPQB of the future.

The year before we didn't have a pick in the first 3 rounds so hard to judge a scouting staff on that.

And before that Dorion was still running the show so who knows who was making the decisions.

Here is the history of our new head scout Don Boyd's draft picks in the top 2 rounds

Rostislav Klesla (4th, 2000): 174 PIMs in 67 games
Pascal Leclaire (8th, 2001): goalie
Tim Jackman (38th, 2001): 92 PIMs in 37 games
Kiel McLeod (53rd, 2001): 94 PIMs in 65 games
Rick Nash (1st, 2002): 88 PIMs in 54 games
Joakim Lindstrom (41st, 2002): 67 PIMs in 10 games
Nikolai Zherdev (4th, 2003): 34 PIMs in 44 games
Dan Fritsche (46th, 2003): 79 PIMs in 61 games
Alexandre Picard (8th, 2004): 88 PIMs in 69 games
Adam Pineault (46th, 2004): 30 PIMs in 29 games
Kyle Wharton (59th, 2004): 50 PIMs in 43 games
Gilbert Brule (6th, 2005): 169 PIMs in 70 games
Adam McQuaid (55th, 2005): 98 PIMs in 66 games

To summarize, every pick he made in the top 2 rounds from 2000-2005 had more PIMs than games played, with the exception of Zherdev, who was playing pro hockey in Russia against men where accountability actually applies and you can't take a bunch of dumb penalties without finding yourself benched.

Boyd was subsequently fired after nearly destroying the Blue Jackets' franchise with his awful drafting, but now finds himself as head scout for our team.

Has his drafting philosophy changed at all? Well:

Carter Yakemchuk (7th, 2024): 120 PIMs in 66 games
Gabriel Eliasson (39th, 2024): 103 PIMs in 36 games

...it appears not.

If you want to pretend this isn't a problem, fine, but it's clear PIMs are something our scouts look at as a proxy for toughness/physicality, which they clearly overvalue.

 

[flyingfingers]

Here is the history of our new head scout Don Boyd's draft picks in the top 2 rounds

Rostislav Klesla (4th, 2000): 174 PIMs in 67 games
Pascal Leclaire (8th, 2001): goalie
Tim Jackman (38th, 2001): 92 PIMs in 37 games
Kiel McLeod (53rd, 2001): 94 PIMs in 65 games
Rick Nash (1st, 2002): 88 PIMs in 54 games
Joakim Lindstrom (41st, 2002): 67 PIMs in 10 games
Nikolai Zherdev (4th, 2003): 34 PIMs in 44 games
Dan Fritsche (46th, 2003): 79 PIMs in 61 games
Alexandre Picard (8th, 2004): 88 PIMs in 69 games
Adam Pineault (46th, 2004): 30 PIMs in 29 games
Kyle Wharton (59th, 2004): 50 PIMs in 43 games
Gilbert Brule (6th, 2005): 169 PIMs in 70 games
Adam McQuaid (55th, 2005): 98 PIMs in 66 games

To summarize, every pick he made in the top 2 rounds from 2000-2005 had more PIMs than games played, with the exception of Zherdev, who was playing pro hockey in Russia against men where accountability actually applies and you can't take a bunch of dumb penalties without finding yourself benched.

Boyd was subsequently fired after nearly destroying the Blue Jackets' franchise with his awful drafting, but now finds himself as head scout for our team.

Has his drafting philosophy changed at all? Well:

Carter Yakemchuk (7th, 2024): 120 PIMs in 66 games
Gabriel Eliasson (39th, 2024): 103 PIMs in 36 games

...it appears not.

If you want to pretend this isn't a problem, fine, but it's clear PIMs are something our scouts look at as a proxy for toughness/physicality, which they clearly overvalue.

Carter Yakemchuk is high skill though? Offensively tilted player with an elite shot and hands who can QB your top PP. The stuff you can't teach. Lacking in terms of defensive awareness and effort. The stuff you can teach.

Isn't that what we want?

Using PIMs as some sort of gotcha is pretty funnly though... especially when talking about guys like Rick Nash? Who was the consensus 1st overall pick that year? And a great goal scorer?

 

[Hale The Villain]

Carter Yakemchuk is high skill though? Offensively tilted with an elite shot and hands. The stuff you can't teach. Lacking in terms of defensive awareness and effort. The stuff you can teach.

Isn't that what we want?

You want high skill and high smarts. Both are needed to produce significantly in the NHL.

Yakemchuk has one, not the other. Several other prospects available at 7 appear to have both, but we passed them up for Yakemchuk because he fits what the scouts look for in a prospect.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

It's funny because if Yakemchuk was 5'11, born in Sweden and was named Derik Grannstrom... a lot of the fans criticizing his pick would be raving about him.

No because Parekh would be taller and literally better than him at everything if that was case.