When will this team become a contender?

[M4TR1X]

Chris gratton and Bobby Holik, have salaries really exploded?

Face it, a lot of you are just negative whiners. We were a contender while bankrupt for petes sake. I'm not saying it will be easy or it will come immediately, and but yes it's definitely possible despite your sky is falling attitudes.

Don't look at me for being a whiner. I try to be as positive as I can be but if Melnyk continues his trend of low balling players and limiting the moves his GM can make, it's going to be difficult just to make the playoffs let alone be a contender.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Chris gratton and Bobby Holik, have salaries really exploded?

Face it, a lot of you are just negative whiners. We were a contender while bankrupt for petes sake. I'm not saying it will be easy or it will come immediately, and but yes it's definitely possible despite your sky is falling attitudes.

The average salary has exploded yes: not necessarily a bad thing but it certainly doesn't help a team on a budget that isn't much higher than the floor

Holik was a corner case

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

Don't look at me for being a whiner. I try to be as positive as I can be but if Melnyk continues his trend of low balling players and limiting the moves his GM can make, it's going to be difficult just to make the playoffs let alone be a contender.

It will be difficult, not impossible. As long as we can retain our younger core and not have to sell them off it will be easier. It would be nice to give this team more than a year before people here start jumping off bridges saying we're never going to spend money again and the franchise is doomed.

 

[Benjamin]

The cap is slowly becoming irrelephant.

 

[The Fuhr*]

We were a contender under Bryden but can't be a contender under Melnyk? Uh-huh.

The best thing about then was UFA status was 31

Back then teams owned players throughout their primes

 

[enviro61]

In response to the original post, I think we are several highly skilled players away from being a cup contender. Given our budget conscientious owner, I don't see how we can aquire said players. Unless we draft a couple of firsts overall or have some incredible draft surprises and win the cup before their ELCs expire, I'm inclined to think the cup is out of sight for some time.

The group we have assembled right now is nowhere near Cup material.

 

[HavlatMach9]

We're contenders to make the playoffs. That is success enough after a rebuild as some teams remain stuck at the bottom.

 

[Sun God Nika]

When Turris , Karlsson, Gryba, Wiercioch, Zibanejad, Lehner, and Hoffman get to the 26-29 age range. Basically when our core hits its prime.

 

[Legend Killer]

I honestly dont see a perennial Stanley Cup Contender anywhere in the near or distant future...

Can we make the playoffs, get hot and win? Sure... Anything can happen but Im not banking on it...

 

[Legend Killer]

Nothing to do with Meynk but not it won't be a cup contender in the next few years.

Question, Are you the member formerly know as wjhc2009 or something like that?

 

[Xspyrit]

well : Habs, Rangers

Just in terms of personal. Do you really think those teams are better than the Sens on paper? Just a bit more money and experience, well and steady elite goaltending

 

[Gil Gunderson]

well : Habs, Rangers

Just in terms of personal. Do you really think those teams are better than the Sens on paper? Just a bit more money and experience, well and steady elite goaltending

Yes. Goalies are part of the team. We had great goaltending last year, subpar this year. That was one of the biggest differences.

Price and Lundqvist are franchise players. They consistently perform on a yearly basis and are not easy to acquire. With that being said, it's not the only way to build a contender.

 

[HockeySens]

probably overreaction due to a bad season but I see this team to be average for a while like not bad enough to get top 10 pick but will most likely miss the playoffs or out first round. Like one poster from another thread said ottawa will be a revolving door of players

 

[Laphroaig]

We have become the Toronto Maple Leafs and will continue to be the Leafs for the foreseeable future.

 

[SenatorArmy*]

As long as we're a budget team then never. You have to spend to compete & that's just the way it is. Otherwise the best we can hope for is a playoff bubble team, or less.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

2-3 years.

I expect Ryan to be the best player he can be in 2 years.

Turris will be at his peak, Zibanejad should be bonafide 25/30 goal scoring 2nd line C.

Lehner should be number 1 starter with no hesitation.

Karlsson the best player/defender in the league again.

Stone/Hoffman/Puempel/Pageau... one, two, three or all will be established players on this team.

Lazar should be able to be our Sean Couturier in that time.

Cowen/Ceci should be established defenders.

If we are banking on current progression and expected progression, 2-3 years max and we are contenders.

We could be easy playoff contenders as soon as next year.

As you can see, the winger positions are the most crucial at this moment and could make or break our progression the following years. That's why you can see Murray will be very keen on getting best possible winger back in any Spezza trade.

These next 2 off-seasons will be most important in Sens history.

 

[jbeck5]

When Turris , Karlsson, Gryba, Wiercioch, Zibanejad, Lehner, and Hoffman get to the 26-29 age range. Basically when our core hits its prime.

The thing that worries me is many teams win the cup when their best players are young, not 26-29.

The kopitars and daughtys on LA, the Malkin's and crosbys on Pittsburgh, the toews and kanes on Chicago.

They were all in their early 20s.

Expecting our core to keep improving until were contenders is asking for trouble. Most forwards have plateaud offensively by the time their 25.

The problem is our players aren't good enough period. Not that they haven't reached their potential. We flat out just need better players, but that costs money.

 

[Legend Killer]

The thing that worries me is many teams win the cup when their best players are young, not 26-29.

The kopitars and daughtys on LA, the Malkin's and crosbys on Pittsburgh, the toews and kanes on Chicago.

They were all in their early 20s.

Expecting our core to keep improving until were contenders is asking for trouble. Most forwards have plateaud offensively by the time their 25.

The problem is our players aren't good enough period. Not that they haven't reached their potential. We flat out just need better players, but that costs money.

We also have very few players with big game experience... which is huge...

Look at the 4 remaining teams in the playoffs... Montreal is really the only team without a ton of big game experience, but even theyve got Price, Briere...

Toews, Kane, Sharp, Keith, Hossa, Kopitar, Richards, Carter, Doughty, Williams, Stoll, St. Louis, Richards, Lundqvist, Price, Briere...

We may become good enough down the road, but I dont see us beating teams like Chicago, LA, SJ, etc with consistency in the near future...

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

The thing that worries me is many teams win the cup when their best players are young, not 26-29.

The kopitars and daughtys on LA, the Malkin's and crosbys on Pittsburgh, the toews and kanes on Chicago.

They were all in their early 20s.

Expecting our core to keep improving until were contenders is asking for trouble. Most forwards have plateaud offensively by the time their 25.

The problem is our players aren't good enough period. Not that they haven't reached their potential. We flat out just need better players, but that costs money.

I have to agree with this. Prime nowadays is a lot closer to 25 than 29.

We have some really nice support players, a star in Karlsson, some nice potential in Lehner and Zibby (and possibly some prospects)....and that's about it.

I really like Turris, Methot, Andy, and McArthur. But, they're all a notch or two below the cores of the contending teams.

We could get lucky like Montreal this year and get some sweet matchups and make a run. But, we're a couple of high-end pieces away from being an elite team.

 

[jbeck5]

We also have very few players with big game experience... which is huge...

Look at the 4 remaining teams in the playoffs... Montreal is really the only team without a ton of big game experience, but even theyve got Price, Briere...

Toews, Kane, Sharp, Keith, Hossa, Kopitar, Richards, Carter, Doughty, Williams, Stoll, St. Louis, Richards, Lundqvist, Price, Briere...

We may become good enough down the road, but I dont see us beating teams like Chicago, LA, SJ, etc with consistency in the near future...

Most of those teams tanked for a couple years, got high picks, then when those draft picks started hitting the NHL at 20-22 they surrounded them with good vets via ufa or trade. Point is, as soon as their "karlssons" were anywhere near sniffing norrises, they started surrounding them with talent. What exactly are we waiting for?

 

[ISensFanI]

Probably wont happen until Murray is gone, or until Lehner develops.

 

[blahblah3]

This team will be a contender next year; dependent on what we do with Spezza.

 

[SaltyPete]

I'm fairly sure the average age of a Stanley Cup winning team over the past 50 years is something like 27.3.

 

[Sensinitis]

We may become good enough down the road, but I dont see us beating teams like Chicago, LA, SJ, etc with consistency in the near future...

We only have to beat one of them once. SJ is on the decline already and who knows what happens to CHI and LA in 3 years.

 

[ISensFanI]

The best thing about then was UFA status was 31

Back then teams owned players throughout their primes

With the cap getting so high, that is going to have to come back.