Ok, so. Go with me here for a minute. I was cleaning the house and hit my head on my 'cupboards' (this word is important later) putting some dishes away when I had this foggy idea that PD is orchestrating one of the biggest coups of NHL history. Like a shark at a pool hall he is playing the media and having our core (Karlsson, Duchene, Stone) all expiring at the same time. He's brought these three guys in on the "plan" where they will all be traded for rental type returns; stocking the cupboards (eh? see what I did there? yes, there is a large bump) and then all three come back and sign 7 year deals with the sens who now have either a wave of youth or very good middle 6 players from the trades.
This all depends on who will be looking to add around the deadline so I've picked a few teams that could fit the bill.
STL - Fabbri (22yrs old oft injured and always rumoured on his way to Ott), Soshnikov (24, I'm a fan, they picked him up cheap from TOR for a 4th and getting him could potentially be a jab at our rivals for letting him go. Good AHL #'s 20pts in 25 games); Barbashev (22, another talented Russian with some good AHL numbers); Sundqvist (24, I hope you're seeing the trend. Good AHL numbers yet to see it translate to NHL but ultimately could be a very good depth player); Edmundson (25, LHD an actual top 4 roster player) Bokk (18, 2018's 25 Overall pick - they probably prefer to include someone else); Kostin (19, had a Meh first pro year in the AHL but it was his first year in North America and is a large 6'3 196lb RW); Thomas (19) and Kyrou (20) probably wouldn't be included without and extention in a Karlsson, Duchene, Stone trade.
PIT - Sprong (21, wouldn't be included unless there was a extention on the other side. Point per game player in the AHL in his first pro year) Hallander (18, 2018 2nd rounder) Bellerive (19, undrafted but went 46G46A in 71 WHL games this season. Good signing like our Luchuck one) Oleksiak, (25, LHD acutal roster player 6'7 255lbs and might finally be an NHL player after a slow start. Looked pretty good with PIT last season) Sheahan (26, just your reliable 30pt good depth player)
WSH - Burakovsky (23, Solid JPG like depth center good for 30-40pts and can play up and down the line up); Connolly (26, could fill the L4 RW spot that's currently open on the sens roster. Cheap contract and good for 25pts. Never filled the 6 overall expectation but still a good pro); Smith-Pelly (26, just a fan. Plays hard and hits hard.); Vrana (22, will battle Wilson for time on the top line and very talented. Would be the person I would target from WSH depending on usage will likely take another step forward into the 35-45pt range this season); Niskanen (31, is on the wrong side of 30 but has another 2 seasons after the deadline and sens could use some RHD help after Karlsson); Johansen (20, LHD prospect that had a pretty good 1st pro year); Djoos (24, essentially just like his name Da-Juice)
MIN - Niederreiter (25, getting the prime years of Nino. Not sure if he will flirt with 60pts consistently but should be a 20-25G 20-30A player for each of those years which is great. Can always use a 20G guy but so can everyone so he might not be included); Coyle (26, like Nino, probably not included in a rental type trade) Foligno (27, a good depth player but sens have a lot of LW); Greenway (21, a 2015 2nd rounder. Played with Tkachuk at Boston Uni and could join him in Bingo if Tkachuk doesn't play Sens or London) Eirksson EK (21, might have been better off speding his first pro year in the AHL but still a solid prospect); Kunin (20, a point per game NCAA player. Would need a full AHL season before an NHL jump most likely) Sokolov (20, a 7th rounder in 2016 playing well above that now. 50G 96Pts in 64games and played with Luchuk in Barrie and could play with him in Bingo)
TBL - Miller/Point/Gourde aren't going anywhere. Johnson isn't exactly the return I'm targeting. But maybe we could squeeze a better prospect like Foote (19, 2017 14th overall RHD); or Raddysh (20) if they lose to Toronto/PIT/WSH bad enough near the deadline. Volkov (21, 2017 second rounder 23G45pt in 75 AHL games 1st year pro); Stephens (21, 19G41pts 70 AHL games 1st year pro) Katchouk (20, 2016 2nd rounder 42G85pts in 58 OHL games); Cirelli (21, 2015 3rd rounder showed he might be ready for the NHL jump full time as a bottom sixer after getting a few reg season and playoff games)
SJS - Tierney (24, Roster player that had 3 20pt seasons and jumped to 40pts last season) Donskoi (26, a good depth player good for 30pts) Meier (21, not likely included as a rental. Put up 21G in his second pro season 9th overall selection in 2015); Chmelevski (19, a player to watch in the AHL to see how he plays in his first pro year 3G1A in 6AHL games was a good showing after a little better than a point per game OHL season to taste pro life) Chekhovich (19, same as the last prospect. a 2017 7th rounder had a good junior season and then 3G6A in 6 AHL games. Wait and see how the first few months of the AHL year go)
CHI - Sikura (23, 3 very good NCAA years and looking to make the NHL/AHL jump); Murphy (25, Roster player RHD on a great contract for 18/19 + 3 seasons); Jokiharju (19, 2017 29th overall RHD prospect. 71pts in 63 WHL games last season)
CBJ - Jenner (25, is already a 5 year vet. Good for 30-40pts and signed to a good contract for 18/19 + 3 years. Like getting the last 5 years of Z. Smith again.); Bjorkstrand (23, will most certainly out play his 2.5million cap hit each season 18/19 +2); Anderson (24, flirted with 20G and 30pts the last two years. A good depth player at a great 1.8mil cost); Milano (22, likely up for the same kind of 3 year bridge contract as the last two and will out perform his cap hit and be a 20G20A player); Nutivaara (24, a 2015 7th rounder put up 23 pts in 61 games and was rewarded with a 2.7mil x 4 contract. If he is a hit this contract could be a steal and if he is a miss...well, sens are at a league low for defence spending right now so does it matter?); Savard (27, a big RHD signed until he is 30. Roster player and good for 20-25pts on the back end); Abramov (2016, 3rd rounder playing like a top 10 pick his draft +1 year with 104pts in 66 games and then 104pts in 56 games last season. 91G in those two years.)
Dorion would have to be A good at trading, B have a pro scouting department good at evaluating talent to trade for and C have an Owner who is willing to pay for talent
Smartest guy in the room? Because he took an an ordinary team and has put in purgatory for years. Is that plan? It's like saying the Emperor of Japan in 1945 had plan that Americans would bomb Japan so the Americans would pay to rebuild Japan. Or Hitler wanted the the Allies to would defeat Germany in WWII, so the Marshall plan would be implemented so Germany would be a leading economic force in Europe for future generations.
Thanks for making Ottawa fans optimistic, that Dorion has a plan.
I've always wondered if it was possible to do, as a strategy. It would bean insanely great way to get better in less than a year, that's for sure...but It's hard as hell to conjure and to make sure all players involved stick to the plan. I'd say it's extremely likely that everything will shift at some point during the season. I mean, it's not the idea of the century. Surely, some other GMs, in the past, will have thought of it and have it his best shot and fell short. Nice try, but it won't work. Would be an insane move, though!
I've always wondered if it was possible to do, as a strategy. It would bean insanely great way to get better in less than a year, that's for sure...but It's hard as hell to conjure and to make sure all players involved stick to the plan. I'd say it's extremely likely that everything will shift at some point during the season. I mean, it's not the idea of the century. Surely, some other GMs, in the past, will have thought of it and have it his best shot and fell short. Nice try, but it won't work. Would be an insane move, though!
Not to mention...Karlsson probably feels that PD & Ottawa management did not have his back during that whole fiasco earlier this year involving Hoffman's GF. He probably can't wait to get out and move on to a team that can contend immediately as well as long term.
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