25/26 Sens

I'm not being critical, just some observations

Thomson, Greig, Boucher, and Sogaard are still on their ELC's
JBD, Brannstrom, and Gustavsson are really low.

Formenton might be high, maybe.

Yeah but it's because CF doesn't allow to do this further than 2023-24

Boucher still need several years of development, so he might still be on ELC. And it takes time or very good performance to get significant money, some never do (well relatively lol).

Look at Nick Paul, he'll be 27 years old next month and hasn't earned more than 1.3 so far.

Sogaard just turned 21 y/o, I don't expect him to be very expensive by then. He will most likely still be on his ELC

Thomson is also 21 y/o, how much will he cost by then? He might never be more than a bottom pairing D-man

Greig is the guy who could cost much more, he becomes RFA in 2024-25 if he'd start playing this year but it's unlikely so it shouldn't be a problem by then.



I don't see what these guys have done so far to be worth more than that. Sure they have time ahead to prove themselves but this ACGM was more to get a rough idea. Some got 1.5 and will deserve more, some it's the opposite, like Formenton for example like you said. I was more thinking about balancing it all out


Curious to see what kind of contract they'll got with Formenton

For the most part I agree with a lot of what you propose. Sokolov 5*1.5 is a stretch and as much as I like Connor Brown , I see him leaving Ottawa. As the kids get more experience he will find himself moving down the depth chart , you have him on the 3rd unit & spending 13 million on a third line seem a tad high. By 25/26 I would think one of Norris, Stutzle or Pinto could be gone. Nice problem to have but they have 3 very good center prospects and somene will either need to shift to the wing or be traded, not enough ice time to keep everyone happy IMO.

- There was some mistakes that I didn't bother and knew how to fix (like creating Kleven twice or having Sokolov for 5 years at 1.5). I added that in OP. I thought I initially did

- Letting Brown go would be a very big mistake. For quality veteran support to the young core, for the PK efficiency, for the ES scoring, for shutting down the opposition at ES, for leadership and work ethic, for overall team speed and tenacity. Connor Brown is a LOT harder to replace than people think. We need MORE players like that, not less

- Yeah I know a lot of salary for the "3rd line" however I have a very different vision than most fans on how to build a hockey team. It's more in line with how the teams do in reality. It's not as much as line 1-2-3 as it seems.

Without getting too deep into details, my first 3 lines have similar TOI at ES, 1st line get the most PP time, 3rd line get the most PK time. It's very important to have a great or even Elite 3rd line. It becomes a very hard matchup for the other team and it increases the efficiency of your top 2 lines. Ideally, I'd want Greig-Pinto-Brown or Formenton-Pinto-Brown. These guys would play a lot in all situations

- I don't see the problem with having a Stutzle-Norris-Pinto 1-2-3 punch, au contraire, it needs to be a strength if you want to contend.

I think the cap ceiling will be up by then too, maybe 83-85… maybe

This is why I think OTT should be taking calls on Zub and CBrown.

Both are terrific right now, but I think committing to them this season means committing to them for a long time.

If youre not seeing them now when they have 1yr of term, youre not selling them. Next year OTT wont be wanting to take steps back at the deadline, were going to be wanting to push for a spot.

3 options. A) Trade them now. B) Let them walk for nothing in a year C) Overcommit to 30yo players at the start of OTT"s competitive window

Im not saying we *should* trade them, but I think if a team offers 1st+ good prospect for one of them we should be listening. Take what would be 2024 CBrown/Zub money and spend it on someone like Giroux/Fiala right now.

Well, it really depends...

There's a world of difference between committing 7-8 years and let's say 4 years

Ideally, they are both extended around 5.0 x 5 years.

Also, people have to realize that if we move them, it creates 2 gigantic holes that we might spend years trying to fill.

And if we successfully fill them, there's still several other holes that initially needed to be filled

The thing is... you can't wait too much time before starting to compete in today's NHL

Chabot is already 25 y/o (and it's a miracle he hasn't asked for a trade yet), he will have 6 years left on his contract. Tkachuk will also have 6 years left and Batherson only 5.

We have to make the playoffs yesterday. When we do, we will most likely be out in the first round too, maybe a few years in a row (see how Leafs, Oilers and Avs struggle to go far despite having lot of good players)

So where's the window of contention?



Zub is 26 and Brown just turned 28

Zub last contract is his 27 y/o season. If you sign him 5 years, it takes him to 32 y/o which is perfectly reasonable for a D-man, particularly one with his playing style.

Brown will be a bit older (34) if you sign him 5 years (so if you can sign him 4 years, great) but he is a TOP NOTCH skater with a non stop motor and elite stamina. He played 25:41 last game and still went 100% on all shifts. He is a mix of Mark Stone and Erik Condra, you absolutely keep a player like that in my books.

Of course all this is if they don't run into injury trouble, like Bobby Ryan or Milan Michalek did for example.



We could be doing that but it could also mean that we're in a perpetual rebuild where we are a player factory for other teams. Something we have done a lot already.

IF it means their allocated money is spent on even better players, then sure but with Dorion/Melnyk/Ottawa, I'm really not banking on that to happen.

For 10 M$ AAV, Dorion went with Stepan and Gudbranson last season

One thing for sure, if Brown and/or Zub are made available, ALL the teams who want to win today and tomorrow will want them. Some might not able to fit them or pay to acquire them but it would suck if we are NOT one of these teams ourselves.

Yes and no. Connor Brown is being played in a top6 role. He isnt a top6 player on a contender. We have a hole there presently, and CBrown has been a servicable plug, but he isnt where he should be being played.

OTT has a ton of players who project for the middle-6 role player. For the grindy, all situations. There comes a point where you need to have faith that the players you have developed can take steps.

If the players you have spent major draft capital on cannot step into the bottom of the roster in their mid-20s, the rebuild is shot anyways.




No we dont. We have to make the playoffs when we have a team capable of competing. If OTT wanted to be making the playoffs now, they needed to spend more money during the rebuild to take bad cap in exchange for picks and players. OTT doesnt have the players to make the playoffs yesterday and the worst thing they can do right now is try and force the hand.




Father time remains undefeated. CBrown will be entering his age 30 season looking to sign a Hyman-lite contract, 35 coming out of it. Hes a *fine* skater now, but not someone who we should be committing to for the twilight of his career.

His contract might feel okay for the first year or two, but the last half will not look good.



Trading your 6th most valuable F, a 28yo who only has 1yr to UFA while youre the 27th/32 isnt a "perpetual rebuild move". Its "a recognize where your team is and dont over-commit to fan favourites" kind of move.

NJ traded Coleman and SJ traded Goodrow. OTT should trade CBrown.



Im only advocating for moving on from CBrown in paricular in the event that they believe they can land a suitable replacement eg, Giroux, who would want more actual $$$, but less term (and is a better player)

I have a very different vision than most fans in general on how to build a hockey team with the traditional lines, etc. I don't see Brown as playing a top-6 role. Well, he technically does as there has been a lot of forward injuries but to me it's more about "roles" and players you play with. Brown plays a lot with Nick Paul who is also not a top-6 forward.

So I agree that he shouldn't be in the top-6, that's not even where he's the most efficient, that's not "his game". I have him on the 3rd line with Formenton and Pinto. It doesn't mean that he won't have among the most TOI at ES among forwards and the most TOI on the PK



Players like Connor Brown are actually very rare. I don't think we have any forward that could replace him. There's Pinto but he's a Center. There's Greig but he's either LW or C. Same for Formenton who is a LW. In terms of 2-way forwards, nobody else comes close. Those are the 3 who have the best chance to be as good.

So that's probably where our vision is different. He has had high 2nd line production (~25 goals, 55 pts per 82 games) for 3 seasons in a row, despite being deployed heavily in a defensive role on the PK and at ES. If that's " bottom of the roster" for you... we see things very differently

3rd highest PPG among Sens forwards since 2019-20 (4th if you count Pageau's last season in Ottawa)
3rd highest ES TOI/GP among Sens forwards since 2019-20 (counting Pageau again)
1st highest SH TOI/GP among Sens forwards since 2019-20
1st in takeaways or TkA/60
2nd in Even Strenght Goals and assists (behind only Tkachuk)
I could go on



That's not what winners do. LA and Anaheim have started their rebuild AFTER Ottawa, had way LESS trade capital but are much closer to the playoffs than the Sens. Sens could have easily made the playoffs last season instead of Montreal if they weren't that horribly managed in the off-season. After that horrible 2-12-1 start, Ottawa was actually the 3rd best Canadian team (in P%) the rest of the way (after February 13th)

With competent management and committed owner, we could be a playoffs team already. But yeah, actually need several more quality veterans like Connor Brown, not less.




If he stays healthy, I don't see any issue with him until 33-34, not with his skating ability, flawless work ethic and "heady game"

He reminds me of Matt Cullen, who was pretty good well into his late 30's. He has 3 sons



Unfortunately, I am pretty used by now with people (Sens fans or not) not recognizing Brown's value/importance.

It's a "perpetual rebuild move" in the sense that they'd trade Brown for futures when what they should be doing is ADDING more players of Brown quality.

SJ and NJ have been going nowhere, not in same stage of the rebuild (although NJ should be done rebuilding already).

And Brown also a significantly better player than these 2, at least offensively.

I genuinely thought it was too funny not to find you again and ask what your thoughts are that Mark Stone said his nagging injuries were too much even though specialists cannot figure out what the injury is or a timeline but he hopped onto LTIR miraculously when Eichel could return

I was like "ok I have no idea who this energumen is" then I unfortunately remembered

Look, if this pandemic has taught me one thing, it's that I really don't have to waste any time dealing with certain kind of people

You can believe anything you want, FREEDOM!