Category Archives: Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators goalie Ben Bishop returns to his backup role
Before sending Lehner back to Bingo, GM Bryan Murray studied the NHL’s trade market to see what other teams might be willing to offer up if he indeed decided he’d trade one of his goalies to start this shortened season.
Murray decided it’s best to sit, wait and see what transpires.
League sources say until Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis clarifies the Roberto Luongo situation — by either dealing him or taking him off the market for the year — it could be tough for those teams with depth in goal to move a netminder.
NHL Rumors – January 23, 2013
The leatest trade rumors from January 23, 2013 include Roberto Luongo, Ben Bishop and the belief that it may just be the Stars, Avalanche or the Habs who are kicking the tires on Luongo.
Senators GM Bryan Murray holding off on deals
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Murray confirmed he has been working the phones, but the asking prices are high if he wants to make a deal. That’s because blueliners are at a premium and a lot of teams are looking.
“We keep talking. I’ve been talking to a variety of teams about what they might have available,” said Murray. “It doesn’t sound promising at the moment. Not a lot of people are going to give unless you give a lot back.
“We’ll keep looking and talking. The priority right now is to promote our own people. We’ve got a number of young guys that are probably deserving of a look early on in particular, and then we’ll have to see.”
Ottawa Senators hunting for help for depleted blueline
The Senators are trying to find help for their thin blueline.
With defenceman Jared Cowen gone for the season after hip surgery and utility blueliner Mike Lundin out with a broken thumb he suffered in Europe for a month, Senators GM Bryan Murray and assistant Tim Murray are looking for help.
Though agents for five or six free UFA’s — including Chris Campoli, Colin White and Milan Jurcina — have contacted the Senators to see if they have any interest, Bryan Murray may opt to go the trade route before camp opens.
Murray optimistic Alfredsson will return next season
After a long distance talk with Daniel Alfredsson last week, Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray sounds cautiously optimistic the captain will be returning to the lineup next season.
Then again, Murray acknowledged that he was simply trying to read between the phone lines, with Alfredsson spending the summer in his native Sweden.
“There is still no final decision on anything, but we had a very good conversation,” Murray said Thursday. “We did talk about the team, what has happened around the team. There was interest on his part in what was going on.”
Murray’s sense is that Alfredsson wanted to know from the perspective of a player, not from the attitude of someone who will serve for the organization in an off-ice capacity, which is where Alfredsson will go when his career is over.
However, the general manager resisted asking Alfredsson the retirement question directly. As has been the case since the Senators were eliminated by the New York Rangers in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, Murray continues to say that the timing of the decision is in Alfredsson’s hands.
“I’m not going to ask that question,” he said. “But the impression I got was a good one.”
http://www.senatorsextra.com/main/murray-optimistic-alfredsson-will-return-next-season
Dear Senators: Take a chance on Semin
If his trading is complete with the acquisition of the veteran defensive defenceman he promised, Bryan Murray still has at least one move he must make before the start of the NHL season.
He needs to spend almost $5 million to get to the salary cap floor, and here’s a way he might be able to do so plus answer his need for offence at the same time:
Make Alexander Semin an offer.
Semin, the enigmatic Russian, who was still available on Day 6 of free agency, might even cost a little more, as he picked up $6.7 million from the Washington Capitals last season. So dangle a similar number in his face. Don’t waver on the term, though. One year. If another team is willing to give him something longer, walk away.
Ya, ya, I know the knock on Semin. He’s a dog. Earlier this week, TSN’s Marc Crawford called him a “complete loser” with “no character.” Pierre McGuire said he’s the “ultimate coach killer” and “not a good guy to have around your group unless you have unbelievably strong leadership.”
So Chris Neil would keep him in line. Chris Phillips and Jason Spezza would explain to him how things are done in Ottawa. And Semin, a 28-year-old with one of the best wrist shots in the NHL, might actually respond to the vicious rip-jobs done by analysts.
If he has any type of gumption, any pride at all, he’ll shove those words right down the throats of Crawford and McGuire. The 13th player selected in the 2002 draft will play like he did three seasons ago, when he had 40 goals and 44 assists, along with a plus-36 rating, in just 73 games.
It’s worth a shot.
Of course, free agent Shane Doan would be a more desirable catch, which is why a number of others teams are trying to land the Phoenix captain. From what we are led to believe, only the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings have expressed any real interest in Semin.
http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/07/06/dear-senators-take-a-chance-on-semin
Senators in mix for Bobby Ryan
The Senators may not be done big-game hunting.
Though any chance of landing Columbus Blue Jackets winger Rick Nash has been scratched off the list, don’t rule out the possibility of the Senators making a pitch for unhappy Anaheim Ducks winger Bobby Ryan.
While the Senators believe top prospects Jacob Silfverberg and Mark Stone and newly-signed winger Guillaume Latendresse are going to battle for spots, don’t be surprised if Ottawa is in the Ryan sweepstakes.
Even if captain Daniel Alfredsson does decide against retirement and signs an extension, the Senators could still add depth up front. With its pursuit of Nash, the club proved owner Eugene Melnyk is willing to spend.
Though business was on hold while six teams with a serious chance of signing winger Zach Parise waited for him to agree to terms with the Minnesota Wild Wednesday, trade talk heated up again Thursday.
Ryan, 25, is going to be a valuable commodity on the trade market. He had 31 goals and 26 assists in 82 games, which means he’s going to be in heavy demand once the Ducks decide exactly what they’d like in return.
Since former Washington winger Alexander Semin — a high-risk gamble by any stretch of the imagination — is the only legitimate high-scoring forward left as a UFA, attention could very well turn to Nash and Ryan.
So desperate is Nash to get out of Columbus he might be willing to expand his potential trade list from four teams, but even if he is to put Ottawa on his new list, Melnyk told the Sun Tuesday the club doesn’t want Nash.
That means the Senators could focus on Ryan.
Sens in hunt for Nash
The Senators have apparently made a strong pitch for Rick Nash.
Multiple solid sources have confirmed rumblings of Ottawa’s interest, saying GM Bryan Murray has indeed talked with the Columbus Blue Jackets about acquiring the two-time 40-goal scorer.
One insider went a step further by telling Sun Media the players the Senators proposed to send back in the deal for the left winger, a scenario confirmed by another source.
For the just-turned 28-year-old Nash, it appears the Senators are prepared to trade 2011 first-round pick Mika Zibanejad, winger Nick Foligno and goalie Ben Bishop.
It’s not known whether any other moving parts or draft picks would be involved..
While Zibanejad is poised to start his entry-level contract, Foligno, a former first-rounder himself, is a pending restricted free agent in need of a new deal. At the very least, he’ll get a 10% raise on the $1.55 million he made during the 2011-12 season.
Bishop, acquired from the St. Louis Blues for a second-round pick when No. 1 goalie Craig Anderson suffered a hand injury in February, has a one-way deal next season that will pay him $650,000.
Nash, the first overall pick in 2002, has six years left on a contract that carries a cap hit of $7.8 million.
Kuba, Gonchar questions must be answered soon
For the Ottawa Senators and Erik Karlsson, the serious discussions about what he’s worth won’t happen until well after the free-agent frenzy in early July. That’s about the same time as the NHL and the players’ association will be rolling up their sleeves to reach an agreement on how to fairly divide up the league’s revenues.
For the Ottawa Senators and Erik Karlsson, the serious discussions about what he’s worth won’t happen until well after the free-agent frenzy in early July. That’s about the same time as the NHL and the players’ association will be rolling up their sleeves to reach an agreement on how to fairly divide up the league’s revenues.
While all that negotiating nastiness is on the backburner, Senators general manager Bryan Murray is facing some rather pivotal decisions in the next few weeks about how to surround his marquee blue-liner.
Do you adopt the if-it’s-not-broken-don’t-fix-it model or gamble that the grass will be greener with a high-profile new face or two?
The Senators must decide whether to re-sign pending unrestricted free agent Filip Kuba, who delivered an impressive comeback season in 2011-12, serving as Karlsson’s defence partner and safety valve.
At this point, there have been no discussions between the Senators and Kuba’s agent, Rich Evans, but talks must begin soon
http://www.senatorsextra.com/main/karlsson-can-wait-but-kuba-gonchar-questions-must-be-answered-soon
Sens looking to trade Gonchar
While the Senators will likely try to deal blueliner Sergei Gonchar — who has one year left at $5.5 million — to make room for Erik Karlsson’s new deal, there could be a lot of attention paid to the club’s depth in net.
At least three teams — Columbus, Toronto and Tampa — are looking to shore up goaltending before the draft. There could be a fourth if the New Jersey Devils win the Stanley Cup and Martin Brodeur decides to retire on top.
Senators' Kovalev untradeable: NHL execs
Senators fans aren’t likely to get their wish when it comes to this summer.
While the winger took it on the chin in last Sunday’s Ottawa Sun You Be The Boss poll in which 71% of respondents wanted the Russian dealt, three NHL executives doubt it’s going to happen.
After all, having a one-year, $5-million (all terms US) contract, being 37 years old and coming off surgery for a torn ACL and being generally inconsistent in 2009-10 … there just aren’t going to be too many suitors.
“I don’t think anybody is going to want him,” a league executive said Saturday. “Sure, they could try to see if anybody wants to take him, but he’s a high-risk, low-reward player. There’s not a big market for those types of players.”
Sens interested in Maxim Afinogenov
The Sens have shown a slight interest in the speedy winger and that could be what Bryan Murray is looking for to help him get a top 6 forward. Maxim Afinogenov is comming off a bad season where he was demoted to the 4th line of the sabres.
Kovalev to ask Heatley to Stay.
Kovalev has landed in Ottawa with a massive bang. He has claimed he beleives with his addition the Sens can win the Cup, and he has come out and said he wants Heatley to stay, saying the team needs him to win and will be better off to keep him than let him go, he’ll go so far as to call Heatley and see if he can’t make things better and start to repair a fractured relationship.