There is no fixing a thoroughbred with a broken leg.
If the Ottawa Senators want to get better, and bring back those winning ways that saw them reach the Stanley Cup finals just two seasons ago, then they may have to make a drastic change. This involves removing the leg they have stood on for the past 12 seasons.
Yes, it may be time to part ways with their captain Daniel Alfredsson.
No, he is not the one to blame for their horrible start, but it may shake this club enough to realize it has some potential.
They can look to organizations like Toronto and Vancouver, who parted ways with their captains and have been successful thus far.
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It is time for a youth movement in the capital, and with players like Mike Fisher, Shean Donovan, Chris Kelly, Dean McAmmond and Antoine Vermette not doing much of anything, Alfredsson and his point-a-game pace may be trade bait for clubs looking to make a push.
It would be tough to give up on Spezza and Heatley, whom at ages 25 and 27 are just coming into their prime, and should remain centerpieces of a possible contender once again.
You can't lay the blame on the defense or goaltending. Auld has been solid enough, posting a 5-5-3 record with a 2.12 goals against average and .925 save percentage, which is among the top in the league.
It is the lack of offense that squarely rests upon this version of the Sens that is to blame.
A mediocre 15 goals in nine games through November just isn't good enough.
There may be light at the end of the tunnel for Sens fans though, with either Swedish defensemen Victor Hedman or super sniper John Tavares waiting to be picked by the last place team.
That, however, is a tough pill to swallow for fans of a team that came so close just two seasons ago.
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about 1 month ago
There is definitely room for some trades in Ottawa but Spezza, Heatley and especially Alfrdsson aren't going anywhere.
You don't sign a guy to a contract extension, make a big deal about him being a "Senator for Life" and then trade him a month later.
about 1 month ago
I agree Spencer, I can see Spezza being dealt for the right package but other than that, none of them are going anywhere. Underachievers like Vermette, McAmmond and if they weren't injured Fisher and Neil could be dealt though. Should be an interesting couple of weeks to come. I can't see Murray sticking to his guns much longer. The only other good thing is Ottawa has 2 picks in the first round of next year's draft, could always trade one of them but obviously not if a rebuild is underway.
about 1 month ago
I love Heatley, Spezza and Alfredsson and hope they can turn things around with keeping this core group, but it seems as though i have been hoping for this for too many months now...they can't keep firing coaches, firing the GM doesn't make much sense either, so what can they do?
about 1 month ago
Yes but you can't just throw names against a wall and suggest a trade is in the offing.
I can 100%, lead-pipe lock guarantee that Alfredsson is going nowhere, so basing your article on his departure makes it a work of fiction.
Heatley has an NTC and even if he didn't he wouldn't be going anywhere.
The only remote, and I mean remote as in Jarko Ruutu's chances on winning the Lady Byng, possibility of a trade in the Big 3 is Spezza and that would have to be a blockbuster deal with another superstar coming the other way.
The trade bait right now being offered is Vermette, Schubert and the first round pick the Sens got from the Lightning in the Meszaros deal.
Other possibilities include Neil, McAmmond and of course the albatross that is Gerber.
Things aren't going well right now but blowing up the core of the team makes no sense.
about 1 month ago
I was just suggesting that it may be the route they have to take to turn things around, it be nice if that Lightning pick turned out to be a high one, i think that organization is alot more disfunctional than the Sens but thats a whole other article.
about 1 month ago
That lightning pick isn't going to be a high one... that pick actually belonged to the Sharks, which the Lightning received in the Dan Boyle trade, and since San Jose is leading the league right now (, the chances of that pick being higher than 20th overall are pretty slim.
Unless, of course, the Sharks have a tragic downfall like the Sens did last year. THAT would be a good case of history repeating itself. =)
about 1 month ago
Gotta agree with the majority here and say that while Gretzky proved any player is tradeable, there's no way the Sens would trade Alfredsson for the kind of impact player I suspect you might think he'd attract. They JUST signed him to a deal that was meant to ensure he retires a Senator. And while that alone doesn't necessarily mean one thing or another, as a fan favourite, he also very much figures into the business side of the Sens.
Frankly, it's not like you're going to get a better player in such a deal.
Unless Mike Milbury becomes GM of the Caps and offers Ovechkin (or similar type player) for Alfredsson, I can't see him leaving via a trade.
BTW, who else is glad the Sens didn't listen to their fans and trade Spezza for Luongo? Once you start getting groin tears, it's tough to stay clear of them down the line.
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