IF Tyler Bozak comes to Ottawa

I'm not sold on Bozak but who knows maybe he won't be the next Winchester. If he chooses Ottawa and gets his one-way deal then I think we can say good-bye to Comrie, Neil and Schubert right?

Alfie - Spezza - Heatley

Foligno - Fisher - Shannon

Kelly - Bozak - Ruutu

Donovan - Bass - Winchester

Kuba - Campoli

Phillips - A-Train

Lee - Picard/Bell

Leclaire

Auld/Elliott

Players that I don't see here next season: Neil, Schubert and Comrie

Assuming Murray is in search of a top six forward and another PMD and it's able to be done what can we do to tweak this roster in order to accomplish this?

Comrie has got to be a little sour about being put on a line with Neil and Kelly. This franchise will just keep wasting good forwards trying the "get Fish going". It really doesn't matter who comes in as long as that perpetual experiment continues.

SeawaySensFan wrote:Comrie has got to be a little sour about being put on a line with Neil and Kelly. This franchise will just keep wasting good forwards trying the "get Fish going". It really doesn't matter who comes in as long as that perpetual experiment continues.

So aside from that do you have any thoughts on how to tweak this roster?

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:Comrie has got to be a little sour about being put on a line with Neil and Kelly. This franchise will just keep wasting good forwards trying the "get Fish going". It really doesn't matter who comes in as long as that perpetual experiment continues.

So aside from that do you have any thoughts on how to tweak this roster?

Drop Fisher to play with Neil and Kelly, or that calibre of player and get some talent on the 2nd line.

You're screwing up 2 lines to get blood from a stone. Enough already.

Agreed. Fisher is a glorified 3rd line C. The sooner the franchise can come to grips with that the better. Best case scenario for him is that he plays the W on 2nd line but he wants no part of that so....place him with Kelly and and his buddy Neil and lets revamp the 2nd line. Not to mention that by the time we are ready to contend again Fish wont be more than a 3rd liner anyways.

As much as like Fisher's intangibles, both SSF and Blazer are absolutely spot-on IMHO.

Fish either needs to play WING or get nice and comfortable on that 3rd line. PERIOD.

OK now that the Fisher situation is resolved what next?

If he commes that would most likely mean no a Regin next year... Zubov would probably want out as I believe he has been saying he would leave without being giving his shot this year... So i would imagine he would be even more frustrated after another year.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:OK now that the Fisher situation is resolved what next?

Kick Marshy to the curb and bring in Bert's Bar North. Oh wait...

So I guess Ottawa's done making moves? Just draft our players and go with the roster I posted? Flip Fisher and Bozak and away we go?

Cap'n Clutch wrote:So I guess Ottawa's done making moves? Just draft our players and go with the roster I posted? Flip Fisher and Bozak and away we go?

It's actually a lot more complicated than that. I really can't wrap my head around it. The defense alone is way overcrowded. We have enough forwards for about 5 3rd lines. I'll leave the shuffling up to Murray.

Its pretty simple guys, if Bozak comes in with a 1 way contract, you can kiss either Spezza or Heatley goodbye.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:So I guess Ottawa's done making moves? Just draft our players and go with the roster I posted? Flip Fisher and Bozak and away we go?

It's actually a lot more complicated than that. I really can't wrap my head around it. The defense alone is way overcrowded. We have enough forwards for about 5 3rd lines. I'll leave the shuffling up to Murray.

You're no fun The site is called GMHockey. So be the GM :D

Neely4Life wrote:Its pretty simple guys, if Bozak comes in with a 1 way contract, you can kiss either Spezza or Heatley goodbye.

Is Bozak good enough to make that move?

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:So I guess Ottawa's done making moves? Just draft our players and go with the roster I posted? Flip Fisher and Bozak and away we go?

It's actually a lot more complicated than that. I really can't wrap my head around it. The defense alone is way overcrowded. We have enough forwards for about 5 3rd lines. I'll leave the shuffling up to Murray.

You're no fun The site is called GMHockey. So be the GM :D

I'll stick to GMing my mighty 'Canes! lol

There's a lot of deadwood to cut loose and a productive, consistent 2nd line has to be put together once and for all. We have a decent team with a lot of question marks.

It's kind of nice that there are no big dilemmas in goal, at least and frankly we have a surplus of pretty good defensemen, just not a true all-around number one stud.

Neely4Life wrote:Its pretty simple guys, if Bozak comes in with a 1 way contract, you can kiss either Spezza or Heatley goodbye.

What would Bozak have to do with top line talent? He's been good in the NCAA, but nothing spectacular. Marginally better numbers than Jesse Winchester.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:Its pretty simple guys, if Bozak comes in with a 1 way contract, you can kiss either Spezza or Heatley goodbye.

Is Bozak good enough to make that move?

Doesnt really matter to be honest, if he comes here, he will be getting 2nd line mins IMO until he proves he cant handle it as opposed to whether he can.

Sens are going to trade away a large piece of the underachieving puzzle in Ottawa, and it will save 7 million plus in cap space. What Murray is doing right now is planning for life without one of Heatley or Spezza.

504Heater wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:Its pretty simple guys, if Bozak comes in with a 1 way contract, you can kiss either Spezza or Heatley goodbye.

What would Bozak have to do with top line talent? He's been good in the NCAA, but nothing spectacular. Marginally better numbers than Jesse Winchester.

Bringing in someone who demands a 1 way contract and top 6 mins has everything to do with top end tallent. Especially in the cap crunch coming.

I sure hope there's more to Murray's plan FOR TOP SIX players than moving out Heatley or Spezza and bringing in Bozak.

Neely4Life wrote:Bringing in someone who demands a 1 way contract and top 6 mins has everything to do with top end tallent. Especially in the cap crunch coming.

He can demand top 6 minutes until he's blue in the face, but no NHL team is going to just give it to him unless he completely and utterly deserves it. Like Brunnstrom in Dallas, he got top 6, sucked, got sent to the AHL, came back up and the Stars eased him into a top 9 role.

I also think the cap crunch is really exaggerated. I don't think the NHL allows the cap to fall under 52 - but more likely, it'll stay in the 54 range.

504Heater wrote:I also think the cap crunch is really exaggerated. I don't think the NHL allows the cap to fall under 52 - but more likely, it'll stay in the 54 range.

I'm curious on how you think the NHL can "control" the cap? If revenues drop off the map... they can't stop it. Or are you suggesting they'll introduce a new "law" that prevents the cap from dropping below a certain number or a certain percentage?

If teams want to sign him, he can demand what he wants, its pretty simple. He has all the control.

Brunnstrom didnt get sent down to the AHL, he was there for rehab, he got injured.

504Heater wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:Bringing in someone who demands a 1 way contract and top 6 mins has everything to do with top end tallent. Especially in the cap crunch coming.

He can demand top 6 minutes until he's blue in the face, but no NHL team is going to just give it to him unless he completely and utterly deserves it. Like Brunnstrom in Dallas, he got top 6, sucked, got sent to the AHL, came back up and the Stars eased him into a top 9 role.

I also think the cap crunch is really exaggerated. I don't think the NHL allows the cap to fall under 52 - but more likely, it'll stay in the 54 range.

How would the NHL prevent the Cap from dropping?

They cant prevent it, its based on revenues.

Neely4Life wrote:If teams want to sign him, he can demand what he wants, its pretty simple. He has all the control.

Brunnstrom didnt get sent down to the AHL, he was there for rehab, he got injured.

Once he's signed the contract, the control shifts to the Coach/GM, technically. I'm sure the team signing him would give him a good amount of minutes to show what he's got at the NHL level, but if it ain't there... the experiment will be adjusted, for sure.

shabbs wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:If teams want to sign him, he can demand what he wants, its pretty simple. He has all the control.

Brunnstrom didnt get sent down to the AHL, he was there for rehab, he got injured.

Once he's signed the contract, the control shifts to the Coach/GM, technically. I'm sure the team signing him would give him a good amount of minutes to show what he's got at the NHL level, but if it ain't there... the experiment will be adjusted, for sure.

Thats exactly why I said he will play top mins until he proves he cant play.

They'll pump up attendance figures, merchandise figures, anything they can to show that the game is still surviving in these economic times. Plus they'll have the tremendous pressure of the top grossing teams like the Rangers etc. breathing down their neck to come to a solution that doesn't entail seeing the cap drop to 50. 50 million is undoable - every team will be jettisoning players to the AHL, it'll be horrific for the game. You'll have guys who can still play being told to sod off, you'll have absolutely - and I mean NO - player movements via trade (good luck trading Spezza or Heatley).

It's all around bad for the game. They'll come up with a way to skew the numbers in their favour - or they'll freeze the cap ceiling at a doable number and keep the floor where it is.

Or they take a page out of the NHL and allow for a franchise tag on one of the players (I wrote a thread about this earlier in the year) - which might be the best scenario.

If the cap ever drops to 50 or 51 million, remind me and I'll admit I was wrong. But I don't think it will....

504Heater wrote:If the cap ever drops to 50 or 51 million, remind me and I'll admit I was wrong. But I don't think it will....

You're on!

I agree, it would be total mayhem... just like our current economy is with all the lay-offs being levied against even people are are doing billable work etc... madness!

shabbs wrote:

504Heater wrote:If the cap ever drops to 50 or 51 million, remind me and I'll admit I was wrong. But I don't think it will....

You're on!

I agree, it would be total mayhem... just like our current economy is with all the lay-offs being levied against even people are are doing billable work etc... madness!

Oh man, yeah. A part of me actually wants to see the Rangers get their way out of this is the cap drops to 50. Washington too, and Philly...in fact, 90% of the league would be diddled.

Neely4Life wrote:Its pretty simple guys, if Bozak comes in with a 1 way contract, you can kiss either Spezza or Heatley goodbye.

Not necessarily. It's the kind of move that would send Comrie packing. Bozak isn't gonna cut it as a top 6 just yet.

Urkie wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:Its pretty simple guys, if Bozak comes in with a 1 way contract, you can kiss either Spezza or Heatley goodbye.

Not necessarily. It's the kind of move that would send Comrie packing. Bozak isn't gonna cut it as a top 6 just yet.

Like I said at the start of this thread I think Bozak coming in is more of a wave goodbye to Schubert, Neil and Comrie than anything else.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

Urkie wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:Its pretty simple guys, if Bozak comes in with a 1 way contract, you can kiss either Spezza or Heatley goodbye.

Not necessarily. It's the kind of move that would send Comrie packing. Bozak isn't gonna cut it as a top 6 just yet.

Like I said at the start of this thread I think Bozak coming in is more of a wave goodbye to Schubert, Neil and Comrie than anything else.

I agree with that. I really don't see how it helps to downgrade from Spezza to Bozak when I'm sure management is looking to rebound next year.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:Comrie has got to be a little sour about being put on a line with Neil and Kelly. This franchise will just keep wasting good forwards trying the "get Fish going". It really doesn't matter who comes in as long as that perpetual experiment continues.

So aside from that do you have any thoughts on how to tweak this roster?

Drop Fisher to play with Neil and Kelly, or that calibre of player and get some talent on the 2nd line.

You're screwing up 2 lines to get blood from a stone. Enough already.

I have to agree. As much as I like Fish he is not a 2nd liner. Unfortunately, what makes matters worse is that he's paid as if he'ss a damn good 2nd liner. At least if he was getting half of what he's making they could easily slot him back on to the 3rd line. As it stands now he throws the salary balance out of whack and it begs he gets moved some way somehow. I can't see how you can justify paying a 3rd liner 4mil/yr. How can they upgrade secondary scoring with his salary going against the cap? If you have plans on keeping Spezza and Heatley on this team I can't see how you can keep Fisher and upgrade the second line.

strachattack wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:Comrie has got to be a little sour about being put on a line with Neil and Kelly. This franchise will just keep wasting good forwards trying the "get Fish going". It really doesn't matter who comes in as long as that perpetual experiment continues.

So aside from that do you have any thoughts on how to tweak this roster?

Drop Fisher to play with Neil and Kelly, or that calibre of player and get some talent on the 2nd line.

You're screwing up 2 lines to get blood from a stone. Enough already.

I have to agree. As much as I like Fish he is not a 2nd liner. Unfortunately, what makes matters worse is that he's paid as if he'ss a damn good 2nd liner. At least if he was getting half of what he's making they could easily slot him back on to the 3rd line. As it stands now he throws the salary balance out of whack and it begs he gets moved some way somehow. I can't see how you can justify paying a 3rd liner 4mil/yr. How can they upgrade secondary scoring with his salary going against the cap? If you have plans on keeping Spezza and Heatley on this team I can't see how you can keep Fisher and upgrade the second line.

Instead of discussing Fisher how about we discuss what this thread is ACTUALLY about. If Murray brings in his top six forward and Puck moving D man what does he do with the roster? I personally assume Schubert, Neil and Comrie are gone but there's still a surplus of D men with Bell, Lee, Picard and Smith plus Mystery PMD.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

strachattack wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:Comrie has got to be a little sour about being put on a line with Neil and Kelly. This franchise will just keep wasting good forwards trying the "get Fish going". It really doesn't matter who comes in as long as that perpetual experiment continues.

So aside from that do you have any thoughts on how to tweak this roster?

Drop Fisher to play with Neil and Kelly, or that calibre of player and get some talent on the 2nd line.

You're screwing up 2 lines to get blood from a stone. Enough already.

I have to agree. As much as I like Fish he is not a 2nd liner. Unfortunately, what makes matters worse is that he's paid as if he'ss a damn good 2nd liner. At least if he was getting half of what he's making they could easily slot him back on to the 3rd line. As it stands now he throws the salary balance out of whack and it begs he gets moved some way somehow. I can't see how you can justify paying a 3rd liner 4mil/yr. How can they upgrade secondary scoring with his salary going against the cap? If you have plans on keeping Spezza and Heatley on this team I can't see how you can keep Fisher and upgrade the second line.

Instead of discussing Fisher how about we discuss what this thread is ACTUALLY about. If Murray brings in his top six forward and Puck moving D man what does he do with the roster? I personally assume Schubert, Neil and Comrie are gone but there's still a surplus of D men with Bell, Lee, Picard and Smith plus Mystery PMD.

I agree with the departures. Im still holding out hope that Murray can pry Tuomo Ruutu out of Carolina. Threaten an offer sheet, offer somebody like Picard and a pick. Frees up a spot on defence and lands the second line centre this team really needs.

Who knows what Murray is planning to do at the deadline. I just can't believe he'd trade his franchise centre. If the Sens move Spezza they'll be kicking themselves for years to come, I'd rather give up Heatley. Better yet, convince Fisher to move on and go play with whoever Neil signs with.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

strachattack wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:Comrie has got to be a little sour about being put on a line with Neil and Kelly. This franchise will just keep wasting good forwards trying the "get Fish going". It really doesn't matter who comes in as long as that perpetual experiment continues.

So aside from that do you have any thoughts on how to tweak this roster?

Drop Fisher to play with Neil and Kelly, or that calibre of player and get some talent on the 2nd line.

You're screwing up 2 lines to get blood from a stone. Enough already.

I have to agree. As much as I like Fish he is not a 2nd liner. Unfortunately, what makes matters worse is that he's paid as if he'ss a damn good 2nd liner. At least if he was getting half of what he's making they could easily slot him back on to the 3rd line. As it stands now he throws the salary balance out of whack and it begs he gets moved some way somehow. I can't see how you can justify paying a 3rd liner 4mil/yr. How can they upgrade secondary scoring with his salary going against the cap? If you have plans on keeping Spezza and Heatley on this team I can't see how you can keep Fisher and upgrade the second line.

Instead of discussing Fisher how about we discuss what this thread is ACTUALLY about. If Murray brings in his top six forward and Puck moving D man what does he do with the roster? I personally assume Schubert, Neil and Comrie are gone but there's still a surplus of D men with Bell, Lee, Picard and Smith plus Mystery PMD.

In reality I agree with you. I think those three are gone. I would prefer to keep Comrie over Fisher (only because of the cap space Fisher takes up) but Fisher has a NMC so that's just wishful thinking. If Bozac is signed I don't think that he is expected to be the answer in terms of upgrading our 2nd line. Perhaps this would be his way of upgrading without losing Comrie. A risk but a cheap one considering Bozac probably won't make all that much.

Neely4Life wrote:Its pretty simple guys, if Bozak comes in with a 1 way contract, you can kiss either Spezza or Heatley goodbye.

Oh, definitely. He's proven enough for us to be confident dealing either of those guys.

I'd be willing to bet Bozak never approaches either player in calibre.

asq2 wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:Its pretty simple guys, if Bozak comes in with a 1 way contract, you can kiss either Spezza or Heatley goodbye.

Oh, definitely. He's proven enough for us to be confident dealing either of those guys.

I'd be willing to bet Bozak never approaches either player in calibre.

Because we all know thats what its all about. Best players not in the playoffs for sure. They got paid, they have mailed it in. One will be packing for another city by training camp.

Tallent has gotten us where the last 2 years? Oh ya, zero playoff wins, cap problems, and a weak defense.

Bozak or someone else who comes in will fill a void that is created from dealing one of the two. Doesnt matter if they put up their numbers the team might and probably will be better.

If Murray brings in Bozak I think he has plans on moving Kelly to save some money as Bozak would be limited to an entry level contract requirements.

Here is a scouting report that I found on Bozak which was from this past December.

Scouting report from McKeenshockey.com

Tyler Bozak (UFA), C, Denver Pioneers
Intelligent multi-dimensional center that was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team and was chosen All-WCHA Third Team .. skates well with the puck and utilizes his long strides to accelerate to his adequate top gear fluidly .. handles the puck well in traffic areas and can distribute passes in tight deftly from both sides of his stick .. scoring 18 goals this year, Bozak incisively finds the quiet areas around the net and can finish with his fast release .. displaying exceptional puck smarts, Bozak always makes the correct play with the puck, whether it is attacking with the puck or being patient and waiting for the play to develop .. disguises his intentions before nearly every pass he makes .. a complete player, Bozak is a savvy defender that has effectively checked some of the WCHA's top centers and possesses the ability to transition his stellar defensive work into offensive opportunities heading the other way .. competitive and sturdy in scrums .. detailed player that is strong on draws .. Bozak emerged as Denver's most promising prospect this year as a freshman and his services will likely create a bidding war amongst NHL teams once he decides to go pro.