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Ottawa Senators Franchise In Trouble?


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Saying Ottawa is blaming Condon is jumping to conclusions a bit. Just because a team is bad and they get rid of a player doesn't mean they feel that one player is the reason they're bad. They were clearly skeptical as to whether he could help make that team better. Apparently, his poor performance the other night put them over the top. Don't get me wrong, the timing is pretty cut-throat... I don't think I've ever seen the hammer drop on a goalie so immediately after a long-distance/freak goal. 

Some of it is just bullshit optics. The Sens management knows the success of their season doesn't hinge on getting rid of Condon right now. But when everything about your organizations resembles a dumpster fire, you have to act like you're making important moves and moving the needle, so to speak. "Rebuilding or not, we don't accept anything less than excellence in Ottawa. We're trying to build a winning culture." All that nonsense.

Condon may end up on his feet elsewhere. But realistically, nothing really makes him stand out in today's environment. As @Moose75 pointed out, every goalie in this league is capable of going on hot streaks and showing that they can be a successful, winning NHL goalie. Everyone who even gets a glimpse at playing time is insanely talented. Not taking away from Condon's journey or considerable skill, but he's a dime in a dozen in today's market. If teams can just pop in another (insanely talented) no-name young guy and pay them less money, they will do it, every time.

I think we're approaching a harsher market for goalies. So many starters are getting injured, and very, very few goalies have demonstrated they can play at a consistent high level AND stay healthy year after year (Lundqvist anddd Holtby? Price? Bobrovsky? Even those are debatable.). I think if I was a GM, I'd have trouble signing any goalie to a long-term deal, knowing how much young "might catch fire" talent is out there. It's an impossible position to predict. As much as it may adversely effect goalie contracts, it's a credit to just how many good goalies there are today. It's much harder to stand out from the pack these days.

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1 hour ago, stackem30 said:

 I think if I was a GM, I'd have trouble signing any goalie to a long-term deal, knowing how much young "might catch fire" talent is out there. It's an impossible position to predict. As much as it may adversely effect goalie contracts, it's a credit to just how many good goalies there are today. It's much harder to stand out from the pack these days.

NHL Goalies = NFL Kickers

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18 hours ago, TheGoalNet said:

Add a team in Seattle.

Move the Canes or Panthers to Quebec and be done. (Maybe Arizona to Houston while I’m at it). 

 Relocation sucks, I lived around Hartford when the Whalers left. I was a small kid, but I remember being completely confused how it could happen. 

The reality is that the scenario above is teams in the right places and an even 32. Would be good for the league to guide them through the next decade or 15 years.

Once they get to 32, they need to get Calgary and Ottawa new buildings. 

then they consider 34 in 2030? 

Lets not forget the discussions (rumours) of having NHL games played overseas on a regular ;) 

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5 hours ago, stackem30 said:

Saying Ottawa is blaming Condon is jumping to conclusions a bit. Just because a team is bad and they get rid of a player doesn't mean they feel that one player is the reason they're bad. They were clearly skeptical as to whether he could help make that team better. Apparently, his poor performance the other night put them over the top. Don't get me wrong, the timing is pretty cut-throat... I don't think I've ever seen the hammer drop on a goalie so immediately after a long-distance/freak goal. 

Some of it is just bullshit optics. The Sens management knows the success of their season doesn't hinge on getting rid of Condon right now. But when everything about your organizations resembles a dumpster fire, you have to act like you're making important moves and moving the needle, so to speak. "Rebuilding or not, we don't accept anything less than excellence in Ottawa. We're trying to build a winning culture." All that nonsense.

Condon may end up on his feet elsewhere. But realistically, nothing really makes him stand out in today's environment. As @Moose75 pointed out, every goalie in this league is capable of going on hot streaks and showing that they can be a successful, winning NHL goalie. Everyone who even gets a glimpse at playing time is insanely talented. Not taking away from Condon's journey or considerable skill, but he's a dime in a dozen in today's market. If teams can just pop in another (insanely talented) no-name young guy and pay them less money, they will do it, every time.

I think we're approaching a harsher market for goalies. So many starters are getting injured, and very, very few goalies have demonstrated they can play at a consistent high level AND stay healthy year after year (Lundqvist anddd Holtby? Price? Bobrovsky? Even those are debatable.). I think if I was a GM, I'd have trouble signing any goalie to a long-term deal, knowing how much young "might catch fire" talent is out there. It's an impossible position to predict. As much as it may adversely effect goalie contracts, it's a credit to just how many good goalies there are today. It's much harder to stand out from the pack these days.

And who are the current bouncing goalies in the league? Condon...Bernier...Budaj...Halak...

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14 hours ago, Hockey School Dropout said:

Personally, I'd rather see a team back in Hartford than QC or Atlanta.  Rabid fans in that city that got screwed out of a team.

While I wore my original Hartford Whalers jersey (from 1995) on Halloween while walking around with my kids... if Hartford was financially worth putting a team there; there would be an NHL team there already.

Pro sports people are pretty smart. They know what they are doing.

I do wish they'd get a team again. But I think it's never going to happen.

Unless I start NHL2.

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3 hours ago, MTH said:

While I wore my original Hartford Whalers jersey (from 1995) on Halloween while walking around with my kids... if Hartford was financially worth putting a team there; there would be an NHL team there already.

Pro sports people are pretty smart. They know what they are doing.

I do wish they'd get a team again. But I think it's never going to happen.

Unless I start NHL2.

I think the Canadian teams will secede before Hartford gets a second chance.

I'm down for NHL2. NHL is such a leveled playing field now due to how skilled even bottom six guys are, it borders unwatchable at times. 

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BUMP

So uh, this whole fiasco with the video of the Sens players in the Uber is pretty wild...

The optics of the whole thing are pretty embarrassing for the Senators. The players come off poorly — they're joking about how bad their team is, claiming they haven't paid attention in practice in weeks, etc. Looks douchey. Meanwhile, now everyone knows the Sens are employing a coach that the players don't listen to, or take seriously. Ultimately, it just underscores that this organization is a serious dumpster fire from top to bottom.

However, I do feel a bit bad for the players. Don't get me wrong, they screwed up — whether they know they're being recorded or not, they should have shown better judgement than to air their dirty laundry to someone outside the organization, even a cab driver. Nothing good can come from it, and you'd hope that any famous person would be aware that their words potentially carry a lot of weight. Still... who doesn't blow off some steam about employers now and again? I'm sure we've all vented frustrations about companies and bosses when we thought we were in a safe/private setting.

It's so obvious that it's barely worth mentioning, but it was wrong (and possibly illegal) for the Uber driver to sell that video to the media. He certainly has the right to film what happens in his cab — lots of drivers do, and given the crazy incidents you read about, it makes sense. But he simply took what was meant to be a private conversation, and released it to the media without notifying the people in it, or getting their consent. Did the players even know they were being filmed? Unlikely.

Either way, the next video meeting with that coach should be one for the books!

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26 minutes ago, MTH said:

Thanks. Think they stiffed the driver? Pretty bush league to make this public from the driver. 

I wouldn't assume so — probably just an opportunistic guy who thought the payoff from whatever Ottawa media he sold the video to would be greater than what he was pulling from Uber. As terrible a company as Uber is, I would imagine they'll can the guy. I'm sure the Senators have complained, and Uber won't want the rep of standing by drivers who sell footage of their customers without any provocation.

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On 11/1/2018 at 12:27 PM, Moose75 said:

Also because who doesn't love to watch a complete franchise shitshow? It's like a soap opera but real.

This is the best behind the scenes show the NHL has ever run

I'm starting a conspiracy that this is a controlled demolition by the league to relocate a franchise no one notices to Houston, Kansas City, or some other Bettman place.

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How great would it be if a pro sport signed on with a cable channel and had a no restrictions broadcast?

Announcers could speak freely. They'd air all things heard on sideline. Interviews with guys could be more spirited.

It would be like watching the movie 'Major League' after only watching the POS movie 'Major League 2' first.

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