Unlike Tim Thomas, I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time pumping the tires of a player who doesn’t play on the team that I support. Since first penning an article last March that featured a brief blurb about how Ottawa should consider acquiring a player like Kyle Turris, I’ve devoted more than a few posts over the course of the summer and fall that have followed his contract negotiations (or lack thereof) with the Phoenix Coyotes -- maintaining all my original position that it’d be of benefit to the Senators to kick the tires and perform their due diligence on acquiring the disgruntled player.
So naturally when Ottawa acquired Turris in a trade this afternoon, you’d think I would be pretty ecstatic to hear the news?
Absolutely! I imagine this is how Hasse Alfredsson will feel like when he finds out that his two sons have grown filthy dusters in his honor. Besides, when has a highly touted player who has worn number 91 never panned out? (Wait, don’t answer that!)
When I look back on this day, I'll never forget where I was when I got the text from Tim that told me that Pierre Lebrun broke the news on Twitter: ugly Christmas sweater shopping at the Value Village on Merivale Road.
After triumphantly fist pumping the air, it wasn’t the awkward glares that I got from passing strangers that brought me down. No, it took the steep price that Ottawa paid to get him to subdue my excitement. In retrospect, I blame my own naivety that Turris would come for cheap.
I realize now that the old adage that to get something, you have to give something up is true and Bryan Murray certainly gave something up by trading David Rundblad and a second round pick trade to the Coyotes. While not quite a ransom, it’s the kind of price that will generate some mass hysteria on the Hfboards or be questioned by prospect porn indulging fans who’ve become enamored with what Rundblad did in the Swedish Elite League last season and how much better he could become moving forward.
At its simplest level, the two involved teams traded promise for promise and we’re not going to know the winner for years to come. Nevertheless, it’d be boring not to analyze it now, so let me break down the players and factors involved. So let's get at it...
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This a photo of the Ottawa Senators new scoreboard. Here are the specs:
| Category | Bell HD Screen | Current Scoreboard |
| Resolution of screens | High-definition | Standard definition |
| 720x960 | 240x320 | |
| 6mm | 12mm | |
| Number of display screens | 6 | 4 |
| Pixels on viewing screens | 691,000 | 76,800 |
| Dimensions of primary screens | 15.75' high x 21' wide | 7.5' high x 10' wide |
| Square Footage of primary screens | 331 sq feet x 4 screens | 75 sq ft x 4 screens |
| Increase in primary screen size | 441% | |
| Total LED Viewing Area | 2170 sq ft | 300 sq ft |
| Increase in total viewing area | 723% |
UPDATE
At the first intermission Melnyk made a rare public appearance (his first of the season?) joining Ian Mendes for an interview. Looking particularily dapper in a beige leather jacket, Eugene elaborated a little on the organizations latest acquistition. These two points in particular stood out:
1. Updating the scoreboard is something they had been working on for "some time", but they ran into problems with a "vendor" which prolonged the process.
2. It was on Bettman's intervention in the situation that the organization was connected with Panasonic to source the new scoreboard.
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According to Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch):
Senators to make major announcement at 6 p.m. My guess is Don Brennan gets his wish for a scoreboard. I'm told priced at $4-to-$5 million.
Nails!Now that SBP's antiquated scoreboard is on the way out of town, fans will have to look elsewhere for something to criticize. For anyone who's been following the new scoreboard timeline, this is the first real news that we'll be able to get since AJP released a public statement in July.
"The Ottawa Senators have become the first NHL team to engage AJP’s services as they move forward with multiple technology upgrades in ScotiaBank Place for the 2011 season. AJP will be designing LED displays for the arena bowl including a new center hung video display, as well as audio and distributed television systems"
Oddly enough, this statement was promptly the Anthony James Partners website and the Senators organization never responded publicly. Since that release was published and its conceptual photos were removed, the Ottawa Senators portion of their website has looked like this:
I'll publish more information as it comes, so stay tuned on that. In the meantime, here's a timeline of events that Scott had written in an article earlier this season: no comments
In light of last night’s announcement from the Philadelphia Flyers that Chris Pronger will miss the remainder of the season and playoffs because of severe post-concussion syndrome, Peter Laviolette made these comments before the start of their 4-3 victory in Montreal.
"It's really tough news about Chris. I think first and foremost we wish for him to have good health and anything after that I guess we'll sort it out.
It's hard to replace a guy like that. He plays 26, 27 minutes and there's no one individual in the organization that we can find somewhere and replace him."
He’s right. There isn’t. Fortunately, there’s a TSN panelist and former NHL head coach who’s willing to close his eyes, put an index finger to his temple and concoct a solution to this dilemma.
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This afternoon the Ottawa Senators confirmed that Milan Michalek will be out indefinitely with a concussion. The NHL's leading goal scorer suffered the injury in an awkward second period collision with teammate Erik Karlsson. Judging by the replays, in his fall from the hit, it looked like his head inadvertently hit the ice.
If anyone wants to draw a positive from this, it's that head coach Paul MacLean seems to believe that the injury will keep Michalek out of the lineup for long or that it will derail his season.
"Right now we have to follow the concussion protocal so right now it’s day-to-day. It’s based on as long as he’s sympton-free. He felt way better (Wednesday) so we’ll see how it goes.
It’s disappointing for him for sure. Depending how long it is, but I don’t believe at this point it’s going to ruin his year, not like the major injuries he’s had in the past that have put him out for months and months.
At this point in time, we suspect it will be day-to-day. It’s disappointing but it’s not devastating.” ~ Bruce Garrioch, The Ottawa Sun)
Not that I'm an expert on brain injuries or anything but I don't want to downplay the significance of any injury to a player who I believe has now suffered his third disclosed concussion since 2006. no comments
Judging by the photograph above, you would think that the injury that Milan Michalek suffered in his awkward collision with teammate Erik Karlsson was one to his shoulder. Not so fast according to NBC Sports ProHockeyTalk's James O'Brien:
Tonight was supposed to present a great moment for Ottawa Senators forward Milan Michalek. The slick winger passed Phil Kessel for the goal-scoring lead with 19 only to suffer an upper-body injury in the same game.
Worse yet, that upper-body injury very well might be (you guessed it): a concussion.
While the specific details of Michalek's upper-body injury haven't been disclosed by the Senators (note:Don Brennan is reporting that it's either a shoulder injury or a head injury), you can only hold out hope that his injury isn't that serious and that he was just being held out for precautionary reasons. no comments
From the WTF Files: Nick Foligno’s 2011-12 Season
In case you haven’t noticed, Ottawa’s newest center is having a hell of a start to his 2011-12 season. Just thirty games in, his 10 goals and 9 assists have him well positioned to break his career high in goals (17) and points (34).
Some would say he’s developed into a different player this season. A dirtier player even…
“The rules are very clear now. If you fall into a goaltender and touch a goaltender, an elbow to the head and a butt end to the head is fair game. Dan Bylsma said that’s OK for them. Sidney said Nick Foligno is that kind of player. I wish (Foligno) was that kind of player. I thought the referees in that game, watching it and hearing the comments, it was 2-on-2. He fell over the goaltender. He was cross-checked four times. There was no question, did he get pushed? I don’t know. He got cross-checked, I thought he got a butt end, but it might have been a full elbow. (Chris) Kunitz comes in with a cross-check and the penalties were even.
So, (NHL disciplinarian Brendan) Shanahan said that’s a good play. That’s a hockey play. Dan Bylsma said it’s good for them and Pittsburgh were the biggest ones on the head injuries. I’m remiss. I made a mistake. We didn’t have (Chris) Neil and (Matt) Carkner play in the game. We didn’t have enough toughness, so when we play Pittsburgh that’s something you can bring up to me again.” ~ Bryan Murray via The Ottawa Sun
While we can debate the merits of whether Foligno has developed into a loathsome agitator, there’s no disputing that he’s contributing with and without the puck. With 84 hits, if he maintains his 2.8 hits-per-game pace, he will break his regular season personal best (119) in the next thirteen games and easily surpass the 200 hit threshold. (Note: He is on pace for 229 hits.)
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