As the calendar is securely fastened, showing us the month of September, the hockey news world is gearing up into action, as we get some Sens previews, and even more talk about Meszaros and the Lightning.
NHL.com today posted their League-wide season previews today, among which you can find several Ottawa Senators related articles.
First off, there's the full Sens preview. As has been the case since Christmas, there's plenty of talk about the 'meltdown' we experienced this past season, but there's plenty of hope remaining in this preview, not to mention the joyous news that apparently Meszaros hasn't actually left our blueline.
Next up, a look at our second-round selection at this year's draft, defenseman Patrick Wiercioch, and his inspirational story of hard work and determination. Definitely one of those feel-good players you like seeing on your team, and whose successes are always a little sweeter. He'll need to bulk up his 6'2 frame significantly from the 178lbs they list him at, and continue to work on his skating, but here's a kid I still know little about, and yet I'm already looking forward to seeing his progression, hopefully into the mould of an offensive defenseman who's not afraid to throw his weight around.
The preview is at its most pessimistic in the By the Numbers section, where knowledgeable John Kreiser dissects all the ways our team let us down last season, and how every shining light was counterbalanced by a shadow cast at least as large.
You'll also find a mention of some Senators in the East Elite Scorers breakdown. Heatley makes the top ten, and while he endures some criticism for his skating, there's little doubt he will fail to live up to the work ethic warranted by his sparkling new contract. I for one don't fail to remember how successful he was at the Worlds on a line without (gasp!) Jason Spezza, which gives me hope that Hartsburg might take road Paddock could only shudder while looking at, and splits up the big three, with any luck splitting up Spezza and Heatley in the process, as that pairing always negates the third linemate, with the two of them constantly trying to be the yin to the other's yang. Also mentioned in the top ten scorers of the east is Alfie, and it's no surprise that his hard work has been able to silence the naysayers and critics over the years.
Ok, I'll try to resist the temptation of continuing the propagation of these stories, but the media can't seem to get enough out of the Meszaros saga. THN's Sam McCaig comments on the sad state of Tampa's blueline, where Meszaros' 246 NHL games ranks tops on the team. He correctly points out the promise of the Bolt defense, especially with moving the puck, but he is even more spot on in reminding us that all of these boys need more time to develop. Meszaros does have offensive flair, but can you see him playing 25 minutes a night in all situations (even the dreaded PK, where Schubie replaced him last season)? Does it make sense that a 28 year old who hasn't cracked the century mark of NHL games played (Hutchinson) will likely fit into the top 6? Everyone was reminded of how badly Toronto has botched promising blueliners when no commentator could resist the subject as they traded up to select Luke Schenn this season, but how long before the overeager and presumptuous Lightning face the same criticism? Considering the market, it's probably a ways off.
One last interesting note on that story is McCaig's mention of the 18 highly qualified NHL forwards the Lightning possess, suggesting that they might be traded for some defensive help this season. Considering the behaviour of Tampa's management, threatening to go after Malone so his rights would be traded to them, threatening to give a bloated offer sheet to Mez so that Ottawa forked him over, and considering that while no team can scoff at guys like Roberts and Recchi, no team absolutely needs them, I wouldn't be at all surprised (rather completely happy) if GMs held fast against Tampa this season, and forced management to make deals as lopsided as the Meszaros trade to get them out of this mess. Tampa Bay management, congrats, you've officially made it onto my list. Don't be proud.
Showing posts with label Meszaros. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meszaros. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Parting Shots
Murray makes sure his thoughts on Meszaros are heard, while newly acquired Picard is still in shock.
For all the sensibility of Murray I mentioned yesterday, the man still knows how to shoot from the lip. It seems that he didn't want Meszaros to be out of the city, riding all those stories of how he really wanted to be here, and worked so hard to come to terms with the Ottawa Senators. But why did he leave? Was it the money? Not too likely, since Murray offered a five year deal with a $3.5 million cap hit, along with an even higher hit in a last minute offer. That, and of course there was the KHL offering the same as Tampa, minus our high taxes.
The big shocker comes from Murray mentioning that Meszaros felt that Smith would not be a good enough defensive partner for him. Yes, we're sorry we couldn't keep Chara instead of Redden, but to suggest that Jason Smith isn't up to the task, that is truly insulting. Just makes me happy that Meszaros is now down in Tampa, home of the boys who forced Boyle out of town, and who, in signing Meszaros, still don't seem to understand good cap moves, considering his very back heavy contract. You two, you were made for each other. End fuming.
On a happier note, Picard was indeed in shock when he learned of the deal. It must also be flattering to know that Murray insisted that you were part of the deal. Picard says he sees himself as a transition defenseman, getting the puck out of the zone by whatever means necessary. But no, wait, that's not all (are you listening Meszaros?): he also promises to use his 6'2, 220lbs frame to hit opponents whenever possible. He even has the nerve to think that his defensive maturation will only be aided by the presence of Phillips, Volchenkov, and Smith. What a crazy boy, eh? Pass me some more of that TBL Kool-Aid, please.
For all the sensibility of Murray I mentioned yesterday, the man still knows how to shoot from the lip. It seems that he didn't want Meszaros to be out of the city, riding all those stories of how he really wanted to be here, and worked so hard to come to terms with the Ottawa Senators. But why did he leave? Was it the money? Not too likely, since Murray offered a five year deal with a $3.5 million cap hit, along with an even higher hit in a last minute offer. That, and of course there was the KHL offering the same as Tampa, minus our high taxes.
The big shocker comes from Murray mentioning that Meszaros felt that Smith would not be a good enough defensive partner for him. Yes, we're sorry we couldn't keep Chara instead of Redden, but to suggest that Jason Smith isn't up to the task, that is truly insulting. Just makes me happy that Meszaros is now down in Tampa, home of the boys who forced Boyle out of town, and who, in signing Meszaros, still don't seem to understand good cap moves, considering his very back heavy contract. You two, you were made for each other. End fuming.
On a happier note, Picard was indeed in shock when he learned of the deal. It must also be flattering to know that Murray insisted that you were part of the deal. Picard says he sees himself as a transition defenseman, getting the puck out of the zone by whatever means necessary. But no, wait, that's not all (are you listening Meszaros?): he also promises to use his 6'2, 220lbs frame to hit opponents whenever possible. He even has the nerve to think that his defensive maturation will only be aided by the presence of Phillips, Volchenkov, and Smith. What a crazy boy, eh? Pass me some more of that TBL Kool-Aid, please.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sunday Ottawa Sun Day
All today's news comes from the Ottawa Sun, with still a little more Mez, and on the hopes for the new Ottawa Senators roster.
It turns out Meszaros did not want to go to Russia. Since both leagues were offering $4 million deals, only the taxes would be the difference, and that's not much money, not enough to make one want to leave the spotlight of the NHL to go amuse some oil barons in mother Russia.
Not only that, but Meszaros' goal was to stick with the Sens. They were the team that drafted and developed him, and sticking around was his main goal. However, considering he was offered a $3.5 million deal with the Sens and turned it down for $4 million a season with the Bolts, and yet roughly the same difference might've been given up by not playing in Russia, it seems a strange, penny-pinching move, and not one that endears us to Meszaros any further. Garrioch also mentions that Schubert and Meszaros have been good friends; we can only hope that this will not negatively affect his play this season.
Indeed, there were goals with all the roster moves this season. Hartsburg, as well as many of the new additions and the return of other players, it has all been to build a team with a sense of responsibility, and that isn't afraid to work hard for their goals. Melnyk believes the Sens will be right back in the thick of things, and people still forget that we have the best line in the league, three of the best defensemen in the league, and while our two goalies aren't superstars, they are both levelheaded, hardworking, and dedicated guys that have a chance to flourish. I can say with honesty that I am indeed looking forward to this season.
It turns out Meszaros did not want to go to Russia. Since both leagues were offering $4 million deals, only the taxes would be the difference, and that's not much money, not enough to make one want to leave the spotlight of the NHL to go amuse some oil barons in mother Russia.
Not only that, but Meszaros' goal was to stick with the Sens. They were the team that drafted and developed him, and sticking around was his main goal. However, considering he was offered a $3.5 million deal with the Sens and turned it down for $4 million a season with the Bolts, and yet roughly the same difference might've been given up by not playing in Russia, it seems a strange, penny-pinching move, and not one that endears us to Meszaros any further. Garrioch also mentions that Schubert and Meszaros have been good friends; we can only hope that this will not negatively affect his play this season.
Indeed, there were goals with all the roster moves this season. Hartsburg, as well as many of the new additions and the return of other players, it has all been to build a team with a sense of responsibility, and that isn't afraid to work hard for their goals. Melnyk believes the Sens will be right back in the thick of things, and people still forget that we have the best line in the league, three of the best defensemen in the league, and while our two goalies aren't superstars, they are both levelheaded, hardworking, and dedicated guys that have a chance to flourish. I can say with honesty that I am indeed looking forward to this season.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Saturday, Meszaros' Last Day in Sens News - Updated
Today, both the Ottawa Sun and the Ottawa Citizen find themselves pondering just which team made off like bandits in the trade that sent Andrej Meszaros to the Tampa Bay Lightning, while giving Filip Kuba, Alex Picard, and San Jose's 1st rounder in 2009 to the Ottawa Senators.
Murray is confident in the abilities of both new defensemen. Kuba is reportedly a tad inconsistent, but can provide solid work at both ends of the ice. While a -8 last year would not impress anyone, the fact that it came on the League's worst team, the team tied with Atlanta for most goals against at 266, while arguably being in their top 3 defensemen behind Ranger (ironically picked with a pick traded to Tampa from the Sens) and Boyle, who was out for a long stretch this season due to a sliced wrist I believe, the -8 should improve drastically, especially if Hartsburg returns to the solid mixed pairings of defensive defensemen with a puck-mover.
Alexander Picard has also shown some flashes of great potential in his short tenure in the NHL. While not yet producing points at Meszaros' pace, he supposedly does not have Meszaros' problem with physical play, which should make many Sens fans breathe a sigh of relief. Murray also mentioned that whether he has two 1st rounders in a deep draft, or can package them up to get into a high 1st rounder overall, he is content with the trade. Word is that Picard was not originally a part of the deal, but that Murray's experience over Barrie and Koules led to him being able to add in the solid prospect.
I still have to say that I think Meszaros had the potential to be better than Redden ever was, maybe even showing the all-around skill of Chara. But, like so many previous Sens players, he let dollar signs and a lack of effort define his play. While his new 6-year, $24 million contract will see him set up to sign what he hopes to be a peak-age mega deal, I am convinced that he would have been much better off in his development with the Sens. Regardless of that, with guys like St. Louis, Lecavalier, Stamkos, and Malone to feed pucks to on the powerplay, his numbers aren't likely to fall, just his defensive stock.
Lastly, I want to make an empassioned plea to Craig Hartsburg: please mix our defensemen properly! Is it any wonder why we lacked secondary scoring when you pair Redden with Meszaros and Corvo is gone? One of three pairings can get the puck up the ice, while also being the pairing most likely to let it come right back the other way. That leaves two, if not three full lines who don't have anyone on the back end to move the puck up the ice well enough to mount any kind of decent attack.
As the Ducks proved so well to us when they won the Cup over us, you spread the wealth around. Niedermayer, Pronger, and Beauchemin all played on different pairings, to spread around the skill. Only on penalty kills and powerplays would you see them together, or against the Sens you might see them paired against our top line. It is time for the Sens to realize this, and force us to never see Volchenkov and Phillips together, except while killing penalties or while up against a dangerously offensively imbalanced team. Same goes for Kuba, who should never see time with Lee or Picard or Nycholat or Schubert, except on a powerplay.
Update - 14:00EST
TSN reports that Meszaros has signed a six-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning, as expected. If it is indeed the deal with a cap hit of $4 million, I wouldn't have had too much trouble giving Meszaros that money, if he could prove himself after another year with the Sens. But, like many Sens before him, money seems to be his number one priority, and I appreciate Murray's comments earlier, where he said he couldn't see paying Meszaros more money than all our other, solid dependable blueliners.
Murray is confident in the abilities of both new defensemen. Kuba is reportedly a tad inconsistent, but can provide solid work at both ends of the ice. While a -8 last year would not impress anyone, the fact that it came on the League's worst team, the team tied with Atlanta for most goals against at 266, while arguably being in their top 3 defensemen behind Ranger (ironically picked with a pick traded to Tampa from the Sens) and Boyle, who was out for a long stretch this season due to a sliced wrist I believe, the -8 should improve drastically, especially if Hartsburg returns to the solid mixed pairings of defensive defensemen with a puck-mover.
Alexander Picard has also shown some flashes of great potential in his short tenure in the NHL. While not yet producing points at Meszaros' pace, he supposedly does not have Meszaros' problem with physical play, which should make many Sens fans breathe a sigh of relief. Murray also mentioned that whether he has two 1st rounders in a deep draft, or can package them up to get into a high 1st rounder overall, he is content with the trade. Word is that Picard was not originally a part of the deal, but that Murray's experience over Barrie and Koules led to him being able to add in the solid prospect.
I still have to say that I think Meszaros had the potential to be better than Redden ever was, maybe even showing the all-around skill of Chara. But, like so many previous Sens players, he let dollar signs and a lack of effort define his play. While his new 6-year, $24 million contract will see him set up to sign what he hopes to be a peak-age mega deal, I am convinced that he would have been much better off in his development with the Sens. Regardless of that, with guys like St. Louis, Lecavalier, Stamkos, and Malone to feed pucks to on the powerplay, his numbers aren't likely to fall, just his defensive stock.
Lastly, I want to make an empassioned plea to Craig Hartsburg: please mix our defensemen properly! Is it any wonder why we lacked secondary scoring when you pair Redden with Meszaros and Corvo is gone? One of three pairings can get the puck up the ice, while also being the pairing most likely to let it come right back the other way. That leaves two, if not three full lines who don't have anyone on the back end to move the puck up the ice well enough to mount any kind of decent attack.
As the Ducks proved so well to us when they won the Cup over us, you spread the wealth around. Niedermayer, Pronger, and Beauchemin all played on different pairings, to spread around the skill. Only on penalty kills and powerplays would you see them together, or against the Sens you might see them paired against our top line. It is time for the Sens to realize this, and force us to never see Volchenkov and Phillips together, except while killing penalties or while up against a dangerously offensively imbalanced team. Same goes for Kuba, who should never see time with Lee or Picard or Nycholat or Schubert, except on a powerplay.
Update - 14:00EST
TSN reports that Meszaros has signed a six-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning, as expected. If it is indeed the deal with a cap hit of $4 million, I wouldn't have had too much trouble giving Meszaros that money, if he could prove himself after another year with the Sens. But, like many Sens before him, money seems to be his number one priority, and I appreciate Murray's comments earlier, where he said he couldn't see paying Meszaros more money than all our other, solid dependable blueliners.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Andrej Meszaros Traded to Tampa Bay Lightning
The Ottawa Senators have traded Andrej Meszaros to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Philip Kuba, Alex Picard, and a 1st round pick (San Jose's), via TSN.
Filip Kuba is a 32 year old puck-moving defenseman. At 6'5 and 225lbs, as well as going 6-25--31 for .413P/G, 15-22--37 for .457P/G, and 6-19--25 for .385 P/G, in this season and the two previous ones respectively, he should help replace the offense Meszaros contributed, only he is a decade older.
Alexander Picard is a 6'2, 220lbs defenseman from the Gatineau. At 23 years old, he is still developing, at a slower pace than Meszaros granted, but in 06-07 he went 62GP, 3-19--22 for .355P/G, and last season he was 24GP, 3-3--6 for .250 P/G. More hometown talent, and hopefully he can mature under the tutelage of our more experienced defensemen.
It remains to be seen how valuable the 1st round pick will be. Maybe San Jose will falter a bit, but I wouldn't expect their new coach to be able to bungle up their talent as much as Paddock did for us, but who knows.
Overall, we're adding some soon-to-be-expiring offense from Kuba, whose recent form nearly matches that of Meszaros, but they're on opposite sides of their peak performance. We also get some more potential from Picard, along with that San Jose pick, and that might average out to Meszaros' value, but that still remains to be seen. Overall, I think Mez will improve, but he stood a much better chance of that on our blueline than on Tampa's.
For us to win with this deal, the hope should be that Kuba can produce a good 30 points, and maybe gets a one or two year deal after this season, if he works out well. Also, Picard's only 22, and while Meszaros has put out a lot for his age, defensemen, like goalies, often take more time to develop. Don't believe me? Just look at all the prospects Toronto has obliterated by pushing them too hard, too fast. If he can develop into any kind of solid blueliner, and we can avoid wasting San Jose's first round pick, then we should be good. Who knows; maybe Murray can flip out two first rounders into a pick that might net us Tavares or Hedman, but that's just wild hopefulness on my part.
Filip Kuba is a 32 year old puck-moving defenseman. At 6'5 and 225lbs, as well as going 6-25--31 for .413P/G, 15-22--37 for .457P/G, and 6-19--25 for .385 P/G, in this season and the two previous ones respectively, he should help replace the offense Meszaros contributed, only he is a decade older.
Alexander Picard is a 6'2, 220lbs defenseman from the Gatineau. At 23 years old, he is still developing, at a slower pace than Meszaros granted, but in 06-07 he went 62GP, 3-19--22 for .355P/G, and last season he was 24GP, 3-3--6 for .250 P/G. More hometown talent, and hopefully he can mature under the tutelage of our more experienced defensemen.
It remains to be seen how valuable the 1st round pick will be. Maybe San Jose will falter a bit, but I wouldn't expect their new coach to be able to bungle up their talent as much as Paddock did for us, but who knows.
Overall, we're adding some soon-to-be-expiring offense from Kuba, whose recent form nearly matches that of Meszaros, but they're on opposite sides of their peak performance. We also get some more potential from Picard, along with that San Jose pick, and that might average out to Meszaros' value, but that still remains to be seen. Overall, I think Mez will improve, but he stood a much better chance of that on our blueline than on Tampa's.
For us to win with this deal, the hope should be that Kuba can produce a good 30 points, and maybe gets a one or two year deal after this season, if he works out well. Also, Picard's only 22, and while Meszaros has put out a lot for his age, defensemen, like goalies, often take more time to develop. Don't believe me? Just look at all the prospects Toronto has obliterated by pushing them too hard, too fast. If he can develop into any kind of solid blueliner, and we can avoid wasting San Jose's first round pick, then we should be good. Who knows; maybe Murray can flip out two first rounders into a pick that might net us Tavares or Hedman, but that's just wild hopefulness on my part.
Friday and Still Meszaros - Updated at 16:30EST
Another day, and we're still waiting on news of the Meszaros offer sheet, as well as what Murray's personnel plans are for the Ottawa Senators.
The Ottawa Sun has Garrioch reporting that the reason there may not yet be official news of the Meszaros offer sheet is because it can't yet be signed. Garrioch has pegged the Tampa Bay Lightning as the culprit here, supposedly going after Meszaros by trade, or else by offer sheet.
The Ottawa Citizen has it from Brian Murray that indeed talks are at an impasse. Citing the importance of having a player at training camp, in this case to test Mez's potential chemistry with newcomer Jason Smith, and the many terms of contract that have been offered, it's clear that all reasonable efforts are being made. Murray also goes on to say that we should expect to see no more new faces in the lineup.
As I looked into yesterday, the Lightning are now paying for their signing of Ryan Malone, which upgraded a portion of their trade from a 4th rounder into that now critical 3rd round pick. Considering Murray told the Citizen that if there were options to improve his club, likely by trade, he'd do that, it would suggest that Tampa simply doesn't have a shot at making a trade for Meszaros. Not that they have much to offer up for all his potential, perhaps at best Jussi Jokinen and some picks or prospects. Now all eyes turn to the Penguins, to see GM Ray Shero quietly pondering just how much he might want to squeeze Koules and Barrie for that pick they appear to need.
Update - 13:00EST
From KK, it seems that Craig Custance of Sporting News has done a little more sniffing around. The two interesting things in his report: he's received word from Phoenix that they have not signed Meszaros to an offer sheet (not too surprising), but also from Columbus and Atlanta, both of whom have the space and even the need for a defenseman. The other note of interest is that he is pointing out that Adam's report on THN yesterday merely says that Meszaros and a team have agreed to terms on an offer sheet, while saying nothing of it being signed. Thus, Tampa Bay is still in the mix, and adding Meszaros would be a good move to replace Boyle, and keep with the club's offense first, offense second approach.
Update - 16:30EST
More from THN's Adam Proteau. It seems that Tampa Bay has been trying to get their 3rd rounder back from the Pens, but Ray Shero appears to want nothing to do with an offer sheet, even twice removed. It does appear that both the Lightning and Murray would work out a trade outside of the offer sheet, but it remains to be seen if Tampa has enough to offer.
The Ottawa Sun has Garrioch reporting that the reason there may not yet be official news of the Meszaros offer sheet is because it can't yet be signed. Garrioch has pegged the Tampa Bay Lightning as the culprit here, supposedly going after Meszaros by trade, or else by offer sheet.
The Ottawa Citizen has it from Brian Murray that indeed talks are at an impasse. Citing the importance of having a player at training camp, in this case to test Mez's potential chemistry with newcomer Jason Smith, and the many terms of contract that have been offered, it's clear that all reasonable efforts are being made. Murray also goes on to say that we should expect to see no more new faces in the lineup.
As I looked into yesterday, the Lightning are now paying for their signing of Ryan Malone, which upgraded a portion of their trade from a 4th rounder into that now critical 3rd round pick. Considering Murray told the Citizen that if there were options to improve his club, likely by trade, he'd do that, it would suggest that Tampa simply doesn't have a shot at making a trade for Meszaros. Not that they have much to offer up for all his potential, perhaps at best Jussi Jokinen and some picks or prospects. Now all eyes turn to the Penguins, to see GM Ray Shero quietly pondering just how much he might want to squeeze Koules and Barrie for that pick they appear to need.
Update - 13:00EST
From KK, it seems that Craig Custance of Sporting News has done a little more sniffing around. The two interesting things in his report: he's received word from Phoenix that they have not signed Meszaros to an offer sheet (not too surprising), but also from Columbus and Atlanta, both of whom have the space and even the need for a defenseman. The other note of interest is that he is pointing out that Adam's report on THN yesterday merely says that Meszaros and a team have agreed to terms on an offer sheet, while saying nothing of it being signed. Thus, Tampa Bay is still in the mix, and adding Meszaros would be a good move to replace Boyle, and keep with the club's offense first, offense second approach.
Update - 16:30EST
More from THN's Adam Proteau. It seems that Tampa Bay has been trying to get their 3rd rounder back from the Pens, but Ray Shero appears to want nothing to do with an offer sheet, even twice removed. It does appear that both the Lightning and Murray would work out a trade outside of the offer sheet, but it remains to be seen if Tampa has enough to offer.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Meszaros Signs Offer Sheet
I don't normally like to bring rumours and sources onto my site, but considering it's The Hockey News (via KK) telling me that Meszaros has signed a multi-year deal with a $5 million cap hit, I trust them enough to bring it up.
Would it surprise me? No. Meszaros has always seemed to think he has been the bees knees, and while his offense has been appreciated, he has been a liability in every other sense the past two years. Maybe some other team remembers that, when paired with a defensive and upstanding guy (Chara), he can perform exceptionally well, as opposed to when he's with someone as defensively suspect as he is, with his own issues (Redden).
When the team is named, I will update. If I am to trust NHLSCAP.com, his hit has not surpassed $5,231,249, and thus we would get a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick. However, a funny rule exists: if the term is six years or longer, the value is still spread over five years. So if he signed a six-year, $30 million deal, the calculated hit in terms of compensation would be $6 million, adding a second 1st round pick to the compensation. As crazy as that seems, I'm not able to confidently rule it out completely, and depending on the total cap hit and term, we could possibly see two 1st, one 2nd, and one 3rd round pick coming our way. I'm not going to entertain the possibility that some team thinks Meszaros is worth four 1st rounders though.
If I'm to trust Wikipedia's 2009 NHL Draft info, since we are expecting to have a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick as compensation, it must be from a team that has all three of those picks in the 2009 draft. The following teams are no longer in possession of the required picks, meaning they could not have signed Meszaros to an offer sheet:
San Jose Sharks (1st & 3rd rounder to TBL)
Boston Bruins (2nd rounder to NYI)
Philadelphia Flyers (2nd rounder to TBL, 3rd rounder to EDM)
Anaheim Ducks (2nd rounder to MTL)
Calgary Flames (2nd rounder to LAK, 3rd rounder to PHI)
Montreal Canadians (2nd rounder to Calgary)
Toronto Maple Leafs (2nd rounder to NYI)
Minnesota Wild (2nd rounder to Nashville, 3rd rounder to NJD)
Buffalo Sabres (2nd rounder to Nashville, 3rd rounder to LAK)
Los Angeles Kinds (2nd rounder to BUF)
Tampa Bay Lightning (3rd rounder to PIT)
Originally I was optimistic we could get a good pick, but with the Leafs, Sabres, and Kings all out of the running, the list grows thin. With any luck, it will be Florida, Vancouver, St. Louis, Atlanta, or Columbus that signed him, and we might have a shot at a top pick.
Would it surprise me? No. Meszaros has always seemed to think he has been the bees knees, and while his offense has been appreciated, he has been a liability in every other sense the past two years. Maybe some other team remembers that, when paired with a defensive and upstanding guy (Chara), he can perform exceptionally well, as opposed to when he's with someone as defensively suspect as he is, with his own issues (Redden).
When the team is named, I will update. If I am to trust NHLSCAP.com, his hit has not surpassed $5,231,249, and thus we would get a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick. However, a funny rule exists: if the term is six years or longer, the value is still spread over five years. So if he signed a six-year, $30 million deal, the calculated hit in terms of compensation would be $6 million, adding a second 1st round pick to the compensation. As crazy as that seems, I'm not able to confidently rule it out completely, and depending on the total cap hit and term, we could possibly see two 1st, one 2nd, and one 3rd round pick coming our way. I'm not going to entertain the possibility that some team thinks Meszaros is worth four 1st rounders though.
If I'm to trust Wikipedia's 2009 NHL Draft info, since we are expecting to have a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round pick as compensation, it must be from a team that has all three of those picks in the 2009 draft. The following teams are no longer in possession of the required picks, meaning they could not have signed Meszaros to an offer sheet:
San Jose Sharks (1st & 3rd rounder to TBL)
Boston Bruins (2nd rounder to NYI)
Philadelphia Flyers (2nd rounder to TBL, 3rd rounder to EDM)
Anaheim Ducks (2nd rounder to MTL)
Calgary Flames (2nd rounder to LAK, 3rd rounder to PHI)
Montreal Canadians (2nd rounder to Calgary)
Toronto Maple Leafs (2nd rounder to NYI)
Minnesota Wild (2nd rounder to Nashville, 3rd rounder to NJD)
Buffalo Sabres (2nd rounder to Nashville, 3rd rounder to LAK)
Los Angeles Kinds (2nd rounder to BUF)
Tampa Bay Lightning (3rd rounder to PIT)
Originally I was optimistic we could get a good pick, but with the Leafs, Sabres, and Kings all out of the running, the list grows thin. With any luck, it will be Florida, Vancouver, St. Louis, Atlanta, or Columbus that signed him, and we might have a shot at a top pick.
Thursday Mez-day
Plenty of obscure news filling in the summer doldrums, but a nice Meszaros update today that's worth taking note of.
TSN brings us word of the slow progress between Meszaros and Murray in closing in on a contract. Pleasantly, it's more detailed than Garrioch's Ottawa Sun report on the same subject. Adding to Bruce's notes that Murray's many offers have been rejected, and that the gap is believed to be between $3.5 and $4.5 million as a cap hit, TSN adds that the Ottawa Senators have offered deals from as short as one year, up to a solid five year deal. Murray mentioned as well that Mez's agent has brought up the possibility of a departure to the KHL, but thankfully has stated that were he to do that, the Sens would look within the organization to replace him, easing any worry that we might think Schneider is coming to town.
Mez certainly has a lot to ponder. My guess is that the worst this might come out to would be a one or two year deal closer to Mez's $4.5 million number, with Mez hoping to prove himself worthy of more during that time. Murray might also like a short contract, not being completely sold on Mez yet. I would wager that this year, Mez has a great chance to step up, especially if he were to be paired, as has often been suggested, with newly acquired Jason Smith. No more worrying about how bad Redden is on the other side of the ice defensively, and I think that will only lead to greater success from a more mature Andrej.
TSN brings us word of the slow progress between Meszaros and Murray in closing in on a contract. Pleasantly, it's more detailed than Garrioch's Ottawa Sun report on the same subject. Adding to Bruce's notes that Murray's many offers have been rejected, and that the gap is believed to be between $3.5 and $4.5 million as a cap hit, TSN adds that the Ottawa Senators have offered deals from as short as one year, up to a solid five year deal. Murray mentioned as well that Mez's agent has brought up the possibility of a departure to the KHL, but thankfully has stated that were he to do that, the Sens would look within the organization to replace him, easing any worry that we might think Schneider is coming to town.
Mez certainly has a lot to ponder. My guess is that the worst this might come out to would be a one or two year deal closer to Mez's $4.5 million number, with Mez hoping to prove himself worthy of more during that time. Murray might also like a short contract, not being completely sold on Mez yet. I would wager that this year, Mez has a great chance to step up, especially if he were to be paired, as has often been suggested, with newly acquired Jason Smith. No more worrying about how bad Redden is on the other side of the ice defensively, and I think that will only lead to greater success from a more mature Andrej.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Sunday Slow Day
Slow days as usual, today bringing us a few words on Meszaros' contract status.
The Ottawa Sun's Garrioch brings what little words can be said at the moment on the status of Andrej Meszaros as a member of the Ottawa Senators. Still no word on how close the two sides are to completing a deal, with Murray supposedly offering a long-term deal with a $3.5 million hit, while Meszaros' camp hoping for a number closer to $4.5 million, which Garrioch compares to Nashville's Shea Weber's deal for 3 years.
That being said, Weber's never played a full season, playing 28, 79, and 54 games in his first three seasons, respectively. His P/G have gone from .357 to .506 to .370 over those seasons. On that basis alone, and that Meszaros has played three full seasons with P/G going from .476 to .427 to .439, it becomes clear that Mez has reason to be wanting more money. Weber's contract could be a result of Nashville having the money to give, having all their players signed with $14 million left in cap space, but who knows. This one feels as though it will go down to the wire, but I can't see Mez sitting out the season, to say nothing of where he might end up playing.
The Ottawa Sun's Garrioch brings what little words can be said at the moment on the status of Andrej Meszaros as a member of the Ottawa Senators. Still no word on how close the two sides are to completing a deal, with Murray supposedly offering a long-term deal with a $3.5 million hit, while Meszaros' camp hoping for a number closer to $4.5 million, which Garrioch compares to Nashville's Shea Weber's deal for 3 years.
That being said, Weber's never played a full season, playing 28, 79, and 54 games in his first three seasons, respectively. His P/G have gone from .357 to .506 to .370 over those seasons. On that basis alone, and that Meszaros has played three full seasons with P/G going from .476 to .427 to .439, it becomes clear that Mez has reason to be wanting more money. Weber's contract could be a result of Nashville having the money to give, having all their players signed with $14 million left in cap space, but who knows. This one feels as though it will go down to the wire, but I can't see Mez sitting out the season, to say nothing of where he might end up playing.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Defending our Defense
Without any news to bring to you today, I thought I'd take a look at the news we are all waiting for, that being the status of Meszaros for the upcoming season.
From the media to the blogosphere to forums, the strongest voice belongs to those who believe Meszaros is anything but indispensable to the team. His decline in production and performance since his sensational rookie year, his defensive lapses, there are countless criticisms for Andrej. I want to take a look at him, and see if a plausible, non-Meszaros-just-sucks explanation can be found.
In his rookie season, Meszaros was outstanding on the Ottawa Senators' blue line. If not for the likes of Ovechkin and Crosby, Meszaros would have stood a good chance of winning the Calder trophy as rookie of the year. In 82GP that season (he has never missed a game in any of his three NHL seasons), Mez went 10-29--39 for .476P/G, while going +34 with 61PIM.
Then the 'fallout' came. In his second season, his scoring dropped slightly to 7-28--35 for .427P/G, while he wound up a -15 with 102PIM, a much greater liability than the previous season. This past season, he stayed the same or improved, depending on how you see it, to 9-27--36 for .439P/G, finishing a +5 with 50PIM. While this seems to upset many fans, he was 24th, 25th, and 26th, in goals, assists, and points, respectively, among all NHL defensemen. Also, if we were so happy with .476P/G in 05-06, how could his following seasons of .427 and .439P/G be a drastically worse result?
That leaves the suspicion that his defensive play was the main disappointment. Sure enough, I've been frustrated countless times by terrible pinches, lackluster physical presence, and many other moments when he and Redden were on the ice. What changed to cause this?
In trying to defend Meszaros (and, somewhat as well, Redden), you have to look beyond the blatant numbers. In his rookie year, Meszaros was playing on one of the best Senators teams ever. The Defense consisted of Redden, Chara, Phillips, Volchenkov, Meszaros, Brian Pothier, and Schubert. In Chara, Meszaros had a fellow Slovak as his inspiration in Chara. He would have also been a good calming influence for a player of just 20 years of age with only 59 North-American games (in the WHL) under his belt. Having Chara, Phillips, and Volchenkov allowed Murray to spread his defense fairly evenly, pairing those shutdown, physical players with the better puckmovers in Redden, Meszaros, and Pothier (although Chara fits very well in both categories). In addition to this powerful blue line, the team had the surefire Hall-Of-Famer Hasek between the pipes for half the games, and a much more respectable Emery for the other games.
Flash forward a season, and the team changes drastically. The team loses Havlat (guaranteed, he only played in 18 games, notching 16 points), and also loses Smolinski and Arnason, who just one season earlier combined to contribute 30-63--93. The blueline loses Chara and Pothier, who contributed 21-57--78. Suddenly, with Preissing and Corvo, the blueline now has only two legitimate shutout defensemen, and in pairing them together, the other two offensive-minded pairings of Redden-Meszaros and Preissing-Corvo can't defend as effectively as the more balanced combinations of just one year prior. To top off the cake, Hasek is gone and it is Gerber and Emery between the posts.
This one year marked the biggest drop for Mez, and also for Redden, who in 05-06 had 65GP, 10-40--50 for .769P/G, and was +35 with 63PIM. In 06-07, he dropped to 64GP, 7-29--36 for .563P/G, and was +1 with 50PIM. This past season, in 80GP, he was 6-32--38 for .475P/G, ending a +11 with 60PIM. The year after the team lost so many quality players, Mez and Reds were shoved together. Forced to shoulder the physical load, Mez saw his PIM balloon from 61 to 102. Having both players together forced them to have to think about defense, while knowing offensive support was their primary goal, and their defensive lapses showed just how well that worked out for them.
Put it another way, and you can compare it to our forwards. When you spread the offense around, as it was done in 02-03 and in 05-06, everyone can focus better on their contributions. Last year, when Paddock leaned heavily on the top line of Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson, who filled the net very well, the other lines weren't able to produce as well. Similarly, when the best defensemen in Volchenkov and Phillips were paired together, and able to shutdown almost any line in the league, the mostly offensive-minded pairings of Redden-Mez and Preissing-Corvo weren't able to attack or defend as well as they should have been.
I do believe that the increased pressure of having the team lose stars at forward, defense, and in goal, as well as losing the inspiration of fellow Slovak Chara and having to deal with a slumping Redden as partner are all very real reasons for Meszaros' slump. I certainly think that this season will see Meszaros improve, and Redden could have too, especially if our defensive pairings matched one shutdown player (Phillips, Volchenkov, Smith) with an offensive one (Redden, Meszaros, Lee, Shubert). Recall that we were beaten in the Stanley Cup Finals by a Ducks squad that had three top defensemen in Pronger, Beauchemin, and Niedermayer, and those three were all in separate pairings except for penalty killing and other critical situations.
So what to do? So many out there have argued that Meszaros is worth no more than the $2.75 million Vermette signed for. Wideman, who scored the same 36 points as Meszaros in one less game, signed a four-year deal for $3.785 million, and his only other NHL seasons saw him score a paltry 24 and 25 points. Bouwmeester actually only scored one more point than Mez last season while going -5, and he, also an RFA, signed a one-year, $4.8 million deal, and he has also been on a three year slump, seeing his points decrease from 46 to 42 and now 37.
This would be the trouble. While his point totals would hardly guarantee him a $3 million plus salary as a forward, they are very respectable for a defenseman. If we could lock him up long term, I could see him getting as much as $4 million easily, since I don't doubt that Murray is also expecting a rebound. Should he go short-term, as Vermette did, he will likely still cost between $3 to $3.5 million for a one or two year deal, with Mez hoping to improve to a much higher salary bracket by the end of the contract, just as Vermette is also likely hoping for.
In the end, I just hope that people, as much as they aren't happy with our last season, will give him another chance. It was the whole team that collapsed, along with the team concept in mixing always the best with the best, rather than aiming to have our top talent support and inspire others on the team. Here's hoping that Murray, Hartsburg, and our boys can band together for the new season, and as a team rise like a phoenix from the ashes of our past season.
From the media to the blogosphere to forums, the strongest voice belongs to those who believe Meszaros is anything but indispensable to the team. His decline in production and performance since his sensational rookie year, his defensive lapses, there are countless criticisms for Andrej. I want to take a look at him, and see if a plausible, non-Meszaros-just-sucks explanation can be found.
In his rookie season, Meszaros was outstanding on the Ottawa Senators' blue line. If not for the likes of Ovechkin and Crosby, Meszaros would have stood a good chance of winning the Calder trophy as rookie of the year. In 82GP that season (he has never missed a game in any of his three NHL seasons), Mez went 10-29--39 for .476P/G, while going +34 with 61PIM.
Then the 'fallout' came. In his second season, his scoring dropped slightly to 7-28--35 for .427P/G, while he wound up a -15 with 102PIM, a much greater liability than the previous season. This past season, he stayed the same or improved, depending on how you see it, to 9-27--36 for .439P/G, finishing a +5 with 50PIM. While this seems to upset many fans, he was 24th, 25th, and 26th, in goals, assists, and points, respectively, among all NHL defensemen. Also, if we were so happy with .476P/G in 05-06, how could his following seasons of .427 and .439P/G be a drastically worse result?
That leaves the suspicion that his defensive play was the main disappointment. Sure enough, I've been frustrated countless times by terrible pinches, lackluster physical presence, and many other moments when he and Redden were on the ice. What changed to cause this?
In trying to defend Meszaros (and, somewhat as well, Redden), you have to look beyond the blatant numbers. In his rookie year, Meszaros was playing on one of the best Senators teams ever. The Defense consisted of Redden, Chara, Phillips, Volchenkov, Meszaros, Brian Pothier, and Schubert. In Chara, Meszaros had a fellow Slovak as his inspiration in Chara. He would have also been a good calming influence for a player of just 20 years of age with only 59 North-American games (in the WHL) under his belt. Having Chara, Phillips, and Volchenkov allowed Murray to spread his defense fairly evenly, pairing those shutdown, physical players with the better puckmovers in Redden, Meszaros, and Pothier (although Chara fits very well in both categories). In addition to this powerful blue line, the team had the surefire Hall-Of-Famer Hasek between the pipes for half the games, and a much more respectable Emery for the other games.
Flash forward a season, and the team changes drastically. The team loses Havlat (guaranteed, he only played in 18 games, notching 16 points), and also loses Smolinski and Arnason, who just one season earlier combined to contribute 30-63--93. The blueline loses Chara and Pothier, who contributed 21-57--78. Suddenly, with Preissing and Corvo, the blueline now has only two legitimate shutout defensemen, and in pairing them together, the other two offensive-minded pairings of Redden-Meszaros and Preissing-Corvo can't defend as effectively as the more balanced combinations of just one year prior. To top off the cake, Hasek is gone and it is Gerber and Emery between the posts.
This one year marked the biggest drop for Mez, and also for Redden, who in 05-06 had 65GP, 10-40--50 for .769P/G, and was +35 with 63PIM. In 06-07, he dropped to 64GP, 7-29--36 for .563P/G, and was +1 with 50PIM. This past season, in 80GP, he was 6-32--38 for .475P/G, ending a +11 with 60PIM. The year after the team lost so many quality players, Mez and Reds were shoved together. Forced to shoulder the physical load, Mez saw his PIM balloon from 61 to 102. Having both players together forced them to have to think about defense, while knowing offensive support was their primary goal, and their defensive lapses showed just how well that worked out for them.
Put it another way, and you can compare it to our forwards. When you spread the offense around, as it was done in 02-03 and in 05-06, everyone can focus better on their contributions. Last year, when Paddock leaned heavily on the top line of Heatley-Spezza-Alfredsson, who filled the net very well, the other lines weren't able to produce as well. Similarly, when the best defensemen in Volchenkov and Phillips were paired together, and able to shutdown almost any line in the league, the mostly offensive-minded pairings of Redden-Mez and Preissing-Corvo weren't able to attack or defend as well as they should have been.
I do believe that the increased pressure of having the team lose stars at forward, defense, and in goal, as well as losing the inspiration of fellow Slovak Chara and having to deal with a slumping Redden as partner are all very real reasons for Meszaros' slump. I certainly think that this season will see Meszaros improve, and Redden could have too, especially if our defensive pairings matched one shutdown player (Phillips, Volchenkov, Smith) with an offensive one (Redden, Meszaros, Lee, Shubert). Recall that we were beaten in the Stanley Cup Finals by a Ducks squad that had three top defensemen in Pronger, Beauchemin, and Niedermayer, and those three were all in separate pairings except for penalty killing and other critical situations.
So what to do? So many out there have argued that Meszaros is worth no more than the $2.75 million Vermette signed for. Wideman, who scored the same 36 points as Meszaros in one less game, signed a four-year deal for $3.785 million, and his only other NHL seasons saw him score a paltry 24 and 25 points. Bouwmeester actually only scored one more point than Mez last season while going -5, and he, also an RFA, signed a one-year, $4.8 million deal, and he has also been on a three year slump, seeing his points decrease from 46 to 42 and now 37.
This would be the trouble. While his point totals would hardly guarantee him a $3 million plus salary as a forward, they are very respectable for a defenseman. If we could lock him up long term, I could see him getting as much as $4 million easily, since I don't doubt that Murray is also expecting a rebound. Should he go short-term, as Vermette did, he will likely still cost between $3 to $3.5 million for a one or two year deal, with Mez hoping to improve to a much higher salary bracket by the end of the contract, just as Vermette is also likely hoping for.
In the end, I just hope that people, as much as they aren't happy with our last season, will give him another chance. It was the whole team that collapsed, along with the team concept in mixing always the best with the best, rather than aiming to have our top talent support and inspire others on the team. Here's hoping that Murray, Hartsburg, and our boys can band together for the new season, and as a team rise like a phoenix from the ashes of our past season.
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