I’d just assume a coincidence. As much as I wish I could believe a Craig Button - Ottawa conspiracy, it’s unlikely. My protection list was perfect except for one forward and with the number of lists he, along with other experts do, one was likely to be right.

Very nice catch though.

Or it was just logic. Some protection lists weren’t that hard. The bruins one was the easiest to figure out in the world, despite lunatics on here thinking carlo, Frederic, debrusk, smith, and grzelcyk would somehow be exposed. I’m sure anyone with a strong knowledge of Ottawa could have figured out their list ahead of time. There were a couple surprises, but 95% of it was easy to predict.

I just don't see how Craig Button would have known that Ottawa was protecting Logan Brown and Austin Watson over Dadonov without being told by someone like Pierre McGuire.

32yo with $5m x 2, a 10 team NTC, backloaded contract, and coming off of a down season. This is the opposite of what OTT is: cheap and building a young team.

I don't like the Pierre McQuire signing. Just my opinion, he's a media hog and will spend his efforts get attention for himself, hopefully leading to a better job, instead of doing his job in Ottawa player development

I really enjoyed how sure you were in your post 2 days ago haha. Just goes to show despite how much we think something makes sense, other people have a different perspective.

I had Dadonov protected and not Brown. I thought Sens were going to goat them into choosing between brown and Tierney. I doubt Pierre leaked it, but it wouldn't shock me if he hinted at one player being protected and let Button figure the rest. I doubt McGuire would do that first day on the job lol. Sens like Watson's checking role so I'm not surprised at all he was protected. Can't wait for the drafts, expansion and entry. I'm hoping they don't trade for a guy like Monahan. If any trade, I'd like a top RHD. Maybe sign a 3.5-4.25m top 9 utility centre, especially if Tierney is taken. Wouldn't mind Wennberg

Not sure how he's going to get attention in a role where he is always behind the scenes. I don't know why people don't like the signing... well ok I do haha. He can be painful on TV no doubt, but his player database is insane, and he sure knows what he's talking about. The only concern is his love of certain players leads him to evaluate them in a little bias. White comes to mind, he loves him. But most people do that anyway. Sens could use a guy that has watched every NHL player for the last 5 years or so. Might help with the kind of culture they're trying to build, knowing who to go after in FA or trade.

If we were a cheap team, we wouldn't have signed Dadonov to that contract in the first place.

For the Sens sake, I hope I'm wrong and you're right.

They got the cheap year ($3.5m) out of him. Now he becomes more expensive and didn't play like a $5m then $6.5m player last season.

It was a, confusing to me, signing when it happened. Wrong age, money, and term for where OTT was in their rebuild.

Are you honestly trying to say that Ottawa isn’t cheap? Thats literally what they’re known for.

I guess it depends on how you would define being cheap.



What I will say is that we're a small hockey market compared to other teams in North America.

We don't have as much wealth as the Leafs, the Habs or the Rangers to give you a few examples.



Here are some other examples that sort of go against the conventional wisdom that Ottawa is a cheap hockey team:

1. Matt Murray is traded for a 2nd round pick and is signed to 6.25 million x 4 just two days later.

2. We spend 3.5 million on Ron Hainsey for 1 season.

3. We spent Jakob Silfverberg, a prospect and the 10th overall pick on Bobby Ryan and a year later, signed Bobby Ryan to 7.25 million x 7.

4. Thomas Chabot was coming off his ELC and we signed him to 8 million x 8 instead of trading him away for a treasure trove of picks and prospects.

No no.
First off, “we,” didn’t do anything of the sort. You aren’t on the team.

You’re acting like a cheap team would just sign everyone to league minimum and run from there. You know there’s a cap floor right? They have to spend some money.
Trading chabot for picks? Dude he was coming off his entry deal.
Signing a super old guy to a 1x3.5 deal to play top four is an example of being cheap. You think that’s lavish spending? Cmon dude.

Sometimes, people use the word "we" to associate their fandom with their favourite team.

People on this site to do it all the time.

This site is for talking about NHL hockey, not semantics.

You should know that :/


1. A cheap team would hover around the cap floor every season, regardless if they can make the playoffs and compete for a Stanley Cup.

2. A cheap team would definitely trade away an emerging star player if he is coming off an ELC.

3. Signing Ron Hainsey to league minimum would be an example of being cheap and I never said signing Ron Hainsey to 3.5 million was lavish spending.

So don't put words in my mouth :/

Yeah, I think a lot of Sens being a cheap team is unfounded. About four years ago they went to game 7 of the Conference Final. Then they made the (ill fated) trade for Duchene.
Suddenly the Sens were in a downfall. So many think they were cheap because they didn't sign their upcoming UFAs. But it turned out to be a brilliant return for the not so good Duchene, and the fading fast njured Karlsson. No sense overpaying for guys who really want to be with their club. Stone didn't want to return either...so you trade him for an asset when the Sens weren't in the playoffs.

Now on Sens cheap with their non players employees? I don't know. But for managing their hockey playing personnel and their cap, IMO the Sens aren't cheap. Could they have managed their team better? Sure, but all teams can say the same.