Id imagine Boston qualifies Ahcan, especially because there will be moving pieces on the backend this year. Anything can happen, but id bet on them reaching a deal.

I though so, but you also never know.

He's a 25 year old defender coming out of college and he hasn't been hugely succesful. I would say 90% of the time he would get qualified but there may be something else and he falls to FA.

For this mock he ends up falling to FA. He's not a big piece anyway.

agree why wouldnt they qualify him? boston has 8 current nhl defensemen for 6 spots. one or 2 have to go. zboril didnt resign as a group 6 ufa to sit as a the 7th man. reilly likely moved this offseason. grz might start on ltir. or he could be moved. maybe clifton sits? theres alot of moving parts with boston and the cap gymnastics theyll have to play to land a true 2nd line center.

Just for the purpose of the mock he falls to FA. I think it's unlikely but for the reasons I stated in a previous comment I think there is a small possibility.

He probably is still out though and he may want to look elsewhere where he will get more playing time to establish himself.

Bear does not have much value and has been a healthy scratch recently for Carolina. If we are trading CB28 I rather get another young forward or quality top 4 d-man but why trade him? If he's willing to sign, just keep him, as soon as we trade him we will be looking for another Connor Brown player.

Not really, there isn't a spot on the roster where I see Connor Brown fitting into the long term plans. You could certainly up the value coming back from Carolina. Maybe add in Gunler and take out Bokk.



Though in all honesty, I think Ottawa found it's next Connor Brown in Matthew Joseph and that Joseph will end up replacing Brown for the duration his stay.

if bostons going to get rid of him theyll qualify and trade. they wont just not qualify him. seems silly to just let guys go for nothing if they can actually kind of play. hes been decent as a filler player in the nhl.

Yeah, but you know, he forgot to fill the paperwork

Totally - and this offseason will be interesting for BOS, lot of moving parts. So yes, anything can happen. Id say right now with Gryz starting the year hurt, Zboril coming off surgery and most likely a defensemen on the move he would be a cheap, easy guy to keep around to fill in when needed. But once again, anything can happen and he would probably have a better more consistent opportunity in OTT.

I really do agree but just for the purpose of the mock he falls. I could also it as a slim possibility that Boston doesn't qualify him as they have something greater in the waterworks.

Yep, could fill in for Brannstrom and possibly Chabot on the left side if they end up injured.

didnt realize we were the cleveland browns. my bad.

Yes, with Gryz hurt, Zboril coming off surgery, and Reilly most likely on the move he makes sense to keep as an easy, cheap player to provide a spark and fill in when needed. But anything can happen and this year like you said will be an interesting offseason with a lot of moving parts.

if hes going to be a 9th d with ottawa why wouldnt he try to find somewhere where he can be a more immediate impact too? assuming he goes unqualified ill play along.

I couldn’t think of a worse off-season then what you just proposed

What's bad about it.

You get time for JBD to become that top 4 RD.

You get Kemell and Kuzmenko to round out you're forward group and you don't neccesairly have to do the Seattle trade or sign Achan.

Also a big spalsh is not always the best way to go.

I think that the East will be killer with the division looking something like:
Florida
Toronto
NY
Tampa
Carolina
Pittsburgh
Washington
Boston
NJ
Buffalo
Ottawa
Detroit

And all those teams will be in the hunt so what is the problem with waiting one more year to get it right

To be honest, im not sure why im quoted here. Im on the same page - I was saying that i think boston would qualify him due to Gryz not starting the year healthy, Zboril coming off surgery and most likely a Reilly trade. So i guess to answer your question, i agree with your point. This isnt my thread, and its also assuming that OTT trades for Fleury, signs Bear, etc. From my perspective, Boston keeps him on a cheap, easy contract to provide a fill in when needed.

EASY PASS

I would rather have a late first and prospect for Brown

Does Zaitsev do anything good?

It remains to be seen if Joseph can be as good defensively while producing as much as Brown at Even Strength or on the PK. This is extremely valuable and not something I think a lot of people really understand

A Formenton - Pinto - Brown 3rd line could IDEAL and the kind of 3rd line that would push us above competition. We're not going to outplay contending teams with the power of our top-6. They have star/high end players too and some have the elite ones



Shelter him on your 3rd pair against average competition and he would do "ok". Need to pair with a good passer. The higher the role above that you will give him, the bigger detriment he will be.

I just though of this but I could see this for the first half of the season:

Tkachuk - Norris - Batherson
Kuzmenko - Stutzle - Brown
Formenton - Pinto - Joseph
- Crookshanks/Gambrell/Gaudette/Watson/Kastelic/Kelly/other 4th liner.


Then you trade Brown for his value, have Formenton come up onto the second line.

Then have the 7OA pick from this years draft come in next year and you'll have you're top six all set.

Not progressing much if at all doing this. Might even regress after trading Connor Brown. There's a reason contenders pay a PREMIUM to get players like Brown (Lehkonen, Copp, Coleman, etc)

Team progression would have to come from either coaching or defense.

I agree and I love the way Brown plays but where in the Sens long-term plans do you see a fit for Connor Brown?

Absolutely, why not? To build a successful team, not all your players have to be under 26 years old...

Tampa Bay :

Steven Stamkos 31
Victor Hedman 31
Nikita Kucherov 28
Alex Killorn 32
Brayden Point 25
Ondrej Palat 30
Anthony Cirelli 24
Corey Perry 36
Nick Paul 26
Ross Colton 25
Mikhail Sergachev 23
Pat Maroon 33
Ryan McDonagh 32
Andrei Vasilevskiy 27

Connor Brown just turned 28 years old, is an excellent skater with flawless work-ethic and a non-stop motor. He actually plays the exact way the Sens want to play. Also, did you know it was the first time he got injured this season? He played all the Leafs/Sens 373 games from 2016-17 to 2020-

I would sign him 5 years x 5.0 AAV

Fair enough, in my mind though it's either Joseph or Brown for one of the few Sens roster spots but I agree that they both fit and Brown is a Sens player to a tee.