That 4th line is not getting it done. A good 4th line helps maintain pace and momentum over the course of the game and that's why most teams have veterans floating around there.
3rd line is still too green compared to other contending teams in the east like FLA, CAR, NJ, TBL, and maybe even TOR.

But defense is starting to take shape, goaltending is upgraded, and the young core takes another step forward. Playoffs are on the horizon.

Ceiling this coming season, I can see a 2023 NJD finish for them.

For a cozy 7th place

Because they are though… that’s comparing apples to orange. The Leafs will go far this year, everyone knows it, the Sens, meanwhile, will go so far down the standings, fans will keep making excuses for the 7th year in a row

I’m sorry, but the 6-10 points out, the Sens were never going to get with or whiteout Norris and Talbot… And as for ADB, him and Stuzle are essentially the same play; they went to the same spots so it was bound for only 1, at best, to succeed and the other was doomed to fail… Which caused giveaways

Sick, and the Leafs have had more dynasties since the Sens last won a cup… But please, keep arguing about that one time that the Sens went deep and we’re never heard from again

What a ridiculous statement. Norris had 35 goals in 21-22 and was OTT's first line center. Last season OTT lost a majority of their games by 1 goal (or 1 + an EN). Of course having Norris back would easily have added 4+ wins over their 82 games. As for your Stützle / Debrincat comment ... was that written by an A.I. program that wasn't given access to hockey logic?

No, it wouldn’t have bc Norris had slightly above average metrics, using the JFresh model, all around minus the PP, which he would have been on PP2… So, it’s ridiculous to assume that Norris would have saved 4+ games. As for your last part, you either didn’t watch the Sens or don’t know what you were watching… You pick

I’m sorry, but I can’t take this post seriously because of how much hypocrisy is flowing down…

Sens fan post a thread called ‘fear us’ and the majority of people are laughing because the Sens have as many holes as Swiss cheese, then Sens fans start bringing up the Leafs and then start calling Leafs fans homers…

That’s why people can’t take Sens fans seriously

Y'all haven't won the cup since since 67. So the dynasties you speak of were when there were only 6 teams in the league?

Are you trying to burn the Sens or the Leafs there bud?

I have said that in the past but never expected them to still be there by now, the team sale took soooooo long

It comes to a point that they have so much talent that they could offset how bad their management and coaching is, they just need to stay healthy (they probably would have made the playoffs last season if Norris was healthy and if Formenton was a "different person" (I still say this as speculation), or if Dorion didn't STUPIDLY traded Gustavsson for Talbot.


I'd say the guy that missed Norris the most on the team was definitely Drake Batherson, who also had a pretty significant injury himself the season before



Tkachuk - Stutzle - Tarasenko
Joseph - Norris - Batherson
Greig - Pinto - Giroux
Sokolov - Kastelic - Smejkal
MacEwen

Trade Kubalik instead of Joseph, improve 2-way play, keep roughly the same scoring at ES
Have Giroux mentor the 2 young guys on the 3rd line. I think that line would be dynamite both ways pretty quickly
That 4th line is not ideal but Kastelic is a good 4th line Center. Sokolov and Smejkal are 2 question marks but have credentials

From 1996-97 to 2007-08, Sens made the playoffs 11 years straight, won 8 playoffs rounds, one ECF and one SCF. There was also the 2004-05 season were they got robbed of having one of the best teams on paper in the whole decade. In their current window, Leafs made the playoffs 6/7 seasons and won 1 round (gotta be thankful that Tampa was exhausted by 3 SCF in a row). Not even sure the current Leafs window will last 4 more seasons. The only way the Leafs could do better (or even match) than the Sens 00's window is by winning the Cup. It is Cup or Bust


I agree but it's the same thing for most goalie who aren't Dominik Hasek or Roberto Luongo

That said, Korpisalo has been a lot better last season than in the past because his hip surgery was in March 2022. Surgeries can change a lot of things.

I also don't trust any defensive system coached by DJ smith but management/coaching is about to change in Ottawa (Thank Alfie)


Did you say that ADB and Stutzle are essentially the same player? Sorry to say but you're proving that you don't understand hockey much.

So much wrong in such a small post. Talbot was not missed, he was a detriment most of the season. Norris was deeply missed though and they also had lost Formenton for off-ice reasons. Dorion stupidly traded Connor Brown which made the bottom-6 really bad but Formenton and Norris would have made a HUGE difference


I have a hunch that the guy thinks Stutzle is still playing LW because he is listed LW on NHL.com and hockeydb.com

Yeah, one finals appearance and no cup. The ottawa senators model of success that literally no one outside their own fanbase cares about.

How can a Leafs fan say things like "it's Cup or bust"? I mean, in this era you can't only be satisfied with your team winning the Cup or you'll be sad most of the time you are a fan. Even those Leafs 100 pts seasons are (partially) satisfying

I mean, no Cup since 1967 and might have to enter another cycle in the next few years.

Anybody using rationality or emotions would take the 1998-2008 Sens over the Leafs 2016+

It's not even close.

why would anyone pick a team that couldnt even beat the leafs when they were at their peak? I mean, if the leafs were so much worse, clearly going 4 and 0 against em when it mattered means a ton right?
No one envies the sens, not now, not ever

Wait, why do you say "if the leafs were so much worse, clearly going 4 and 0 against em..."?

How come you didn't understand what the comparison was? Reading comprehension?

re-read what I wrote and think reeeeally hard about it. If the sens hay day was back when they couldnt even beat the leafs then what could that possibly mean?

And the Sens haven’t won in 92 years bud… It’s common knowledge the Leafs haven’t won in 57 years but at least it’s not been over double that amount.

But please stay a troll

You clearly didn’t watch the Sens or understand what I meant… ADB and Stuzle went to the same spots offensively and that didn’t work, on the PP or at 5v5 on separate lines… It lead to ADB not being as successful. Would I call them the same player? No, ADV doesn’t flip like a fish anytime he gets touched and Stuzle isn’t a winger nor is 5’9”

As for goaltending situation, Korpisalo is just Campbell 2.0 or a Talbot 2.0 but there’s no Skinner to save the day for the season… And Norris was average at 5v5 and Formenton won’t be back (OTT would have been over the cap if he could though)

The Sens didn't have a franchise for most of that time. What's the Leafs excuse?

You said "sens fans know all about never winning despite being one of the best teams in the league."

You were definitely talking about the 98-08 Sens, which I then compared with Leafs 2016+

The fact that you then talked about "going 4 and 0 against em" is pretty telling how you get lost so easily.

I don't have to think hard about anything, this is elementary stuff for me

But even then, "if the leafs were so much worse"... did you know for example that the Leafs finished higher in the standings 3 of these 4 times? And sorry but no, Toronto is not the center of the universe, I don;t care about their performance vs one team. The fact remains :

Ottawa 1998-2008 >>>>>> Toronto 2016-2023


Stutzle and DeBrincat barely played on the same line at ES

As for the rest, not even worth to waste my time answering

I mean, you guys have invaded every second Sens ACGM, it's pretty clear you and Mitch are trolls

And why was that again? Because nobody wanted to watch them play… And 92 years is still 92 years and counting

It’s very obvious that I clown on Sens fans when they are being delusional, like your post and this thread… And again, there’s PP that was bad despite having top 3 in PP attempts and at EV, when they force it in the offensive zone to 1 guy who’s always going to the same spots on each line in the top 6, it becomes very easy to defend… that’s basic hockey 101

Yes, very

Love how you didn't have the full sentence and put only a part of it to try and make me look bad... It's obvious that Sens fans are clowns and that's just how it is