Following the official unveiling of the team’s 23-man roster to start the NHL season, Senators GM Bryan Murray held a scrum with the local media to discuss the team’s performance and the play of some particular individuals during the camp and subsequent exhibition games.
Much of the interview is pretty standard fare. Murray plays up the performance of many of the team’s young prospects and how a number of them should be able to seamlessly transition onto the team in the event of a roster spot opening due to a transaction or an injury. There were some interesting nuggets of information pertaining to the state of the Methot negotiations and how some one-way contract(s) prevented him from keeping Jean-Gabriel Pageau on the roster.
To listen to the full scrum, you can do so by clicking here or by using the embedded audio at the bottom of this post.
My thoughts are in bold.
On the decision to have Curtis Lazar start the season with the Senators…
“Well, it was easy. He made it easy by the way he played. I thought his effort each and every game was outstanding. For a young player, he certainly showed he could play a two-way game. He’s very responsible. Paul (MacLean) had him killing penalties at different times and I can only see a player like him expanding his role as we go forward.”
Management playing up the progress of its most ballyhooed prospects that in turn shines some positive light on the team’s amateur scouting and talent identification? I’m shocked. Granted, I don’t blame the organization for doing it at all. From all accounts, Lazar’s an organization’s dream. The ideal mix of talent and intangibles that appeals to the broader fan base and will make him a really marketable commodity.
On whether Lazar will only get a short opportunity to showcase himself or whether he could be here for the duration of the season…
“Well right now, he’ll have to play himself out of the lineup, I think (with) the way he played in training camp. But, like every junior player, there is that nine-game limit or ten-game limit that after nine, we have to make another decision (on whether to keep him or burn a year on his entry-level contract). But, I’m envisioning him having a real chance to stay.”
According to TSN‘s Brent Wallace, Lazar was skating on a line with Chris Neil and alternating wingers Mike Hoffman and Colin Greening. As much as I like Lazar, I can’t imagine a situation in which Lazar stays buried on a line with the dump and chase and chase and chase duo of Greening and Neil, and plays more than nine games – effectively burning the first year of his entry-level contract to receive replacement level production. If he’s going to spend significant time there, it’d be a redux of Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s usage problems from the beginning of last season. And if that’s the case, the Senators might be better off protecting that year by returning him back to junior and using a guy like Pageau instead.
On what he has to do to stick…
“Well, he has to play. I think that will be the decision. How much (ice time)? How many minutes a game? I wouldn’t even pretend to know (how much he’ll require), but being around players and practicing with NHL guys is good for development. But, he’s got to get on the ice in games, handle pressure and do things that are required of an NHL player. So if we find that he’s not getting enough minutes, that would be part of the decision.”
On Lazar’s makeup…
“He’s enthusiastic, very ambitious, and very confident. He comes to work every day. For a young player, he’s really a professional at this point. Where he came from obviously had a big influence on what he is as a person as well as a player. As I say, I can’t find a fault with him right now as far as the work ethic and the determination to be a good player, but the ability in particular right now to play in the defensive zone as well he does (has really impressed me).”
There are a number of reasons to think why Lazar’s production won’t be that sizeable in the interim, but can you imagine how much more hype this prospect will get should he find himself with better linemates, play more meaningful minutes, and actually produce (even if it’s not right away)? It’d be insane.
On whether Mike Hoffman played himself onto the team…
“Well Mike Hoffman’s last two games against Montreal were really good. He was quick. He scored. He made plays. He drew penalties. He helped us win the game here Friday night by (using) his speed – drawing a penalty in overtime and getting us to the win, so it would be really unfair for us not to give him an awfully good luck going forward. Again, he’s a guy that paid his price somewhat in the minors and was a very productive player, now let’s find out if he can do it every night in the NHL.”
As I’ve noted before, Mike Hoffman’s numbers don’t really reflect how good he was last season. You have to dig a little deeper to realize that: 1) Hoffman was an incredibly effective possession player last season; 2) the even shot rates that he generated per 60 minutes of 5v5 ice time were amongst the league’s best (11.1 shots per 60 – the 15th highest rate in the NHL); and 3) the Senators only shot 4.6% when Hoffman was on the ice last season. In other words, if Hoffman can continue to help the Senators drive the puck to the opposition’s end while also sustaining his shot generating ability, even if his shooting rate normalizes and regresses to the league average, there’s going to be a natural growth in his production.
What Hoffman needs is an opportunity and this situation, you wonder if the organization is going to put him in a position to succeed. If they give him fourth line minutes and are reluctant to have him play with more offensively inclined players, you wonder whether the Senators will offload him too hastily if the results aren’t there. Hopefully they have some patience.
On being happy seeing what he did during camp from his younger players…
“Yeah, I thought overall the work ethic in camp was real good – much different than a year ago, I felt. We have some candidates that can come up and play games, we know that. If we had to do (a trade to move out a veteran), a couple of (the prospects) could play regularly: Buddy Robinson, Matt Puempel and (Jean-Gabriel) Pageau. Pageau was the one guy today I felt really bad about (cutting) because I thought he was really good in every game that he played and to have to send him down. But, he’ll be back, there’s no question. He has a chance now to be a regular NHL player.”
As a budget team that lives on the margins and has obviously put short-term success at the forefront of its decision-making process, it’s frustrating to see that the Senators are comfortable keeping a guy like Colin Greening when his track record has proven that he’s simply a replacement level player when he’s away from a skilled center like Jason Spezza.
I’ll never truly understand why the organization felt so compelled to buy up Greening’s UFA years heading into a season in which they signed Clarke MacArthur in free agency and already had Milan Michalek inked for another season. Maybe they felt like they owed it to him because he was a late draftee who was developed internally and overachieved? Or maybe it’s because he’s a genuinely likeable guy whose size and speed tools are desirable? Or maybe they felt he was an insurance policy on Michalek in the event that he got hurt or that the Senators walked away from Michalek in free agency?
Whatever the case, even if you ignore the hockey analytics that show a guy who struggled away from Spezza to be a relevant player (note: the worst example of this is Greening’s best season – 2011/12), when you’re entering a season in which Greening is slated to play in a checking line capacity with guys like Chris Neil and Zack Smith, his production was going to inevitably suffer and with it, his contract leverage. There’s nothing advanced about that line of thinking, it’s just basic common sense.
I don’t want to crap too much on Greening, since it’s not his fault management put that contract in front of him and fans love to dwell on his contract, but I just never wanted to see a continuation of the situation in which redundant veteran talent continues to box out and block the development of better and younger players (read: Lazar/Hoffman/Pageau).
On Marc Methot being close to a return…
“I honestly don’t know. I talked to Gerry Townend this morning. They’ve shut him down right now to get him healthy. I guess Marc was starting to get a little bit better, but then he overdid it and hurt himself. Not hurt himself, but he didn’t help himself, so he’s probably a little ways away.”
On updating his contract negotiations on Methot…
“No, there’s no news. They’ve turned us down on the offer that I made. There’s no further offer at this point.”
In the wake of the announcement that Bobby Ryan had agreed to a deal with the Senators, a new contract offer was reportedly offered to Marc Methot. TSN’s Bob McKenzie discussed those details:
Per @TSNBobMcKenzie, the Sens offered Marc Methot 4 years at 4.625M AAV. Methot apparently wants 5 years, 5M AAV.
— Brennan Klak (@nhlupdate) October 2, 2014
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
On whether the Senators will create an opening for him if Pageau’s play warrants a promotion…
“Yeah, there’s no question. Contracts come into play big time and I told him that this morning. One-way contracts versus two-way contracts make a difference and we make commitments to players and then somebody else steps in and does a little better job maybe, but for now, he has to go down, play well and be a star down there – which he should be – and then we’ll do our best to give him a chance to play.”
The likelihood of the team trading or biting the bullet and burying Greening in the minors is small, so it really sounds like the organization will simply wait for an injury to occur before recalling Pageau. If Lazar cannot get the minutes and ice time that he needs to develop properly, a return to the minors will put the Senators at 13 forwards and create more of an opportunity for Pageau.
On the Methot injury giving them a chance to keep 14 forwards around in the interim and whether that can be a problem moving forward…
“Well, it’s only a problem if the guys make it a problem. I think if we have guys that are not playing up to par and we don’t make a change, it becomes a little bit of an issue. The players sitting out understand that, but for now, I think when you start the year, in particular having 14 guys around up front, it’s not a bad thing. There’s opportunity to try a couple of different looks and I think we’re in a position to be able do that with the youth of our group overall.”
On whether he likes his team…
“I like our team. I said to Mr. Melnyk yesterday, ‘Maybe we should have a marketing theme that the pesky Sens are back because that’s what it looked like to me the last three or four games that we played: the work ethic, the come from behind ability, the four lines being able to contribute and the goaltending was good. I liked the effort. It’s going to take that most every night. We know we don’t have the star or star quality, the individual that maybe wins a game for you by himself, but I really do think we have a group that with the ability to roll four lines and play six to eight defenceman that coaches have some options now. And I think we’re one of those teams that make the opponent work every night.”
If the Senators start slow, how many people are going to revisit this pesky Sens quote?
On his thoughts on younger prospects…
“Well (Matt) Puempel, all he does is score. He shoots the puck and it goes in the net for him. So we know that and all I said to him is it’s early for him. He needs to start down in Binghamton. He needs to play at a high level, to be a high level player for that team and put pucks in the net because goal scoring is always a need in this league. So he’ll go down and Matt’s really made great strides.
Puempel only has a year of professional experience, so it’s not shocking to see the organization be patient with his development. If he can improve his play away from the puck in the minors, the Senators will benefit from it down the road.
“I mentioned Pageau already, but Buddy Robinson’s the next guy to me that when I saw him last year, I thought he had a chance. He could be a role-player. I wasn’t sure that he’d be a regular NHL player, but it sure looked like to me in this camp that he made great strides. He’s fast. He’s on the puck. He finishes checks. He handled the puck pretty well. Paul (MacLean) had him killing penalties. So again, it looks to me, like he’s a guy who has a real chance to get games in the NHL, maybe as early as this year.
The breakaway goal that Robinson scored against Winnipeg sure caught Bobby Ryan’s attention.
“Freddy Claesson, again he was the other, for me, the other big surprise that came in. He was at the beginning of last year a very competitive guy, but very average I thought in the American Hockey League and made great strides. And again, he was impressive in camp. He competes. He’s certainly a brave guy. He moves the puck decent. He defends real well and his work ethic’s just going to allow him to get better and better. So again, (he’ll be) another good depth guy for us this year and I believe a future NHLer.
The writing was on the wall once the Senators started acquiring veteran AHL defencemen. They’re doing it for a reason and coupled with Mark Borowiecki’s one-way contract, there’s really no defensive prospect left in Binghamton, aside from Claesson, who’s close to earning a promotion.
“After that there’s David Dziurzynski. David was disappointed I think and we weren’t disappointed (with his performance) at all. I thought again, he’s a role guy that is not going to score a lot of goals, but he can play a role. He skates real well and he’s a big, strong kid and again, he just has to play. Those are, to me, the real top guys that we have coming. We have got (Aaron) Johnson and (Alex) Grant that are good veteran guys that could play games if we needed (them) to, but for me right now those are the players probably will most likely get games here.”
On whether he’s looking to make a move right now…
“Well right now, I’m not really looking to make a move. If there’s something that’s out there that’s obvious, I would do that, but I like our group. I think like every team, you want to be better. You want to add if you possibly can add. Real definitely it looks like a competitive group to me. I think we’ve got enough talent, the work ethic, there’s some checkers there. I think Paul’s got more options now with the penalty killers and defensive role players. I’m just like a lot of people who (feel) we have to prove that we can score goals. Will we do that consistently? I don’t think any team will in this league. I don’t think it’s going to be… it hasn’t been at least lately a real high scoring league, so you have to learn to win games three to two or two to one. We might have to do that more often than we’ve had to do in the past.”
The Senators dealt away their captain and number one center and as much as everyone acknowledges that Spezza’s game had its warts, it remains to be seen how quickly this new emphasis on trying to win by playing better defensively and working harder will occur. Can they simply flick the switch? Will this be another great example of addition by subtraction or will the organization’s faith in this blue line submarine whatever hopes they have?
On the decline of heavyweight fighters in the league and whether hockey needs that role…
“Yeah, I think there’s a need at some point in a year against particular teams, but I think you’re right. It’s declining and I think we’re putting facemasks on everybody. I remember saying at the league meeting, at the GM meeting, ‘Why would anybody want to fight anybody with a mask on? It doesn’t make any sense.’ I think that is encouraging the fact that fighting is going down, there’s no question. I think there will still be occasional ones, but I don’t think you can just have a guy that can only do that. I think you have to have players now.”
Amen.
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