Sean Couturier should have been a Senator

[NanoSF]

After the Sens drafted Mika and passed on Couturier I posted this topic.

http://ovas.ca/forum/index.php?topic=52074.0

and said I think we missed out in a very good player. Mika didn't play well and didn't make the team and Couturier just scored a hat trick in the playoffs. He was also the second highest plus minus on his team and one of their top penalty killers. He has been praised all year long in Philly. On top of that he had a decent 13 goal season in his rookie year.

Considering the Sens problems at centre this year, and needing to trade a very promising young Dman to get help at centre. I really think they screwed that draft pick up big time.

[Lurch1]

They won't make it past the first round anyways.....


Signed,
Disgruntled Leaf fan.

[bt]

Meh, time will tell with this.  It will be years before we can actually tell which was the better choice for Ottawa.

And Rundblad got traded partially because the team had soured on him, and partially because of the very promising young centreman.

[Malyon18]

Ya a centremen who was crying because he did not wanna play in pheonix, reminds me a little bit of yashin who sens fans hate for similar reasons. Wonder how long it will take for him to protest in ottawa hahaha

[NanoSF]

I know Rundblad has some major holes in his game, but his vision and precision passes were amazing at times. I think he had less downside than Karlson did when he first started. I also don't think much of Turris. Not so much based on his Pheonix antics (not that I think much of that either), but more that he is a Spezza type player who turns over the puck and doesn't play well against the boards, but with less than half the skill.

[bt]

Turris wasn't a fit for the system in place in Phoenix.  Much better fit in Ottawa.  I think he's got some huge potential here, and have zero concerns about back-room drama going on with him here.  I think he's got close to the skill of Spezza as well as the similar play style, and I consider that a good thing.

[bt]

It's only one game, but trading for Turris sure looked like a good move tonight!

[NanoSF]

I figured you would say that. Ya that release is his one great skill. But if you are going to bring up that argument then considering Spezza like skill to be a "good thing" should be rethought. Spezza is a terrible playoff player. Turris has been almost equally useless until that goal. They are turn over machines. I don't know how many times Spezza gave NY odd man rushes off his bad passes and turnovers. He was getting reamed out all night for his terrible play. 

[bt]

Spezza hasn't been so good in these playoffs.  Some of that is due to the smothering nature of the NYR defense though.  Some of it was trying to do too much in the past 2 games.

But career wise, he's been a pretty good playoff player.  Not spectacular, but still good.  Saying he's a terrible playoff player is just flat out wrong.

Turris generated a tonne of chances tonight before finally burying the winner.  He was hungry for a goal and it showed.

[NanoSF]

Spezza they showed has scores 1 goal in the last 18 playoff games. Turris was getting all the chances and couldn't do anything with them. He did generate them. They even talked about how he was unable to do anything all night with all the chances he had. He over stick handles and loses the puck.

[brotherluv]

I don't see the point in hating on your Sens...every playet thats ever played hockey in th NHL/NHA has had their pros and cons.  Spezza is the Primary reason Ottawa even made the playoffs, down the stretch he played solid!  That's a fact that  can't be argued. Hate on them all you want but playoffs more than ever is a team game and right now they're sitting pretty against the second best team in the league.

[Malyon18]

Spezza tied 7th in the league with karlsson for regular season giveaways and 4th in the playoffs. I have season tickets to the sens and have seen spezza play for quite a while now and he is a machine.... at giving the puck away, all the regulars I sit with know that when he gets the puck it is bound to be given away on a horrible pass and we just cringe. He is scared to get hit and makes way to many blind passes. Ya he had a pretty good season i'll give him that but he is no superstar or someone I would want to count on when the times get tough. 

And as for turris I am excited to see when his contract comes up at the end of next season and he comes looking for the 4.9 million a season he thinks he is worth. Give me heatley back hahaha

[bt]

I don't get it either, brotherluv.  So much negativity.  I'm honestly surprised to hear it outside of that 1 caller on every Team 1200 post game show and the pair of hacks in the Ottawa Sun sports section.

[NanoSF]

I don't think it's negativity, it's just comments and facts. I said Spezza was a high skill player. I said Turris has skills that are similar. I would have like to draft Couturier and keep Rundblad rather than get Turris. I love Turris's release and shot. Best shot on the team. I love Spezza's creativity and a lot of his abilities. He and a lot of other high skilled players turn the puck over a lot. In the playoffs certain types of players (often the bigger stronger, maybe less skilled) players do better. Spezza is not always that good in the playoffs. Certain teams they play in the playoffs he is better, but a team like NY he can't seem to do anything while Neal and some others do better than normal. I love the Sens. Very happy about the team this year minus a few players and a few situations. It's a fans right to cheer and complain. That's what people do. It's not all negative, it's all in fun.

[az]

Spezza has some skills but he just cant be trusted he gives it away for nothing 80% of the time. yes he played good before but he is expected to do that, did you know he is the third highest paid Canadian in the NHL and makes more than Crosby.

[bt]

did you know he is the third highest paid Canadian in the NHL and makes more than Crosby.

Close, but wrong.

Crosby's salary was $9m this year, Spezza's was $8m.  Spezza was the 4th highest paid Canadian in the NHL this year, in a 5-way with Dany Heatley, Joe Thornton, Duncan Keith and Steven Stamkos.

[brotherluv]

In his career thus far spezza is a whopping +77 and averages 1 point per game in both playoffs and regular season...I don't think we can ask much more than that...I will concede he gives up the puck more than others on his team but he handles the puck waaaaay more, plays more minutes than most and scores more than most.  I've also noticed a much more dedicated 2 way game from him this year as he has matured.  He seems much more responsible defensively.  As for courturier he's got a hat trick but look at the whole series....NO defense super sloppy hockey and talk about turnovers...yikes. very entertaining though! It's fair to say he'd have been a good fit in Ottawa but Im happy with what murray put together for us this year.  BTW I've never in 20 years seen the Sens skate the way they have been the last 2 games!  Very fun games to watch intensity is amazing.

[NanoSF]

+77 in 9 years is not exactly whopping. I mean we are talking about a team that was very good for a lot of the time he was on the team and he averages only +8.5 per year. That is by no means whopping. I agree that I have liked his game much better this year defensively and for a lot of the year the turnovers were less than normal. I want him on the team, and at times I even like him. He's not as good as his points make him seem, but he is useful at times. He is not worth the money he is being paid no matter what level it is exactly.

Courturier isn't exactly responsible for the lack of defence going on in that series. It seems to be the way the two teams have decided to play it. I am happy with what Murray has done with the team this year and for the future. I just really think we missed out on a better pick.