The SBP Archives - Your less than frequent dose of SBP!

Okay, so that might be a pretty lame title. But with the NHL trade deadline today, it made for some great water cooler talk and of course some anticipation for weary Sens fans wondering if their team can make any moves that would right their ship that has gone way off course this season.

My master plan of signing goaltender Niklas Backstrom from the Minnesota Wild went astray yesterday, so the list of available goaltenders became thin. Since Ottawa won't make the playoffs (listen, they aren't going to win 20 games in a row), they could afford to make a deal for injured Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Pascal Leclaire. Now Leclaire posted really good numbers last season but he has been plagued by injuries and it's uncertain whether he's a flash in the pan or the real deal. But in my opinion, he a better option than what the Sens have so far. And you have to like the fact Leclaire is from Quebec, where for some reason churn out quality NHL goalies one after the other. There is no certainty he'll work out, but all I can do as a Sens fan is cross my fingers and hope for the best.

Antoine Vermette was sad to be let go and had to fight back some tears in his press conference, but I really think a change of scenery is what's needed for him. I don't think he ever really reached his potential as a true top six forward, and getting a chance to play on a regular shift with Rick Nash might do the trick.

It was surprising to me Ottawa re-signed d-man Filip Kuba for another three years. I think this was an area Ottawa needed to improve on...he's a more skilled defenceman than your average player but I don't think he's in the same league as a Phaneuf, a Green or a Bouwmeester. His $3.7 million salary per year is actually reasonable for NHL standards, but I don't think Ottawa can try to land a true #1 d with that money tied into him.

At the same time, it was nice to hear Kuba talk about the Senators organization and how much he liked playing here. And when you have Vermette sad to leave...despite the disappointing season and all the criticism the team has had to endure this year, seeing players still wanting to stay speaks volumes on how well the organization handles its players. If Ottawa develops a good reputation in this area, this bodes well when they pursue UFAs and draft picks to play for Ottawa.