markoftrad

"The Home for Sens"

Ottawa, ON • Canada • 27 Years Old • Male

The backend of the Offseason and your Sens trade rumors

Its the back end off the Off Season all the important guys are signed. Yes Sundin is out there but for the sake of argument he isn't an important signing unless he signs somewhere other than Montreal or Toronto. Niether team needs him or should sign him. Montreal has way to much young talent ready for the big show to "use up" a roster spot for and aging albeit talented Sundin. There is really no need for him besides overkill.

Sean McCormick of Sportsnet said it best. The Leafs season should be a planned flopp, all the signings made this off-season point to the 09-10 season as the rebirth. Joseph will be retired after his one year pine ride. McCabe buy-out becomes a little less ridiculous. Kubina will be moved by then. Blake will be moveable and Stajan, Steen or Kaberle will be called upon to lead the Leafs back into a less pathetic franchise.

But Anyways the BIGGEST thing going on in Hockey and it should be is the Radulov/Filatov/KHL/NHL debocle. Now if you don't know the story by know of atleast the Radulov situation than you obviously either don't care or don't think it matters. (Sidenote: I'm tired and haven't relooked up Radulovs new team, I believe its Atlant Avansgard.)

Just to update you on the story of Nikoli Filatov. He's Columbus' 1# pick this year, 6th Overall. Columbus has signed him to a contract and are bringing him to America WHERE HE WANTS to play. The KHL and his former team claim to own his rights for another season and want either his NHL contract turn-up and return him to russia or have Columbus to pay 1.5 million U.S. for his rights. Niether of which will happen. And for those who know the Radulov situation and have been listening to the claims of how its the exact same it......its way off. Radulov has one-year left on his legally binding NHL Contract, where Filatov, followed Russian labour laws and gave his two-week notice to get out of his contract legally and making himself a free-agent worldwide months prior to the Draft again which LEGALLY BY RUSSIAN LAW makes him nobodies property, that is till Columbus signed him.

Now the KHL argue they still own his rights....which legally the don't. And even tryed to call it even by saying "you keep Filatov we get Radulov." Which was quickly shot down by the NHL. Then they offer 200k for his rights, which is what NHL teams use to pay for Russians under contract, again the reply was NO. Now it really isn't worth Radulov's new team nor the KHL to argue and force "thier right" to Radulov as it will force Radulov out of ALL IIHF sanctioned hockey events i.e. World Cup and Olympics for the length of the contract but more importantly Radulovs Russian club would be banned from the European Champions League, which Radulov's new team could be playing in if Radulov's russian contract is cancelled and he returns to the NHL.

So on paper KHL loses and looks bad like they already do and NHL wins.... Well theres the problem, anyone believe Radulov is going to even make an effort if he is forced back to the NHL? If you are unsure of the answer, look what happened when Yashin was forced to play for Ottawa one extra season. It went badly, Yashin produced sorta but really didn't put an effort in. Radulov is younger so the betting odds will say he is going to be more of a liabilty on the ice than help for an already struggling Nashville Franchise. He won't have ANY trade value except to the Russian heavy Washington Capitals. (MAYBE)

So unless I'm missing something this doesn't have a good ending, Radulovs current attitude along with the KHL isn't going to fix anything. All i see coming out of this is Nashville getting a wack of cash and maybe a conditional pick from the NHL and Radulov being banned from international competion and sadly KHL wins the Radulov situation. One thing is for sure if Radulov does play in the KHL next season the poop will hit the fan and NHL teams will use Russia's retarded labour laws to thier favor and poach young stars from Russia.Because the only players the NHL could lose to the KHL are Overrated Russian Prospects and aging NHL Stars.All the other European Star players want to play in the NHL and seemily so does almost all the young Russian and North American players. You will never see Malkin, Crosby, Nash, Getzlaf, Phaneuf, Ovechkin, Tavares, Taylor Hall, Lundqvist, Loungo or players of their calibre runout on thier NHL contracts to play for the KHL. I really want to get your opinions on the situation so feel free to e-mail them to me or post them.

And for a taste of Hometown Cooking.....

Theres a rumor the Senators, Chicago Blackhawks and LA Kings are on the verge of a blockbuster deal, which would see G Martin Gerber and D Andrej Meszaros shipping to the Kings, F Anze Kopitar dealt to the Blackhawks and G Nikolai Khabibulin and either D Brent Seabrook or Cam Barker moved to the Senators. Let me point this in the proper direction, not a frgging chance, L.A. needs a solid Goalie, they have more Offense than others can dream of. The have 2 of the most promising Defensive Prospects on thier team with a solid blue-collar group of D-men around them. Trading their Franchise Player for another Young Defenseman and a questionable goalie is retarded period.

Ottawa trades a goalie they don't really care for and a defensemen that doesn't seem to have a team first attitude for an Aging, injury stricken Khabibulin who will cost more than Gerber and probably won't but up much better numbers but Ottawa does get a solid bluechip Defensemen in either Seabrook or Barker and unless Murray is getting dumber too they'd be getting Seabrook. From an Ottawa Fan perspective its alright of a trad for us if we get Seabrook he's our key to the deal. Now Chicago unloads a goalie they don't need but pay by losing a solid defensemen in Seabrook, (Barker doesn't make sense in this trade at all), in return they get a Offesive Dynamo in Kopitar.Great deal for Chicago. For this trade to even make sense Chicago has to give up more and L.A. has to gain more. Ottawa is paying in Meszy but they'd probably have to throw in a Prospect or Neil no big woop if its Neil.

The other Ottawa rumor is that Neil has been dealt with possibly Nikulin to Chicago for Barker. This one makes more sense has Ottawa has picked up Ruutu to replace Neil and Nikulin isn't in Ottawa plans right now. Ottawa has other prospects that'll play before Nikulin in the NHL like Hennessey, Zubov, O'brein, Caporusso and Mauldin. But Nikulin does fit to the playstyle of Chicago. Barker on the other hand is looking like the oddman out now that Campbell has come to down. This trade sounds like the likely one and at this point I would personally be surprised if Barker isn't a Sen come spring training.

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