Max Power
8-08-05, 2:03 PM
OK Ian Mandes is a clown. All Sens fans want is news on progress of our RFA signings and rather sportsnet publishes this trash. God I'd love if any of theses guys took their job seriously and did some real reporting.
All's quiet on the Rideau at the moment because Ottawa's actions were loudest last summer.
If you believe the paranoid Senators fans out there, John Muckler has joined Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Hoffa on the list of most famous missing persons.
In a week in which the other Canadian teams stole the headlines by splashing into the free-agent market, the Senators general manager was nowhere to be seen.
The Oilers landed Chris Pronger and Mike Peca. The Flames signed Tony Amonte and Darren McCarty, not to mention Jarome Iginla. The Canucks breathed a sigh of relief by retaining captain Markus Naslund. Even the Montreal Canadiens got into the act, by keeping Alexei Kovalev and grabbing free agent Mathieu Dandenault.
And to counter all of these big moves, John Muckler responded by signing Denis Hamel. Whoops. I meant to say by re-signing Denis Hamel.
What on earth is Muckler thinking? How can he sit there, while everyone else around him improves?
And forget the other Canadian teams for a moment. In the Eastern Conference alone, the Penguins, Flyers, Panthers and Islanders have all made significant upgrades in recent days.
While everyone else is moving and shaking right now, paranoid Senators fans need to remember this: Muckler already made his big sweeping changes.
When we last saw the Senators on the ice, they were a humiliated and pathetic-looking bunch - leaving the ice at the Air Canada Centre after an embarrassing Game 7 loss to the Maple Leafs.
After that game, the phone lines to talk shows in Ottawa heated up.
"We can't win with Lalime!"
"Jacques Martin has to go!"
Those were the two most common complaints about the Senators. The fans were demanding significant changes.
And guess what? John Muckler actually listened.
Heading into the lockout, the Senators made the most dramatic and sweeping changes of any of the six Canadian teams. They fired their coach and they replaced their starting goalie.
By luring Dominik Hasek out of retirement, the Senators made the most significant and newsworthy free agent signing of last summer. It was a coup like no other in franchise history. Arguably the best goaltender of the past 10 years was coming to Ottawa.
And by firing Jacques Martin and his coaching staff just days after losing to the Leafs (again), Muckler proved he was willing to shake up this organization.
Now whether or not the tandem of Bryan Murray and Dominik Hasek is the answer to the Senators recent playoff woes is the fodder for another column.
The Senators hiring of Murray and signing of Hasek was their big, splashy move. They can't really top that this summer, by going out and signing a second-tier free agent like Martin Lapointe or Darren McCarty.
Apparently, people around here have short memories. They can't believe how the team is sleeping during this free agency period. And yet, 15 months ago, when those same fans were screaming the loudest for changes, Muckler listened.
You desperately wanted a new coach and a new goalie - and he delivered.
And now, you don't seem to remember this housecleaning because it happened more than a year ago.
Ottawa fans simply read the headlines in the papers in recent days and complain that Muckler is doing nothing. In reality, the Senators have made their significant changes already. It's just too bad they happened a year ago and were muted by the lockout.
If you are a Senators fan waiting for the team to make some drastic changes after the lockout, do yourself a favor. Get a DeLorian, make a time machine and go back to last summer - because that's when the sweeping changes were made around here.
All's quiet on the Rideau at the moment because Ottawa's actions were loudest last summer.
If you believe the paranoid Senators fans out there, John Muckler has joined Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Hoffa on the list of most famous missing persons.
In a week in which the other Canadian teams stole the headlines by splashing into the free-agent market, the Senators general manager was nowhere to be seen.
The Oilers landed Chris Pronger and Mike Peca. The Flames signed Tony Amonte and Darren McCarty, not to mention Jarome Iginla. The Canucks breathed a sigh of relief by retaining captain Markus Naslund. Even the Montreal Canadiens got into the act, by keeping Alexei Kovalev and grabbing free agent Mathieu Dandenault.
And to counter all of these big moves, John Muckler responded by signing Denis Hamel. Whoops. I meant to say by re-signing Denis Hamel.
What on earth is Muckler thinking? How can he sit there, while everyone else around him improves?
And forget the other Canadian teams for a moment. In the Eastern Conference alone, the Penguins, Flyers, Panthers and Islanders have all made significant upgrades in recent days.
While everyone else is moving and shaking right now, paranoid Senators fans need to remember this: Muckler already made his big sweeping changes.
When we last saw the Senators on the ice, they were a humiliated and pathetic-looking bunch - leaving the ice at the Air Canada Centre after an embarrassing Game 7 loss to the Maple Leafs.
After that game, the phone lines to talk shows in Ottawa heated up.
"We can't win with Lalime!"
"Jacques Martin has to go!"
Those were the two most common complaints about the Senators. The fans were demanding significant changes.
And guess what? John Muckler actually listened.
Heading into the lockout, the Senators made the most dramatic and sweeping changes of any of the six Canadian teams. They fired their coach and they replaced their starting goalie.
By luring Dominik Hasek out of retirement, the Senators made the most significant and newsworthy free agent signing of last summer. It was a coup like no other in franchise history. Arguably the best goaltender of the past 10 years was coming to Ottawa.
And by firing Jacques Martin and his coaching staff just days after losing to the Leafs (again), Muckler proved he was willing to shake up this organization.
Now whether or not the tandem of Bryan Murray and Dominik Hasek is the answer to the Senators recent playoff woes is the fodder for another column.
The Senators hiring of Murray and signing of Hasek was their big, splashy move. They can't really top that this summer, by going out and signing a second-tier free agent like Martin Lapointe or Darren McCarty.
Apparently, people around here have short memories. They can't believe how the team is sleeping during this free agency period. And yet, 15 months ago, when those same fans were screaming the loudest for changes, Muckler listened.
You desperately wanted a new coach and a new goalie - and he delivered.
And now, you don't seem to remember this housecleaning because it happened more than a year ago.
Ottawa fans simply read the headlines in the papers in recent days and complain that Muckler is doing nothing. In reality, the Senators have made their significant changes already. It's just too bad they happened a year ago and were muted by the lockout.
If you are a Senators fan waiting for the team to make some drastic changes after the lockout, do yourself a favor. Get a DeLorian, make a time machine and go back to last summer - because that's when the sweeping changes were made around here.