It is never fun to admit that your favorite team sucks and that they need to change the direction they are going , especially when that direction probably means missing the playoffs for the next few years, but the Ottawa Senators need to start making changes and revamping themselves for the future. This is the strategy they took when they had that long run of playoff streaks, when they built themselves up through the draft and trades with players like Redden, Chara, Hossa, Havlat, Alfredsson, Emery, etc., and it's time to do that again.
The problem is though that they do not have a supportive fan base, so if they start losing games they start losing revenue. This makes it hard for management to waive the white flag because profits will start rapidly dropping, however they are not currently winning anyway so really, what is there to lose?
The Senators have a lot of people on their team capable of playing good hockey, but just not doing it. Is it a coaching issue? Perhaps, but then again these players have gone through 3 coaches in the last 3 years and have not performed particularly well for any of them. Therefore while a coaching and GM change may be required, so is a change in player personnel. A change that makes the team much younger and stocks them with draft picks (for 2011 or 2012 preferably). Here are a few trades that I would like to see happen:
1) Daniel Alfredsson to Los Angeles for Jonathan Bernier, Trevor Lewis and a 2nd Round Draft Pick.
I really like Alfredsson and appreciate all he has done for the team, and while it would be great to have him retire as a Senator, he still has value for a team heading to the playoffs and you need to use that to get a return on him, and a young goaltender to partner with Robin Lehner would be good.
2) Alex Kovalev to Washington for a 4th round draft pick.
I really dislike Kovalev, and I think you'd be lucky to get anything for him at this point, so I'd take a 4th round draft pick or later for him. Who knows maybe he can start scoring in Washington when you pair him with someone like Backstrom and put them over the top.
3) Jason Spezza to Atlanta for either: 1st rd Pick, Niclas Bergfors and Patrice Cormier, or a 2nd rd Pick, Niclas Bergfors and Brian Little.
When healthy Spezza can still perform, but I think you can get more depth by trading him. You won't get as much talent back right away, but players like Bergfors and Little certainly have the potential to become big time players, and with Atlanta in the playoff picture and needing to make it for the revenue stream it will bring in, it makes sense to ship Spezza here.
4) Chris Phillips and Milan Michalek to Nashville for Cody Franson and a 3rd rd pick.
Neither Phillips nor Michalek are going to improve over the next few years. What they are now is as good as its going to get, and that isn't a good thing. They have both gone downhill recently, but a team on the bubble for the playoffs may be able to draw on these veterans for an extra push. Getting Franson in return starts to rebuild a defence that is very porous for Ottawa.
The only people I would not consider trading at this point are Mike Fisher (make him your new captain) and Erik Karlsson. Anyone else on the roster is certainly expendable as long as it leads to opportunity for improvement in the future. Here's to hoping that the Senators management is on the same page as me.
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