How will the Mike Fisher trade affect the Senators going forward?
1. Does this mean Bryan Murray is staying as GM?
There are many people who believe that Bryan Murray is a lame-duck general manager, since he's in the last year of his contract. But if Murray is a powerless GM - as some have suggested - his ability to trade a cornerstone like Fisher is significant.
Perhaps Murray has been simply mandated by ownership to clear salary. That is probably the case, but I believe he's actually hit a home run here. He was able to land a first-round pick and not take back any significant salary. Those are two pretty big feathers in the cap of a GM trying to save his job.
Don't under-estimate the possibility of Murray overseeing the re-build in Ottawa in some capacity. The 2011 NHL Entry Draft might be the most important in franchise history and you need your scouts and hockey operations department to be fully prepared for the task.
What has been Murray's strongest asset since taking over as GM in the summer of 2007? It is his ability to draft.
2. Is this a sign of a complete re-build in Ottawa?
The trade of Fisher and the seemingly imminent departure of Chris Phillips means that the Senators are finally doing what their harshest critics have suggested for years: Blow up the core. Bryan Murray will move whatever salary he can between now and the trade deadline on February 28th.
I can honestly say they would seriously entertain offers on about a dozen of the players on their NHL roster. The full-scale re-build is clearly underway, as the Sens should have multiple first-round picks in the NHL Entry Draft, plus significant cap space to play with this summer.
They have a bevy of talented defensemen in the system and a young goalie that is probably two years away from being a full-time starter. That extra cap space means they could land some pieces to make them competitive next season, but the big picture seems to suggest that the organization is going to shy away from making those big, splashy signings on July 1st.
For the first time in ages, the motto of the 2011-12 Ottawa Senators probably won't include the word playoffs. If they happen to make the post-season that would be a bonus. But the expectation levels are being dramatically shifted in Ottawa.
3. Does this mean Jason Spezza is staying put or is he more likely to be traded?
The trading of Fisher makes Ottawa's situation at centre even more alarming. The club does not have any blue-chip prospects waiting to step in at the centre position next season. They could make Nick Foligno or Peter Regin into full-time centres, but both don't have the pedigree of Fisher just yet. And that makes the role of Spezza even more important going forward.
At 27 years of age, Spezza is young enough where he can be a key part of a re-building process that takes two or three years. If the club wants to stay competitive in the interim and keep Spezza happy, they would be well-served to find him a 30-goal scoring winger. Those guys don't fall off trees very often, but Spezza needs a quality winger to play with on the first line. The most logical route to landing someone like that is via trade, as this year's free agent crop isn't strong.
4. Will the Fisher deal finally lead to a goalie?
Stop me if you've heard this one before: The Ottawa Senators desperately need a goaltender. And now that they are collecting some assets, this might be a good time to try and land a legitimate puck-stopper.
Yes, Robin Lehner has the makings of a solid goaltender. But as we've found out in Ottawa, you learn to never assume anything about masked men wearing Sens jerseys.
When the Flyers were in a similar situation, they traded for Martin Biron to stabilize the goaltending position. If Ottawa wants a bridge to Robin Lehner, they could go out and land a similar veteran goalie to play the majority of games for the next two seasons.
Alternatively, they could use some of their newly acquired assets and cap space to go after a young netminder like a Cory Schneider this summer, if Vancouver deems him expendable. Asking price would probably be a first-round pick and one of those blue-chip defensemen. Theoretically, the Sens could meet that demand.
That would create a situation where two young goalies are battling for the number one job. In any event, the Senators appear to have options on the goaltending front. And there is no glossing over the fact that the team seriously needs to address that issue before next season.
5. What is Fisher's legacy in Ottawa?
Fisher was the second- most popular player in franchise history, behind only Daniel Alfredsson. He may not have put up impressive offensive numbers, but his work ethic and dedication to the community made him a fan favorite.
Some felt that Fisher was a third-line centre being paid like a top-six guy. As a result, some of his shine wore off in the past couple of years.
But let's put it this way; I've watched many former Sens stars return to Ottawa and get booed. Some of them got booed for good reason (Yashin and Heatley) and some for no reason at all (Hossa). I can pretty much guarantee you when Mike Fisher touches the puck for the first time at Scotiabank Place wearing a Nashville jersey, the home crowd will give him a warm reception.
And that is all you need to know about Mike Fisher's legacy in Ottawa.
