BY DEREK CARSON – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
I’d hate to be Bryan Murray during the lockout this year. How do you decide what to do when you have so many options? Make a move? Don’t make a move? Long-term? Short-term?
The Sens have over $15 million in cap space to play with, but don’t have a second round pick in the upcoming draft (they traded it last year for Ben Bishop).
Murray likely won’t trade his first round pick this year as he is staying the course of his rebuild, so that leaves the Sens with a third round pick or players/prospects they can trade for an impact player.
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The biggest name in Ottawa who could be used as trade bait is Ben Bishop (8-5-1, .922 save percentage, 2.45 GAA). He stepped in for Craig Anderson after Anderson was sidelined with an ankle injury on February 21 in a game against the New York Rangers. Until his injury, Anderson was the leading Vezina candidate. Now Bishop has taken the starter’s role over Robyn Lehner and has proven to be a very capable number one goalie.
What do the Sens need? Offence. Lots and lots of offence. The Sens are tied for 24th in the league for goals for this season. That’s not good. Luckily they’ve had very good goaltending and a good defensive game to keep them on the winning side of things.
To get that offence, though, Murray won’t sell the future, especially for a rental. I’m looking for Murray to follow his rebuild strategy and make a move for the long-term. That’s why I’m thinking that a player like Florida Panthers’ Tomas Kopecky would be a great addition to this Sens team.
Kopecky is big, gritty and he has good hands. What’s more is that he has two years left on his contract after this season and only has a $3 million cap hit.
Florida will need someone to fill the goaltending void when José Théodore’s contract expires at the end of this year. Who better to tandem with Florida’s young Jacob Markstrom than Ben Bishop?
What would it take? To get Kopecky I’m thinking Ben Bishop, the third round pick and a decent prospect like Mike Hoffman or Mark Stone. Kopecky is 31 years old, so I think that should do.
Whatever Bryan Murray decides to do, I can tell you this: there will be some Sens fans who are disappointed. As for me, I only care what Alfie thinks, so I’ll reserve judgement until I hear from him.