Context: This roster mock off-season is what I want to happen within the realm of possibility. I tried to keep my moves as realistic as possible, I am no scout or GM so I’m not going to be 100%. Every move you see has had immense research done on it. This includes looking at past trades, media mocks, projected salaries, watching films on prospects etc. This has taken me over a month to make so I hope you guys enjoy it. my former mocks are on my account, nowhere as good as this one but I’ve been working on this for a while, imma nerd I know.
Draft:
1. San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston University (NCAA
2. Chicago Blackhawks: Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA St. Petersburg Jr. (RUSSIA-JR.)
3. Anaheim Ducks: Artyom Levshunov, RHD, Michigan State
4. Columbus Blue Jackets: Anton Silayev, LHD, Torpedo (RUSSIA)
5. Montreal Canadiens: Beckett Sennecke, RW, Oshawa (OHL)
6. Utah HC: Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat
7. Ottawa Senators: Carter Yakemchuk, RHD, Calgary (WHL) (Big RHD who uses the body well, is very aggressive, fits Ottawa perfectly. Needs to work on this defense but if we pair him with the right coaches he can become part of the core)
8. Seattle Kraken: Zeev Buium, LHD, University of Denver (NCAA)
9. Calgary Flames: Tij Iginla, C, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
10. New Jersey Devils: Sam Dickinson, LHD, London Knights (OHL)
Trade: Ottawa Senators trade Defenseman Jakob Chychrun to the Winnipeg Jets for Forward Nikolaj Ehlers. The trade is one-for-one. (Ottawa Senators trade Jakob Chychrun to Winnipeg for Nikolaj Ehlers, a pretty simple Hockey trade. Winnipeg needs a top 4 Offensive Defenceman and we need another top 6 forward, works well for both teams)
26. Ottawa Senators: Dean Letourneau, C, Boston College (NCAA) (6’7 Forward who has a scoring touch. Risky pick but this guy could become something special. Since we have two picks, this guy is worth the risk to me)
Free Agency:
Players
UFA notables
Alec Martinez, LHD, 1 Year x 2,000,000
(Big defender who will slot perfectly into the bottom pairing as a buffer for Tyler Kleven. Elite shot Blocker, will help the team from stopping shots from getting to the net, lessening the load off the defense. Pair him with JBD another elite shot blocker, and that bottom pairing will be up there with one of the best defensive pairings in the league. Alec will also add a vet presence to that blue line.)
Matt Roy, RHD, 4 Years x $4,000,000
(Another Big defender who’s defensively sound, can put up a bit of points but his main responsibility is being responsible defensively. Will be a huge addition to our top 4 and help our goalies perform better)
Cal Clutterbuck, RW, 1 Year x $1,000,000
(Veteran bottom 6 grinder who will play the game right and add experience to the locker room, we need a guy like this in our bottom 6)
Zach Aston Reese, RW/LW, 1 Year x $775,000
(Depth guy who can spend most of the time in the AHL, elite defensive forward, and can be called up when the bottom 6 has an injury)
RFA notables
Shane Pinto, Center, 4 Years x $3,500,000
Angus Crookshank, LW, 2 Years x $875,000
Parker Kelly, LW/C, 1 years x $825,000
Staff
John Gruden, Associate Coach, Defencemen Coach / Powerplay Coach
(John Gruden was one of the main factors in Boston's historic season last year, he ran the Defence and Powerplay and helped that team break records. He has well-known connections to Steve Staios and Micheal Andlaur so have him brought in as an associate coach and let go of Jack Capuano. Have him run the Defence and Powerplay and hope he can replicate the magic he had in Boston)
Lane Lambert, Assistant Coach, Forwards Coach / Penalty Kill Coach
(While this one is probably the most unlikely thing in the mock I think it could be possible. He only had a season and a half as head coach so I’m not sure it’s out of the question he could consider going back to an assistant role, he has worked with John Gruden in the past so there will be familiarity there. Lane Lambert was in control of the forwards and penalty kill on the islanders, he helped that team with their great two-way play and good penalty kill, so hopefully he can do the same here.)
Nolan Baumgartner, Assistant Coach, Defencemen Coach
(Travis Green will likely want to bring in some familiar faces and I think this will be his choice, former assistant to him in Vancouver in both the NHL and AHL)
Jay Mckee, AHL Head Coach, Forward Coach
(Connections to the front office staff, a good coach in the OHL, would be a nice addition to the AHL Staff)
Marc Methot, Player Development, Defense
Mark Borowiecki, Player Development, Defense
(Both of these signings will help the blue line get better with their defensive responsibilities)
Trade:
Ottawa: Erik Brannstrom (LHD), Mark Kastelic (C), Anton Forsberg (G), 2025 3rd Round pick (FLA)
Utah: Karel Vejmelka (G)
(Ottawa needs to add a new face in between the pipes, and with Korpisalo on an untradeable contract that leaves Forsberg on the chopping block, now, of course, no one is just going to take Forsberg, so he will need to be packaged with a player who can play in the top 4 if given a chance, and a bottom 6 player, as well as a 3rd round pick in 2025 which could be a 2nd by the time this trade happens)
Opening Day lineup:
Forwards:
B. Tkachuk - T. Stützle - N. Ehlers
D. Batherson - J. Norris - C. Giroux
R. Greig - S. Pinto - M. Joseph
A. Crookshank - Z. Ostaphuk - C. Clutterbuck
Defence:
J. Sanderson - M. Roy
T. Chabot - A. Zub
A. Martinez - J. Bernard-Docker
Goalies:
J. Korpisalo
K. Vejmelka
Scratched:
T. Hamonic (NMC or I’d trade him, also Steve Staios said he isn’t considering any buyouts at this time so unlikely he gets bought out)
Cap Space: $953
Opening Day Staff:
NHL
POHO / GM - Steve Staios
Vice POHO - Dave Poulin
AGM - Ryan Bowness
DOHO - Tim Pattyson
Senior Advisor - Jacques Martin
Head of Player Development - Daniel Alfredsson
Head Coach - Travis Green
Associate Coach - John Gruden (Defence Coach / Powerplay)
Assistant Coach - Lane Lambert (Forward Coach / Powerplay)
Well, that’s that. That’s my full off-season breakdown for the Ottawa Senators, I’m hoping most of these things happen. We need big changes for this team to become a contender.
Feel free to ask any questions about any of the moves I made, I’m open to criticism and discussion :)
I agree with almost all of what you say here and your research and effort show, but I think you're about $1.5 million short on Matt Roy and you're probably well short on Alec Martinez, too.
I agree with almost all of what you say here and your research and effort show, but I think you're about $1.5 million short on Matt Roy and you're probably well short on Alec Martinez, too.
See I would agree, but most projections I say was around 3 million for Roy, and 2 million for Martinez. So I went off those
Jets have a greater demand on the rhd side and playing the natural side over off-side, I tend to doubt this trade on that premise, possibly a start to a 3-way trade to get a rhd dman to Winnipeg with some term or potential to extend.
Thanks for the in depth breakdown. I like your projection for the coaching/development staff. Do you think it’s possible Ottawa can place Hammer on LTIR? Wouldn’t be a complete shock if his nagging injuries from the hard miles he put on caught up to him.
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Greig,
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