Decision Time for Murray

With the trade deadline fast approaching, Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray must decide who stays and who goes up until February 28th. The struggling Senators are currently in the basement of the Eastern Conference standings, along with the New York Islanders, and the red hot New Jersey Devils, who have won eight of their last ten games. Bryan Murray has kept his lips sealed on what the Senators plans are going into the trade deadline, but with a team that has failed to come anywhere close to their high expectations this season, Murray will likely look to make a move or two.

Although Murray has not indicated which direction he plans on taking this team in the future, with such a dismal season going for the Senators, Murray’s best bet may be to trade some of the older veterans that Ottawa currently has on the team taking up a bulk of their cap space. Every year there are teams looking to add that extra player for the playoff push, and Ottawa appears to be one of those teams that other General Managers would be intersted in trading with, due to their poor record, and due to the fact that Murray will likely be looking to the future with younger players rather than older players, since Ottawa’s opportunity for a championship this season has passed them by quite early in the season.

Look for defenseman Filip Kuba, Chris Campoli and Chris Phillips to be names that will be frequently brought up in trade rumours. Ottawa has an abundance of young talent in their minor league system on the defensive front that will make a huge impact on the NHL in the near future, compared to their offensive prospects.

Last but not least, he has to deal with the head coach Cory Clouston, who has arguably taken the most heat for Ottawa’s performance this season. Murray has been vague as to not give any idea of what he will do regarding this matter. Murray has also admitted that his future is as unclear as Clouston’s is, so it may very well be possible that Ottawa will need to fill more than one vacancy in the off-season. 

Although Ottawa is not a great team now, they have the tools to become great maybe not in the near future, but the next three to four years. If Ottawa wants to become a constant contender for years to come, they should start the rebuilding process with younger players. Bryan Murray does not want to reveal his plan, but based on what Ottawa is currently experiencing, look for Ottawa to start rebuilding team with young players in the near future.

tsn.ca

 

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