It’s a continuation on the thoughts I had yesterday about the Sens’ rebuild and who they should really be looking to as the cornerstones of the franchise for years to come. For those who didn’t read yesterday, I feel as though Jason Spezza, Robin Lehner and Erik Karlsson should be the Big 3 for this team.
However, I was also quick to point out how shaky it is to pick these three as the guys to be building your foundation around. After all, Spezza has become an average player in the last couple of years because of injuries and inconsistency and Lehner/Karlsson are still so young and inexperienced and have major work in front of them to be great NHL players night after night.
For the sake of the entry though, let’s just say that I choose those three guys and am completely satisfied with what they offer. What should the rest of the roster look like for the first couple years of the rebuild? It was a debate that Lee and I were getting into, but it was at the end of the show and it was too little, too late. So, let’s break it down now…
Well, we all know that the team will be relying heavily on youngsters that they feel would be NHL-calibre and ready to take on the task. Sure, there will be some growing pains with these young guys, but in order to know if they have what it takes, they’ll have to go over some bumps in the road. From most accounts, people in Ottawa have accepted that and are OK with it.
But what does the rest of the roster look like? With a lot of talk about veteran guys being moved before the trade deadline, we could see a whole different team next year as opposed to this one. Some people suggest that some veteran players need to be kept around to allow for the team to have some veteran experience. I’m OK with the experience argument, but why does that experience have to come from someone currently on the Sens roster?
The important part of the roster will be the youngsters and the older players will simply be filler. Those older players may prove to be worth keeping around for the long-term, but any older player that suits up next season will be looked upon as interchangeable and expendable.
For the first time in a long time, the Sens will go into next season not really worrying about making the playoffs (they shouldn’t anyways). Sure, they’ll tell you that it’s a goal of theirs and it would be disappointing if they didn’t make it, but let’s get real. Much like the rest of this season, it won’t be about wins and losses next season either. I realize that it’s a bitter pill to swallow for fans that have been used to seeing more winning than losing, but it’s simply a reality that many are going to have to accept and embrace.