Big Contracts, Bad Teams, and Third Jerseys

As we patiently await the return of Sens hockey tonight in Manhattan, enjoy some schadenfreude and ponder the minutiae of hockey fandom with me.

Nashville Predators

As Shaan noted on Thursday, the Preds locked up their captain, Roman Josi, to an eight-year $72.4M contract last week, making Josi the highest-paid left-handed defender in the league next year. Josi has had an impressive career in Nashville accumulating 362 points in 577 NHL games with an extra 32 playoff points to boot. The stats crowd, however, don’t seem sold on this contract.

"But he plays tough competition" is mostly disingenuous nonsense from most corners but a) all of the predators top four have faced ~identical opposition profiles for years now, it's an extremely distinctive aspect of their team and b) it's dwarfed here, like usual, by teammates. https://t.co/8YMDr7zWxQ

— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) October 29, 2019

But wait, there’s more! Nashville also revealed their alternate jerseys for the upcoming winter classic. Say what you will about the Predators’ uniforms, they remain, if nothing else, the most polarizing in hockey. They gambled with an ambitious colour scheme so I give them credit for that. I just expect so much more from a sabre-toothed tiger. How do you whiff on a sabre-toothed tiger? If Mike Fisher, Kyle Turris, and Matt Duchene taught us anything, we’ll see Jean-Garbiel Pageau in one of these bad boys any day now.

San Jose Sharks

With any luck, I won’t have to talk about our ex again until the draft lottery. For now, let’s check in on Erik Karlsson and those Sharks:

• The Sharks have lost three more games since losing to the Senators
• Erik Karlsson may have received some boos at home
• Ottawa could have two lottery picks in the 2020 draft/

As it turns out, losing to the 2019 Ottawa Senators can only mean bad things. Chelena Goldman got some of the Sharks’ thoughts as their losing streak reached five games. Will the Sharks upgrade their goaltending? (Probably not) Will they find that missing chemistry? (Probably yes) Should Pete Deboer strip Logan Couture of his captaincy? (Probably maybe)

(Your) Ottawa Senators

In a spicy little piece, that completely flew under my radar, Ken Warren disclosed that Pierre Dorion has spoken with Bobby Ryan’s agents about moving the right winger. To me, logically, this story only failed to make waves because of the low probability of Dorion actually finding a trade partner. Even if Ottawa retains half of Ryan’s salary, few teams will pay $3.75M over two and a half seasons for a player whose skill-set includes powerplay okayness and being right-handed. For this trade to ever manifest, Dorion would need a trade partner looking to move a contract obstructing more that $21M in cap space and Ottawa would have to receive a contract worth less than $21M in actual money. It could happen in today’s NHL. If it does, Ottawa will send the higher pick with Bobby Ryan.

Let’s end on a positive note, shall we? The Belleville Senators revealed their third jerseys and, much like their primary and secondary jerseys, they look quite handsome. They have the simplicity, the boldness, and the appeal to tradition that Senators fans have begged for. Feast your eyes on these beauties.

🔴🔴🔴 #fortheB pic.twitter.com/2bHWfMUHDg

— Belleville Senators (@BellevilleSens) October 25, 2019