Weekly Question: If you had to pick one...
Two scenarios to get your brains thinking on a Saturday without a game
I think we’ve hashed out all of the issues plaguing this team.
Between NKB’s notebooks on the drop pass on the powerplay and the poor penalty kill, Nada’s nostalgic reflections, Brandon’s commentary on the new additions, and the game recaps, the issues are in plain sight. Others in the community have weighed in as well. Over at WTYKY, Varada penned an article on whether the games have actually been that bad while Luke commented on the futility of the other teams in the Canadian division.
It has me thinking about the way I’d like this season to unfold, and so I thought I’d pose two scenarios to you. Life is complex, most dichotomies are false, and the likely scenario is probably one that’s in the middle of these options, but for the sake of discussion, I’m curious about taking your pulse, dear reader:
1. The Senators continue to lose, and finish in the bottom five for the fourth straight season. However, “young” players are actually the ones making the mistakes. Logan Brown, Filip Chlapik, and Alex Formenton are in the lineup full-time receiving bottom-six minutes, as are Christian Wolanin, Artem Zub, and Erik Brännström on defence.
2. The Senators don’t make the playoffs, but bounce back and have a respectable season —finishing fifth in the division. The team’s top line of Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, and Drake Batherson continues to excel, while Tim Stützle gets more comfortable as a top-six winger. The improvement, though, comes from the veterans, who needed 10-15 games to get their legs under them, adjust to a new system, and ultimately provide what they were brought in for: healthy competition and modest year-over-year improvement to counter a “culture of losing”. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the trade deadline is quiet and the veterans on one-year deals aren’t moved. Logan Brown, Erik Brännström and company receive top minutes in the reduced, weaker Canadian division of the AHL.
What are the pros and cons of these scenarios? Which would you prefer? Do you have an alternative option in mind? Let us know in the comments!
Which scenario would you prefer?
| Option 1: Kids are playing, team continues to lose | 193 |
| Option 2: Current prospects continue their good run, veterans improve, team shows growth in terms of standing points | 98 |
| Other: Answer in the comments section | 11 |