Hmm, If Zib plays at wing I don't see us having any big holes really, kinda surprises me. However that is reliant on Noesen, Puempel and Pageau all making the team. Regardless it is only 3 players all in the projected bottom 6, that aren't looking like sure things, we would be relying on developing her
I'm uncertain whether or not Weir can make the jump to the NHL. Regardless we would have to bring in some new guys, but that isn't terrible if we manage our cap well.
I really like Michalek but in 5 years he'll be 32 and I don't know if he'll still be on the team by then.
The top 3 winger positions can be filled up by: Noesen/Puempel/Stone/Zibanejad/Huge UFA acquisition/trade.
I'm confident we'll land a high-end young forward that's around the mold of Perry/Ryan. So hypothetically filling up the spots the roster would look something like this:
I honestly think that in 5 years, Bishop will have proven to be a strong starter and drawn interest from other teams that would give up a good deal for him and we'd give him the starting job he couldn't get here. Brassard or one of our goaltending prospects would have been ready to make the leap or a UFA signing. Good back-ups are dime a dozen.
Depends on Lehner. If he develops into an elite NHL starter, we'll be a playoff team for many years. He looks like he will be this teams future #1, doubt Bishop is able to outplay him, and I doubt Anderson will be able to stop him from taking the reigns. Doubt either are here in 5 seasons.
Cowen - Karlsson could be one of the best pairings in the league by then. If Ceci develops into a top 4 dman, and we can sign a veteran who is an asset in the top 4, then we'll be set up nicely on defense. I'm expecting any combination of Wiercioch/Borowiecki/Methot/signed or traded for dman to make up our bottom two. Wikstrand, Sdao, Claesson and Aneloski could possibly surprise.
At forward we'll still have Spezza, Turris, Smith as our top 3 centers. Hopefully Michalek is still playing for us at the top of his game. Silfverberg and Stone end up as top 6 wingers. Zibanejad is the wild card, could end up as our 3rd line center in a Jordan Staal role, or he could turn into a top 6 scoring threat aka Michalek. I think he'll be an asset for the team whatever position we place him in. Prince, Puempel, Noesen, Hoffman and Pageau are longshots to upset Stone, Silfverberg, Zibanejad, but a number of them could fit in well in a 3rd line role, or potentially give us a 3 line scoring team.
My guess for a lineup? (probably going to look at this and laugh one day)
Zibanejad - Spezza - Michalek
Silfverberg - Turris - Stone
Prince - Smith - Noesen
Maidens - Grant - Kramer
1. I'd say 4th in the conference. A decent team but won't make the conference final.
2. As for the roster...ugh. Five years is a long time.
Will Spezza's back hold out? Not sure. Seeing the game get younger, faster, and more physical, I doubt it. If he is still here, he probably won't be all that effective as a true #1 center in that time. Not at age 34.
I kinda have the feeling Karlsson will be shipped out by them for financial reasons. (Yeah, I'll take massive heat for that, but he'll command huge money in his next deal - if things go well for him - and I don't think the team can afford that unless we're the cup favs, which we won't be, as our prospect stable isn't that great and future progress will keep us out of elite pick range.)
Lehner should be in net for us by then. A true #1? Maybe. He'll be a 50-game starter.
Ceci will probably be the next Phillips. Solid all around but no spectacular anywhere. Good anchor, good character.
Don't see Stone or Noesen making the full time jump to the NHL.
Zibanejad will be a solid 15 goal scorer on the 2nd or 3rd line. Provides jam and relentless work ethic.
1. I'd say 4th in the conference. A decent team but won't make the conference final.
2. As for the roster...ugh. Five years is a long time.
Will Spezza's back hold out? Not sure. Seeing the game get younger, faster, and more physical, I doubt it. If he is still here, he probably won't be all that effective as a true #1 center in that time. Not at age 34.
I kinda have the feeling Karlsson will be shipped out by them for financial reasons. (Yeah, I'll take massive heat for that, but he'll command huge money in his next deal - if things go well for him - and I don't think the team can afford that unless we're the cup favs, which we won't be, as our prospect stable isn't that great and future progress will keep us out of elite pick range.)
Lehner should be in net for us by then. A true #1? Maybe. He'll be a 50-game starter.
Ceci will probably be the next Phillips. Solid all around but no spectacular anywhere. Good anchor, good character.
Don't see Stone or Noesen making the full time jump to the NHL.
Zibanejad will be a solid 15 goal scorer on the 2nd or 3rd line. Provides jam and relentless work ethic.
Kind of a downer projection. But oddly with out much talent you still have the Sens finishing 4th.
No Free Agents over the next five years? No trades? All of our first round picks over the next five years fail to crack the roster?
Looks way to similar to our current roster in my opinion.
Here's what our team looked like five years ago.
Heatley - Spezza -Alfie
Schaefer - Fish - Vermette
Eaves - Kelly - McAmmond
Gratts - Comrie - Neil
Phillips - Redden
Meszaros - Anton
Corvo - Presing
Schubert
Gerber
Emery
^^ This.
The key to these roster predictions is whether Bryan Murray or his puppet/mouthpiece Tim will be the GM. If either of them are here (And Melnyk loves them so no reason to think otherwise) then you can count on their draftees to graduate and the team will slowly return to contention. If the team collapses again when hockey returns, I can see a new GM coming in with a new vision and some of these kids traded. At some point the new team will have to succeed in the playoffs and replacing Alfie, Phillips et al. will be a part of that.
As for Spezza...he's really a wild card. I can see him signing long-term if he gets the "C", but if they should decide to give the "C" to Karlsson or Silfverberg or...if the team is medicore it might wear on him and he might want to sign elsewhere.
I'll just say the team should be 4-6 consistently, occasionally pushing for first in the East.
1. I'd say 4th in the conference. A decent team but won't make the conference final.
2. As for the roster...ugh. Five years is a long time.
Will Spezza's back hold out? Not sure. Seeing the game get younger, faster, and more physical, I doubt it. If he is still here, he probably won't be all that effective as a true #1 center in that time. Not at age 34.
I kinda have the feeling Karlsson will be shipped out by them for financial reasons. (Yeah, I'll take massive heat for that, but he'll command huge money in his next deal - if things go well for him - and I don't think the team can afford that unless we're the cup favs, which we won't be, as our prospect stable isn't that great and future progress will keep us out of elite pick range.)
Lehner should be in net for us by then. A true #1? Maybe. He'll be a 50-game starter.
Ceci will probably be the next Phillips. Solid all around but no spectacular anywhere. Good anchor, good character.
Don't see Stone or Noesen making the full time jump to the NHL.
Zibanejad will be a solid 15 goal scorer on the 2nd or 3rd line. Provides jam and relentless work ethic.
You do realize we are talking about 5 YEARS from now. Stone will be 25. Noesen will be 24. If those guys aren't in the NHL or sniffing the NHL by then they're probably busts.
Lehner is already looking like a capable NHL starter NOW and you don't think he'd be a true #1 in 5 years? If he isn't then I'm afraid Lehner didn't pan out. I expect Lehner to take the reigns fully in 2-3 years. I wouldn't be surprised if he is already getting a boatload of games next year if he continues his AHL tear.
Karlsson signed a 7 year deal. He is our franchise defender. You don't trade away franchise defenders, no matter what the financial reasons.
No Free Agents over the next five years? No trades? All of our first round picks over the next five years fail to crack the roster?
Looks way to similar to our current roster in my opinion.
Here's what our team looked like five years ago.
Heatley - Spezza -Alfie
Schaefer - Fish - Vermette
Eaves - Kelly - McAmmond
Gratts - Comrie - Neil
Phillips - Redden
Meszaros - Anton
Corvo - Presing
Schubert
Gerber
Emery
Nope, we build from within and obviously none of these are gonna be accurate anyways. Are you gonna complain to someone who tried to predict our current roster 5 years ago because they didn't have Gonchar or Zibanejad on it?
