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Sens trade Meszaros

Canadian Press

Latest comment posted at 5:35 PM EST 30/08/08

Ottawa trades restricted free-agent defenceman to Lightning for pair of defencemen and a pick on Friday ...Read the full article

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  1. Dave The Rave from Ottawa, Canada writes: A curious transaction, to say the least. One can argue whether or not Meszaros is an upgrade for the Bolts, while Murray gets to fill the holes in his blueline. Why Murray would trade Meszaros to a team in his own division is a good question, but he may not have had many options given the offer sheet and the contract impasse. Kuba's scouting report paints him as a Top 4 D-Man, and Picard is tagged as a Top 6, so what does the Lightning gain?
  2. Howard Young from Canada writes: Tampa signed Meszaros to a 6 year contract for $4 million a season. If that's what it would have taken to keep him in Ottawa, I'm glad Murray didn't cave.

    Kuba has 1 year left on his contract and Picard had just signed a 2 year deal with Tampa. I think Kuba is a good replacement for Meszaros and Picard is the same age as Meszaros. Plus, the Sens get San Jose's 1st round pick as well.

    Tampa is taking a bit of a gamble on Meszaros signing him to a long-term deal. It will be interesting to see how this turns out in the years to come.
  3. Howard Young from Canada writes: Considernig what Ottawa pays Philips ($4 million) and Volchenkov ($2.5 million), paying Meszaros that kind of money would have created some real tension.
  4. dc abrahamson from Japan writes: I think it's a good trade for the Sens as, whether or not it is an upgrade, after last year, the more new faces the better. A bad hangover is always made better when the old beer bottles are nicely put away....

    I guess it's kinda the same story as with the Leafs but I'm beginning to think the Sens might be able to regroup and preform at a high level...especially if they ink that 13 year old....

    (...though it won't happen, how nice would it be to see Jason Smith wear the C?)

    Cheers
  5. Vijay Kumar from Canada writes: lol beer bottles comment.

    also, i was wondering if there can be two C's on a team like two A's ?
  6. Scot Loucks from Pickering, Canada writes: What the hell is Tampa thinking (not sure they are).

    Ottawa's D just got bigger and a straight up .... Kuba for Meszaros would have been fair (imho).

    Tampa now has a Goalie in Mike Smith... he better live up to his billing.... cause they have the youngest D in the league.

    Cheers
  7. Mariposa Belle from Leacockland, Canada writes: Could be a great trade, especially with the draft pick thrown in. Kuba for Meszaros is an immediate upgrade (if only for the phonetically challenged), Picard gets a chance to prove himself in his home town, if he doesn't make it and goes to Bingo, he's still closer to his family.

    And Tampa's 2009 first round pick could be higher than 23rd.

    It seems Tampa believes Meszaros is Ray Bourque in disguise - he certainly had me fooled.
  8. Darren X3 from Toronto, Canada writes: Looks to me like massive overpayment by the Bolts. Nice trade for the Sens.
  9. A M from Canada writes: Vijay Kumar from Canada writes: lol beer bottles comment.

    also, i was wondering if there can be two C's on a team like two A's ?

    ---
    yes there can (think Buffalo 06-07), but they can't both wear it in the same game. In Buffalo's case, Drury and Briere rotated the captaincy on a nightly basis.
  10. Henry Egan from Cyberland, Canada writes: Meszaros is still a bit rough around the edges. Smoothed up a bit, he would be a great player. Was supposed to happen last season but he regressed some. I know Murray would like to give him another year but dollar signs got in the way...
  11. Jim McBob from Canada writes: Very interesting.

    The Sens now have $5.0m of cap space available and their defence is pretty well set. That gives Murray lots of wiggle room now to go get another top 6 forward. A 2nd line centre with hands would be nice.

    I'm sorry to see the Sens having to give up on a young D man but Mez just didn't measure up after Chara left town.

    I'll give Murray a thumbs up on this one.
  12. Scot Loucks from Pickering, Canada writes: This Leaf fan says the Sens won this one big time.

    They now become legitimate playoff contenders again. With or without a goalie.

    Cheers
  13. Steve Church from Canada writes: Tampa Bay won the trade but overpaid. The offer sheet was a bluff, but they got their guy for about the same price. If it's a long-term deal in the $5mil per, the Meszaros contract is high risk ... but he could be a regular all-star selection (and then the deal would be a steal). Otoh, the Sens D just sagged again. It's lost some more speed, some more upside, and Gerber plays better as part of a strong D.
  14. Mariposa Belle from Leacockland, Canada writes: Steve - I disagree. TB seems to operate with a lot of star dust in their eyes.

    I agree that TB overpaid on this. Big Time. The draft pick itself is fair value for Meszaros, to pick up two young D men is a bonus for Murray.

    Ottawa gets two grinding stay at home defenders - as a goalie, it works for me.
  15. Fester Boyle from Bert's, Barbados writes: Great trade by Murray. For me, Meszaros was a bust - he didn't have the heart and now he wants to be paid big time. I agree with the others that TB paid too much. The Sens will finish on top of the North East in 2008-09.
  16. Alex M from Canada writes: I'm not sure if this makes the sens better, but Murray fiscal prudence (in this matter and other recent acquisitions) will benefit the sens in the future. TB (like many teams these days) is overpaying and taking a huge gamble.
  17. Howard Young from Canada writes: Church, Tampa is paying Meszaros $4 million a year for 6 years. I just heard that the contract is heavily weighted on the back end to work within Tampa's cap.

    Meszaros just finished his 3rd regular season with the team and slid backwards this past season.

    Some of the media are saying that Kuba is not a physical player despite his size. I never considered Meszaros a physical player so I see this as a wash at worst. Picking up Picard and the 1st draft pick is a bonus. I don't believe Sens D was hurt by this move.

    Vermette will be happy to have a fellow French Canadian on the team. Now he can share the interviews with the French media (that is, unless the team sends Picard to Bingo).
  18. Scot Loucks from Pickering, Canada writes: Kuba is exactly the same as Meszaros.... but 9 years older. However... he has a year left on a 3m contract. You don't like him after 2009? No problem... he is gone.

    Great trade even up.

    Add in a 22 year old Picard.. (who I admit I know absolutely nothing about) and a first round draft pick.... Ottawa wins big time.

    Check out Picards stats in the Q and in the AHL.... I see tremendous upside and would guess he plays in the AHL this year.

    Steve Church... I disagree.... Meszaros/Kuba is a wash and the Sens fleeced Tampa with the addition of Picard and a first round pick.

    Cheers
  19. Emilio Garazgos from Kanata, Canada writes: New Yawk overpaying for former Sens D-man Redden.

    Tampa paying too much for a mediocreMezaros.

    Boston more than happy to snap up the Big Zee for big bucks.

    Seems that the league thinks quite highly of former Sens D-men and are willing to pay through the wazoo to get one.

  20. Tom h from Canada writes: Meszaros had his best (and only good?) year when he was paired with Zdeno Chara. Hell, I could've had a great year if I was paired with that beast! Good move by Murray!
  21. Dave The Rave from Ottawa, Canada writes: Tampa needs D-men, so they trade two to get one. Ottawa needs a goalie, so they trade for two D-men. I believe they call that 'pretzel logic'.
  22. d nicholls from Kingston, Canada writes: No doubt about it, he had his moments. He might be the next T. Kaberle that the Sens let get away. Then again, he might be the next Karl Rachunek (re: 33 rookie pts as d-man). My guess is that Murray recognizes the game is evolving towards speed, & youngsters with speed will be available aplenty as the scouting systems emphasize them. My lasting memories of Meszaros are of him flying from goal line to opponents' blueline without having that finishing touch, or ruggedness or inventiveness to get in close & create any real havoc. I hope he does well down South while the teams last there, but the edge in this transaction goes to Ottawa, I think...
  23. Daniel Plainview from Canada writes: Good on Murray. The old man swung a decent deal. What will he do with that cap space... GOALIE GOALIE GOALIE! Come on Murray...
  24. Howard Young from Canada writes: I don't believe Murray will make a move for a goalie. He would still like to add some secondary scoring and has expressed interest in Parrish.

    Including Kuba, The Sens have just under $5 million left under the cap. The interesting thing will be next year when the following players become UFAs (Chris Neil, Dean McAmmond, Filip Kuba and Martin Gerber). The Sens will have some flexibility if they want to make additional personnel changes.

    The team could also sign someone for more than $5 million a season but heavily weight the back end of the contract.
  25. Howard Young from Canada writes: By the way. It hasn't really been discussed in great detail, however, apparently Tampa was the team that issued the $5 million offer sheet for Meszaros. The compensation would have been the team's first 3 picks, unfortunately, they had traded their 3rd pick to Pittsburgh. Tampa apparently tried to reaquire the pick but were unsuccessful. When this happened, Tampa worked with Ottawa to make a deal happen.
  26. Raymond Lepage from Ottawa, Canada writes: Murray must be peeing in his pants laughing so hard! Meszaros seems to have as little heart and grit, as well as the same level of greed as another former Sen, Alexei Yashin -- remember him? And remember who the Sens got just for getting rid of Yashin? They got the big Z. Chara AND Spezza, plus a second-round pick. Fast forward to today: the Sens once again pull off another huge caper: not only do they get rid of an arrogant young underachiever, but in exchange for that they actually get TWO solid players, PLUS they get a high first pick for 2009. Wth this transaction, let alone the subtraction of Redden, Emery and McGrattan and the addition of Smith, etc., the Sens are a vastly-improved team.
  27. Howard Young from Canada writes: I'm in Ottawa at the moment, here is an excerpt from the local paper.
    --------------------------
    Murray quote: "I think we got two good players. I know Filip Kuba very well from my days way back (with the Florida Panthers). He's a real solid person and he can run the point on the power play. Picard is a local kid and a high-end prospect."

    Kuba, 6-5 and 225 pounds and a native of Ostrava, Czech Republic, has also played for the Panthers and Minnesota Wild during his career, scoring 55 goals and 152 assists in 531 regular season games. He has had excellent offensive and defensive stretches throughout his career, but is also prone to inconsistency. His high point offensively came in 2006-07 with the Lightning, when he scored 15 goals and 22 assists.

    Picard is well known to hockey fans across the Ottawa River. Originally drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers, he was impressive after joining the Lightning in a trade late last season, scoring three goals and three assists in 20 games. He also showcased his 6-2, 220-pound frame physically and is expected to make his mark with solid bodychecking for the Senators.
  28. Steve Church from Canada writes: Howard Young, yea I found the TSN article. If it does land in nhlnumbers at $4mil in cap over 6 years, the tilt is even better TBL's way. No cap bloat and they got the best player. Kuba's wysiwyg at best; Meszaros is the risk to get the sunshine payoff. But it's not a wash with Kuba, and Meszaros could bring the same kind of swing back to TBL if the plan crashes and the trade deadline looms. Like a poster noted - if Kuba isn't that good he's gone. Guess what, if he is that good ... he's UFA gone (Ottawa's going to pay him Meszaros money ... yea, right.). TBL sails the SS Meszaros for up to 6 years. Put yourself on either roster - who would you rather hear was coming to the squad?
  29. Howard Young from Canada writes: What would concern me if I was a Tampa fan is that Meszaros is now your QB for the powerplay from the point. I'm certain if Tampa had been able to make it work cap wise they would have kept Boyle. However, based upon their budgetary constraints they downgraded for a less expensive and less skilled version of Boyle.

    Steve Church, as far as this next season is concerned, based on what I've seen from Meszaros, I think it is a straight up trade. Yes, Meszaros has potential upside since he's only 22, but that could go either way. I don't believe that potential justifies making him your highest paid d-man when you've got guys like Philips, Volchenkov and Smith making less. For what the Sens are looking for right at this moment, Kuba fits. Plus, they have Picard at 22 who is an investment in the team's future. If you add up the cost of Kuba and Picard, the cost is about $3.8 million, or about $200K less than what Tampa will pay Meszaros this year.

    I didn't read it on TSN, but it's the same info.
  30. Howard Young from Canada writes: Steve Church, were you possibly thinking of Sportsnet? I just went to TSN and the article doesn't articulate the offer sheet details. I just went to Sportnet and they've updated the article from when I originally read it yesterday.

    By the way, as I mentioned in an earlier post the rumour is that Meszaros' contract is more heavily back weighted, he will only make $2.5 million this upcoming season.
  31. Steve Church from Canada writes: Howard, I'd be concerned about the free4all roster TBL is building in any event. Payroll structure wouldn't have been damaged if Meszaros tagged 6@$4mil. Kuba fits? Maybe. Meszaros did fit. Picard's a toss-in (TBL re-signed him and traded him). $200k is a wash. From here, if it came down to what the Sens need now, and Meszaros would have signed for 6@4cap ... I would have gone that route.
  32. Howard Young from Canada writes: Steve, if the Sens had signed Meszaros to $4 million a year for 6 years, I fear we would be watching "Locker Room Problems, Part Deux". Philips may have taken it okay but I think a guy like Volchenkov who sacrifices his body for the team day in and day out would of had a problem with what Meszarsos would have earned.

    They are supposed to be professional, but they still have egos and feelings.
  33. Howard Young from Canada writes: I went and took a look at the "numbers". At $ 4 million a season, he would make more than Vermette and would make more than Alfie starting next year. At $4 million a season, it would effectivly make him the 3rd highest paid player on the team (actually tied with Fisher for 3rd) or 4th if you consider the $5 million that Alfie will earn this season.
  34. Daniel Plainview from Canada writes: Steve Church- Tampa may have gotten the better player- but at what price? Sorry- no way Mez will ever be worth $5m/season.
  35. Stephen Dedalus from Canada writes: I agree Meszaros is overpaid at $4 million a year. But he scored 36 points last year, and we all know what "market value" means in the NHL: the biggest, stupidest, longest-term contract, which is usually drawn up by either the Islanders or the Rangers, given to a player within a certain skill level, becomes the precedent. So Meszaros, who could score 40 or 45 points this year if he gets lots of PP time with Lecavlier, St. Louis and Stamkos, will probably be justified in getting that amount of cash. To me, there's overpaid (he makes how much more than the average doctor?), overpaid (he makes how much more than Mike Green?), and overpaid (he makes almost as much as Keith Tkachuk?).

    Best of luck to Meszaros, though, and hopefully this works out for the Sens. I'm speaking totally objectively, of course . . . I'm just a bit less objective when it comes to the Sens, that's all . . .
  36. Stephen Dedalus from Canada writes: Daniel Plainview from Canada writes: "Steve Church- Tampa may have gotten the better player- but at what price?"

    I agree, DP. To digress: I think the old "who got the better player?" argument is a bit simplistic, or at least overused. Who got the "better player" in the Lindros-for-Half-of-the-Nordiques deal? Philly did (at the time, because Lindros, for my money and before he got hurt repeatedly, was better than Forsberg). Who won the deal? It's extremely close, but I have to go with Quebec, since they won Stanley Cups and had glory and such. I'd say Murray drank Tampa's milkshake in this one.
  37. Allan Martel from Canada writes: For once, Scot Loucks has this deal perfectly pegged.

    Ottawa is the big winner here even though Mazeros will bloom in Tampa and become a better player than he ever would have been in Ottawa.

    Steve Church sees this differently, as he often does. Guess that shows there's a right and a wrong most of the time and only time will tell.

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