Recreating a Decade: Ottawa Senators (NHL 03)

[Canada_Carlos_Ball]

This will be a unique story, centring around the experiences of a rookie GM in charge of a broke-*** organization in the pre-lockout NHL. I will be using NHL 2003. Yes. The game with a young Jarome Iginla on it.

-------------------

September 1st, 2002
Corel Centre
Ottawa, ON, Canada

"We're very happy to unveil our new management team here in Ottawa," rambles NHL commissioner Gary Bettman at a podium a few seats to my left. The anxious crowd of journalists in front of me all look expectantly towards me as Bettman says the words I've been waiting all summer to hear.
"Firstly, the new general manager of the Ottawa Senators will be Carlos Verde."

I smoothly choke on my water. A few of the older reporters in the room chuckle quietly, some nod, others type and scribble furiously.

"Carlos brings a unique kind of experience to the Senators organization," says the short, slimy Bettman. "In his six years coaching and managing the OHL's Sudbury Wolves, Carlos won two and reached four Memorial Cups..."

I tune out of the rest of his speech, and as he unveils the rest of the coaching and management team - my best bud and colleague from Sudbury Ty McDonald as Assistant GM, the recently-retired Bob Essensa as goalie coach, and finally--

"The head coach of the Ottawa Senators for the 2002-2003 season will be Al Arbour," Bettman beams from the podium. I scan the room. Wide eyes, a couple guffaws, and a lot of downcast smiles. "Al coached many an Islander team to many successful seasons, and we firmly believe he has what it takes to help guide this franchise to newfound heights."

With that, the stubby NHL commissioner wraps up the press conference, and Ty and I are immediately swept from the room.

-------------

"Holy christ man, what have we gotten ourselves into," I ask Ty as we get back to the team offices. "We've got the lowest budget in the league, which owns us, a wicked payroll as is, and opening puck drop is just two months away!"

**EDIT: In this alternate universe of the NHL, the season kicks off in early November, and the regular season is only 58 games.**

"Honestly man, don't worry. We'll figure this out. I've already got Randy and our pro scouts checking out tape from last year," he reassures me.

"Alright, let's take a look at our roster," I mutter quietly, determined to make this god-awful situation, with the league owning our franchise, work.

Ottawa Senators Depth Chart - 02-03
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LW	Marian Hossa (91)	Magnus Arvedson (82)	Benoit Brunet (69)	Chris Herperger (68)
C	Radek Bonk (88)	Martin Havlat (86)	Todd White (83)	Mike Fisher (77)
RW	Daniel Alfredsson (95)	Chris Neil (71)	Jody Hull (69)	Josh Langfeld (67)
D #1	Wade Redden (91)	Chris Phillips (82)	Sami Salo (76)	Josef Boumedienne (69)
D #2	Zdeno Chara (86)	Karel Rachunek (80)	Curtis Leschyshyn (73)
G	Patrick Lalime (90)	Jani Hurme (81)	Mike Fountain (64)

"I don't know if, uh, Bettman told you," Ty says sheepishly.

"Just say it man."

"Since we're under league ownership, we can't afford Lalime. Or Havlat. Or Hossa."

I sigh inwardly. This could be a challenge.

[Canada_Carlos_Ball]

September 14th, 2002
Corel Centre, Senators team offices
Ottawa, ON, Canada

---------------------

"Mike buddy, how's it going you goof," I laugh into the office phone. I've got newly-minted Pittsburgh GM Mike Nellis on the horn.

Mike and I go pretty far back. We both started in the same Junior A tier II league in Ottawa, over a decade ago. Myself with the Nepean Raiders, Mike with the then-known Kanata Valley Lasers. We kind of mirrored each other career-wise; he went to North Bay to manage the Centennials the same year I went to Sudbury to take over the Wolves.

He'd had the job in Pittsburgh since the end of last season, while I'd just gotten the reigns in Ottawa. But we both knew that we ready to manage teams in the show.

"Between you and I," I continue, "Bettman's making us dump salary. That means we're inevitably going to give up some good players. I'm giving you, as a colleague and friend that I respect, first dibs."

"Gee Carlos, y'know I heard about your misfortune there with the league owning the team and all...to be honest, things are pretty tight money-wise here too. We might get taken over by the league unless I turn things around quickly. Who've you got to discuss?"

"Marty Havlat. Twenty year-old Czech kid that can play centre or wing. Put up fifty points last year in his sophomore season. We won't be able to afford him when he wants to renegotiate next summer. Interested?"

"Who wouldn't be? What's your offer buddy?"

I pause. I know I want his vet winger, Alexei Morozov. I also know I need a goalie. Gambling and probably overvaluing Havlat, I casually mention a few names.

"How's Morozov, Hedberg, and Kris Beech for Havlat," I ask as neutrally as possible, trying to hide the fact I'm asking him for three NHL-level players in return for a 20 year-old.

"Hm...let me talk to my assistants and get back to you in ten to fifteen minutes alright man? Cheers."

Just as he hangs up, Ty bursts into my office.

"You won't ****ing believe it man," he gasps, looking even more exasperated than usual, "Bettman just waived Lalime!"

"What the ****," I scream. The league just tossed away our all-star goalie, for no reason other than a potential salary dispute in the future.

The phone rings.

"Yeah, we'll take that deal," Mike says curtly. I murmur a thanks of some kind before smashing the receiver down.

What a day, man, what a day," I say to Ty, whose face sinks to the floor.

The phone rings again.

"Who is it," I ask bleakly, about to be totally blindsided.

"You idiot, you really thought I'd take that," guffaws Mike on the other end of the line. "We might both be in bad organizations with our hands tied, but I'm not giving you three NHLers for one kid!"

Sens Transactions

Waived:

• Patrick Lalime (90, G)
• Joel Kwiatkowski (63, D)
• Petr Schastlivy (LW, 63)
• Eric Goldmann (61, D)
• Kevin Miller (61, C)

[Canada_Carlos_Ball]

October 2nd, 2002

SENS IMPLODE BEFORE PUCK EVEN DROPS
Hossa, Havlat leave town amidst wacky roster moves

In a pair of incredibly questionable moves, Senators rookie GM Carlos Verde has shredded the Cup-calibre roster he inherited from outgoing GM John Muckler.

The first trade of the day came through around 11AM, as a Senators press release announced a straight-up swap with the Vancouver Canucks. Headed to the west coast is 20 year-old centre Martin Havlat, and headed to the nation's capital is 27 year-old Brendan Morrison.

The move was received with a large amount of skepticism from Ottawa fans and media alike, as Havlat is coming off of a breakout fifty-points season in 2001-02 which saw him finish 4th in team scoring.

Morrison comes to Ottawa after putting up a career-high 67 points playing alongside Markus Naslund and Todd Bertuzzi in Vancouver, but the general consensus in the nation's capital is that the Senators and rookie GM Verde lost this trade.

------

In what was an even more lopsided trade later in the day, the Senators dealt sniper Marian Hossa to the New York Rangers along with defenceman Sami Salo. In return, Ottawa gains depth on the blueline in the forms of 34 year-old defenceman Vladimir Malakhov and 25 year-old Tom Poti.

Hossa, who finished second on the Sens with 31 goals in 2001-02, will be tough to replace, and bringing in the aging Malakhov and likely depth-type d-man in Poti seems like an unfair return.

Some would even argue that Sami Salo, the defenceman headed to New York along with Hossa, is better than both Malakhov and Poti.

----

Regardless of the league's ownership and management of the Senators at the moment, today's roster moves are simply unacceptable and seem to be working against the organization's stated goal of a Stanley Cup championship.

[Canada_Carlos_Ball]

November 6th, 2002
Corel Centre, Senators team offices

Well, here we are, opening night. First on the docket is Columbus, tonight, at 7pm.

The roster is, well, not great. I managed to flip Curtis Leschysyn and a few other minor leaguers to Chicago and Boston in a three-way deal that saw us pick up Andrei Kovalenko and Mark Bell.

At 32, Kovalenko's just a depth guy on the back end, but Bell is just 21 and has some decent potential.

Checking my e-mail, I see two messages. One titled 'LOL still can't believe you let Lalime go you noob' is from none other than Mike in Pittsburgh, and the other is from Ty. 'Check this vet out' it says.

Clicking on it, I'm greeted by the unmistakeable face of Jeff Jillson. Ty seems to think we can get the young prospect off of San Jose for cheap.

I check my watch. 5:45. Half an hour until warmup. I've got time to scour our roster and find some scraps to feed to San Jose for Jillson before customarily watching the warmup from the highest point in the building.

Ottawa Senators Opening Night 2002 Lines Depth Chart -
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LW	Daniel Alfredsson (95)	Magnus Arvedson (82)	Mark Bell (73)	Slava Butsayev (72)
C	Radek Bonk (88)	Brendan Morrison (86)	Todd White (83)	Mike Fisher (77)
RW	Andrei Kovalenko (77)	Chris Neil (71)	Jody Hull (69)	Jyri Ylonen (73)
D #1	Wade Redden (89)	Zdeno Chara (86)	Chris Phillips (82)
D #2	Vladimir Malakhov (85)	Karel Rachunek (80)	Tom Poti (79)
G	Jani Hurme (81)	Mike Fountain (64)

[SENS_AK27]

I'm really liking this. Keep it up! In this alternate reality can the Senators please keep Chara?

[Balrog]

A lot of Senators love going around right now. Following!