Melnyk’s statement surely no endorsement or vote of confidence of the current makeup, the Senators now move toward rebuilding the ‘right’ way. With this season going as it has, Melnyk has mandated to scrap the current and look toward next season, moving forward with a younger approach.

That means head coach Cory Clouston, yet to be fired, is unlikely to survive the off-season. Bryan Murray, general manager since 2007, will be offered an advisory role to the team’s hockey operations, paving the way for the arrival of a younger regime. Some speculation points to analyst Pierre McGuire as the team’s next GM. An assistant coach with the Senators from 1994 to 1996, McGuire has been a candidate for other GM roles league-wide, most recently with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Minnesota Wild.

And that’s just the off-ice moves. The on-ice moves have already begun, starting with the trade of Mike Fisher to the Nashville Predators, returning two draft picks to the Senators, including a first rounder, which will now couple with the Senators’ own first round pick, an all-but-assured lottery selection. That pick, in particular, will play a large role in the Senators’ rebuild, whereby the team could select highly touted Swedish defenseman Adam Larsson, or one of CHL forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Gabriel Landeskog, or Sean Couturier.

Aside from the 2001 trade with the New York Islanders that landed the Senators second overall pick Jason Spezza, Ottawa has not selected top five in the entry draft since 1996, using the first overall pick to select defenseman Chris Phillips who, interestingly enough, is likely to be moved prior to this year’s trade deadline. The division-rival Boston Bruins are believed to be interested in adding Phillips among their top four blueliners. Though he holds a no-trade clause, it is believed that the 32-year-old pending unrestricted free agent would accept a trade out of Ottawa and to a playoff contender like the Bruins. Phillips has ties to Bruins’ GM Peter Chiarelli, former assistant GM in Ottawa, as well as captain and former Senator Zdeno Chara (It has to be mentioned how different the Senators’ fate could be had the team re-signed Chara, rather than the since-gone Wade Redden, in the summer of 2006. That blunder could be pinpointed for the Senators’ freefall).

Other names that could be on the move include Chris Neil and possibly Spezza. Unlikely to move: The oft-unmotivated Alexei Kovalev, who holds a $5-million expiring contract, as well as signed-until-2013 winger Milan Michalek. Little speculation surrounds veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar, who has disappointed in his inaugural season in Ottawa, but the belief is his game would only improve in a better surrounding. It is unlikely that captain Daniel Alfredsson, with two years remaining on his contract, will be moved. Expect Alfredsson to finish his career in Ottawa.

But just how bad has this season been for the Senators? The fact that Alfredsson leads the team with a middling 31 points through two-thirds of the season (less than 0.6 points per game) sits the Senators last league-wide among team leading scorers. To put that into perspective, the San Jose Sharks, as one example, have seven players with 36 or more points. Still, one bright light to a dim Senators’ season is sophomore defenseman Erik Karlsson, who has looked more than impressive. Karlsson will be a piece the Senators build around, as will centre Nick Foligno and Swedish goalie Robin Lehner. Young defensemen like Jared Cowen and David Rundblad could soon join Karlsson on the Ottawa blueline. And while the emphasis is to stockpile prospects and draft picks, the Senators could have as much as $15 million freed-up on the salary cap this summer through players leaving as unrestricted free agents, meaning the team could make some prudent additions this off-season.

There has been plenty of focus on the Edmonton Oilers, who have elected for the long-term rebuild, building around the likes of Taylor Hall, Magnus Paajarvi, Jordan Eberle, and Sam Gagner, among others. Like the Senators, the Oilers currently hold a top pick in this year’s draft, after selecting Hall first overall last year. But is such a rebuilding method a guarantee for success? The Atlanta Thrashers and Columbus Blue Jackets, joining the NHL in 1999 and 2000 respectively, serve as harsh reminders that long-term rebuilds don’t always go as planned. In 12 drafts, the Thrashers have held nine top-10 picks, and have a total of zero playoff victories to show for such efforts. The ugly no-post-season-victories feat is also held by Columbus, which on just one occasion has selected lower than eighth overall in the entry draft. As it stands, both Atlanta and Columbus are once again on the outside of this year’s playoff picture.

Another option: The belief of Ottawa’s provincial rival Toronto Maple Leafs, with no first round picks dating to 2009, is to add talent through trades and signings, like Kris Versteeg, Tyler Bozak, Clarke MacArthur, and Jonas Gustavsson, all younger than 26 years old, in hope of expediting the traditional rebuild. Though that rebuilding style varies from what is anticipated in Ottawa, Toronto has changed all but six faces (Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolai Kulemin, Tomas Kaberle, Luke Schenn, Carl Gunnarsson, and James Reimer) since 2008, and a similar transition should be expected in Ottawa.

For the Senators, the trade deadline, two weeks away, will serve as the next step forward. And while a rebuild may not always guarantee success, it does however provide more hope than the current wheel-spinning, patchwork version of the Senators.

Former Lightning GM Jay Feaster speaks with the media

Jay Feaster wants to win the Stanley Cup, again.

General Manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning from 2002 to 2008, Feaster admits his drive to succeed still very much exists after capturing a Stanley Cup championship in 2004.

“Having already won a Stanley Cup I very much want to do it again,” said Feaster. “I also firmly believe that I will be a better and more effective manager the second time around.

“The chance to succeed again excites me.”

Resigning as GM of the Lightning in the midst of a management shake up and sale of the team in July 2008, Feaster, 47, expressed interest this past off-season in the now-filled GM vacancies in both Minnesota, filled by Chuck Fletcher, and Colorado, filled by Greg Sherman.

Had Feaster landed the gig in Minnesota, one of his first tasks would have been whether to re-sign oft-injured superstar Marian Gaborik, who ultimately joined the New York Rangers as a free agent.

“It’s not possible to provide a hard and fast ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer if Gaborik would have been re-signed,” said Feaster. “I would have sat down with his agent (Ron Salcer), who I got to know during the time one of his other clients (Darryl Sydor) played for his us in Tampa Bay. I would have made it a point to visit with Ron and, if possible, Gaborik, to determine whether there was a common ground and whether the possibility existed to sign him to something that made sense for both sides.”

Feaster also expressed interest in the GM duties of the Colorado Avalanche, working with Pierre Lacroix, with whom he previously worked alongside during his time with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. At that time, the Avalanche was the parent club of the Bears.

“I believe very strongly in my ability to manage and am confident I could have made a very positive contribution to the future success of the Avalanche,” said Feaster. “I have a very good relationship with (Pierre) Lacroix and the opportunity to work with him again would have been satisfying for me both personally and professionally.”

Feaster, holding a law degree, originally joined the Bears in 1989, a company he had done legal work for in his home state of Pennsylvania. Feaster would work under the team president before being named as general manager the following year and, in 1997, he led the franchise to its eighth Calder Cup championship. That same year, Feaster was named AHL Executive of the Year.

The following year, in 1998, the Tampa Bay Lightning began to reshape their front office, and Feaster was added as the assistant general manager to legendary hockey mind Jacques Demers, also the coach of the Lightning. It was Feaster’s duty to handle the legal matters, tasked with Collective Bargaining Agreement issues and contract negotiations.

But in 1999, the Lightning would again change ownership, causing the fall of Demers, who was replaced by Rick Dudley. It was only three years later when Dudley would resign as general manager, after a fallout when the team’s ownership rejected Dudley’s proposal to deal future franchise player Vincent Lecavalier.

Feaster, who often stated he did not want to be known as the general manager who traded Lecavalier, admits he considered dealing him to the Vancouver Canucks in 2006 to obtain Roberto Luongo, who had yet to sign a contract extension with his new club.

“The only way I could reverse my previously stated position would be to acquire another franchise player in his place and for me, Luongo is that type of player,” said Feaster. “Losing (Nikolai) Khabibulin 2005, we never adequately addressed our goaltending.

“We knew Luongo was capable of winning games by himself. How many times over the years (when Luongo was with the cross-state Florida Panthers) had we hammered him with 50-plus shots only to lose the game, or win 1-0? I was convinced that our fans would understand moving Lecavalier if it meant obtaining a true franchise goalie in return,” said Feaster. “At that time, we still had Brad Richards, who could have moved to the No. 1 centre slot. But, discussions with Vancouver ended once they were able to get Luongo signed to a long-term deal.”

With the resignation of Dudley, Feaster was named general manager of the Lightning in February 2002, ultimately beginning the franchise’s climb to the pinnacle, bringing both competitiveness and respectability to the team. Feaster would again receive Executive of the Year honours in 2004.

Being with the non-traditional market Lightning for eight years, Feaster can relate to the current situation facing the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes.

“There are a lot of issues at play in Phoenix. I don’t know whether the market is a good one, but in all non-traditional hockey markets you have to win if you want the build and maintain a fan base,” said Feaster. “I watched it in Tampa Bay when were losing 45 to 50 games every year. At some point, no matter how great your marketing or how beautiful your facility, fans simply won’t pay for tickets.

“You have to win, and win consistently. That hasn’t happened yet in Phoenix.”

But after eight years with Tampa Bay, Feaster resigned last year.

“Last season was difficult in Tampa Bay, but I think the organization made significant strides this past off-season establishing a clear-cut chain of command. From the outside looking in, GM Brian Lawton is clearly in charge of hockey decisions,” said Feaster. “The club had a very good entry draft and I believe (Victor) Hedman is going to be a future star and signing (Mattias) Ohlund provides a solid mentor for him.

“The blueline is vastly improved, the top-six forwards, with the addition of (Alex) Tanguay, are as good as any in the league, and the goaltending is solid. If they can stay healthy, and if Lecavalier plays the first-half of the season proving to make the Olympic team, I think the Lightning will indeed compete for a playoff spot right through the end of the season,” said Feaster.

As for the upcoming season, Feaster likes the moves made by both the Calgary Flames and the Philadelphia Flyers.

“I really like what the Flames did this off-season – no question they acquired the No. 1 defenseman available. They hired an outstanding coach who has the full confidence and support of the general manager,” said Feaster. “In the East, Philadelphia had a great off-season. In my mind, we could be looking at Calgary vs. Philadelphia in the Finals.”

Through six seasons with Tampa Bay, Feaster led the Lightning to a 207-165-62 record, winning two division titles and capping off that performance by winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup championship in 2004.

Those accomplishments, among others, are surely enough reason why Feaster will find a second tour of duty as a National Hockey League general manager. ∆

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For the complete Jay Feaster interview, including his thoughts on Gary Bettman, the NHLPA, Sean Avery, and more, download the General Manager Rankings issue of the Corywilkins.ca E-magazine.

Boston Bruins centre Marc Savard

According to several media reports, Boston Bruins centre Marc Savard is willing to waive his no-trade clause for a move to either the Ottawa Senators or the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The message from Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke should be clear: He is all yours, Ottawa. Among the best playmakers in the NHL, but not fitting a need of the Maple Leafs, the magnitude of risk involved in a Savard acquisition makes little sense.

Fresh off a concussion scare courtesy of Matt Cooke’s elbow, Savard’s case to be a Maple Leaf is risky. That Savard was sidelined for 41 games – half a season – last year is among the smallest worries.

Savard, 33 in three weeks, would become the oldest player on a Maple Leafs squad that is among the youngest league-wide. Add that to the fact he does not meet the description of what Burke is seeking. The diminutive centre, all of 5-foot-10 and 191 pounds, doesn’t match Burke’s sought puzzle piece of a sizable, scoring winger who can add secondary toughness to Toronto’s forward ranks. A more suitable addition, though more lucrative, would be winger Ilya Kovalchuk, a pending unrestricted free agent, who brings a 6-foot-2, 230-pound stature and has averaged 46 goals (and 87 points) in the five post-lockout seasons. Savard, meanwhile, has averaged 85 points in that same time, with last year’s numbers pro-rated.

The advantage of adding Savard to an offensive starved Maple Leafs team – pairing him with former Beantown linemate Phil Kessel – is greatly underwhelming to the risks. Savard’s lagging size and injury history make his acquisition questionable, and with a goal of qualifying for next spring’s post-season, how valuable would a 33-year-old Savard be long-term to a team that will not be a true contender for at least two or three seasons?

The final nail in the coffin: Restricted to a seven-year pact, an extension that kicks-in this season and does not expire until 2017, Burke has expressed his strong disinterest in long-term deals, particular those that expose the loopholes of the collective bargaining agreement. The contract sees Savard earn a combined $2.5 million over the final three seasons, ultimately lowering the contract’s annual cap hit with the idea that Savard would retire after the fourth year and would not fulfill the remainder of the contract. It remains unlikely that Burke is keen on adopting one of these league-despised contracts. An addition at centre would also create a logjam to youngsters Tyler Bozak and Nazem Kadri, expected to fill the top two roles next season.

A team in need of cap space, the Bruins would like to move Savard, but with him only willing to accept a relocation to two clubs, the bargaining power of Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli is lowered. For sale blueliner Tomas Kaberle, coveted by the Bruins, will not be involved in a Savard swap, and since the Maple Leafs would be assuming Savard’s onerous contract, sending back an unorthodox contract of their own, such as forward Mikhail Grabovski’s two-year, $2.9 million annual stipend, seems logical. A one-for-one deal is unlikely and low-end draft picks or prospects could be involved as well. With that in mind, the Maple Leafs will not do the favour of assuming Savard’s contract unless a ‘no-lose’ deal is plausible. The Bruins biggest acquisition would be breathing room under the cap ceiling.

The week leading up to the opening of the unrestricted free agency pool promises to be exciting, with Savard’s future surely headlining hockey leading up to July 1st.

Lightning GM Steve Yzerman

When examining the list of available general managers and the most experienced is former Minnesota Wild boss Doug Risebrough, it is easy to suggest broadcaster Pierre McGuire as the best choice to assistant new Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman.

And that’s not a shot at Risebrough, but it’s simply to suggest that McGuire is the most knowledgeable fit. It was this time last year when McGuire was one of the finalists for the GM position with the Minnesota Wild.

The former assistant GM of the Hartford Whalers (’92-’94), McGuire’s experience is limited, though similar to that of Yzerman, the former V.P. of the Detroit Red Wings. What qualifies McGuire is that no one has seen more hockey games, in more markets, the past few seasons than McGuire. It would be difficult to find someone with more in-depth opinion on league-wide players and personnel.

With that, the first hiring by Yzerman should be a lieutenant or senior advisor, a role filled by McGuire.

Look at the most successful teams. The Chicago Blackhawks, vowing for their first Stanley Cup championship since 1961, have a busy front office where GM Stan Bowman bounces ideas off father/legendary coach/senior advisor Scotty Bowman. Eastern Conference finalist Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren uses Bobby Clarke as his sounding board. The long-time Flyer, Clarke has more than a decade of experience in management.

Even the league’s most crowded front office, owned by the Toronto Maple Leafs, includes a senior voice, that being Cliff Fletcher, who managed the Calgary Flames to a Stanley Cup win in 1989. Other examples: The Dallas Stars hired their own player-turned-GM in Joe Nieuwendyk and then surrounded him with Les Jackson, Brett Hull and Dave Taylor. Edmonton Oilers first-time GM Steve Tambellini can always turn to coach and long-time friend Pat Quinn, who has worn the GM’s hat with two clubs. The Florida Panthers may retain former GM Randy Sexton, already familiar with the team’s strengths, in aiding new GM Dale Tallon, the builder of this year’s Blackhawks.

In Tampa Bay, Yzerman is certainly ready for the GM role, as illustrated by the miles travelled and heavy lifting put forth in building the seamless, gold-medal winning Team Canada squad – even if it didn’t include Lightning stars Vincent Lecavalier, Marty St. Louis and new 50-goal man Steven Stamkos. Compare that to the team assembled by another former player and GM-in-the-making, Mark Messier. That patchwork squad featured many of Messier’s buddies and finished a humbling 7th place at this year’s World Championship.

Still, Yzerman should not shy away from added guidance. That is where McGuire comes in – someone to speed up the learning curve while also acting as support. The two would share ideas on building a winning organization, with McGuire’s main role dedicated toward the salary cap and collective bargaining issues.

Once McGuire is aboard, a coaching recruitment to replace the fired Rick Tocchet can follow. Here is a quick run-down of some bench bosses that could be a fit with the Lightning (last coached in parentheses): Team Canada associate Ken Hitchcock (Columbus, fired Feb ‘10), John Stevens (Philadelphia, fired Dec ‘09), Michel Therrien (Pittsburgh, fired Feb ’09) and Guy Carbonneau (Montreal, fired March ’09). An array of minor-league coaches could also highlight the candidacy list.

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Sharks GM Doug Wilson

Another year, another playoff failure by the San Jose Sharks. Surprising? Not at all.

A mirage team in the regular season, the Sharks once again failed to execute in the post-season. A team without much bite has once again washed up to the sidelines.

But at this point, what else is left to change in San Jose? Doug Wilson, general manager of the Sharks, has tried, without success, seemingly every combination on this Rubik’s cube of a team.

This brings us to one other possible change – changing Wilson himself. After joining the Sharks in 2003, Wilson has had seven years to build this team into a winner and knock down the championship door. Any success, up until this point, has only appeared in the regular season.

A new general manager would bring both a new vision and new ideas to the Bay Area hockey club. The Sharks require a winning voice, someone to push this team over the edge. Would a pick like Jay Feaster, who won the Stanley Cup in 2004 with Tampa Bay, be a fit? Feaster pushed the Lightning to its ultimately glory, taking the team built by former Bolts GM Rick Dudley and then making the necessary and albeit risky deals, like trading a fourth overall pick for playoff performer Ruslan Fedotenko, to achieve a championship.

What may work in Wilson’s favour is the lackluster list of available general managers, Feaster being the only shiny apple of the bushel. Any other candidates are incapable or inexperienced fits for San Jose’s current mould.

As for changes to the immediate roster, the Sharks have seen young players like Joe Pavelski develop into high-end playoff performers, while a prime opportunity also exists this off-season to shake the team’s image while retaining its foundation.

Starting goalie Evgeni Nabokov, who has repeatedly shown his lagging big-game mentality over the past two seasons, is an unrestricted free agent. Nabokov’s job description is simple: Don’t lose the game. He failed in that regard. Too often, Nabokov would allow a questionable goal that would ultimately cost his team the game, rather than evolving as a playoff goaltender with an ability to steal the game. Do the Sharks cut ties with Nabokov?

That answer would be more certain if the team owned a viable net replacement. It’s too soon to turn to any of the young netminders in the development pipeline, while the unrestricted free agency market isn’t littered with many, if any, serviceable upgrades to Nabokov.

That opens the trade route. The Boston Bruins, for example, will be one option, as the team will surely shop Tim Thomas, last year’s Vezina Trophy winner, after the emergence of young goalie Tuukka Rask. Thomas fits into the Sharks’ style in that he just needs not to lose the game for his team. Plus, Thomas plays with that internal fire that has rarely been illustrated by Nabokov. And at a $5-million stipend, Thomas’s salary cap hit comes a shade less than what Nabokov will surely earn as a free agent. Thomas’s do-anything-to-stop-the-puck approach would serve well in San Jose’s next pursuit of a championship.

A change in the team’s voice is required. Last year, Hockey Press suggested a trade of Joe Thornton. Obviously, that didn’t happen and the feasibility of the same deal has now changed, as Thornton has just a single season remaining on his contract. Thornton is safe for another year, but there remains a deep desire for more up-tempo play on a regular basis, like in the second round vs. Detroit. There was Thornton, playing with an edge, scoring goals, jumping into the Plexiglas in celebration. That edge was once again too frequently absent from Thornton’s game this spring.

The Sharks could also look at a coaching change, especially if the general manager is changed, but at the same time, second-year head coach Todd McLellan really came into his own this past season. His tactics were formidable against his former team, the Detroit Red Wings.

Still, the Sharks lack that kick-you-in-the-pants direction from behind the bench. Does McLellan have that mentality to lead San Jose to the Holy Grail or, as an example, would a short-term option like the fiery Mike Keenan be a better option? Keenan, who last coached with the Calgary Flames in 2009, guided the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup in 1994. Speaking of the Rangers, perhaps the Sharks should have hired Broadway boss John Tortorella when they had the chance, another no-nonsense coach who would get the best out of the Sharks.

An unrestricted free agent this summer, another top-tier scorer in Patrick Marleau could be leaving San Jose. Not re-signing Marleau would certainly spell a change in San Jose.

Marleau’s future in San Jose could ultimate hinge on the team’s cap plans for Nabokov, but certainly a change in the team’s overall mentality is required in order to make the next step toward a winner. It’s the age-old philosophy of ‘one step back, two steps forward’. Once again, the Sharks were picked to win 16 playoff games, ultimately failing with just half that mark.

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