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On paper, the trade that Bryan Murray made to acquire Nikita Filatov from Columbus in exchange for a third-round pick in this year's draft, seems low risk. Filatov is in the final year of a two-way, entry-level contract, and LW has always been a thin point for the Sens. That said, with only 36 games of NHL-level action under his belt in the past two years (and that little side trip to the KHL), you have to wonder how quickly he's going to come along. This, of course, was exacerbated by Murray's mention of Nikita's potential as a "top-six forward." Now you know how I love to get down on casino games, but forgive me if I'm a bit hesitant to take this action right now.

Murray has framed the "top-six" comment with a number of caveats -- "We're going to give (Nikita) every opportunity"; "If he's (not a top-six) we would have to look at other options", etc. In short, it actually sounds like Murray is being cautious about the matter, and how could you blame him? The Sens' history with flashy, speedy Russian forwards has been a long and woeful tale. But that hasn't stopped fans from attaching the "white knight" labels to other young Russians who have come through the system, like Alexei Kaigorodov and Ilya Zubov. Not to veer into the dreaded Cherry Day-Glo territory here, but you can't help but raise an eyebrow based on previous history...and the knowledge that Filatov has baggage (see the previous venture back to his homeland's league).

But all it took was a simple mention of "top-six", and some Sens fans seemed ready to, yet again, put all their eggs in one basket. A quick tweet by yours truly suggesting that we not pencil in Filatov for 40 goals alongside Spezza, lead to multiple battles via Twitter and e-mail on Filatov's ability, including one memorable bit of advice, which told me to "think of (Filatov) as (Alexei) Kovalev on a two-way contract." Sold! Why didn't I think of that?

It seems like Murray is prepared to temper his expectations, but I'm not sure about the fans. It's been a quite a while since fans have seen a nice combination of speed and legitimate scoring out of a single player; combine that with the need to bulk up the top end of the team, and you've set some lofty expectations for a kid who has yet to prove himself (and will need to do so within the span of next season). You may not be able to get casino reviews and subsequent action in the sportsbooks on an NHL player's future potential, but forgive me if I don't want to get down any action, regardless. And for the record, that doesn't make me a pessimist; it makes me a realist.

More later.



"Marshmallow" is one of those words I can never spell correctly, which always pisses me off. Marshmallows also once pissed off Claude Julien, coach of the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins last summer, but for an entirely different reason.

Julien was playing in a charity golf tournament, and ahead of him was a foursome with a tendency to play practical jokes. After they putted out, they would leave a single large marshmallow on the green, knowing that Julien was teeing off first and would therefore think that the "ball" was his. They pulled this stunt at least three times during the round before Claude yelled at them, "Are you guys out of f*cking marshmallows yet?" Naturally the only way one of the culprits could respond was by pulling another full bag out of his bag for Julien to see. Being a good sport, he couldn't help but laugh. I imagine it probably looked something like this:




More later.


This is my friend Seanny. 5-time Smack-Off champion, sports radio superstar and soon-to-be diabetic.

When I found out that my old friend Sean Pendergast would be dropping the puck at the AHL Calder Cup Finals between Binghamton and Houston, my head started spinning. Sure, I knew Seanny followed hockey (he's a diehard Whalers fan and even attended the Whalers' Fan Fest just this past summer). But dropping the puck against the B-Sens? His team against, well, kinda mine? (Kinda?) This was too much. I knew we had to get some action down, do something stupid or possibly both. This is par for the course when the two of us are together.

To be fair, I came up with the Bet during a fast I had to complete for a blood draw the next morning, and all I could think about was food. But how could I make the stakes relevant? Then it came to me: "Local" condiments. If the Senators win, Seanny has to drink a bottle of maple syrup on-air during his show (with photographic and/or video evidence). If the Aeros raise the Cup, I have to drink a bottle of Jim Ross'' BBQ sauce (regular, not spicy) on the phone. I imagine either feat will be accompanied by the tale of many tour stop yarns (the ones we can legally tell, anyway). With the series currently tied 1-1 and heating up again in Bingo tonight, it's anyone's guess what could happen. Stay tuned...I'm sure it'll be amusing...and possibly vomit-inducing.